MOTORING

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19917, 2 May 1930, Page 4

MOTORING

"Roadster" invites articles and paragraphs of interest to motorists for this page. NOTES. Members of the Main Highways Board who are making an inspection of the northern portion of the South Island, after having visited the West Coast, are due in Christchurch to-morrow evening. The District Public Works Engineer (Mr F. Langbein) left yesterday to join the party at Blenheim, and accompany them to Christchurch. It is expected that an inspection will be made of the new Tophouse road before leaving the Marlborough Province. The secretary "of the Canterbury Automobile Association (Mr J. S. Hawkes) will leave this morning for Kaikoura, where he will pick up the party. Annual licenses for motor vehicles are now being issued at the Chief Post Office, but up to the present there has been no rush of applicants. The Postal authorities wish that there had been in order that there should be an avoidance of congestion in the last two weeks of May. Miss Una Digby, of Christchurch, accompanied by a lady friend, recently motored a distance of between 1200 and 1300 miles in a baby car. They visited Dunedin, Invercargill, Bluff, and the Southern Lakes, the whole journey being accomplished without mechanical trouble of any kind, and only one puncture which fortunately occurred just outside a garago in Dunedin. What is described as a new "speedtrap," said to be the invention of a clergyman, in England, although the published details would seem to suggest a different origin, has just been demonstrated. Cylinders filled with water are sunk in the roadway at any point where it is desired to set the speed trap. These, under the pressure of the wheels of passing vehicles, set into operation electrical and other mechanical means to indicate the speed of the passing vehicle, to light signals at crossroads and on the footpaths, and to put into action a tell-tale camera which photographs the vehicle or the number of a car or motor-cycle, and sometimes also tho driver. ' When necessary the apparatus can be so arranged that the tyres of a motor vehicle will be punctured by spikes concealed in the roadway if the vehicle exceeds tho speed limit. Although designed for use with electricity, the invention can be modifled to be used with gas or with oil in country districts. The money to be expended for roads in the U.S.A. in 1930 will equal a year's work for 1,000,000 men at £4OO a year, according to Mr Owen B. Augspurger, president of the New York Automobile Club. The Public Control Committee in England report that the number of licenses granted under tho Petroleum (Consolidation) Act, 1928, has increased from 4031 in the year 1924 to 5097 in 1939. During the same period the aggregate quantity of petroleum spirit kept on licensed premises in the country has increased by 50 per cent., and is now over 8,000,000 gallons. No horse traffic is now permitted in the centre of-Vienna. In 1928-29 3645 British, 7943 American, and 6568 Canadian motor-cars were imported into India. Since July, 1928, over 24,640 warning letters have been' written to motorists in England in lieu of prosecutions. The United States has 38.7 per cent, of the world's roads. It has the greatest mileage of both improved and unimproved roads.

An interesting point in the history of the London Eaglo M.C. is that applications for membership have been received from as far away as India and China.

Madame Amedee Bollee, widow of the well-known engineer, has just presented two extremely interesting vehicles to tho Musee do la Voiture. et. du Tourisme, in Paris; one is tho steam car called La Mancelle, built in 1873 by Amedee Bollee, sen., the other the first petrol-driven car built in 1895 by Amedee Bollee, jun. The above-mentioned museum is being formed at the Palace of Compeigne.

A contract amounting to £246,000 for the deck roadway of the Mersey Tunnel, linking Lancashire and Cheshire banks of the river Mersey, has been given to a Manchester firm. One-quarter of the production of cars in the United States arc used by fanners for business purposes. Two hundred million tons of farm products are hauled yearly by motor transport. The Bedfordshire Standing Joint Committee has adopted a suggestion of the Chief Constable by which constables using their motor-cycles for police duty will in future be paid 2d a mile. There is one car to every 17,000 inhabitants in China. A 700-mile highway that will cost £20,000,000 is to be constructed in Cuba. The parking problem has become so acute in Copenhagen that construction has begun on an underground garage.

