NOTES.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19889, 28 March 1930, Page 8

NOTES.

In the past it has been usual for reregistration of motor vehicles to be made as from the end of March, but this time the financial year ends on May 31st, it being necessary to attach tho new number plates to vehicles by June Ist. In. view of the closeness of winter, with its dark nights, the Chief Traffic Inspector (Mr H. Macintosh) desires to appeal to cyclists to paint their rear mudguards white so that their bicycles may easily be seen by motorists. He is making the appeal in the interests • of cyclists themselves, for the reason that mudguards which are painted black are very hard to see in a bad liglit, whereas the white paint shows up promin ently. During six days tho sum of £121,000 was collected by the Manchester motor license authorities—an increase of £40,000 over last year's figures. The French Grand Prix will this year again be run on a fuel consumption basis over 38 laps of the Pau circuit—a distance of 374 miles^—on September 21st. There are now 20,598 motor-cycles registered in Denmark, over half of this total being in use in farming districts. In Copenhagen there is one side-car to every four solo machines. . That 56.6 per cent, of the fatal and 50.6 per cent, of the non-fataJ accidents in Manchester last year were due to the thoughtlessness of pedestrians is revealed in the Chief Constable's annual report. American engineers are turning their attention to gearbox improvement, and the "twin-top" and ' silent third" are already familiar. A new departure is a. vacuum-operated change mechanism similar to that exhibited in 1928 at the Paris and Olympia motor shows by the Voisin concern. H.R.H. the Prince of Wales has consented to become the patron of the Brooklands Automobile Racing Club, while several gentlemen prominently associated with motoring and aviation have agreed to serve on the committee. The economic importance of adequate highways cannot be overestimated, according to the American Automobile Association. Upon them is dependent the mobility, in America, of more than 25,000.000 motor vehicles, on which £1,446,000,000 were spent for operating costs in 1928 in service stations ana garages throughout the country. A car that was finished in real morocco leather would be pretty costly, yet on some of the best European fabric bodies the leather used has the exact appearance of morocco. The socalled morocco leather which is_ largely u6ed, for ladies' handbags,, eto., is really sheep's skin embossed from copper dies, reproducing the grain so faithfully that only an expert can tell the difference by cutting the leather. These dies are made from a copper matrix which is obtained by depositing pore copper on a real morocoo skin. The skin might cost £4O or so and afterwards would be useless, thus considerably adding to the cost of the die, which is made by a similar deposition process from the matrix. Anjr leather grain can be faithfully copied by this method.

There is as much difficulty about parking accommodation in Copenhagen as in most cities, and a move to alleviate matters is being made by a large underground garage in the centre of the town, partly beneath the Town Ball square. Entrance will be made down an inlet with a slight incline. Some basements already in existence will also be used, with plenty of space for extension. The equipment wifl be fully up-to-date. It is especially intended. for people living in the provinces, who can, go by car to Copenhagen, and hand over the car to the "hall porter," who is responsible for its being stored and well looked after.

The Southwark Borough Council recently took a step toward safeguarding children playing in the streets when it approved a suggestion that, in appropriate cases, side streets should be closed to motor traffic on certain evenings of the week, to enable children to play in safely. To give effect to this scheme the London County Council has been asked to promote legislation empowering municipal authorities to close certain thoroughfares at their discretion during specified hours. A man who possessed a cheap brand of motor-car took it to a garage for the night and was shocked when the proprietor .told him the fee would be £l. "Why £1?" he asked. "I- shall come for it in the morning," "Ah," said the' garage owner, "that's just it. Will you come?"

When one thinks of the raw materials that go into the make-up of an automobile one naturally thinks first of steel, second of robber. It will come as a surprise to many that thirty-two pounds of cotton, the yield from one-firth of an acre, go into the manufacture of the average automobile—for tyres, upholstery, tops, eto.

It may come as a surprise to many who thought that small towns along main highways hare benefited in late years because of increased motor trade, tc learn that representatives of small towns and villages in Illinois have petitioned the State Highway Department to route the hignways around them instead of through them. It has been found that these steady streams of traffic through a town only add to the congestion, and the inconvenience far outweighs any slight increase in business. Times change, and there are many who can remember the days when merchants made all sorts of concessions to transportation systems in order that they might pass tneir door.

A new law in Paris which came into force on January 15th forbids parking in any of the principal thoroughfares. The problem has been given additional impetus by reason of the fact that taxi-cab fares were recently increased. It is reported that a number of enterprising individuals have offered to take cars from outside their owners' offices to streets where parking is allowed and bring them back at the time desired.

The death of Mr Henry Sturmey, which occurred suddenly at Coventry, recalls the fact that in 1900 he was responsible for the first cycle car. It was designed and built, on cycle lines, with the special object of producing a car which could be sold for £IOO. It was probably the first car in which was incorporated an air-cooled motorcycle engine. On© of 23-h.p. was the largest procurable at that time, but the provision of a three-speed reducing gear enabled it to tackle hills.

Spray Flytox in your home and see how quickly it kills flies, mosquitoes, ants, etc, «—4