MOTORING

Evening Star, Issue 16779, 6 July 1918, Page 4

MOTORING

[By CAEBUUE'fTOE.]

Brief accounts of holiday Crips, roads, mux places of interest arc invited for thk column.

To-day this column celebrates its third anniversary. Time flies so quickly that, J am looking forward to seeing tho evem chronicled in tho 'Star' under the heading ' l«orty-iour Years Ago To-day.' FOUR MILES OR SIX—WHICH?

Tho discussion at the last City Council meeting' on the proposal to limit the speed of motors to four miles per hour between Rattray and Stafford streets makes interesting reading. Cr Doughs referred to th<r assistance tho Otago ifofor Club had given to tho committee. The club were anxious to help in the matter of reforms. Tae council must take due care of tho lives of pedestrians who use the streets. They must cut down tho speed for the safety of folks who use the trains. He did not wish to press for four miles an hour, but would pay due regard to the opinions of motorists. Tho public must be educated in regard to motor traffic. They should get folk to cross the streets at corners only. The committee were agreeable io make the speed h»rher._ Cr Bradley pointed out the motorist's difficulty. Ho cannot pick up after getting down to four nvles an hour. They would be wise to substitute six milej. He would move for six miles. Motor cars and cycles could bo brought up instantly. Cr Hayward moved that the matter be referred back to the committee. It only treated of Manse street to Rattray street. Si.'c miles was on the s'.ow side, as it would tevd to block the traffic.

' His Worship the Mayor remarked that the ' matter was not final," as it would conic up : as;ain. "Cr Sincock pointed out that the Minister of Internal Affairs was at the present time going into the question of speeds, it would be wise to allow the report to ?o back, :n\d see what fclio Minister is dome; in the matter of Dominion laws on speed. Cr Kellett said that it was absurd to rid" at font- miles an hour. Ten miles is not ! too fast if care is exercised m pas?iu;r ears. ; Cr Taverner sunporied the amendment. ■ It was o. mechanical impo?3 : b : l : fy for most I cars to travel four miles an hour on a rise. I H> snc-Tsted that the problem would b» j solved by adopting the, Biisrjpstion of makdn,' i the loon bne the line for loadms the ears, ! and allow the traffle to fo between. j Cr Black that they should cut i out Pie word "motor" and put in ''traffic." ' Traffic was badly resulatcd. All slow traffie should beep neer (be kerb, and fast traffic the centre. Four miles an hour would be , an additional trouble- io traffic. ' Cr Pcotfc said that there were very few ' drivers who dash in amongst tramcar passou<rer3. i ," Cr Shaddock con tended that n.» F >-.yv) j was not unreasonable for a short sp:n. i Motorists were bringm? the j rouble on then.- j selves. Many w-re :it v a ; 'l n r c 1 it- -,.5, , Tour miles an hour was better than stopping | for all stationary cars. ! In rerdv, Cr "Douglas said that the Minister moves'slow!r. It nr.rH be a year be fore anvMdmr w>s d"no. In "nsw-r ro r ouesiion from Cr Kellett. Cr Dou'das men Honed that the Voior Club cicrht or ten miles an hour. , Cr Kellett: "Some s™~- ''n f 1 "'! " T'-p report was carried by 8 to 6, making the speed limit for motors b-'w-m n -'-"s street and Ivittray street s : x miles an hour when it is confirmed bv the conned and ratified bv the Minister of Internal Affairs. In eonneclmn w : th ib.e pasn'pp: of rb ; s bv'aw T must protest asraiust the mifWdiiv* H-TJ-onvmU tint have h"cn made. It ;ip. j pearcd as if the susrtrrstcd speed limit of four j ■nilrs an '-our was due, in part at least, to | Mm Otaeo Motor Club. -Vs one of the j -"nres-ntativrs of the Motor Club nt | 'he conferen-e with idle Coiicral Comm'ttce, i ] m rv s'.v that i-he c'rb's rep'-rsentat've-i j were 'p.rrfeVfly e'ear and 'W-nue in Id'.' 1 -presentation of their views to the committee.