STAINLESS IRON. #ORD>S SECRET PROCESS. A rust-proof, stainless iron has been produced in the Ford laboratories at Detroit, U.S.A., and is now being used for the bright-metal fittings of the Ford i car (says the motoring correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph"). When it was announced last December that the new Ford models had stainless radiators, door handles, and windi screen frames, it was naturally assumed that this meant stainless steel, and great surprise was expressed at the use of that metal, which costs at least twice as much as ordinary steel, in such a low-priced car. The mystery is now explained. What is being used in the Ford factories is not stainless steel, but stainless iron—known in Detroit as "Alleghany metal." The process is at present a Ford secret, but I understand that it is very cheaply made from melted down scrap iron (probably treated with cadmium), is ductile, non-brittle, and lends itself readily to pressing. In colour it resembles, when buffed, highly-polished pewter. The discovery of a cheap really rustproof iron is obviously of the highest importance, not only to motor manufacturers but in many other forms of industry as well.

Even in warm weather it will pay to let the engine get up to a good working temperature before starting off, especially if heavy oil is being used for high speed driving.

BY "ROADSTER."

TRAFFIC IN THE SQUARE.

AVOIDING CONGESTION. ANGLE PARKING SUGGESTED. Over six months ago an experiment was made in the control of traffic outside the Post Office in the Square. Previously it had been usual for owners to leave their vehicles outside the building when transacting business there, but by adopting a plan of angle parking and restricting the time for which cars were allowed to remain unattended, order was evolved out of chaos and the cars referred to were able to be driven away without any unnecessary delay whenever desired. „ . L ~ , . Speaking to "Roadster" yesterday, Mr J. S. H'awkes (secretary of the Canterbury Automobile Association) expressed the opinion that ij; was time that the system was extended to other parts of the Square. He pointed out that it was not uncommon to see cars standing unattended for lengthy periods outside the United Service Hotel. Sometimes their owners were inside the building having refreshments, while in other instances the owners had gone elsewhere on business. Sometimes the cars were "parked" four deep so that the first man in had great difficulty in extricating his car when he wanted to get clear. As matters were allowed to stand a visitor from another centre did not know where he was in regard to leaving his car in the Square, and it was time the position was cleared up. He understood that in Wellington, when luggage was being delivered at or picked up from a hotel, the cars which were engaged to carry it were allowed to remain outside the hotels for not more than ten minutes, but so far as the United Service Hotel was concerned such a time limit was frequently broken. There was an area of the Square, near the Dominion buildings, which was set aside for angle parking, similar to the system in vogue outside the Post Office, continued Mr Hawkes, and in his opinion the whole of the Square should be dealt with in this manner. If it were traffic control would be simplified and everybody concerned would be the hapnier. He hoped that something on the lines suggested would be carried out before National Week.

TRAFFIC ROBOT.

WELLINGTON INNOVATION. Tho automatic traffic-control lights on tho Bank of New Zealand corner, Wellington, came into operation this week, but the human factor could not be totally dispensed with, and inspectors were kept active on the points interpreting the signals for uninitiated drivers (says the "Dominion"). A good deal of give and take was inevitable, and the little confusion was taken in good humour by both motorists and traffic officers. In the morning the lights were adjusted to allow traffic flow for 14 seconds in Willis street, 14 seconds in Lambton quay, and seven seconds in Customhouse quay. In tho afternoon the periods were increased by a few seconds.

