BREEZES

Wairarapa Daily Times, 27 January 1932, Page 5

BREEZES

The Master. Tradesman: “Is the master in?” Young Father: “Yes, lie’s upstairs in his cradle.” * * * *' Home Comforts. Husband: “After all, there is no place so comfortable as one’s own home.” Wife: “So you have quarrelled with someone at the club?” * * * * Worry. In tho good old days the passenger used to wmrry about, catching the train. But now H’s the train that is worrying about catching the passenger.

Airplanes as Hearses. Mr Charles L. Reade } speaking at the undertakers’ meeting held recently at Boston, Massachusetts, declared that airplanes will supplant motor cars as the funeral coaches of the future. Government authorities, predicted Air Beade, will set aside large burying grounds as far as possible from centres of population, and the airplane will be the logical conveyance to use.

Empire Butter Preferred,

The people of the Midlands prefer Home or Empire butter to foreign produce (states a recent English exchange). This is shown by the result of the butter^ buy” election conducted by the Ensure Dairy Council to demonstrate the willingness of the public to buy Home and English foodstuffs in preference to the foreign article. Ten voting papers were issued through the National Trades Exhibition, the Empire Marketing Board’s shop, and five typical Birmingham industrial works. Of these, nearly 5000 ballot papers were returned, notwithstanding the fact that the voters were required to place an x against the butter (Empire or foreign) which they preferred, but also to give their name and address as a guarantee of good faith. The figures were: —For Home and Empire butter, 4821; for foreign butter, 72; majority, 4749. * * * * No Gears in New Motor.

One of the most sensational motor vehicles produced since the Avar made its appearance at Home lhst month. It Avas an omnibus Avith a transmission system AA'orked on the turbine principle. Gears, except for the reverse, are eliminated. It moves off Avith the smoothness of a turbine-engined liner. Tlje only controls operated by the dslPr-. are the foot-brake pedal, the accelerator and one large lever for putting the ejigine into direct drive Avhen a sufficient speed has been attained. For years, engineers in all parts of the Avorld have been trying to do aAvay with the gear-box transmission. The arrival of the turbine motor, backed by one of the most important firms of commercial motor engineers in the country, created a storm of excitement among engineers. The engine, in thisYcase an ordinary petrol unit of 100 fi.p., drives a pump Avliich forces oil on to the blades of a turbine. When the engine is just ticking over there is not sufficient pressure to turn the turbine, but as soon as it is speeded up the pressure is sufficient to move the vehicle. In other words, the turbine does the work of the loav gears of the ordinary motor car. , When sufficient speed has been reached, the/tHver, by means of a lever turns the transmission over to direct drive. 'When speed drops off he pulls the lever back, and the turbine again comes into operation. invention marks the great-estJ3-nce of control since the introduction of the fluid ywheel and the self-changing gear-box.