THE MOTOR WORLD

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 1 November 1924, Page 14

THE MOTOR WORLD

SPARKS. Stop! And let the train go by— It hardly takes a minute. Your car starts out again, intact; And, better still —you’re in it! Do not wrench at the steering wheel of a stationary car; it does the steering gear no good. Though the Southland Motor Association was established only two years ago, the membership is over 400. Judge: “What’s this man charged with, officer?” Policeman: “Careless walkin’, yer Honour. He bumped into a truck and bent both fenders and the radiator.” Experts declare that trunk highways shoiild be capable of carrying any vehicular traffic that is economically justified. The world’s production of motor and motor cycle tyre covers is estimated to now be 52,520,000. The United States, which has 80 per cent of the world’s motorists within its borders, produced about 46,000,000 of the above total. The New Zealand Automobile Union now has some 50 or 60 hotels on its list, and this number will be considerably increased when the Auckland scheme is completed. A list of these hotels, together with special membership cards, will be printed by the union and forwarded to the various affiliated associations for distribution to all financial members. An unusual blockage befell a roadster when travelling from Palmerston North to Dannevirke. The motorist crashed into a plank drawn across the road near the bridge at the Woodville end of the gorge. The only damage to the car was the breakage of the front lights and the wind-screen, hut the plank, which had been placed in position to block the road, and was without any lights, was smashed to pieces. Evidently the lights had been removed. Replying to a artestion in the House of Commons, Mr Gosling, Minister of Transport, said he was not satisfied that the universal adoption of mirrors and reflectors to enable drivers to see overtaking traffic would generally assist in the prevention of accidents, though doubtless they were a convenience. I)on’„t hang your arin out like a piece of wet macaroni in signalling for a stop or a turn is the advice of motorists given by the public safety department of the California Sfiate Automobile Association. Failure to signal properly, and in- compliance with the requirements of the Vehicle Act, is the cause of many minor accidents, and some that are serious. , Here is a new test in car buying. When, all other points have been considered it is a good plan to rap the fenders and lamps of the car under consideration. The results are surprising. . Some fenders - are tinny, while others sound heavy and durable. The same with lamps, though they . may look to be the same from appearances. A buyer would he no more justified in his car on this basis alone than to choose a car primarily because it is a little move generous m wheelbase. But the “rapping test” has its place, and is often "an "eye-opener. Following on the very progressive policy of the local Automobile Association, the executive have gone ahead to link up all parts of the district. Patea is one of the last to be taken in hand, and this will be done next week. There are only two or three centres now to finish the job. MOTOR CYCLING NOTES. American motor cyclists to race in Australia. Johnny Seymour and Paul Anderson are on their way to Australia, both young American track riders who have been making a name for themselves on the U.S.A. tracks the last two seasons. Both Seymour and Anderson are only young lads somewhere, in their twenties, hut' they have a mighty lot of track experience despite their youth. Seymour especially is snoken of as the coming speed king of IT.S.A., the most likely to uphold the traditions of Gene Walker. UNIFORM SIGNS. A CANADIAN LEAD. The Canadian Good Roads Association is adopting uniformity in signs to be placed along the public highways in the Dominion. The caution symbols will he painted in black on a white' background, the dimensions of the danger signs to be standardised at two feet square. The signs are to be located at a distance of 300 feet from the point of danger. STOP, LOOK, AND LISTEN RULE. In the last five years approximately 9000 persons were killed at railroad crossings in America. Twenty-five thousand others were incapacitated for life. The automobile camper will come in contact daily with danger at railroad crossings. Daily the lives of those who are riding with him, and his own, will be placed in jeopardy unless he uses the utmost of caution and the best of judgment. “MIND YOUR CAR” MEN. Since May 20 of this year the “mind vour car” men appointed by the Royal Automobile Club of Australia have taken charge of 24,000 in and around Sydney. There are 18 men stationed at various places. The club endeavours to ensure that these men are thoroughly reliable and suitable for the .work, and issues uniforms and numbered ticket to them, but does not pay them. They receive their remuneration from the persons to whom they render service, the majority of whom are not members of the club. FASTEST TIMES. It was cabled last week from England that the well-known English racing motorist, Captain M. Oarirpbell, had negotiated a flying mile on the beach at Tenby in the mean time of 28 1-osec. Travelling with the wind he unofficially attained the wonderful speed of 168 ni.p.h. The above mean . time just eclipses the previous record, for Campbell in 1923 on the Fanoe beach in Denmark negotiated a flying mile in-26.145ee. A flying mile has been covered in 19.975ec. by S. Haugdahl in 1922 on Florida beach (U.S.A.), equal to 180 m.p.h. MOTORING RECORD. TWENTY-FOUR HOURS’ RUN. Martin at Paris broke the 24-hours’ motoring record made in 1907 by Edge, who drove a Napier car 2551} kilometres, at an average speed of 66} miles hourly. Martin covered 2930 1-5 kilometres, his hourly average being 76} miles. J [Martin’s new record is for Europe, • as Edge’s 24 hours’ figures were