It was apparent that drivers found the period of the yellow warning light rather short, and although n numbor of motorists spoke critically of the innovation, it appears that the system is a fine agent in smartening up the man who is inclined to bo slovenly at the wheel. The Bank of New Zealand corner is now no place for the driver who fumbles with the controls. Everybody has got to move smartly, and although slap-dash motorists may avoid this intersection at first, it is probable that the ultimate result will be a considerable improvement in vehicle control on city streets. The motorist who does not respond to the light signals will soon find that he is in a storm centre with heavy vehicles thundering around him. It will be a severe school for many, but it must result in smarter driving than is required by the compromising manual system. The tri-light system has been a con, spicuous success in Melbourne, and it has gradually brought about very smart and decisive driving at intersections. Pedestrians have become accustomed to the safety period, and they move like clockwork. A real traffic sense develops when it is com. pletely understood that the winking light decides to the second where the right-of-way lies. There is no appeal against the strict and mechanical justice of the lamp, and it at least assures safety when it is obeyed in a commonsense way. OUR CHURLISH COMPLAINTS. "I often think," writes Professor Low in 'The Motor." "that we are very apt to accept the gifts of science in a churlish manner. We complain, for example, if current leaks from a wire and prevents an engine from running with perfect smoothness at a speed of 2000 revolutions per minute. "It has taken the better part of 100 years to devise a magneto and to find a material which would act as an insulator without absorbing moisture from the air or becoming brittle in use. Generations have applied . themselves to the production of a magnet of which the power would last, and tens of thousands of pounds have been spent in the production of an alloy which would withstand the action of a spark. "Chemists have sought liquids which were clean, economical, and easily convertible into mechanical energy. Yet we are ready at any moment to sneer at a motor-car in which any one of the myriads of technical bricks has become temporarily displaced. "I am right in stating that biologists navedied in order that tyres might be reliable, equally right in suggesting that as yet their main problems are untouched and that we are embryonic in our conception of an electrified world such as may in the future become accepted as a commonplace." The recognition of the first one-hour national outboard motor boat record by the M M.A. is announced. Mr O. J. Turner, who is a keen competitor in motor trials with a Morgan, covered 32 miles 459 yards at an average speed of 32.26 m.n.h. on Portsmouth Harbour. He used a 16 b.h.p Johnson engine and a 14ft hydroplane belonging to Viscount Kingsborough. xi. A c «LJ? hould not De operated more than 3000 miles without having the valves inspected. When valves are neglected for a long period, they become so badly pitted that the laborious Job of regrinding them takes many tunes as long as it should.

MILEAGE RUN.

INFORMATION TO $E SUPPLIED. TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S REQUEST. Further information regarding additional requirements from motorists when they make application for a renewal of their annual licenses is contained in a letter from the Commissioner of Transport (Mr J. Hunter) to the South Island Motor Union. The information which deals with the mileages of a vehicle during the preceding twelve months and since it was placed on the road, is being sought on a purely voluntary basis. The letter is as follows: "As you are no doubt aware there are many aspects of motor transport in the Dominion regarding which there are no statistics available. This Department is engaged, inter alia, in collecting all the information possible and dealing with it so that the resulting figures will show the full ramifications of motor transport in the economic position of the Dominion. On Voluntary Basis. "With the exception of the figures collected by the Government Statistician in respect of motor vehicles engaged on definite routes and on defined time-tables, there are no figures available relating to the mileages run by th various kinds of vehicles. Representing as they do the quantitative measure of motor transport activity, these mileages are very important from the administrative point of view; so much so indeed that an attempt is being made to collect the necessary information. "The matter has been carefully considered from all angles. It would appear that the most reliable information could be collected with a minimum of trouble to the motoring public if use were made of the machinery employed in connexion with the annual licensing. Arrangements have accordingly been made with the Registrar of motor vehicles for a small slip to be attached to every application for annual license for the forthcoming year. As the enquiry is on a purely voluntary basis, it is very desirable that the Department should have the goodwill of the motoring public in this matter. No doubt the importance of the information and the comparative ease with which the individual figures can be supplied will commend it to motorists generally ... I need hardly say that the results of the enquiry will be made public and will, therefore, be available for use by your Union if required." The Form. The form which it is proposed shall be filled in requires that the owners of all motor vehicles on the road shall supply particulars under the following headings:— Mileage for year ended April 30th, 1930. Total mileage of vehicle since first put on road in New Zealand to date. Month and year vehicle placed on the road in New Zealand. The vehicles includo all classes of motor-cars (whether used for private or business purposes), taxis, service cars, or coaches, omnibuses (observation cars, school buses, and buses for casual hire), vehicles engaged in the carriage of goods, commercially or privately), and Any other vehicle .not included in aliove classifications. The enquiry is restricted to the following towns: —Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Gisborne, Napier, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Masterton, Nelson, Greymouth, Timaru, Onmaru, Invercargill, Whangarei, Thames, Taumaranui, Hawera, Stratford, Levin, Hastings, Dnnnevirke, Ashburton, and Blenheim.

NUMBER PLATES FAKED.

