MOTORS and MOTORING.

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 17, 15 October 1926, Page 14

MOTORS and MOTORING.

(BY

”SPOTLIGHT.”

NORTHERN ROADS INDIFFERENT CONDITIONS AROUND ROTORUA. A comparison in roading progress was made by Mr. R. E. Champtaloup, service officer of the Auckland Automobile Association, who returned to Auckland the other day, after a tour of over 800 miles over, many North Island roads at present shunned by motorists.

Mr. Champtaloup informed the Auckland “Herald” that the road conditions north of Taupo showed but little improvement compared with the important highways serving the southern districts. South of Taupo there seemed to be a more progressive policy in vogue, and the motorist who made a winter tour could not fail to be impressed with the apathy of roading authorities near Auckland. It was most apparent that toward the south modern methods were being employed, and excellent surfaces with easy grades were the result. As indicating the slow progress in the north, an important centre such as Rotorua was kept almost out of bounds on account of the uncomfortable approach. The road to Rotorua through the Mamaku Bush was impassable at present, and the Taupo Road was only fair. After this, the excellent road to Napier was a revelation in efficient maintenance. From Taupo to Napier, a distance of over 98 miles, hardly-a bump could be found. Returning through Hawke’s Bay to Gisborne the conditions were equally good. Crossing an Unmetalled Gap. Travelling north on the Motu-Opo-tiki Road bad roads are encountered as soon as Otoko is reached. The railway at this point is in extensive demand to transport motor-cars across the nnmetalled gap. At this section the break in the all-weather road is a serious handicap. A grant of £7OOO was obtained to provide a reasonable surface, but £3OOO has already been spent on the Motu Bridge, leaving only sufficient money to metal one and three-quarter miles of road this season. Another barrier to traffic exists at the foot of the Meremere Hills, 15 miles from Opotiki, where a stream becomes swollen after heavy rain. This creek is being bridged, and will constitute no obstacle next winter. Road conditions northward through the Bay of Plenty are fair, the best sections being around Opotiki and Whakatane. Further on toward Rotorua the highways are deplorable, but there is promise that improvements will be effected during the summer. The Tau-ranga-Wliakatane Road will also benefit this summer, and particular attention is to be paid to the first eight miles. The Isolation of Tauranga. Perhaps no district suffers such iso- ( lotion "nni >’• the winter as Tauranga. The Waihi route is bad, and’ all motorists know the reputation of the toute over the ! Kaimai Hill to Matamata. The Main Highway Board offered a £3 to £1 subsidy for improvement, but after a sue- ' ‘ cessful poll to raise £lOOO the money ‘ could not be raised, because the Kai- |

mai riding affected was so sparsely settled that sufficient security for the loan could not be advanced. It is considered that much inconvenience is being caused by the continuation of apparently futile efforts to make the impecunious riding undertake the responsibility for this section. Ou the 'cast of Te Puke the roads are in good order, but on the west toward Tauranga they are neglected. The outlet from Te Puke to Rotorua is receiving considerable attention, and several grades are being improved. Much bad roading in this part of the North Island may be attributed to the fact that poor ridings are expected to maintain important sections Primitive maintenance by a man with a shovel still prevails. It is a contrast to the motor graders and rollers found on the highways further south.

“STRAINING AFTER CONVICTIONS” Complaints against the manner in which the recently-appointed city traffic inspectors carry out their duties, and the alleged unfair penalties inflicted in Court against motorists, were made at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Automobile Association last week. “A burning question that interests motorists, particularly in Christchurch is the daily increasing number of prosecutions for alleged infringement of the by-laws,” said the president, Mr. B. Falck. “And in speaking on this question I want it clearly understood that the association sets its face strongly against those who deliberately flout the laws, and has no time whatsoever for the motor-hog or drunken driver. But surely there must be many cases in which strict cautions, with a noting of the offender's name, would have just as salutary an i effect, rather than prosecutions in every instance. “One would not like to think that there is an unhealthy competition amongst some of the traffic inspectors to secure as big a bag as possible in order to justify their existence, but rather that their aim should be, by advice and instruction,. to educate the motorist as to his obligations, and by their kindly intervention earn his good-will and . respect, and so bring about universal observation of traffic regulations.”

“To dim or not to diin,” that is the question that has been exercising the minds of motorists who have occasion to drive at night. It is wellknown that it is dangerous for two cars to pass with full lights blinding each other, whilst if one dims it means driving, as Dr. Adamson, put it at a meeting of the Taranaki Automobile Association, “into the black unknown.” He stated that he had latterly been experimenting on the matter by turning his lights off and on rapidly, and had found it very successful, as it enabled him to see the road clearly, and enabled the other motorist to do likewise. He had lately noticed other motorists imitating him, and he suggested that members of the association should experiment similarly and report their success or otherwise.

