NEWS AND NOTES.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 3081, 19 April 1927, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

A police regulation posted up in Ireland reads as follows:—"Until further notice, every vehicle must carry a light when darkness begins. Darkness begins when the lights arc lit."

Bills advocating compulsory insurance have been introduced in 21 of the 42 States of America. They are now under consideration. Massachusetts is the only State with the law actually in operation.

American automobile dealers, wiio do big business on the instalment system, are feeling worried at a recent Supreme Court decision that the Government has a right to confiscate cars used for carrying liquor, whether they have been fully paid for, or not.

Speaking across the Atlantic by radiophone recently, a distributor of American cars in Britain ordered 1000 cars from the United States factory. The order involved an outlay of £295,----000, and it is claimed to be the largest business transaction yet made over the

new service,

Omnibuses are worked harder in Brussels than in most cities in the world. A fleet of 20 vehicles of 40-pas-senger capacity runs in competition with municipal trams. The fares of both buses and trams average only l-3d per mile. The mileage of each bus is nearly 180 daily.

Commercial vehicles in Paris are being compulsorily fitted with splash discs cutside the wheels for the protection of pedestrians. The splash nuisance has already made itself felt in Auckland. The fitting of splash guards is the cheapest remedy, but the better solution is to build the highest class of road which will drain instantaneously.

A Scot decided to buy a eai> and went to a large firm of motor dealers in London. After much explanation of the working details of the motor car, the salesman offered to show him how to drive. Getting into the car he said: "I'll just throw in the clutch." "Hoots, nion," cried the Scot, "1 thocht if I waited laiig enough yd be gic'ing something awa' wi' it!"

Still another foot-rest has appeared on the market at Home, designed to ensure a steady pressure on the accelerator pedal. It conforms to the shape of the foot, and is fitted on an adjustable mounting situated under the instep, so f as to accommodate itself to any driver. The mounting bracket is attached to the floor-boards in such a position that an extension piece comes in contact with the accelerator pedal. The rest is adjustable not only to the height of the driver, but also to the size of his foot. There is no pivoting of the heel to depress the pedal, the rest being designed to pivot on its mounting under the

instep

A coachman had been sent to a garage to learn how to drive and to get into the way of motoring generally. Belonging to the proprietor was an old, large-bore, built-like-a-battleship car, which required a certain amount of strength and knack to crank. The t:oach man was invited to try to swing the engine, and he tried valiantly and long, but could not move it over compression. "Here," he said, suddenly straightening up, "who are you trying to kid1? — it's wound up to the top!"

A motorist wrote to the makers of j his ear complaining- of the engine kicking when he tried to start it, and asked the reason and how it could be cured. ■ The manufacturers replied that the I kick was due to the sparking plug firing before the piston reached the top of the stroke, thus forcing the piston down instead of up, and to prevent this he should retard the spark. Later the manufacturers received the following letter:—"Dear Sirs,—My engine still jj

kicks despite the fact that I have retarded the spark. I put new wires on the magneto liin longer than the original one. Do you think that retarded the spark enough?"