AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 173, 24 July 1928, Page 16

AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION.

ACTIVITIES IN THE NORTH.

Motorists in the lower Kaipara are feeling the need of some organisation to protect their interests and secure much needed road improvements. With this object in view, an agent of the Auckland Automobile Association is to be appointed with headquarters at Helensville. On Tuesday next, July 31, the touring manager of the A.A.A. will address a meeting of motorists in Helensville and outline the association's new activities, also the benefits of membership. Mr. Champtaloup will also explain the various requirements of the new motor regulations. Xew signs have recently been erected on the Helensville Road and also on the Kuineu-Albany Road. The route from Henderson to Nihotupu, Piha and Kare Kare, and from Henderson to T"erndale, Sharp's Bush and Waitakere Ridge has also been signposted during the past few days. TRY THIS WITH A PUNCTURED TYRE WHEN IN HASTE. Unless there is some obvious cause of puncture, such as a nail or a gash, and if the tyre has merely subsided slowly and gracefully, try the effect of pumping some air into it before setting about to change it. The puncture may be so small that the tyre will, if pumped up hard, carry you to the nearest garage; or perhaps nothing more is amiss with it than a faulty valve. By moistening your finger and holding it over the top of the valve, you can find if the air is escaping at that point. If tightening the valve or working it up and down until the moving part seats evenly is unavailing, it will be necessary to insert a new valve centre. These small but useful spares should always be carried. They cost only about 2/ for a tin of four or six, and are invaluable. The nipple cap which screws on to the top of the valve assembly is generally recessed and cut so that by reversing it it serves as a valve key for the removal of the old centre and the insertion of a new one. If no spare valve centres are to hand, screw the nipple cap tightly home, seeing first of all that it has a sound washer on its head. If the little washer is missing one can force in a small piece of leather or old rubber to act as a seal when the cap is tightened on the nipple.

BRITISH PROTECTION

That the British motor manufacturers have benefited from the protection afforded them by the imposition of safeguarding duty on imported cars and tyres is proved by the fact that the trade's own estimate of production of cars for the past four years is as follows: 1924, 132.000 cars; 102.i, 153.000; 1026, 180,000; and 1027, 200,000. Since the tax was placed on imported tyres five big foreign companies hava purchased iand in Great Britain, crectcd factories, and employed British workmen. These facts were given in answer to questions in the House of Commons.