MODERN MOTORING

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 189, 12 August 1925, Page 10

MODERN MOTORING

LIGHTING-UP TIMES. To-day 5.44 p.m. Thursday 5.44 p.m. Friday 5.45 p.m. Saturday 5.46 p.m. Sunday 5.47 p.m. Monday 5.48 p.m. THE MOTOR OLYMPIA. The second Motor Olympia arranged by the Auckland Motor Trade Association was officially opened on Saturday evening by Mr. H. R. Mackenzie, chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board, supported by Mr. G. M. White, president of the and Mr. J. F. Cousins, secretary of the New Zealand Motor Trade Association. Mr. Mackenzie in declaring the Olympia open, said that the show was a wonderful one, and proved to what a high standard the motor industry had risen in Auckland. Last year 4805 motor cars and trucks were landed at Auckland, totalling over £900,000 in value. The space occupied by this year's show is two and a-half acres, with a stand frontage of one mile. In this area is displayed 200 cars, motor trucks and motor cycles of a total value of £100,000, in addition to •which oil products and tyres are shown. The cars number 162, representing the best products of 44 different makers, 32 of which are American or Canadian, 10 English and two Continental. The prices range all the way from £150 to £1500 and more. Touring cars are in the majority, but a larger percentage of closed cars are on show thie year. Sporting cars are few, but what arc shown are very, striking and attract a lot of attention. Quite a number of exhibitore show power plants working, and as petrol ie prohibited they are run by small electric motors, usually driving one of the back wheels at a slow speed. A marked feature of this year's show is tho general adoption of the bal-

loon tyre, while about 30 per cent have four-wheel brakes. Another feature this year is the increase in the number of British cars compared to the last show. Then only 10 British makers were represented compared with 17 to-day. The Olympia will remain open until Saturday evening, and all interested in motor vehicles of any kind should not miss the opportunity of viewing the very latest and best of the world's motor products under the most favourable and pleasing conditions. The Auckland Motor Trade Association and all concerned are to be congratulated on the success attained so far, and exhibitors one and all declare that business is really brisk. With the advent ,of the many thousands of country residents in town to view the fleet, in addition to a certain proportion of our sailor cousins themselves, no doubt the attendance of the last three daya will be a record one. There is no possibility of extension as the same sheds have to be got ready for the Winter Show which opens next week. AMERICA FINES FOR DRIVING SLOWLY. America has been aptly termed "A civilisation on wheels." A British, correepondent writing from New York coined the plirase, which seems accurately and literally to describe the.situation. Mr. Henry Ford's arabitioa to evolve a motor-car for the million has been fulfilled a great many times over, and the all - important question in America to-day is how to find room for the more than 17 millions of cars already in use, with additional thousands upon tousande being added monthly to an already gigantic total. There is no mistake about it (writes a correspondent of the Jjondon "Motor"), the question is a seriously vital one, and the problem confronts America of actu»«ly linding physical space in cities and congested districts for garaging and parking automobile*. Some headway at relief has been made through the erection of large numbers of multifloored garages with flifts or inclines to the several floors, and through evolving elaborate systems of traffic and parking control in all the principal cities; for which work the best traffic brains of the country have been called into use. In some centres minimum, inetead of maximum, speeds are prescribed. For example, in Chicago you must drive down Michigan Avenue during the busy hours of the day at not less than thirty miles per hour; a slower speed may not 1 ably court disaster to your car, and incidentally to you, but land you at the police station. Definite parking rulee and, instructions are posted generously in all available streets and open spaces, and these must be strictly adhered to in placing your car —provided you are early enough on the scene, and lucky enough to find a place. The ewiftlymoving traffic in New York is a marvel to the uninitiated, and failure to observe the traffic signal spells unpleasant memories. OVERHEARD AT OLYMPIA. Visitor: What.are the gear ratios? Nervous and youthful assistant (deputising while his senior lunches) : Er—er —spec threeds forward, and reverse, and wheels on all four brakes. Olympic Snobbess: Come on, Harold, there are the Pendulus-Pottertons. If they see us looking at a £100 car they'll think we're going to buy it| The lady at the Show who' gushed about the car "with four brakes on one wheel" was putting an undue strain both on the wheel and on her companion's credulity. "All-weather equipment? Splendid," agreed the clergyman. "The trouble is, however, that we don't get all weathers —*>nly the wet variety!" And the demonstrator smiled tolerantly.

