THE MOTOR WORLD

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 6 December 1924, Page 14

THE MOTOR WORLD

SPARES. .JTfee influeiice of the late President Wilson is said to have had much to do with the original exclusion of automobiles from Bermuda. When he was \!< professor .in PriuCetowri and a sojourner in Bermuda in the winter of fSOB, he drafted the petition to the Colonial Parliament, which resulted in the enactment in April of that year of the present law forbidding the operation or importation of any form cf motor vehicle, including motorcycles, in Bermuda. A Specimen main highway directionpost, is being erected in the Public Works yard at Wellington for the Main Highways Board. In the post a substantial iron pipe embedded in concrete is used with the sign .clamped on to it. The Safe Driver’s Club is the name of a new body recently formed in the U-S.A. V the members of which bind themselves to drive carefully jjit all times, keeping in mind the right* of pedestrians arid other motorists, and generally to aid in the reduction of the ; uriber of accidents. A driver of a car should always keep his eyes straight ahead when’ drivingforward and look back when in .reverse. He should be oh the constant lookout for traffic coming from sidestreets which may block his path. When making a turn his eyes should be. kdpt on the course the car will fellow.

A lady who has just purchased her first car in England, finds that as-it is rated at horse-power, the hard-heart-ed authorities demand a tax of £8 per annuifi. With true' feminine optimism, the lady asks : “Can I get an abatement off my income-tax for this?”

A special American-made passenger automobile has been designed for the King -of Bulgaria, with the longest wheel base of. any ear on the market. It is .equipped with an airplane motor. The interior of the car is finished in mahogany, with solid ivory and gold fittings-. Easy gear shifting is . a matter of “feel.” A skilled motorist has an uncanny sense of touch enabling him to change quickly and silently. A good plan is to depress clutch, shift from low to neutral, then from neutral to second, and release. This double manoeuvre almo'st invariably assures a silent shift.- •

An ingenious motorist has shown me a neat waterproof case for carrying maps or touring guides. It was made out of an .old celluloid side curtain. The material is cut to- the desired size and stitched around the celluloid, thus forming an open hag into which the maps can be slipped. They are plainly visible through the transparent covering, arid are protected ffoiri wear, dust and weather. •

Of course there axe pedestrians who will not agree that tlie motorist always pays. They are inclined to think of him as the giant nine-pin player with confused bipeds to bowl at. These people will be pleased to hear that an irate pedestrian, albeit a quadruped, “put the wind up” ia couple of lordly motorists the other day. A bull was the hero, and gave the first motorist a bad flight. The driver of a. heavy motorlorry, which followed, was prepared to back his weight against that of the bull. He also came off second best. The example is not one to be followed by mere men, but some of us often wish we were a bull or a tank or something solid just to- put up some sort of claim to'the right to cross a road without having to take to our heels. There' is little doubt that the day will come when specially constructed roads will be set apart in most countries for the Use of automobiles only. Already Italy has taken the lead in this direction, and has had constructed a 30 miles road from Milan to the Lakes, whioh is to be used by carists exclusively. Four thousand men were engaged on the construction for nearly 18 months, the cost totalling £3,(X)0,000. Populated centres were; avoided as much as possible. Sixty miles of new roads leading on to the auto highway were also constructed.

Many methods have been tried with a view to ensuring lohger life and legs grinding in of valves. A most ingenious system of valve cooling is now being experimented with in England, It consists, of drilling out the valve - stem and partially filling it with metallic salt, consisting of sodium of potassium nitrates. The hole in the stem is then plugged up. It is claimed that the salts, meit and form a liquid when the valve bec'omes heated, but do not attain boiling point. When the valves are rapidly and repeatedly opened and closed, the liquid salts become violently agitated and form an excellent medium for conduction of heat away from the head of the valve and down the stem. Salt filled valves have been used successfully in aeroplane engines, where the conditions are so strenuous that ordinary valves run red hot and fail altogether after 50 hours running. Although the cost of salt filled valves would be greater than that of the solid design, the difference would be worth while, as it leads to prolonged. life of valves, seatings ahd guides and increased power with reduced petrol consumption. Have you noticed how pi any motorists and passengers slam, the door when alighting from a Car? EVeryone seems to take it for granted that the door should be slammed. There can be no doubt that a deal of the damage and dilapidation suffered by car bodies is due tc the slamming of the doors. This shock to the whole frame construction of the body has its effect in loosening of joints and panelling and starting those squeaks and rattles which indicate a body whose members are not sufficiently in rigid attachment with each other. Body-builders put door straps on doors to prevent them being Hung back on their hinges, and it ceems remarkable that they have made no provision for checking the door as it closes into position. There has been a slackening off in motor car construction in America during the past few months, and judging by statistics the output of cars in U.S.A. for 1924 will hardly reach the record breaking figures for 1923. The uitput of cars for September last was 274,300, or 16 per cent, less'than in September, 1923. For the . first threequarters of 1924. 2,814,487- cars were made as against 2,991,939 for the similar period in 1923; and it is now certain that the 4 million car output of 1923 will not be reached this year. It eases the steering process when worming in and out of a parking space to keen the car moving, if only creeping. when tugging at the wheel. When it is necessary to employ the low gear for & considerable period it is possible to obviate the overheating that would ordinarily result by keeping the mixture in the leanest possible condition.