ENDURANCE TEST OF TIRES For the past two and a half, years the United States Bureau of Standards has been making endurance tests of various brands and types of tires. This work is described in Technologic Paper No. 318, which was released last July, and which can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C., at 10 cents a copy. The paper gives test results on 230 cord tires of the 3J, 4, 4|, and 5-in. sizes, and of 30 brands. The data was presented in graphical form. The various brands are identified by letters ; manufacturers’ names are not given. The August Technical News Bulletin of the Bureau of Standards states that following conclusions have beeu reached as to factors which influence the life of tires:

1. A carcass in which the friction rubber is slightly compounded appears to stand up better under test than one in which “pure gum” is used. 2. Within the customary limits of air pressure used in tires, the higher the pressure the better the tire will stand up. , , . , 8. Fabric tires develop a much higher temperature than cord tires, and their life is much less than cord tires. 4. Separation, which was the principal cause of failure in these tests, did not always take place in the same location in the tire. It occurred in most cases between the tread and breaker, breaker and cushion, cushion and carcass, or between the outer two plies. 5. Any particular brand of tire usually showed a characteristic type of failure. 6. Some makes of tires “blow out much sooner after separation has started than others. 7. Compounded inner tubes for truck tires appear to withstand the action of beat better than those of the . “pure gum” type. The paper points out that no more than one-half of all the tires tested passed the requirements decided on as reasonable performance for a highgrade tire. However, during the period of the tests, a considerable improvement in performance was noted in the case of some makes.

STOLEN CARS The South Island Motor Union recently wrote to the Minister of Justice regarding cases of motor-cars being stolen or taken without “colour of right,” suggesting that the penalties should be increased. The following reply from the Minister was read at last night’s meeting of the executive: “I have to inform you that the Act imposes a fine of £2O, or three months’ imprisonment, and it is considered that these penalties are sufficiently stringent. It is a matter for the prosecution in each case to, decide whether a heavier penalty should be asked for, and, if so, to impress that view on the Magistrate. The actual imposition of the penalty is, of course, entirely for the Magistrate, and it is a matter in which I cannot interfere.” The letter was received.

I RAILWAY CROSSING 1 SIGNS WHO SHOULD MAINTAIN THEM? There is considerable difference of opinion as to whose business it is to maintain the cross-arm signs erected by the Railway Department in 1914 as an additional warning for motorists. The Department lias been notifying the various county councils that it is their business to maintain these signs. A lot of the counties have not taken kindly to the idea. Among the objectors is Hawera County, and at last meeting of that County Council a letter was received from the Railway Department on the matter. The letter stated that the Department considered the council had drawn a wrong deduction from the wording of the copy of a former letter forwarded to it in this respect. Representations were made in 1914 from the Department to the council, in common with the majority of local authorities throughout the Dominion, to the effect that if the Department provided the boards at its own expense the council should agree to co-operate in the maintenance of these boards. This it agreed ■ to. It was obligatory on the Department to undertake the heavy expense of providing these boards throughout the Dominion, but the advent of motordriven vehicles had at that time completely altered the circumstances of road traction, and it was for that reason the Department decided to invite local bodies to co-operate in an endeavour to facilitate travel along main roads intersecting railways. The necessity th.P then existed for such warning notice boards had, of course, increasedsince 1914, and it was considered that it would be a retrograde step to allow them to fall into disuse. In view of the negligible cost to the council in maintaining the notices it was urged that it should reconsider its decision and maintain the boards. Possibly, concluded the letter, it had not been necessary to repair or renaint these notices since they were erected. The council decided to take no action in connection with maintaining the railway cross-arm notice boards.

MANAWATU COUNTY ROADS A Manawatu correspondent writes: “The paragraph in the motoring column last week re costly road in Manawatu County gives a totally wrong idea of the position. It is quite correct that £3750 has been spent, and only about three-quarters of a mile of road has been prepared for a sealing surface, but in addition to this there is over 3000 yards of metal dumped in heaps at the roadside, practically sufficient to lay the foundation for the balance of the road; about £‘2oo was spent in widening the approach to Rangitikei River bridge, as well as a fairly large sum spent in concrete culverts and drainage works at various places along the road line. All that is necessary of this class of work has been done over the whole section.”

The Stratford branch of the South Taranaki Automobile Association has erected 70 road signs during, the year.

