NOTES.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17922, 16 November 1923, Page 4

NOTES.

Mr T. G. Russell, who has lately yelurned from a visit to England, was 'impressed by the number of American and Canadian manufactured cars on the roads in ithc Old Country. American cars can be sold in England cheaper than the English-made cars antf in most cases they give as much satisfaction ns the home-made article, which costs a groat deal more to produce. Mr Itussell considers that if the many Engiish manufacturing firms pooled their resources they would be able to compete with tho overseas manufacturers. At present even a large establishment in. the United Kingdom has not a weekly output which compares at all favourably' with the big American firms. "\Yo are in a position to state that there is every probability that a motor passenger linor of 17.000 to 18,000 tons j will be ordered by a woll-known Dutch ' firm before the end of! the year, states the "Motor The speed will be about 15 knots, and th 6 power required in the neighbourhood of 9000 s.h.p. The Pioneer Sports Club has agreed to pay for the provision of a bay on tho Dyer's Pass road between Victoria Park arid tho summit. This is an urgent necessity and its institution should be much appreciated by motorists. It is related that a well-known resident of Picton, driving his car between Blenheim and the port last Saturday,' rounded a corner., suddenly and ran into some heaps of badlyI spread metal which a -roadman was i spreading. The motorist pulled up With, a screech of brakes and demanded angrily of tho roadman, '' What are you doing thiß sort of thing fort" Tho roadman was placid. "Twelve and six a day, Sir," he replied quietly. ! The second attempt made lately to call art annual meeting of the Rakaia Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club proved as abortivo as tli9 first, only ex.. very few members being present. There was present, .however, a strong element of younger enthusiasts who were strongly, in favour of forming a cash cycling "club. After a. great deal of informal discussion a formal meeting of these riders was .held; and a resolution carried convening a public meeting in about a. week's time- for the purpose of forming such a club and plaang it on a sound footing. Mr F. MoNamara was appointed secretary pro tern. Tli© following story against bimfielP is told by a well-known garage proSrietor in a Canterbury town. A client fought in a punctured tube to bet mended. On examination, a clean cut in tho tube was i'ound i and th© spot duly vulcanised. When handling the tube after the job was finished, a hard substance was discovered inside it. The tube had,to bo cut open to release tho foreign object, which wa& found to be half a horse-shoe 1 Between Christehurch and Piakaia the worst sectiou of road is now undoubtedly that between Damsandel and BankSide, while that between Bankside and the Rakaia bridge is also very had. On these sections tho shingled way is very 'narrow, arfil the' roadway in parts has developed into high ridgea of loose shingle, with narrow tracks scooped out by the motor traffic. Tho Selwyn is now quite dry, and though tho crossing is very rough, and quite a switchback in J>laDes, i.t should not offer much- difficulty so long as one keeps to the beaten track. There is a revival of activity in tho Ashbhrton County in regard to motor traffic inattcrs. Tho Council's "inspector, Mr E. N. Johnson, h«s been busy seeing that cars have numherniates which conform to the regulations, aiid in. examining driver? for certificates of ability. On Tuesday ho visited Itakaia. and put several'drivers through their tests.

J. G. Thomas achieved one of the fastest recorded laps ever accomplished at Brooklands on September 28th when, in winning the Essex Lightning Long Handicap he covered ta circuit at. 12H miles an hour. Ho drove magnificently, for,, although temporarily shut in on the By-fleet banking, he seized an opening just before the finish ': and won a great race by a, few yards'. j In a match between the fastest car and the fastest motor-cyck, Captafh Howey, on the same car as that used by Thomas beat F. Dixon at 103J miles an hour) catching him in the last lap, and winning by 100 yards. There has been much adverse comment by motorists who visited the recent A. and P. Show at Addington, on the fee of us charged by the Association for parking cars on tho ground. Odious comparison Was mado with the policy of the Metropolitan Trotting Club alongside, which provided free park'ing for the cam of its patrons. , The largest order fortirc-flghting appliances ever placed in England for overseas delivery has recently been completed. This consisted of sixteen Are engines, tenders and wat6r-waggohs with fire-pumps attached, for the Greek Government, and tho order was carried out by Messrs Dennis' Bros., Ltd., tho well-known motor lorry and fire-engine manufacturers of Guildford. The delivery of this imposing array of machines was made the occasion of a public, function at Athens when the Premier and many membors of tho Government were present. It was interesting to note that Messrs Dennis Bros, have also to their credit the largest single order for fire-engines ever placed in England—thiß record order being for tie supply of 50 Dennis fire-engines to the London Mre Brigade, who nave Over 100 of their machines in service. A cable- has juttb tjeen received from the Factory in England to tho effect that on a Douglas motorcycle, haa established a number of new records, viz: British kilo at 102.37 m.p.h.; mile at 101.29 m.p.h.; world's kilo at 98.67 m.p.h. j and world's mile at 08.06 ni.D.fcu ..