THE MOTOR WORLD

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 4 October 1924, Page 14

THE MOTOR WORLD

HAWERA. BY-LAWS AMENDMENT, 1921. Page 30, Paragraph 3. The driver of every motor car, motor lorry, motor delivery van, or other motor vehicle who shall stop in any street, private street or public place, shall stop such car, lorry, van or vehicle as near as practicable to the kerb on the left or near side of such street, private street or public place. The South Taranaki Automobile Association have asked us to draw attention to the above motor by-law. There is no doubt whatever that it is' one which needs much more careful observance in every town, and specially in a place like Hawera where the main streets are not too wide, considering the very heavy traffic they take at any time, and above all on certain days of the week. In Stratford, where the main street is one of the widest in the Dominion, the by-law is very strictly enforced, and, it must be added, very religiously observed. But it is not so in Hawera, and motorists are enjoined to be much more careful in their observance. Quite often one sees cars close to one another head on, so that it is not always easy to get away. It would also save trouble if motorists having to stop in any main street would allow a fair amount of room between ears so as to obviate trouble, but in any ease the left Or near side of the street must always be used. MOTOR, TRAINS. USE ON DOMINION RAILWAYS. Reference is made by the Minister of Railways in his Railways Statement presented to Parliament to the use of motor trains on the Dominion lines. It was fully anticipated, states Mr. Coates, that at least three motor trains would have been in active commission ere this, but owing to various reasons it was not possible to furnish any'useful information so far as actual experience of working on our own lines was concerned. Orders were placed in December last fo-r one Sentinel steam car, one Clayton steam car. and a. Leyland internal combustior engine to be fitted to a car to be designed and constructed in the department’s own shops. The latter engin< arrived in July, and the vehicle was 31 present under construction. With regard to the two steam cars, owing to various points being raised by tin Government’s consulting engineers ii England concerning, the design anc other' matters, it was not anticipate that the cars would be available in th< Dominion for use much before the en( of October. In addition, arrangements were math with Mr. E. E. Buckhufst,, a. moto engineer of Christchurch, to install ! six-cylinder internal-combustion engm to a light type of railway carriage This car should be available toward the end of October. The cars wouk be placed in commission- immediate! they were available, and so far a could he seen at present would hi tried out on various sections through out the Dominion. In order to secun practical expert knowledge of tin motor trains in use on the railways ii the Australian States, Mr. S. H Jenkinson, Chief Draughtsman, visitei Australia, and had furnished a, valu able report dealing with his observe tions. Mr. Jenkinson closely inspectei the design and construction, of th : various petrol rail motor cars on th Australian railways (with the excep tinn of Western Australia), and tra veiled on all the types in service a tlm time of his visit. He also exam iced the traffic conditions of the sec tions on which the cars were running and travelled over sections represents tive of each type of service. lb was clear from his report tha self-propelled cars were being success fu!lv operated in some of the Aup imalian States, and the results obtain eel were, in the Minister’s opinion sufficient justification for this class o vehicle to he adopted more extensive!’ on some portions of our system. In addition, inquiries were being made with regard, to other kinds of selfpropelled ears, such as electrical stor- . battery, and any other types that had been successful in other countries. PETROL AND THE PUBLIC. FRANK STATEMENT .ABOUT PRICE-FIXING. 0-no; of the papers given at the Empire Mining and Metallurgical Congress held at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley has now been issued in booklet form. It is entitled, “The Economics of the Oil Industry,’' by Sir Robert Waley Cohen, K.8.E., one of the managing directors of the Rbyal Dutch-Shell organisationfl. The j consuming public is taken into frank confidence as to the fixing of the price of oil. The main theme of the present booklet is. that oil prices are governed solely by considerations of the state of supply and demand. The production of crude oil still largely depends on small producers in the United States, which last year accounted for over 70 per cent, of the world’s total output. The big oil organisations could not' control the volume of supply. A detailed analysis is given, illustrated by an elaborate chart, of American crude oil prices extending over a period of ten years, beginning with the year 1913. Each cycle shows how the law of supply and demand operated, remlnium-like, to move prices '* up or down. Because neither chance nor competition could be eliminated in the oilfields, crude oil pribes were subject to violent oscillations. When the price of crude oil went ur> the prices of all refined oils, or of j reme of them, must needs follow suit. Efforts were made by the big oil groups to protect the consumer by stabilising the price of petrol at the lowest possible level. They were able to charge a lower price <aml take a smaller profit by reason of their wider hold upon the sources of production and the means of distribution. The average annual profile of the Royal Dutch-Shell group from all sources accumulated together and expressed in terms of its production, worked out at only three-Jar things per gallon. This.-figure, in the author’s opinionjustifies the contention that the great oil organisations have provided continuity of supply and efficiency .and economy in distribution at a price which is remarkably cheap to the consumer. “The fact that this power”—to quote from the booklet’’—is used to stabilise prices has been curiously illustrated by the history of the oil market in Great Britain. Attracted from time to time by articles which have appeared in the newspapers sug-