The driver with the most potential trouble about him is. to my mind, the one-year-old driver—the man, or more particularly the girl, who has gained enough confidence to he foolish and not (sufficient experience to be wise.

One of the dangers not commonly known to motor owners is .that from carbo monoxide, a deadly gas given off

from the exhaust pipe. Because of the fact that many motor campers build their tent as a part of their motor, they should know the danger that exists f rom this odourless, colourless gas. Never run the engine of your motor without making sure that you are receiving plenty of fresh air. The best rule to follow is never to run the engine in any enclosed place for any . length of time. • PETROL RESOURCES. (Christchurch. Press.) The early exhaustion of the world’s supplies of petroleum has been discussed frequently of late, and the Commonwealth' Statistician is not alohe in believing that exhaustion will coihe in a' cotiple of decades. The calculations at best are only approximate, but the rate of consumption is known, and fairly reliable estimates of the resources ,of fields already developed can be ar- , rived at. With the rapidly increasing consumption, due to the development of the internal combustion engine, it is an easy guess that the present fields will fail. to meet the demand, and Sir Q. H. Knibbs is justified in drawing the inference that the exporting countries will be compelled to limit the output. It is possible, of course, that the unexplored territory holds supplies at least equal to the known fields, hut even so the depletion is only a matter of time. Within 20 years, probably, restrictions will be imposed on exportations from , countries like the United States, Galicia and. Rumania, and, as we know, the' Netherlands authorities are already discussing the limitation; of export from fields under their control. These considerations add interest to the investigations that are being carried out by industrial chemists in many countries. The cable messages the other day recorded the tragedy that had attended one .attempt to' increase the efficiency of benzine and so to.conserve the supplies. Obviously, tfie scientists will have to solve the problem: before the depletion of the oil fields raises the price of fuel beyond the - means of would-be consumers. THE RANGIRIRI DEVIATION.

“The Rahgiriri deviation will be open for traffic next April,” stated Mr L. B. Campbell, district engineer to the Public Works Department, when questioned regarding the progress of reading operations on this all-important sector. By that time, which meant the end of the summer, the whole of the deviation from Mercer to Ohinewai would be metalled and ready' for through traffic. At the present moment, Mr Campbell stated, supplies of metal were being received iand put out on the road in all the Quantities desired, while a few metalling contracts had been let near Rangiriri. The weather during September _ and October had been very much against the department, but with the. advent of summer conditions the work could be pushed on fairly expeditiously. The greater part of the Jirtliworks required had been completed, though portion's still remained to be done in the immediate vicinity of Rangiriri township ahd in the notorious swamp' on the deviation in self. By Christmas, however, it was fully expected that these works would be finished and ready for metalling.

A SLOGAN FOR NEW ZEALAND “BETTER ROAD MAINTENANCE.’' In his report on modern highway const ruction, which appears as ail eppendix to the Public Works Statement for 1924, Mr: A. Tyndall lays particular emphasis on the question of maintenance. “The way to get good roads throughout . the country,” he .states, “is not to make a fevered search for a supreme traffic-defying form Of pavement and then build a few miles per annum’. As great a mileage as possible of the medium types of construction must be laid down, but even the mileage can only be very small. The most optimistic must admit- that this slogan for the country must be ‘better maintenance.’ “The few miles of high-class surfacing. can only be obtained with heavy expenditure, which will impose a burden upon the taxpayer for many years. The maintenance of the bulk of the roads can be much improved with no further annual expense to the taxpayer by the introduction of better methods, by better supervision,' and by educating ;.the actual man who works on the road. A moderate increase in the annual payments for scientific maintenance of our ordinary reads will also give a better return than the same money expended in defraying the overhead charges on a , few miles of expensive pavement. This -attitude seems to be the one adopted in England and the Continent, where the roads are.. in my opinion, more carefully maitairied tKau iff the United States. , “Where America has gone in for vast construction prograhimes England has rather given more attention id maintenance. In 1914-lS England spent 9s (id per head to maintenance, and in 1920-21 £i -Os. 3d per head. On most m ain roads leading out from London the cost of maintenance is from.£7oo to £IOOO per mile per annum. The average expenditure on these roads works out at Is 3d per ton-mile of traffic. “Before leaving the creneral siibject of maintenance' I would like to- say that there is no country with which I am aCnuainted where steel bridges receive as little care after construction as in New Zealand.”

