NOTES.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18626, 26 February 1926, Page 10

NOTES.

The Canterbury Automobile Association advises that the Beaky River I is now fortlabk. j There is snob, a maso ol motor regu- : 1;<i.:...:i-j in England that recently a i man was fined for taking bis wife for la drive! His -vehicle was licensed for I commercial purposes only. | "Eyery motorist appeared to feel ! that he had a duty to perform, and j that was the welfare of others.'' cso ■ le-.torujtl the traffic inspector at the \e\\ L-vnn Town Board in respect to Fbhruarv 13th (Muriwai race day;. Thp number of vehicles that passed through the townshrp letween the. hours of G. 30 a.m. and noon totalled O.IS. ' Speeding was in no way m evidence, except in one or two eases rOHiin" home, awl these were promptly v;arned. Over 500 cars passed through tho district ou the Sunday afternoon following the races.

Everv motorist should co-operate in tho effort to bring the Hit-and-Run-Driver into tho hands of the law (says "Motorland"). It is because of this gentry that there is a tendency toward" more drastic laws that make motoring; more difficult for tbo lawabiding "driver. It is because of these few drivers that the motorist generally has been so severely criticised by those who do not understand that a vast majority of those who drive motor-cars are law-abiding citizens. The Hit-and-Run-Driver is in a class by himself. Ho is lower than a man who would steal the pennies from tho cup of a blind Beggar. Let's all get together and make sure that nob a single hit-and-runner escapes during this year.

School children in several interior California cities are to be protected from tho hazards of traffic by their older mates through tho extension of the public school traffic reserve, organised by tlio California State Automobile Association. Fresno, Sacramento, and Vallejo have joined San Francisco and Berkeley in the organisation of the reserve. Plans have been perfected in each of these cities ' by which tho Mayor and Chief of Police are to co-operate with the school department for the organisation and training of the reserve. The public school traffic resenve consists of responsible boys between 12 and 18 years of age, trained by the. regular traffic officers of the police force and charged with tho duty of seeing their smaller school mates safely across congested streets and lanes before and after school and during recess periods. Motorists are warned that they must obey tho fiignals and directions given by tho boys of the reserve, who are equipped with badges. A new American speed record recently established in U.S.A. is especially notable for the high average speed maintained, and emphasises the remarkable increase in the speed of racing cars in that country in the last few years. Driving the same car that ! Jimmy Murphy was piloting when he I met his death at Syracuse, N.Y., more ! than a year ago (< Frank Eliiott averaged 127.87 m.p.h., when winning a i 200-mile race at Culver City, Califor- } nia. _ The previous American record ; for this distance was 126.88 m.p.h., put up by Tommy Milton on the same ; track. Earl Cooper made even faster 'time than the winner for 200 miles, i when he lost the lead by running out [of petrol. He eventually finished ! fifth. During the race there wag a ! serious crash, in which Jerry Wonderflich and Red Cairen were involved. It will surprise most motorists to learn that Australia imported 74,989 automobiles for the year ending June, 1925. This means that during that twelve months 12 ears were imported for every 100 of our population. A striking feature of this big importation is the remarkable jump that the British ear has made- in public estimation during the last two years. For tho year 1922-23, only 1406 British made cars were brotrght into the Commonwealth, whereas in 1924-2.) the number had more than trebled itself, and increased to 6017. The cheery smile and warm greeting of Police-constable Smith on point duty in Johannesburg have led to the formation in that citv of a flourishing "Good Morning" " Club. Members pledfjo themselves as follows: "As n. member of the Good Morning Club, I undertake to say a happy 'Good-morn-ing' to everybody." Many houseboats on the Thames and elsewhere were originally lifeboats, which were sold, when their active lives were over, for a more peaceful purpose.