Passing Comments
Page 16
Page 17
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Release of Factory THE Government hopes to Space Used by Govern1 release, by the end of 1946, ment the remaining factory accom modation requisitioned for storage purposes. Up to November 8, about 113,000,000 sq. ft. of industrial floor space was held by Government Departments. Some 37,000,000 had been released, estimated to provide work for 270,000 people. The process is being accelerated by the disposal of surplus stores, the scrapping of obsolete material, and the removal of other stores to permanent depots.
A14 Little Crude PetroA CCORDING to the chairleum Is Now Being 1–Inian of an important oil Wasted refinery, 95 per cent. of crude oil is now converted into marketable materials. Products which were formerly used as low-grade fuel for want of a better purpose are now being piocessed to become plasticizeis for rubber, for the sizing of paper, for ink and paint making, as corrosion inhibitors, emulsifiers and fatsplitting agents, cutting oils, and as wetting agents for concrete, cement and ceramics. The prevention of rust is another field for such materials.
The Taxation of "Goods and Private" Vehicles
S0ME people havs been in doubt as to the taxation of utility vehicles used for both private and business purposes, and for which an application can now be made for an extra petrol allowance for the former purpose. Assuming that such vehicles be "goods vehicles within the meaning of the Finance Acts (i.e., vehicles constructed or adapted for use and used for the conveyance of goods or burden of any description. whether in the course of trade or otherwise) and are employed for " mixed " purposes—sometimes to carry goods and at others private passengers and their effects—the duty is payable on either the unladen weight or the horse-power, whichever rate be higher. As an, example, a man running a 7 h.p. vehicle on which he pays a tax of £10 for the carriage of goods will be entitled to use it for private purposes. The concession is for vehicles up to 30 cwt. Muminium alloy THE Russian Electro Techni Winding With its cal Institute is working on Own Insulation_ . a development which may , greatly influence the construction of electrical equipment, such as dynamos and starters, by reducing their weight, size and, probably, cost. The idea is to make use of aluminium-alloy wire for the windings instead of copper, and employ this without externally applied insulation. Aluminium oxide formed on the surface is itself an excellent insulator, and, not being organic, it is effective at temperatures as high as 400 degrees C. Aluminium is not such a good electrical conductor as copper, therefore the wiringwould presumably have to be of larger gauge; but even then there would be less bulk, for the oxide on the surface does not add to the diameter and, consequently, much of the space formerly occupied by the old type of insulation can be saved.