THE MOTOR

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 48, 26 February 1913, Page 4

THE MOTOR

(By "Autop.")

There eecms to bo ii good deal in the Godward carburettor, of which intercflling results were recorded in the locil press reports at Invercargill a couple of months ago. Whether it is a carburettor or what it is— nobody knows— it is a moet extraordinary piece of mechanism, or what you like to call it, that will enable a motor cycle to inn on a. consumption, of petrol which works out at 400 miles lo the gallon, One doee Hot look to ordinary news reports for scientific accuracy— it would not be fanto expect it — but information received through other sources tendfi to confirm ,tho report. It is understood that a financial syndicate in Chrifitchurch has already been' formed and taken up tho invention, with a view to exploitation ill Europe and • America. Mr. Godward is said to have received > excellent, term", including a etrong 'interest in the syndicate, and will proceed shortly lo London to put the invention on the market. What it is exactly the general public does not know — probably Mr. Godward himself holds tho secret — hut, if it is capable of performing under ordinary working conditions a- half of what it i's said to t have done on the track at Invercargill, it is still an invention of importance. Mr. Hugh Hamilton, for some years manager for New Zealand of the Vacuum Oil Company, has been promoted to a high executive position on the head office staff of the company at Melbourne. Mr. Hamilton came before tho public last year during the so-called "petrol famine " as one who endeavoured to allay | the unnecessary scare and prevent speculation in such quantities as were neld. The Vacuum Oil Company Was subject to a good deal of reprobation at that timo by tho speculators, or would-be speculators, and their agents. Mr. Hamilton's efforts were appreciated by the taxiowners of Wellington, who, prior to his departure for Melbourne some days ago, presented him with a handsomely'illuminated address,' framed in oak. the text is as follows: "In recognition of tlio manner in which the taxi-owners of Wellington have been supplied with petroleum spirits to enable thenl to keep running their cars during the period of the late shortage in local 'supplies of Pf&lt's benzine and motor spirits, and also the able manner and precautions displayed in preventing speculators manipulating available short supplies during 1912, whereby cat -ownetrs were enabled to keep their taxi-cabs running in the normal way, we, the undersigned taxi-owners of Wellington, desire to express our hearty appreciation of the valuable and capable judgment displayed by you in your capacity as New Zealand manager of the Vacuum Oil Company Proprietary, Ltd." One may be pardoned for devoting from time to time so much space in these columns lo aviation, when it is realised what a great factor it has become in, the public and industrial life of England and the Continent of Europe. The expenditure on airships and aeroplanes, aeromotors and equipment, and the training of pilots must run into several millions sterling a year now, and an aeroplane is no more costly to buy at the start than a rather expensive motor-car. Consider what was done in Germany in 1912 on the aeroplane side alone. Something like £45,0f)0 was given in aviation prizes, 186 pilots* certificates were gainetj. and 30 aeroplanes were built by experimentalists. Sixteen aerodromes were built last year, and no fewer than fourteen towns have each pi-esentecl the Govern- I mSjnt with an aeroplane. Germany now j possesses 25 dirigibles and 330 certified ! aviation pilots, ol whom 72 are military I officers. (When Would Wellington offer an aeroplane tp the Government?) The City of Turin is more or less poor. Italy can boast of three flying grounds and j an experimental station for the study I of flight, and there are 200 certificated j Italian pilots. France has over IfJOO qualified aviators, and French pilots arc j the best in the World. In France also the movement is Very greatly assisted by substantial subscriptions, both from private and from public and municipal I sources. _ What a poor contrast America, the original home of the Wrights and, therefore, of aviation, makes to-day. "It is with longing eyes and due re* gret,," writes the American correspon- | dent of the Aero, "that the American enthusiast watches French airmen, stimulated by generous prizes, breaking

>"conl aftnr lecoid. Nothing even apprnacliiiig tlio c» oss-country flying being •lono in France, Germany, or even iv England is tlcvcloping in America. Outaido of tho 'International' Aviation meet at Clitcago practically no flying of any consequence has been done this year. Tho great American circuit race never materialised, a tiling certainly to be regretted. Tho professional "flier receivcß his only substantial support just now from small country fairs, where, in older to establish a reputation, it is essential that ho thrill the spectators with » feat, performed in the 'aerodromes' proved-small race tracks or other unsuitable enclosures, entailing great risk and certainly not contributing to tho of the science. Apathy on tho part of the general public and tho Government does nob ndvanco the art." The lesson applies to New Zealand aho.