CONSIDER PEDESTRIANS. A good driver is nothing more than a considerate one,, and where is the motorist who would not, like himself to be styled a really good. driver ?• The good • driver considers liis * passengers, liis cfir,; arid everyone else on the road. No' passing .o,n blind corners.. No dashing through hazardous, openings. Pedestrians are usually regarded as unmitigated nuisances frdm the driver’s point of view, on account of their idiosyncrasies, and failures to see the immediate intentions of the man at the wheel. They should not be unnecessarily honked out of the way and made to run like startled hens. When some motorists become pedestrians they confess to the impression that every driver tffi the fond seems to be wanting to run them dowh. It is . duly then that they get the pedestrian’s viewpoint. Perhaps the worst type of road pest apart from the reckless and drunken person is the woffld-be speed merchant,- who endeavours to race everything on the road. At the approach of a car he will accelerate until he is just keeping ahead,- his speed being varied, to suit that of the other car. In this way he appears to glory in the Sensation of having “mopped up’ \ another car. ' Quite as annoying, and perhaps moire dangerous, is the road hog, who shoots across your hows oh corners or when you are about to swing fight to pass' a slower vehicle. Then there is tlie

man who races for right-of-way past a horse-draivii vehicle, forcing you to pull-up to avoid a Collision. : On the other hand, there is the ihidVictofiah type of driver, who firmly believes that 15 miles an hour is. a sane maximum speed, and holds to it right in the middle of tlie road. Incidentally, one notices that- inexperienced drivers resolutely claim this position, and-take a surprising time f 6 get ever to the left of the road when a. car essays to pass. With the various types of; cars on 'the- road, it is impossible to lay down hard and fast rules as to what does or does not constitute a “safe” speed. POINTED warnings. . Motorists who can read English will have little excuse if caught evading speed laws in the United States thiS summer. Towns throughout the country are very active in putting up warping signs, both with the aiin of enforcing better traffic conditions and of reducing the mimber of The following signs have a varied appeal, and all WOre. seen by a ihoidrift;’ during a single trip— ' ‘ ‘This is a good road. It will cost you money to burn it up •” “Slow down. Look before you weep,”' ; “Don’t coyet your neighbour’s side of the road.” , ‘ ‘Lookopt 1 Yon may . meet a . fool around the corner.” “Stop! Look!! and Live! l If”' “Don’t speed. It is ‘Good Morning Judge!’ here as hereafter.” “DON’TS” FOR* REDE3TRIANS The increase’ in the number of street accidents recently, to which Dr. Waldo, City Corotaef, has drawniatteiition, is not entirely due to' the carelessnem of motorists. Many .pedestrians who have hot acquired tlie “tr&ffife sense” are to blame for running into danger. The ‘ observation. Of.a few simple rules,- Set fOrth :by National Safety First Opuncil, ■ would dt> much to reduce the riski of the road; The following are the - most important:— • “Do not rim across' roads unless they ..Perfectly clear of approaching vehicles. (Many, adujts as. well as Children: are to blame for this practice, which is often born of unnecessary nervousness.)- ;; ' “Rd riot cross-behind vehicteb trithout thought and-- without looking both ways in turn,- -' >} ; “Do not hesitate when once the crossing has begun. “Do fidfc attempt to bofird 6 f alight from vehicles in motion.“Dp not walk, on the inner side of the read when going round a curve. (This is a fruitful source of accident in the: country,' where 1 osirefui motorists keeping to the left on’ the inner side of the curve cannot eeq more than a yard or rifd iit fftriitof tn£mj. “Do not step too*. Suddenly frOm the footpath, and, above all, do not step out into th’e rdad/yrith yoUr hack th coming traffic. ” v • _ ; ; Neglect of. this last rule is probably the Cause of offitehalf the traffic accidents. It is due largely to the pedestrian practice' of keeping to the right when walking, vrhereas, the vehicular rule is to keep to the left. The consequence is thak> people step out into* the roed, often, to pass Someone else iff frbht .of them, without thinking that traffic ih'ay be Cofminw just behind them. Accidents dp not Occur at ; congested traffic points so frequently v as in. the outer .suburbs and open .country, vMierepedestrians,- aind especially children, are less vigilant in crO-Sring: Vdadq...

