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Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 94, 15 January 1926, Page 6

A committee of prominent men has been appointed by the American Automobile Association to act as a drafting body for a code of motoring ethics which is intended to form a standard of conduct for drivers in the promotion of road safety. The various branches of the Automobile Association in the Wanganui district recently made representations to the Minister for Public Works in, respect to the state of the Waiquru-lo-kannu Rond. They pointed out, m basing their claims,’that the traffic was growing in volume and the road warranted an expenditure sufficient . to make it permanent. The Prime 'Minister in a communication to the Wanganui Association in regard to the matter stated that arrangements had now been made bv the Public Works Department to employ a surfaceman on the road during the coming season. The latter would be placed on the road immediately, and it was hoped that his activities would make the road reasonable passable for the coming season’s traffic.

RUNNING A TRUCK COST TO A COUNTY. What does it cost to ruti a two-ton motor-truck ? The clerk to the w aiuiairi County Council (Mr. G. Cowper) had to answer this question the other das- in a return which had been asked for by his council. The return for the past two years,, as printed in the Christchurch “Sun,” was as follows 1 wo years £. Interest at 6 per cent on initial cost 111 Depreciation al l‘2j per cent, on initial cost Maintenance, including tires Petrol oil Drivers’ wages ' Insurance Sundries £1199 Average cost per annum. £149. Running hours per annum, 2160. Cost per hour, say, 7s. The councillors thought that the cost was reasonable. JOTTINGS A second batch of notice boards for erection on roads and bridges has been completed by Air. S. Reece for the South Taranaki Automobile Association (states the Hawera “Star”). The signs, which comprise boards and triangles, number 169 in all and are mostly for erection around the Stratford district, which portion of ! the province is included in the South Taranaki Automobile Association’s territory. One boaid will be erected as far out as the Tangarakau Gorge, a distance of 55 miles from Stratford.

On its official inspection of the bituminous paving on November 19 the Suburban Highways Board viewed newly laid hot-mix on the main Hutt Valley Road near the V.I.C. and newly laid penetration work by Hutt County near the Akatarawa Road. The expensiuve hot-mix in question has since been largely dug up and replaced, but the cheap (and supposedly inferior) penetration road is in the same condition as when laid.

The Hawke’s Bay County Council's trucks are stated by the Napier “Herald” to be doing good work on Titiokura on the Napier-Taupo road. They should be finished next week. Arrangements have been made by the council to repair the bad piece of road at Captain’s bridge on the Tarawera side of the hill.

Patea and Waitotara counties arc conferring with a view to adopting uniform speed limits. Patea has a limit of 12 miles through Waitotara township. Waitotara county’s speed limit is 30 miles per hour. The Waitotara countv chairman, Mr. W. Morrison, expressed the opinion that speed limits should be uniform.—Will the Internal Affairs Department please note ?

The contractor for the mile of concrete to be laid down on the NapierAwatoto road expects to commence work on Monday next (states the Napier “Telegraph”). In the meantime the Hawke’s Bav County Council will get busy preparing the lower road in readiness for the deviation of traffic.

Complaints have been made by 1(1thatn County to Hawera County and Normanby Town Board against the action of those bodies in issuing motordriver licenses to Elthain County residents and pocketing the fees. Hawera County contends that it has a perfect right to issue a motor-driver’s license to anybody no mattery where resident. These five bobs are causing some heartburning.

A great deal of improvement has been effected on both tlie Whangamotnona and Tabora Saddles on the main Stratford Ohura Road. The Stratford “Post” reports tliat on the far side of the former several sharp bends have been eliminated by means of cuttings, while in other cases grades have been eased and curves widened to a minimum radius of three-quarters of a chain. This portion of the road will be rqetallcd in the near future, the metal being already to hand and stored at the foot of the saddle. Deviations have also been made on the Tahora Saddle and a great improvement has resulted. Excepting for the stretch between Ngatimaru and the top of Whanga Saddle, which length is very rough, the road between Stratford and Tahora is in very good order af present, and presents no difficulties to motorists.

Some cases are pending in the Rangitikei County against motorists who had boxes on their cars for carrying goods, etc., extending over the limits of the running board. The practice is considered dangerous.

Savs "Chassis” in the Christchurch “Sun”:—ln a fortnight seven cars have capsized on the road running from Ferry Road Bridge to Sumner, a road which vies with Wainoni Road as the Brooklands of Canterbury.

The Muriwai motor races will be held on February 13. Already numerous inquiries are being received by the Auckland Automobile Association. The two outstanding attractions, the New Zealand Motor Cup and the Junior Cup, each of 50 miles, are attracting some fast cars. It is believed by the “Herald” that several racing machines are on the water, while several local examples are under test.

A device which permits the combustion of crude oil in an ordinary gasoline motor has been perfected by the Swedish inventor, Nils Anderson, who asserts that the cost of running a motor-car on crude oil is only onethird of the cost of running on gasoline. The Anderson attachment consists principally of a superheater, a special carburettor and exhaust pipe, together with connecting rods for operation. The crude oil is carried in the gas tank, while the small quantity of gasoline necessary for starting is carried in a small container.

Despite the heavy motor traffic for the past coupl? of months, the Main South Rond frop. Christchurch to Dunedin is stated by the Christchurch “Press” to be standing up well. Both the Hinds and Maronan roads are now in good condition, the Hinds road having recently been regraded. The worst stretch is between Waikouaiti and Mount Cargill.

Tn the search for some means out of the difficulty that arises when cars are stopped for adjustment on narrow roads with a consequent risk to other traffic, some surveyors in Britain are forming “bays” at intervals for the use of standing cars. Thus, though it max' not be possible on the score of expense or topography to widen a whole road, the effect of. its narrowness can be mitigated in this way. On a busy road of restricted width, the stoppage of a single car for a mere quarterhour will cause the traffic to bank up and produce lai sequence *ll t*w cotiditior.’i that go to make acehients