LORRY OWNER CONVICTED. (SFECIAL TO THB FBK3S.) OAMARU, May 1. A case of unusual interest to motor ists came before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., at the Oamaru Magistrate's Court, when James O'Brien was charged under Section 3 of the regulations with affixing number plates on an unregistered motor vehicle, and under Section 7 for driving a motorlorrv for which a license had not been used. Senior-Sergeant Scott conducted the case for the police, and Mr P. C. Hjoering appeared for defendant, who pleaded guilty to both charges. The facts of the case as outlined by Senior-Sergeant Scott disclosed some unusual featres. The vehicle in question, a 3-ton International lorry, had been registered by O'Brien at Ngapara on March 31st, 1928, thus carrying it through to May 31st, 1929. The lorry remained unregistered from Juno Ist, 1929, to March list, 1930. On March 25th, 1930, defendant was interviewed by Constable Coppell, who saw him driving the lorry. The number plntu on the lorry wasl3o-246. Those numbers were actually issued to O'Brien for his Ford car for the year 1923-29. The number plate had white numerals with a reddish background. Constable Coppell carefully examined the plate, and found that the background had been painted blue. O'Brien subsequently admitted that 'he took the plate in question off his Ford car, and painted it blue. On March 31st O'Brien registered the lorrv at Oamaru. and pnid a fee of 15s to May 3lst. The full fee was £3 ppr annum. The police looked on it as. a serious matter, particularly in respect to the identification of the vehicle in case of an accident. In addition to defrauding the Government of a fee of £3, O'Brien had faked number plates by painting them blue, so that .they might pass as current and assigned number plates. Mr Bundle said he could not look on the charge as a trivial matter, particularly as the numbers were made to appear as for the current year. The registration of motor vehicles was of particular importance, m order that vehicles might be traced and the public protected in case of accident. A fine of £7 5s was inflicted on the first charge, and £2 10s on the second.

SUDDEN STOPS ARE BAD,

The sudden application of brakes while travelling at any rate of speed imposes a severe strain on all parts of the car Few motorists realise the amount'of energy utilised in bringing a car to a stop. The same drivers who know that it requires tremendous horse-, nower to accelerate a car are unmindful of the fact* that braking may be explained in similar terms. No sensible driver would expect his ear to withstand the severe strain of running at top speed for any distance, and no good driver should impose upon the mechanism of his car by demanding that it withstand the distortion of sudden Stops.

A SHORT CUT.

ROAD PROM PARNASSUS TO WAIAU. The completion of the work of reconstructing the road between Parnassus and Waiau township has provided a short cut from the Main North road to Hanmer. In the past this road has been so bad that motorists preferred to give it a wide berth, one of its worst ft*aturos being that there were 2& fords to be crossed. The Public Works Department has now obviated all but four of these, and as they may be negotiated without trouble and as the road is metalled and well graded, motorists may now use the road without fear of being held up. The Canterbury Automobile Association has recently had sign-posts erected along the road, which is twenty miles long, and which, according to the Association's patrolman (Mr L. DPickles) may be taken on top gear oyer the greater pari of the trip.

LIGHTS ON HORSE-DRAWN VEHICLES.

With motor traffic on the highways of Quebec rapidly increasing, the /horse-drawn vehicle has become a problem for legislative action. The question has been taken up by the Eoyal Automobile Club of Canada, whose leaders assert that a serious situation has arisen. A general law is sought, making it compulsory for horse-drawn vehicles to carry lights at night to warn motor travellers. It is claimed that there has been a number of accidents traced to failure of this class of carriers to give notice of their presence. In an effort to enlist the aid of the different municipalities to urge legislative action, request has been made by the club for endorsement of the following proposed amendment: "That the Eoyal Automobile Club of Canada appeals to the Quebec provincial government to amend the general laws of the province dealing with the use of the public thoroughfares, by making it compulsory for all classes of vehicles, and especially horse-drawn vehicles to carry a lighted lamp on each such vehicle using the publie

thoroughfare darinf WW ness, with a, view to """ public thoroughfaw«*l club wishes to Mbmit j this connexion the fiet lation is in effect in States, and also in dian provinces." Mil