When a metallic filament lamp "burns out" in the house or garage, do noi. assume that it k ustlcss. hem. the e-.iirent switched oil and keep the lamp in ilie holder. (live it a sinai-i. tap with the lingers, and in tikuiv crises (in filament will weld togetkev and'.light up. It will usually _ las! a good many iu,u;\s, and sometimes the opcratirm en be repeated before the lamp is finally done for. 1 have prolonged the usciulnuss of ii bulb by numbs wnh this method o repair. The ' Motor Ago ' of February last is responsible for the s-aien'rnl th-t Bu';; : Chevrolet, Oakland. Cadillac, and Oldsinobile. cars will be mamifac! uree. by m<■ 1 e o y l.iiown ;it the ' Genc.i'iil ."Motors Company.'' A regular ctieyelopcdia of knowledge about motor cars was a wiincis in the sup;., me. Court (s -ifs ■■■ Wellington paper). With amazing volubility he volunteered information to the Court, about certain niofor ears in which he had travelled many thousands of miles throuiih the United .Sltucs, what price ho had paid for it, what the same car would cost in New Zea'and, about moior engines in general, motor horns, ami main- other rai'i-rs of petrol flavor. All this was delivered with winning smiles at, all and.-.fi;n-dry. Vie vva; as lull of information as he was of good-humor. Wv.m lie was questioned about the strength of the noise from a certain motor horn, the witness obligingly produced the horns, and sounded three discordant ''honks." When the echoes had died away he looked proudly at: His Honor. Then he swerved the mouth of the horn at opposing counsel and fired two b'asl-s at him to emphasise an answer he iiad to make. Finally, he gave Bis Honor a short: address about motors, and, gathering up his horns, proudly left the witness box. I notice that a number of cyclists, when proceeding towards town past the Oval ride along on the wrong side of the road, close to the right-hand footpath. Apart from the fact that this constitutes a breach of the City by-lawsf and of the rule of the road, it is likely at any time to lead to serious coir, plications. This spot is usually a very pne, and all the elemems necessary for a general nr'x-up are two cyclists and two hams approichmg in opposite directions, and a couple of vehicle? sou'hward-bonnd present at the same time. Unfortunately it is under jnsl such circumstances as these that the careful driver who keeps to his own s ; de may be the sufferer. A man in blue could soon improve matters. It is just over eight years since Louis T'.leriot made the first flight ac-oss the English Channel. In 1909 the achievement astounded the world. To-day thousands of ;iv!ators make the trip in a few minutes. The importance of THeriofc's achievement can hardly be over-estimated, for it u'traeted world-wide attention to the pcj.vsib'iiHcs of aviation. Nowadays few of the "European aviators would care about tackling the Channel trip on the 25 h.p. Air.vvni-cquipped monoplane: in fact, t lie engine only trave 18 h.p. Two striking features of Blcviot's fiio-ht were that he was so 'ame, owinc to an accident, that he could not walk, and the. fact that his historical monoplane had never flown over the earth for so long a period as was necessai-y for the Dover to Calais trip. The new Royal Air Force uniform is reported as being distinctly attractive. The tunic is the ordinary service pattern; the rank is shown by means of dark brown rings on the cuff/, and are the same as those in the Tloyal Navy—that is to say, one ring for a sub or secon'd lieutenant, and so on. On each sleeve there is an a'natross in Bold, which was formerly the badge of the Naval Flying Service, and a crown. Officers are to wear a khaki collar with the jacket, and a black tie and gilt buttons. The black tic, of course, 's another relic of a naval custom. Slacks will always be worn, except in the case of pilots. The cap is somewhat like a naval cap in appearance, has a stiff black peak, a deep black braid hand round the edge, a khaki top, and over the peak the R.A.F? badge, consisting of oak leaves, an albatross, and the crown. After the war the uniform will be blue in color, or rather the tint is more of a dark slate grey than blue. It is now worn as a mess jacket, in which case the ranks are s'>own by gold rings on the cuffs, as in the Navy.