ACROSS AMERICA

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 243, 11 October 1916, Page 9

ACROSS AMERICA

IN AN AUTOMOBILE. •AUCKLAND MOTORIST'S TRIP. Mr. C. C Davis entertaiiiecf Ine general committee of the Auckland Automobile Association last evening with an interesting account ""oil" ~ His recent motor trip across the United States. He went from Xew York to ■ San Francisco via Chicago and .St: Louis. The roade in some places, "said: Mr. Davis, were worse than the Bangiriri hills. The meeting" received this piece of news with a knowing laugh. -" The finest roads I crossed were in California," said the speaker.- "There they have a concrete or asphalt track in.the middle of the road. Other roads were ■what are called ' dirt -x-oads,'-.- and these ..were, in their natural state. I-motored, over, about two thousand miles j of road of this-*-o r ,type.". Mr. •Davis, in speaking of the. well-known Lincoln highway, said that it was a road butin name, as in maßji.jjJacee.it was liot formed. It was on that road.that .he struck some of the worst places in the States. ~, ~ BY-LAWS INTERPRETED. , . "The by-lawo of the American, controlling the American motorist, are more liberally interpreted than is the case in New Zealand. In most cities you can • cleave a car unattended in the streets. The opposite rule of the road is recognised to that of Auckland, and it is difficult for a etranger to fall.,in .with the new law. '•"From Chicago to St.. John,. through Illinois, there are dirt, .r.oadg . for. the entire distance. These are' well kept in order by settlers along .the road. The settlers are. subsidised J>y_ the. associations and from the " taxes' wliieh are ■ livied tin motorists. These roads are well graded and looked after, and I think that the same type of" grader used on the Rangiriri Hills would make roads there which would be quite all right for motoring. ■•* ♦•«■»- SCENERY EX ROUTE. "From Denver to Salt Lake City the scenery is magnificent: "If fs T pleasant, after the monotony of the loifg level roads, to ascend the more mountainous regions. In one place we''we're 11.300 T ieet above sea level, and that was amid the snow. On this part of the run the car has to pasV-alonpf the top x)f-a canyon. There is not enough room fbr'two cars to cross. ' If by chance two did meet, it would mean J that "otre would have to back for about two miles before they could pass. On one side of this road is "a drop of 2.000 feet, and on the other the towering cliffs. From Salt Lake City through the Sierras up to Rino was the neit part of the programme. After this : caihe the beautiful roads of California, to which I have referred. From Sacramento to 'Frisco I passed over perfect roads. In twenty dave I had motored 3,000 miles. In Missouri the annual tax on motorists is five dollars. This means a large income from so many cars, and the roads are therefore kept in good condition. THE SPEEDWAY. .■* While in Chicago I went to eeethe ;• famous speedway there. This is two and ,a-half miles in length, and there is accommodation for 100,000 people.: This enormous structure ■ took -but. 40 --days •-.and Sights, -to .build/ Mr.. Davis ■ co*n-: dndeduhis- interesting..talk with details of the tyres and cars. and. .their makes. which were -keenly listened to by all present. The meeting accorded him a vote of thanks at the.C£no}u/=ion of the lecture.