NOTES.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19481, 30 November 1928, Page 4

NOTES.

With regard to tho question of access to J,.ike .Sumner during tho forthcoming holiday season, when a Considerable number of motorists are expected to visit the resort, Mr Manning, of The Peaks, Hawarden, has offered to erect a camp and provide horses for the purpose of giving assistance to motorists desirous of crossing the south branch of the Huriinui, over which there i'j no bridge, provided he is given a satisfactory subsidy by the Canterbury Automobile Association. The matter will bo considered tit the next mooting of the council of tho Association.

A North Island suggestion that traffic inspectors should be given tho authority themselves to inflict fines on motorists erring in respect of trivial by-Jaw enses with a viow to obviating their appearance before the Court finds favour with a number of Christchurcli motorists to whom "lloadster" submitted tho matter. Tho consensus of opinion was that such a scheme would save much vexatious delay, and that for 6uch a reason it would be welcomed so long as it applied only to cases such as leaving a car unattended for too long* ana others no More serious in churacter.

To keep tho hose connexion of the radiator from becoming flabby and the inside rubber from separating, insert a coil of brass wire. The wire can be formed over a brush of broohi handle before rounding it inside the hose. This is an assurance that ( hqso will stny extended and that the inside'rubber will not obstruct tlio water passage.

Copying the example of tho freewheel bicycle, a largo number ofautomobile engineers and motor-car manufacturers are spending time and money to' discover easy gear-change devices which may be fitted on their vehicles for tho benefit of novices in driving. The export driver does not care whether he has to change gear or not; but the mechanically inexpert, yet quite tt capable steerer of a vehicle, dislikes changing .gear, and devices of a free-wheel nature have been found which enable the timid genf-cliaiigcf to change up or down silently by decelerating his engine, or, in other words, by letting the .car overrun the. engine. Some of .these contrivances, UoWeVtif, take a\Vay tho ollfttito of Using the engifiO as a brake. On the Other hand, there are easy-changing gears, like the Farley gear, Which Rive due braking effect by the engine. This gear consists essentially of the addition to thd lay-shaft»constant-mesh-pinion ill an ordinary motor-car gear-box of a roller dutch device, which, when operated, serves to uncouple the said pinion from its shaft. .Its action permits the constant mesh pinion to rotate independently of the fay-shaft or vice"" versa. The control <9 eOhhected with the pedal Operating the main engine clutch, so tuftt depressing the pedal releases the main eilgine clutch and also frees tho constant mesh wheel from tn& layshaft. The result is that gear changing is easy, while no _ free-wheeling takes place going down hills.

According to an English paper, a company has just been formed in J* o / 1 " don to exploit the patents covering the Sara air-cooled engine, and negotiations are in a very advanced condition for air-cooled engines to be built in England under Sara license, for .use in Whippet tanks. It Is stated that the War Office is Very enthusiastic regarding til© value of this type of engine. The real significant of this, from ( ft commercial standpoint, is that it will remove all prejudice which undoubtedly exists among the public against aircooling, and will open the way for aircooled cars to be put on the market. One of the world's greatest modern roads has been completed. It is tllfe 78 miles from Perth to Inverness, and traversing some of the grandest Highland . scenery. . The work occupied three and a half years, and cost £ti25,000. What formerly barely accommodated two vehicles abreast is now a broad highway, with easjf gradients, and one of, the Best motoring roads in Britain, [there are 35 new Concrete bridges, and 25 others. There is a little-considered aspect of the open versus closed car controversy, which seems to bo eternal—viz., the question of visibility from the drivers seat when manoeuvring. Ease Of tnanCBuvring, even if it be only apparent, depends on being able to sea freely sideways and to the rear. The saloon of to*day, with its generous rear window and clear glasses at each side, is very little more difficult to manoeuvre from this point of view than the open car with the hood down. But the point is that it is a great deal easier to manoeuvre than an open car with the hood and side curtains erected. The latter are usually obscured with mud ; or dust if they are not regularly clean--1 ed, but worse than that, the rear win- ■ dow in most touring oars is one in name only, its area being usually very small. As in this climate the average owner of a touring car has the hood up most of the year, it is not unfair to compare the tourer in that guisewith the saloon, and there is no doubt that, when compared thus, the latter scores every time on ease of manceuvring. It "is ( a point worth considering when choosing between the two" types for everyday use the?whole year round. With a view to reducing tho number of accidents at dangerous road intersections, certain States in U.S.A. have introduced a regulation that calls for a momentary stoppage of automobile road wheels at specified and i marked crossings. It is claimed that in practice the result has been satisfactory, and in consequence there has been a slackening off of side collisions between cars at the proclaimed intersections. Further, it is stated that the American method does not cause appreciable delay or hold up traffic, because it results in dangerous crossings being in effect in a clear condition.

12 REOS PURCHASED. Every (lay sees more Iteo Speedwagona on the rontl. W. A. McLaren and Co., Ltd., 108 St. Asaph street) delivered no loss than twelve new lleo Vehicles during the month of November. W. H. Collins and Co., Ltd., Ash-bin-ton, T. E. Taylor and Co., Ltd., Akaroa, W. F. Bell and Son, Akaroa, Mr Thos. Feather. Te Oka, Mr W. D. Dalzell. Mason's Flat, Mr C. J. Hadlev. Amberley (Repeat), Mr W. E. Stickmgs (Repeat), Farrier and Walker, Ltd. (Repeat), Sir A. E. Radcliffo. Uovernor s Bay. 1

Last year the number of bicycles in I ran co was 6,583,728, which is a drop of 529,000 compared with the previous year. All bicycles in France pay an annual tax, and by reason of thc3e returns It ia possible to accurately ascertain tho number in service.