* GROWTH OP AMERICA'S GREAT MOTOR INDUSTRY. Much as one may think that one is quite familiar with the size of the motor industry of America to-day, and the extent to which motor vehicles are used in that country, it is not until the actual figures are analysed that their colossal magnitude is fully realised. Exactly.3o years ago, in 1895, there were but four passenger motor cars in the United States. In 1905 this number had increased to 77,400; in 1915, the number was 2,309,606; and on January 1, 1925, the figure was 15,460,649. The automobile industry ranks first among all United States manufacturers, rated according to wholesale value of production, and nearly 4,000,000 persons are employed at it. The wholesale value of the motor vehicle tyre business during the. year 1924 was 627,097,000 dollars, and 605,----000,0001b of crude rubber were used during the year in the manufacture or motor car tyres. Exclusive of tyres, the total wholesale value of parts and accessories was 872,838,000d01. In spite of the fact that commodities in general in America to-day cost 67 per cent more than they did before the Great War, motor cars cost 29 per. cent less. Just as the motor car and truck have rapidly displaced the horse, so it would •appear that the motor bus is likely to supplant the electric street car. During 1924 13,037 motor buses were in use conveying children in country districts to censolidated schools, 168 street railway companies used motor buses, which were also used by 174 railroads for short connecting runs, whilst 33 railway companies used motor trucks as part of their shipping service. Apart from the largo number of persons actually engaged in motor production in America, 3,110,000 workers, em-

bracing more than one-tenth of the male population, are engaged in motor transportation. Of the 2,941,294 miles of highway in the United States, more than 470,----000 are surfaced. Foreign markets consume 12 per cent of the output of the American automobile factories. During 1924, 464,241 cars, trucks, and buses were purchased by foreign countries. These are replacing the Llama in Peru, the donkey in Columbia, the pony in Iceland, the ox in Scandinavia, the coolie in China, the jinriksha in Japan, the camel in Egypt, and the elephant in India. Whilst the United States has been always most ready to sell her motor products to any country in the world, she has, by high protective tariff, taken good care that foreign countries shall not 6ell their motor care, trucks, etc., in America. Here are the figures showing the actual numbers of motor vehicles imported into America during the years 1918 to 1924 inclusive:—l9lß, 73; 1910, 117; 1920, 926; 1921, 522; 1922, 483; 1023, 853 j 1924, 604. A study of American automobile statistics will convince anyone that one cannot eeparate the economic growth of the United States from its development of means of transportation and communication. Countries which unwisely place too heavy tax burdens on the automobile industry are simply taxing progress.. The motor car is transportation—economical transportation for the individual. Its importance as a neconomic factor cannot be over-estimated. Eleven States in America now have fewer than five inhabitants per motor i vehicle registered; nineteen have fewer than six; none have as many as 20, and only eight have an excess of ten. These figures are based on the latest available registration data as at the close of 1924 and population estimates 'by the Census Bureau method. California leads the field with one vehicle for each three inhabitants. Next comes lowa, with one to four. Following in order are:—Nevada, one to 4.2; Kansas, Nebraska and Oregon, all with one to 4.4. Of the 11 States which have a ratio of less than one to five, all are west of the Mississippi except two; Indiana, 4.7, and Michigan 4.8. Among the Eastern and middle Western States, therefore, Indiana is the leader. Vermont, with a density of 4.7 appears to lead New England and the Atlantic seaboard. Even after making allowances for error, it appears that the industrial States of the East are tending to catch up with the west in motor vehicle density. With the tremendous demand for motors in the 'States, combined with largo variety from which to choose, the public generally are very keen judges of automotive values, and are not too conservative to buy readily of any product which in their estimation is good buying value, even although it may be quite new on the market. ■ Incidentally, it may be mentioned that to-day Australia and New Zealand are America's largest foreign customer for motor cars, and Japan for motor trucks. THE MODERN HIGH-EXPLOSIVE. It's merely a figure—some clothes and a face; It's stolid, dull-brained, and snail-slow; Its boots fill a lot of desirable space Across which a motor might go. . . . But Draw near it carefully, Go' past it prayerfully. See you don't graze it with bumper or dash. Honk at it crudely, Jeer at it rudely. Drive the wrong side of it, and in a flash A watchful John Hop Will have your name—pop! • * * When you come round you'll be "out" twenty pounds— Or "In" for a fortnight may be, You'll wonder what caught you, . And ruthlessly taught you,' . % That the traffic cop now stands for wartine's H.-B. i