gesting that exorbitant prices are be- { mg obtained for petroleum products i in this country, American refiners, one after another-, have sent representatives over here -with a view to studying the market and taking advantage of these attractive prices. The result of that study has been that they de- i c-ided not to establish themselves hero i because detailed stndy revealed to t them that over - any reasonable period i the average price at which petroleum i products are sold here by .the great ] distributing organisations is not sufii- r c-ient to cover the cost of oil in the 1 free markets of America and of ship! < ping and distributing to the con- : sumer.” : The consumer will he interested to : hear from Sir Robert Waley Cohen ] that the great organisations are bound ! "by the most inexorable economic con- 1 si derations” to maintain their prices ; at such a level that it pays no one- ; seriously to compete with them. -- - ! CAR MUSIC. Perhaps one of the most delightful of the qualities of the highest grade cars i§ their quietness. We had almost said silence, but since silence of any moving vehicle is an impossible attainment we have to fall back on the . more comparative term quietness. 'There are some noises about the progress of a ear which one delights to hear. There are some smooth, purring exhaust sounds which are music to the mechanical ear trained to appreciate them. It is quite possible that a really silent car would be anathema to any but the most uninterested and uninteresting vehicle user.; The gentle rush . of air through the; carburettor, the almost inaudible burbling of an exhaust which denotes a- mixture properly consumed, and the, gentle swish of the fairly inflated tyreas the road passes back beneath it—/ these are the sounds which delight the ear of the motoring enthusiast. They' are not incomparable either with great speed or ample power. They do not | connote inefficiency. | back; to the land. The insistent cry of “Back to the land,” which has often been raised in this country may- one day be realised, as it has been in the United States, ! when motor cars have been brought within, reach of all. If this movement should grow, its effect upon the building industry and on tbe value of 1 land sites is apparent. If the prospects for motor cars appear to be good, those for motor lorries may be said to 1 he even better. It is almost a cer- ( t-ainty that the last has not yet been l heard of improyements and developments in the mechanism of _ motor 5 lorries. Of late years in periods of * good trade there appears to have been 1 sufficient quantities of goods to be i transported both by the railways and ■ by motor lorries on the roads. 1 DEAR, PETROL. 3 PAYING FOR THE COST OF s CRUDE OIL. 3 Sir Robert Wa-ley Cohen, K.8.E., } speaking at the Empire Mining and i Metallurgical Congress on “The Eco- . nomics of the Oil Industry,” touched i on the various factors that make for - fluctuation in the prices of oil. No one, he said, could foretell the 1 date when some one or other of riie ini' numerable avells that are being sunk 3 will strike a new field that may flood - the markets of the world. This has .. happened at irregular intervals t throughout the whole history of the - oil business. Similarly, a fall in the - production of any large oilfield cannot , be predicted. Prices must necessarily fluctuate according as the supply is unexpectedly fc swollen or contracted. - . Referring to the difference in price - between petrol at, say, £2O a ton and - fuel oil at, say. £4 a ton, he explained that “the relation between the demand f and the supply of petrol and its value 7 to the consumer is such that it can

