ACCIDENT RISK The MOTOR RIGHT TO COMPENSATION LIGHTING-UP TIMES A NEW PROCESS MISS ENGLAND III RUBBER UPHOLSTERY PROMISING ENGINE THIRD-PARTY RISK NEW MILE RECORD

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 38, 13 August 1932, Page 13

ACCIDENT RISK

The MOTOR

RIGHT TO COMPENSATION

LIGHTING-UP TIMES

A NEW PROCESS

MISS ENGLAND 111

RUBBER UPHOLSTERY

PROMISING ENGINE

THIRD-PARTY RISK

NEW MILE RECORD

Sunday .• 5.38 p.m. Monday 5.39 pan . Tuesday 5.40 p.m. Wednesday 5.41 p.m Thursday 5.42 p.m. Friday 5.43 p . m . Saturday 5.-14 p . m .

SPEED RECORD REGAINED

KAYE DON'S BRILLIANCE

"On the rippled waters of Loch Lomond soou after 5 o'clock Mr. Kayo Don, in two brilliant runs averaging 117.43 miles an Lout, broke tlio world's records,.but in view of Commander Gar Wood's readiness to attempt the record, Mr. Don decided to mako a wider margin. The engineers overhauled the boat and found everything in perfect trim, so two hours later she registered an average of 119.81 m.p.h., the first run in 120.50 m.p.h., and the second 119.12. Miss England 111. was literally skimming the water with a reverberating roar. Lord Wakefleld was overjoyed at Don's masterly handling of this wonderful craft." The quotation is from a cablegram on 18th July announcing the regaining of the water-speed record for Britain. That Don's handling of the craft was wonderful may be better understood froni a description of trial runs before the boat was finally got right for the great attempt to be made. It is from "The Post's" London correspondent in a letter dated Bth July. A BUCKINCr CEAFT. Kaye Don and his young mechiuiiCj Dick Cfarner, faced death in tho new

speedboat, Miss England lll.—Lorcl Wakefiold's & 40,000 challenger for the world's water speed record.

The boat was being tried out on Loeli Lomond. She developed what to onlookers on the shore was an alarming tendency to buck in the water at moderately high .speeds.- At times she jumped so much, out of tho water that it was possible to see right below her to the opposite shore of the loch. As soon.as. the boat came into tho view of tho crowd on Luss Pier it was^ obvious that something was desperately wrong (writes the "Sporting Life" correspondent). Tho huge craft was porpoising badly—far worse than either of her predecessors. One moment her nose would be .well down, in the water, and tho next the craft would rear up and shoot, through tho ah- with only the two propellers madly churning tho water. She careered crazily across tho water in a series of sickening jumps. How the crow remained in tho cockpit under these conditions it is difficult to say. On several occasions one could sco beneath tho bottom of the boat, as she zig-zagged across the surface, then five tons of boat and machinery would crash down on to tho water again. Don and Garner were repeatedly thrown out of their seats. Never has any pilot oi 1 highspeed craft shown sucli tremendous courago as Bon and his assistant, who had already been thrown out of the boat at 100 miles an hour and narrowly escaped with their lives. TOO LIGHT IN THE NOSE. Don depressed the throttle, as far as he dared. At between 75 and 80 miles an hour it looked as if the craft might at any moment make one last jump and then divo beneath the surface never to reappear. It would have been suicide to have gone a fraction of a mile an hour faster, but Don refused to give up, and kept on trying again and again to conquer this twisting mass of machinery. Don struggled to control the craft, but after one terrible quarter of an hour's run he returned' to the boathouse, and Miss England was hauled up the slipway. It as quite- evident that the "nose-heaviness" experienced with the craft at Lake Garda has been overcorreeted. What -vnis bad has now been made far worse. Instead of being "nose-heavy" Miss England is now "noae-light." Don said little about tho trial, but. although almost exhausted by his struggle at the wheel, ho immediately held a conference with his experts—Commander Leyland, of Sir John Tho'rnycroft, Ltd., who built Miss England HI., and Mr. J. S. Ellor, designer of the Holls-Koyce engines fitted to the craft. ■ - - At the conference it was decided to weight the nose of tho boat, and Don pluckily decided to try it again. This time he was watched by Lord Wakcfield, the owner of the boat, from Luss Pier. About one and a half hundredweight of lead weight were rushed from Glasgow by motor-lorry, and fitted iv tho boat forward. A slight improvement was noticed, but Miss England still "porpoised" in tin alarming manner. ALTERATION TO THE "STEP." Loch Lomondside, from Balloch to Luss, was overnight plastered every thirty yards witli Communist propaganda Jiotices, and added precautions arc being taken to guard Miss England The notices were interspersed with the sign of tho hammer and sickle, and some of the messages read: "Speed test for the rich; means test for the poor"; "A thousand pounds for speedboat, two shillings for unemployed worker's child." Meanwhile, mechanics working iv brilliant artificial light, specially installed, are striving in two shifts, night