ijiasT t£pe of road for NSW ZEALAND. With a view to discovering the least costly typo of road tliat will meet New Zealand requirements, the Wellington Automobile dub have decided to ask the Highways Board to maintain an experimental stretch of road to test out, under typical New Zealand main road conditions; the types of construction of this country. The club suggested test stretches of hot mix of different thicknesses, penetration, a tar-sealed stretch, and also a test of the improved gravel and macadam maintenance as described by Mr. A. Tyndall, Of the Public Works Department. It was also decided to ask that full explanatory hotice 'boards be erected beside the various test stretches. / CORNERING. Take a corner rather faster than your usual speed, advises a northern scribe. You will note a certain stiffening of "the jaw, a waggling of the spine, a tickling at the back of your neck, a sensation as of vacuum in the stomach, a watery feeling around both knees.

See a crack, rider on that same corner, showing how fast it. can be taken and then try it again. Yip ...will-'shut your throttle and brake hard twenty yards short of your rush at it, but no matter. You will begin to perceive what fast cornering is really like. - Repeat the. test, this time on a series of corner's, preferably on a road which you know well, at a standard .touring pace of 25 miles per hour. Speed up ovbr that samie stretch to 30 or 35 miles, ner hour. You will discover that what you regard as a pleasantly meandering liatie is converted into a succession of highly perilous earners. Get a; genuine speed merchant, to pace you over that same section.- You will be hopelessly left. That goes without saying. But if you are half a man voU will stick at your amateurish efforts till you can take it a great deal fasteh than you.ever did before, though not yet in a \doleman style. THE RISK IN RACING. Motor . track racing has taken a heavy toll this year, no fewer than four of the world’s leading drivers, having lost their lives. In England Daria Resta was killed at Bfooklands (Eng.) whilst travelling at 122 miles /per hour whun record-breaking, whilst Count Zborowski, a. noted Continental motorist, also suffering the same fate. In America J. Boyer, who was one of the successful drivers in the last- Indianapolis “500,”. was killed on tlie Altoona Spteedway (tj.S.A-.). • Resta was .also winner of the rich/ Indianapolis everit in 1916, and was the champion timer of America that year, Another American crack and Indianapolis victor, to meet his death recently was J. itfurphy, one of the greatest drivers the IJ.S.A. has produced, and winner of the French Grand Prix of 1922. The lure of motor racing was too strong tor all these cranks," and all succumbed' to the sport in which they won vvoildwide fame. LIGHT-WEIGHT MOTOR-CYCLE. FOR NEW ZEALAND CONDITIONS. AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALANDER. TAKE A HAND IN PRODUCTION. The “Indian. Prince,” which is to arrive in New Zealand shortly is the first motclvcycfe to be built specially to meet New Zealand and Australian conditions.

At the- factory during its production were Mr J. H. Rhodes, Australian iepresentative of the Indian Motor, Company, who is an Australian bvbirth, and Spencer-Stratton, the wefl-tLiiowri New Zealand motor-cycle rider, whose performances are Well-known iri Australia arid New Zealand. Strattori was acting as tester for the new machine right rip. till Mr Rhodes’ arrival at the factory* and together these two ineri covered some hundreds' of miles over riietal'and tint roads applokimatirig' . colonial ' conditions. ' :■

It is-Safe to predict that the new machine will' ..'captivate thorisands of people who have lorig been waiting for a means of safe, cheap, personal transportation. - Although the. “Pririce” is only tup., it is capable of a speed up to 55 miles per hour oh the flat and will climb almost any hill iri high gear. It is credited with beirig a “wonder” in shihgle arid loose sand. It has a lowriding position, and is exceptionally comfortable. It is fitted with chreespeed gear, twist grip controls, and will do from 100 miles to 125 miles to the gall'oh in ciipable hands. One Of the best features is the detachable cylinder head, enabling carbon removalahd re-assembling in twenty riiinutes.