and does pay a much higher proportion of the cost of crude oil than the proportion in which it is actually contained in the crude oil as it comes out of the ground.” If some mechanical or other development should ever make the demand for fuel oil in relation _ to its supply ;reater than, that for petrol, there was io reason why fuel oil should not be 220 a ton and petrol £4 a ton. PIONEER HALIFAX MOTORIST, j While the motor world is concerned ts to the future trade of the industry, r /e may recall the fact that - exactly wenty years ago the pioneers of the. lew form of locomotion were even nore greatly worried as to the projosals then coming into operation with 'egard t-o the numbering of motor r ehicles. This was to protect the >tber users of the highway and to enable the police to more thoroughly pursue their plans for the trapping of too ;peedy 'motorists. The first Halifax uotorist to have his car numbered was Dr. Orossley Wright, whose car was DP 1, a distinction worth recalling ifter a score of years. Within a fortright of the commencement of the . new 'egistration of motor cars 14,000 had )een numbered throughout; the county, and in Halifax 42 drivers’ licenses lad been issued. SPARKS. The one-handed driver faces two langers: Arrest and matrimony. The Highways Board is drawing up standard specifications for road surfacing for the guidance of, county 30uncils. In round numbers, there are now registered in the world 19,000,000 motor cars, and approximately 88 per cent, of them are accounted for in the United States. , By slipping a safety razor blade in a spring paper clip any hard substances which collect on the glass can be easily removed from the windshield or window frames. When adjusting hearings always make sure that all oil grooves and oil holes are clear. If any oil grooves appear to be too shallow on account of wearing of the bearingG the grooves should he enlarged. Judge (to prisoner) : “What is youi name, your occupation, and what are you charged with?’ Prisoner: “My name is Sparks, ] am an electrician, and I am chargee with battery.” Judge: “Officer, put this guy in £ dry cell.”—Natal Motorist. When a nervous old lady took hei first ride in a taxicab she was alarmec by the frequency with which the drivei put out his hand as a signal to othei cars. Finally she lost patience anc said: “Young man, if you’ll keep botl hands on the steering wheel and pa? attention to your driving, I'll tell yot when it starts to rain.”—Hammer anc Tongs. Hotel Clerk: “Why, how did yoi get here?’’. Hard. Egg: “I just blew in frbn Montana with a bunch of cattle.” Hotel Clerk: “Well, where are th< rest of them?” Hard Egg : “Down at the stockade I ain’t as particular as they are.”— Yellow Jacket. PERFECT CONFIDEfNCE. Two men, evidently business part ners, took their places in the line tha was wending its way toward the ticke window for the evening performance Suddenly one of the men seemed t remember something. He clapped on hand to his forehead, gasped, and i consternation said to his partner “Abe. I forgot to lock the safe!” “Huh!” sad d the other, “wh worry about the safe ain’t locked! We’re both here, ain’t we?” —Forbe: Insane asylums are reported filled i overflowing. The overflow’ may b observed daily, driving motor trued: about New York.—New York Sun. DOESN’T SCAPE HIM. Customer: “Are you afraid < work?” Garageman: “Certainly not. sir. can lie down beside it and go i ' sleep. ’ ’ —Ohio Motorist.

CARELESS WALKING. Judge: “What’s this man charged with, officer?” Cop: “Careless, walkin’, yer honor. He humped into a truck and bent both fenders and the radiator. ’ ’—American Legion Weekly. / „ . * BUILT-IN SQUEALS. Maudie: “What’s wrong with this car? It squeaks dreadfully. ; Jimmie,: “Can’t be helped, pig-iron in the axles.” —Columbia Jester. • A man is in luck nowadays if he can drive downtown hi the morning and find a place to park within, walking distance. —Detroit Motor News. ALMOST A RECORD 1 , ; Say, that’s a fast-looking car you've gpt there. What’s the most you ever gOt put Of it?” “Five times in, a mile.’’—Hooisier Motorist. ONE GOOD TURN! “What,” we asked of an honest automobile dealer, “is a complete overhauling?” “Well, in the 1 case of a. used car . taken in on trade,” answered the honest dealer, “it means turning back the speedometer.”