THE MOTOR WORLD

Gisborne Times, Volume LI, Issue 5246, 11 August 1919, Page 7

THE MOTOR WORLD

By Pioneer

Increased Benzine Prices. Notification of a rise in the price of certain brands of benzine and motor spirits has been received locally, and inquiries were made last week by a Times reporter regarding the extent of the increases. Mr J. H. Ormond stated that the only brands in which an increase in price had not been notified were Big Tree and Crown gasoline. The Vacuum Oil Company had advised- that the increase represented a. rise of Is 4d ,per case in all the centres except Gisborne, where the rise would be only 4d per case. The letter explained that the increase was due principally to first cost; but in addition to this there was now the current cost of the conversion of pounds sterling into dollars. Mr Ormond said that . the garage proprietors were up against the increases in price for benzine, and were out to encourage low prices. The fact remained that the Vacuum. Oil Company could make its own prices, but he thought that the reasons advanced for the increase would be counter-balanced for the producers by the reduced freight charges. He also expressed the opinion that the garage proprietors, should be the wholesale distributing agents, for although other industries used benzine, garages used more than any consumers. There was at present, he added, a very great quantity of benzine in Gisborne and the garage proprietors wanted to keep the price down. Mr Holmes, of the firm of Bignell afiH Holmes expressed the opinion that the Vacuum Oil Company had the trade at its mercy. It was true, however, that the increase here was not as large as it had been in other centres. The Position Elsewhere.

"!rhls matter is also under discussion in Christchurch, where the rise is Is 4d per case, and Mr H. J- Ranger, president of the Motor Garage 1 roprietors Association of New Zealand stated in an interview that his association had not had time to meet and discuss the position. What is the Board of Trade doing ? he asked. The maximum price of petrol had of course, been fixed by the board-at 27s 6d, but that was about two Wears ago, and since then the price" of petrol had dropped We are quite at tlm mercy of the Vacuum Company,” he added. ih W are the controlling factor. The increase may be right °r-wrong, but it is a matter which the Board of trade could investigate.” . . , h That the rise m price is not to oe confined to petrol was made clear by Mr Ranger. The drop ,an the exchange. rate would have its effect up on all American goods, he said, and a rise of £3O to £4O m motor-cars was quite probable. , “The country is chock-a-block with petrol,” was a statement made recently in Christchurch Thous ands of cases of petrol have arrived in Lyttelton quite recently, and the British Imperial Oil Company e Euplectela is reported to be 111 We " lington now, with 98,000 cases' or benzine. Large shipments are also expected at Lyttelton. If these stocks have been bought at current rates, as presumably they have, it will he seen that if the increased price is charged on them they will realise much more than the usual return ou the purchase price.” The Price of Tyres.

Motor supplies and accessories have practically all increased enormously in price during the war period, but Mr J. H. Ormond, proprietor of Ormond’s Garage last week made an interesting comment on the fact that the increase in price had been much less marked on tyres than it had on other accessories. During the whole j war period, he said the total increase I on tyres had not exceeded 20 per cent,whereas other lines had gone up in some cases 200 per cent and more. Recently one large tyre firm had made a reduction, according to size, of from 4 to 10 per cent, although it was stated in some quarters that the price would probably go up again. Soldiers and the Motor Trade. The fact that a very large number of returned soldiers, assisted by the Repatriation Board, were applying to garage proprietors to .learn the motor trade, was another matter mentionSU° “STsaid the soldi ol-8 tt 'Si!' ‘he proprietors were willing to asgs? the soldiers as much as possible all the applicants could not SJ/m ftlfereuol ■ was! however, given to returned soldier mechanics.

R of the many autmohile matters pressing. . At P.reseim t in h Hb the Sult°that it is almost impossible to tell how many cars are on

NOTES .'. NEWS TOPICb

the roads, or to interpret registration numbers with any degree of facility. In order to try to clear up the question the New Zealand Automobile Union has prepared a set of recommendations which it will lay before the Minister. One of the recommendations provides for the keeping of a register to enable an adequate check to be made of all cars, so that those that may be irregularly borrowed for the purpose of ‘‘joy riding” or any that are stolen, may be easily traced. At the present time anything in the nature of a complete check is wholly impossible by reason of the diversity of the system of "registration in force. Standardisation in Britain.

For some years there has been a. somewhat ambiguous position with respect to automobile standardisation in Britain. The Institution of Automobile Engineers no doubt wished to emulate the American S.A.E. and take charge of this work, but inasmuch as there is an Engineering Standards Committee in Britain which is in control of all standardisation in connection with mechanical engineering, this was put of the question. An agreement has .now been reached between the Institution of Automobile Engineers, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and the Association of British Motor and Allied Manufacturers, in regard to the future handling of all technical matters connected with the automobile industry and the relations between the industry and the British Engineering Standards Association. In 1917 the Technical Committee of the Motor Industries was founded by the Institution of Automobile Engineers, and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, as an administrative body to consider matters in connection with standardisation, research, etc., and to. co-ordm-ate investigation in connection therewith. By the arrangement just come to this committee will be disbanded, and the functions exercised by it will in future be carried out by a Technical Committee, appointed by the Association of British Motor and Allied Manufacturers. The latter body was formed to look after the commercial interests of the British Motor and Allied Manufacturers. The latter body was formed to look after the commercial interests of the British automobile building firms, and it has agreed to conditions which, will insure that the technical qualifications of that committee shall be properly safeguarded. Cleaning a Car.

It is not every beginner who knows that the chamois leathers for car drying are not used dry, but first soaked in water and wrung out until only just damp. In this condition they absorb the water left on the body quite easily. Quite a good finish can he got by rubbing with a soft duster or other polishing cloth when dry; but a more brilliant result is obtained by the use of a wax or liquid polish. A cheap recipe is a mixture of equal parts of boiled linseed oil and turpentine. .It should be used sparingly and polished quite dry. A dry chamois should always be reserved for the metal work. The main point in the care of brass and tnickel, especially the latter, is not to let tarnishing go too far. Paste or liquid polish can be used, the latter being perhaps preferable, for, although it may sometimes splash, it does not lodge thickly in crevices like the paste. The action of the various polishing formulae is that they combine with the tarnished surface, and, when rubbed with a cloth, come away under surface bright. A soft chamois or velvyt can _ then be used to give a final polish. For cleaning screens arid lamp glasses, a mixture of half methlyated spirit and half water is a well-known, recipe, and soft paper is even better than a rag for polishing. Another recipe, which will require more elbow grease but is particularly suitable for wet weather, as it tends to keep the screen free of raindrops, is halfmethylated spirit and half glycerine. Except in the case of bad oil stains, rubber hoods should not be cleaned with petrol, hut brushed; or taken off the car and washed with soap and water . Petrol should also be kept away from the ordinary enamelled leather upholstery; for this, plain water with perhaps a little ammonia usually is recommended; when dry, polish with a soft cloth. A warning might be given as to the use. of soap. Any soap, which contains alkali, should never be used as it at once destroys the Tarnish. The only permissible kind is a pure soap, and bv some people this is recommended! for use in removing greasy patches from the bodywork.