and day, on the task of altering tho "step" on the hull of tho craft. Miss England 111. was shipped to America a week ago to race for the International Trophy next month. Don, who will again pilot her, says that the boat will bo exactly as she was on Loch Lomond when the new record was established.

FAVOURED FOR MOTORING

After some years of preliminary laboratory work in Europe, a new technique for using rubber latex, the natural milky product obtained from tho tree, has reached a practical stage. For some rubber products the new treatment will be revolutionary, for the "Anode "process, as it is known, ensures, it is said, a tensile strength and wearing and ageing properties far superior to anything obtainablo under the ordinary system of manufacture. One of tho most interesting developments made possible-by the new technique is a sponge rubber upholstery, claimed to be far superior to the ordinary type. In England this now product has wou rapid acceptance. The recently opened new Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-on-Avon, is equipped with this new type of cellular rubber upholstery. The London General Omnibus Co., too, after exhaustive trials, is delighted with it, and already 250 buses of its fleet have been reseated, and more are to. be converted. All its new buses Trill be so equipped. For automobile cushions and squabs this form of npholstery is described as ideal, and, it is 'claimed, "hi course of

time, there is little doubt that this hygienic dust and vermin proof material will come into general favour amongst motorists." In the process the ordinary commercial - dried-. rubber is not used. The rubber latex, or milk, is treated in liquid i'orm. By a system of electroprecipitation the* latex, with the addition of certain colloidals, can be manufactured and vulcanised to required shapes and sizes. To the latex certain chemicals are added. It is then treated by a patented method so that if can be mechanically beaten into a froth. The aerated rubber is then poured into shapes and is vulcanised. By filling the moulds in two or moro stages,-different degrees.of.firmness may be obtained so that the lower part is comparatively firm sponge- while the top is softer, and so forms itself moro readily to the most comfortable shape. A report says: "Any shape or! seat or squab can be formed, and although very: light, the rebound qualities are such that this sponge rubber, which has certain features that place it in a I class of its own, will last indefinitely without sagging, thus malting it outstandingly satisfactory for uso in j motor vehicles. The • ■ cellular rubber j forms only the inferior of seat, and I can bo covered-with any of the materials commonly used for the purpose."

