MOTORING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 186, 11 September 1914, Page 9

MOTORING.

THE MOTOR AND WAR. V, " . : . ■ ' The touring motor cars of the Continent have already been commandeered*- under the present war strain, and tl.e growth of the motor as. a.'means of traiisit is shown in figures recently collected. At the commencement of present year, there were 90,959 motor cars registered in France as compared with only '76,771 at the beginning of 1913. New Zealand, with a 'fortieth part of the population of France, has about a tenth of the number of motors possessed by that country. The immense assistance the motor may be in time of war was shown in Auckland last week. Two four ton Daimler lorries were engaged to draw the forage for the.troops from Otaliuliu to the encampment at the show ground. Each waggon carried five tons per load and made four-trips a day. In a rush of transport work during the week the two motor lorries moved 40 tons of produce during one day and one night. The equipment of the motor section of the Expeditionary Force has been in the hands of Lieut.-Colonel A. M. Myers, M.P., in command,of the Motor Reserve, and two staff officers, Major Norton Francis and Captain Beauchamp Platts. The" motor cars, motor lorries, motor cycles, and bicycles which for the use of the force have been subscribed for by citizens who made their cash gifts specially for this purpose or who presented cars or motor cycles. The motors will thus belong to the Government free of cost, and the only money which the Government needed to find was for the purchase of a few motor ivcles and bicycles. The machines, it ts affirmed,, have been selected with great care and will be dispatched in perfect order with a full supply of 3inergency outfits. The use which a motor section can be to a force is imply demonstrated by the German army, which is making great use of the motor car in war. Drivers for all the motor vehicles have be6n arranged for l»y the Army Service Corps.