DEVICE FOR CARS

Southland Times, Issue 21773, 30 July 1932, Page 6

DEVICE FOR CARS

PATENT CARBURETTER

A WANGANUI MAN’S INVENTION SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME “Leaving next month via England for Australia. Have sold Government rights for half a million dollars.” This somewhat cryptic cablegram, received from Buenos Aires yesterday morning by Miss Gwen Whiteman, of Invercargill, a member of the office staff of the Majestic Theatre, from her father, Mr James Carlile Whiteman, a native of Wanganui, crowns with remarkable success some 30 years’ perseverance and resolute faith on the part of an inventor, who clung tenaciously to the belief that a patent carburetter he had created to allow the use of crude alcohol for the propulsion of motor cars would ultimately revolutionize the industry as it seems destined to do.

For some time Mr Whiteman has been endeavouring to dispose of his interest in the invention upon favourable terms, and the culmination of his efforts, so far as the South American rights are concerned, has just been reached, no less a sum than roughly, £130,000 being the selling price. It is understood that a company has, been floated in London and one in Africa, in which the Morris Motor Company is interested.

Mr Whiteman, who was born in Wanganui, is about 65 years of age. Before the war he dealt in German dyes, but the advent of hostilities ruined his business and he had to start all over again. For the past 30 years he has been experimenting with his patent and endeavouring to interest financiers in various parts of the world in it. “He has put a fortune into it and it is about time he got something out of it,” said an excited Miss Whiteman to a Times reporter yesterday. “Father has had some bad knocks and plenty of discouragement, but he always believed he’d come out on top and now he has done so. The Ford Company wanted to purchase the exclusive rights from father months ago at a handsome figure, but he was confident his invention was worth even a much greater sum.” It is understood that, with the use of Mr Whiteman’s patent, a motor car could be operated at a cost of about 4d per gallon.