LOOPHOLE IN THE ACT

"We were given to understand that the car, and not the driver, carried the third-party insurance," said Mr. A. Grayson, president of the Auckland Automobile Association, at a meeting of the council of the association on Wednesday (reports the "New Zealand Herald"). . It.aroso froni a letter received from the- oN'orth Island Motor Union pointing out that the third-party cover under tho Motor Vehicles Insurance Act, 1928, was not absolute, as believed by the motoring associations. The letter stated that an important point arose- out of tho case, Findlater versus tho Public Trustee and the Queensland Insurance Company, under the Motor Vehicles Insurance (Third Party Bisks) Act, 1928. The history of tho case was that a motorist, being clearly- negligent, caused an accident and serious injury to another party, ana was himself fatally injured. Tho Court held that, although the deceased was negligent and caused an accident whereby, in addition to doing serious damage or injury to the third party, the property of tho third party was injured, the deceased also brought about his own death by his negligence, and tho right of tho plaintiff against the deceased died with his death. lusurauco companies received the third-party premium, font if tho insured died following an accident ho had caused through negligence, tho injured party had no claim, Mr. Grayson said. Tho whole idea of third-party insurance was that if an unfinaneial person wont on the road with a motor vehicle and caused death or sufferings, the injured party should not suffer on account of the driver's lack'of estate. The council agreed that amending legislation was necessary. The matter will be further.discussed by tho North Island Motor Union. I

A new Australian and New Zealand mile record of 112.49 miles per hour has been established at Richmond, New South Wales, by Mr. W. 10. Thompson in a super-charged BugatU. Thompson woji this Grand Prix. Phillip Island, Vii-toriii, in 1030 and lf>32.

COMPULSORY INSURANCE

In Gireat Britain all motorists are coinpoUea by law to carry public liability insurance, tvhieh guaraiitces compensation in tho case of persons killed or injured. In tho United States, where four persons are killed every hoiu- by motor vehicles, only one of the 48 States has tho sarno law. There is a growing movement to follow British practice. In Massachusetts, which has tho liability insurance law, in about S7 percent, of cases of persons killed or permanently disabled compensation is paid. In Boston, compensation has been paid in 92 per cent, of all fatal cases finally settled, compared with 50 per cent, in Philadelphia and 41 per cent, in New York. Tho Massachusetts law has been in force five years. Insurance companies complain that the rates were fixed too low, and that premiums arc not sufficient to cover operating expenses, plus claims, and leave a reasonable profit, although a number of mutual companies, operating at less cost, were able to pay dividends. Tho rates for 1932 have, accordingly, been raised. Compulsory liability has not been adopted by other States or by the provinces of Canada, except an instalment of the system in Ontario, chiefly for the reason that it is apt to lead to negligent driving, when ear-owners know that all accidents are "covered." Another objection is that cases take as long as three years to settle in Massachusetts. The damages paid are, on tho whole, no more adequate than in other States. ~ . Forty States require taxis and buses to tako out public liability insurance. In twenty-four States, motor trucks are required to carry some form of insurance. Although the Massachusetts driver must, before his car is registered, furnish proof of Ms capacity to pay damages, the law does not protect citizens of the Stato-against, injury by cars from other States. Lawyers in Massachusetts get 25 to 50 per cent, of tho amount of compensation awards. Despite any real or fancied weakness in its legislation, the State of Massachusetts seems determined to retain it. Its operation was closely studied recently by a Federal Commission, which has presented a tentative proposal, based on the "Workmen's Compensation Act, thua demonstrating the doctrine that every person has a lawful right to be protected by the State against death or injury by automobile. Tho investigators claim for their proposal that under it the difficult question of negligence would not- have to be considered, and the first payment could be made within three weeks instead of three years. Compensation would be received in every case of death or injury. It would be more equitably distributed. Lawyers' fees would be largely eliminated. The Courts would be relieved of a vast amount of litigation.

A London cablegram states that Professor S. J. Davies, King's College; London, reporting upon-the plaus of an oil engine designed in New Zealand by tho Edlin-Stewart Company, expects that tho engine will give sorvico in high speed stationary and road and rail transport adaptations comparable to the success achieved by tho Junkers Aircraft Company's design, which Professor Davies takes as a basis of comparison. ..'..■ ■'. The Edlin-Stewart engine is an Auckland production of the two-stroke type and applicable to both petrol and crude oil. An engine was constructed and taken to England towards tho close of last year, and Professor Davies and technical engineers of tho Salmson Engme Co.j Ltd., have been engaged finalising a commercial engine designed on its principles.