BITUMINOUS ROADING HAWKE’S BAY PROGRAMME. 'leu niiEs of bituminous road work are to be contemplated by the Hawke’s Bay County Council during the coming season. Three miles of this (states the “Hawke’s Bay Tribune”) will be along the Taradale to Napier road, two miles along the Westshore embankment, lour miles from Clive to Hastings, and the remaining mile on the Te Aute road. This work, however, will not be of the permanent nature of other road work that has been undertaken during recent months, but will be what is known as a bituminous seal coat. Mr. _ H. M. Campbell, M.P., chairman, informed the council that an offer had been received from British Pavements, Ltd., whereby it would cost somewhere in the neighbourhood of £lO,OOO to put a seal coat on the ten miles. The council would have to pay £5OOO straight away, and the other £5OOO at the rate of £lOOO a year for five years. The upkeep of the roads would then be paid for over that period. After the expiration of five years they would then know something more about permanent reading. Under such conditions he did not think the expenditure was going to be ruinous. Mr. T. M. Chambers: The committee of the council thought that this was the proper course to take. It will enable the whole of our main roads to be done fairly quickly and completely. At the end of the period we can then come to a decision whether to put down a road of a more permanent nature with 2-inch 3-inch, or 4-inch bituminous concrete. Mr. Campbell: We will have good roads for five years, because we have that undertaking from British Pavements, Ltd. Mr. W. Tucker: What I want to. see is the Clive-to-Hastings road finalised and a contract let. Mr. Campbell was empowered by the council to interview the Main Highways Board and British Pavements, Ltd., and, if possible, conclude arrangements for the carrying out of the work. Wanganui Proposals. Proposals for the formation and maintena ice of bitumen highways by private enterprise have been made to Wanganui local bodies by British Pavements, Ltd., a concern which is an offshoot of the Shell Oil Company, Ltd. The proposition was outlined to the Waitotara County Council by the engineer, Mr. T. R. Dix, who said that the Wanganui County and Wanganui City were interested in. the proposals, and were considering joining in an undertaking to give the concern 20 miles of main road on which to operate. The financial arrangements would necessitate, approximately, payments by the council of £l6O per mile for the first year, and £320 per mile for subsequent years. The chairman (3fr. W. Morrison) said it was doubtful if the council could allow more than five miles to be tackled at once, but it certainly seemed a good proposition, and was worth investigating. Councillor Parsons: These people are not in it for their health. How. are they managing it ? Can we not do it as cheaply ? The engineer said the company’s approximate outlay was to be £1250 per mile. The council’s present asphalt cost about £3O per mile for maintenance alone.

Discussing metalling operations, RTr. Dix said getting metal was a heartbreaking business. The council had experienced great difficulty in getting regular consignments of metal from Waitara. His aim in the past had been to keep the whole length of the road in as good condition as possible, a policy which involved constant repairing.

After discussion as to the relative values of local metal, it was decided to call for tenders for the supply of 1000 yards of metal for immediate work.’ The engineer, chairman, and councillors were appointed to attend a conference with representatives of British Pavements, Ltd., to-morrow. UNDER-INFLATED TIRES In looking over any large collection of cars at anv meeting place it is astonishing (says a contemporary) to see the number of owners who keep their tires so long in use that the tread has worn quite smooth. Every new tire to-day has a non-skid design embossed upon it, and this is done not for the ;mke of ornamentation or advertisement, but for the very important reason that the deeply cut patterhs with grooves and diversified surface provide a better grip on the road, and thus check skidding. When these patterns are worn out the tire becomes less safe, and it seems rather foolish to start with a reasonably safe tire, and use it after it has become considerably less safe. The obvious thing is to aiways have tires with well pronounced anti-skid designs on the driving wheels at least, for in our uncertain climate one can never tell what the state of the roads may be. It is penny-wise-pound-foolish policv to keep tires too long in use, and let the’ treads become smooth.

It has taken nearly thirty years of motoring to bring about any improvement in the finishes of coach work. Until the introduction of cellulose finishes a vear or so ago, in fact, _ no progress had been made in this direction for 100 years or more. The most modern examples of the coachbuilder s art are finished, if with ordinary paints and varnishes, by processes distinctly similar to those used on the mail coaches of 100 years ago, and the paints and varnishes used are prepared by similar methods and from the same materials. Twenty-five years ago there was, perhaps, little incentive to improve coach finishes, so concentrated were the manufacturers on matters mechanical. Even fifteen years ago there was no great incentive to experiment along such lines, as the average owner-driver only used his car at week-ends, and, as a rule, was quite contented with bis car if it kept on the road and gave no mechanical trouble. In those days, too, the ownerdriver considered his trouble well repaid if he did have to turn to with a hose occasionally on getting in late at night But the present-day ownerdriver huvs a car to use, not to wash and polish.

An unusual parking device has been invented for motor-cars An extra wheel is attached to the rear of the car, and may be lowered to the pavement. This makes it possible to wheel the car sideways and back it into the street in places where there would not be room enough for backing out or turning around in the usual way. The fifth wheel also serves as a spare.