eclipsed many years ago in America. The distance covered by Martin is equivalent to 1819 miles 1150 yards, as compared with Edge’s 1584 miles and some odd yards. Nowadays it is not possible to make a continuous record drive of 24 hours on the Brooklands track as it was when Edge established his record.] STOPPING A CAR. SPEED AND DISTANCE. Here is a list of the shortest distances at which a motor car with two brakes can be stopped when going at certain speeds: 10 miles an hour 9ft 20 miles an hour 36ft 39 miles an hour 82ft 40 miles an hour 145 ft 50 miles an hour 227 ft The belief might prevail that the difficulty in stopping a car increases merely in proportion to the speed. The fact ie, other things being eqtial, it increases with the square of the speed. Besides speed, momentum, or the weight behind the car, declivity and condition of the road have much to do with the stopping of a car. No matter how hard the brakes are applied, even if the wheels are locked, the car’s momentum, increasing the speed, is going to push it along until it comes to a definite halt. Three other essentials must he conjsidered. They are: 1. Brakes must be in perfect condition. 2. The driver’s judgment of distance and time must he accurate. 3. Variance in weight and momentum of the car must be considered. THE MOTOR VEHICLES BILL. Whether motorists generally approve of the new Bill or not it will be a good thing to see one in operation, for it is a .groundwork on w'hicli to work, and it is understood that the Bill is practically on probation for a year, and will then he reviewed in the light of the further experience gained. No one can say it is perfect, and that this was recognised by the Ministers is shown by their frank declaration. “BETTER THAN NOTHING.” “On the principle that half a loaf is better than no bread, the Motor Vehicles Rill may he accepted thankfully,” says the Auckland Star. “It has been. severely buffeted in the House, and Ministers have spoken of their own product deprecatingly. It is admitted that it might be better, hut if Parliament will pass it there will be an opportunity to amend • it after a year-s experience. Most legislation proceeds on this basis,. hut there is unusual frankness among Ministers about this measure. We may say that something, though hv no means all, that was needed, has been done. The weakness of the Bill as a national measure for taxing motor cars is that it does pot make the position of local bodies clear and strong. The schedule of annual licenses, the proceeds of which are to go to the Highways Board, runs up to £5. which nobody would pretend was adequate for certain kinds of vehicles. Tt is left to the municipality, which has to maintain its own roads, to fix its own fees, hut the court has already held that that power is limited, and the Bill does nothing to amend the law in the light of that

decision. ■ The position of local bodies -seems-to be very unsatisfactory. The Mayor of Auckland made a brave attempt to formulate, in conference with other local bodies, an alternative policy, but-the decisions of the meeting apparently have had no effect. The Bill, however, has some good points. It is an attempt to fix national rates of .taxation, the proceeds of which shall go to road improvement. It introduces a long-overdue system of national licenses and provisions for their endorsement, suspension or cancellation in case of conviction. Penalties for reckless or negligent driving are properly increased. These improvements in the .law are needed for the protection of the public. It is clear that nothing save imprisonment or the loss of ' the right to drive will deter -some motorists from endangering their own and other people’s lives. Moreover, the Government takes power to make regulations covering every aspect of motor transport, from the use of bells to the size and weight of cars. On the vigilance and wisdom with which these regulations are framed and enforced will depend much of the success of the measure.” MOTOR TAXATION. Objection was made (says the Wellington Post) by some members of Parliament that the Motor Vehicles Bill, in its taxing provisions, was another bit of patchwork and not satisfactory even as patchwork. This is criticism which it is difficult to answer; but the critics themselves gave little assistance in discovering a more reasonable solution of the problem. The flat rate tax certainly is inadequate, as it has little relation to wear and use. Moreover, its equity is not increased by the decision of the Main Highways Board that the proceeds shall be spent wholly in the dbunties and in a few smaller boroughs, though many of the taxed motorists do most of their travelling in the big towns. But until' a workable plan can . be devised for taxation, graded according to use and benefit, it is better that the present Bill should be accepted. MOTOR TAXATION. HORSE-POWER OR WEIGHT. (A Sydney Correspondent.) The taxation of motor vehicles for road improvement purposes has given rise to an interesting point. While in America the policy said to be most in favour is to tax vehicles the weight of the vehicle, plus their carrying capacity, the taxation of the ordinary car in England is based solely upon horse-power, the rate being £1 per horse-power. In New South Wales the English system has always been adopted, but it has been stated that, in revising the scale of taxation, the bases will be changed from horse-power to weight. While the proposed new seal© will provide an addition to the total amount it will, it is considered, mean a reduction as far as a number of vehicles is concerned. It has now been suggested that the proposed revision should be altered as a compromise between the two methods, and: that the taxation should / be based upon the combined factor© of horse-power and weight. A MEMBERSHIP, CAMPAIGN.. The council of the Auckland, Automobile Aseoeiation has taken definite steps to launch an extensive campaign to increase its membership. The actual date of the campaign has'not yet been fixed, but it will commence shortly after the next meeting of the council in November.

A scheme recommended by a special committee was considered and approv-

ed. It provides for the engagement of a. canvasser for a period of three months at a salary of £3 per week and a commission of 7© 6d for every new member enrolled. In addition to advertising, notices displaying the words, “Join Hie Auckland Automobile Association,” will be prominently placed in the garages, and every member of the association will be asked to display a similar slip on the windscreen of hi© car- It is proposed to offer a commission of 10s 6d to the garages for every member enrolled, and to relieve members of the association of their subscriptions for every three members enrolled. It is. further intended to hold hill-climbing and other competitions with a view to giving added attraction to the association’s niotor runs, and to hold a ©moke concert and presentation of .prizes after the date of the annual meeting. The total cost of the camoaign is estimate*! at about £!2O. ' . , * GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S CARS. A FLEET OF THREE. A big open car with a crown instead of a number plate on front and roar has been seen often about the streets of Christchurch recently (say© the Star). It is one of the cars beto the Governor-General (Lord Jelhcoe). His car has the right of way on all occasions, and although the chauffeur always recognise© the speed limits prescribed, he is not bound to do so when driving either of Their Excellencies. . Three cars comprise the fleet of the Governor-General, They are a Hudson, Studebaker and a* Cadillac.; On Their Excellencies recent farewell tour of the South. Island they used the Hudson and the Studebaker extensively, particular!v the Studebaker, which is a big six 1922 model. This car has done about 30,000 miles on New Zealand roads, from the North Gane to the Bluff. The Cadillac is used chiefly for town work.