THE MOTOR WORLD

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 22 August 1925, Page 15

THE MOTOR WORLD

•Los Angeles Ikw more motor cans •than anv other American city.

•• More than 40.000.000 persons are gainfully employed in America in the •motor industry.

In 12 months the number of motor •cycles in use in Neiv iso nth AVales -had increased from 14,345 to 18,122.

“The motorist, has two types o? pedestrians to contend with,’ declares a writer. Presumably (says an exchange) the quick anti the dead.

In England and Wales there are 64 tolil. roads and 127 toll bridges. Tolls oil roads and bridges in Scotland neie '.abolished in 1878.

A method of binding dust togetliel by means of watering the roads with a mixture containing .sulphite lye is to be exploited in Stockholm.

The following extract is taken from bho Court records in Napier dated September 25, 1963: “A well known , Nupieij resident was convicted for driving a motor car along Hastings Street, between the post office and Dickons Street, at a speed of more than four miles an hour.”

One man was killed and a number of others were seriously injured dining the first few hours of the 24 hours races in France over.the Sarthe circuit. While Mestivier, one of the French competitors, was driving a tyre burst, and the car overturned, pinning the man down .and killed him instantly.

There is a village in 'Southern Ohm where an Irishman must be in charge of traffic arrangements, for this sign has been erected for the enlightenment of motorists: —“When two ears come to a, crossing both shall come to a full stop. Neither shall start until the other is gone.” No doubt what eve. about the full stop in this case.

Motorists using the Naipier-W airor road a few days ago struck a. suing a., the concrete crossing just beyond Tangoio. The heavy rainfall had austnented the stream, that crosses the road there, and a, number of cays were held up until .the water receded somewhat. A service mail vian was one ol the first to attempt the fording, but failed in the effort, the pressure of the waiter being so great as to carry the vehicle off the concrete crossing. Ihe car was eventually hauled, clear without any .serious damage being done.

' Tt is stated that cut. of the 17,500,000 motor vehicles .in use in the bolted States of America, seme 4,000,000 of them are in use on farms. In s° districts as high as 90 per cent, of all fa’-m produce is delivered by motoi. Afore than 144,000 doctors in America use automobile's to visit their psiHenite-. It is estimated Unit . £1.600,000 *s •spent annually in US,A. tor cans, petrol, tyres, repairs, and garage items.

He was a prominent member of the Southland Motor' Association, and had gone out driving with a friend who worshipped the god' of speed. In the back seat of a flying motor ear the Motor Association member felt alarmed, as is the hah.it with all drivers when anybody else is at the wheel. I Do easy, now,” lie advised, as the car da shed forward cm to a narrow bridge, and “Don’t take the corner too sharply,” as a nasty bend in the road came in view. The driver ol the en-r .spoke' not a word, but drew from his packet a; .pamphlet entitled “Hints to B?ok ■Seat Driven-;,” and handed it to his talkative advi-er. 'the instructions, when the pamphlet was opened, were •brief, but easy to understand —‘ Shut up!” The zealous Motor Association member took the hint.

• Tho chubby smiling infant which was found by a motorist in his' car m George Street the other night, and taken home, has won the hearts of the mao and his wife (cays the Sydney Telegraph). They have decided to adept the baby. “Give baby a •chance,” was the mother’s appeal in a in found ip inner! on to the ba.bv s ‘ clothing. The appeal has been answerPd The babv is in good hands. Ihe •Good Samaritans shun publicity for a most unselfish reason, and have decided to .adopt the baby, but robed that tlieiname's he not mentioned.

NIGHT DRIVING. THEI D'l MM INCJ QUEST'I ON. At present, night driving is too often an anxiety and danger to the motorist (says an exchange). It will remain so till scientists "devise some form 0.l lamp which will give blight light, without dazzle. This is well within the viauge of poisisibility, but .till the perfect anti-dazzle lamp arrives the danger of the roads at night remains. There are two .schools amongst night drivers —the dimmers and the an.tii-dim.me-.-s. The dimmers allege that ‘bright, lights dazzle the oncoming driver and cause accidents, and that it is o,illy courteous to switch off bright lights ins one approaches another driver. Cause of Accidents. But when cine examines the record o! road accidents it will be found that most accidents occur through dimming. The dimmer may not blind the approaching driver, but he blinds himself. For the moment, if a. cyclist or u. pedestrian, of a turning be in front of him ho is .temporacily blind. In the few se,combi before ill's sight j lints itself there are terrible passibili-tie-s of accidents. On the other hand if lights are kept on full .and the d'ive- keeps well ove •to his own side of the road accidents rarely happen. This is specially the 'caso if the driver trains himself to .look straight in front o.f his car and to re-•sir-it the imipuilse to stare at. the ‘bright lights a,r.'p'caching him. This requires a certain firm ness, of mind. It is, however, the only way to safety when night driving. Looking for Trouble.

If tho rule of keeipimt well to your own Mi.de of the rood be maintained, bfti'.f +.he f’l’.nw r>f <l. 'yx-'* h.a>’ so'-e. lint, the n.i.or||,t driver wh.i Ke?ij>s in the •tfnt.ro of the r. ci.dway i,s always lookini'- for f.-ouWo and noitiillv it. It is diffieuilt to obtain full 'pn.rti.'w’pi "i' : of nisrht accidents. Mo,sit records of motor accidents do not (yffe’-entmto between day and I'in-ly, mi-hers T '-‘ vlif’i'ih many accidents are recorded thro’Hf'-h diimmini'r (.-wiciaU (lively few a.ro a.tt—iibnted to dazzle So till tho ideal non-dazzle liirhfc arrive si my •advi~' v to the nijrht drive:- is •dazzle rather than dim.

ASSOCIATION EULOGISED. TRIBUTE FROM HON. J. G. COATES Ron. 4. G. Coates lias sent the following’message to the Canterbury A.A. Annual: —‘‘As Aliuister of .Public Works, I am interested in improving the means of transport in the Dominion by whatever method is most efficient, . and the excellent work your Association is doing—not only in securing an improved road setwice, but in organising motorists —is undone tedly making in the. direction of greater efficiency for transport, both in goods and passengers. Organisation of the motorists of New Zealand has been an important factor in securing ai practical national highway scheme. In another direction, this organisation, particularly in Canterbury, lias provided public services in cases of emergency—-thus rendering a public Ivenefit.” SERVICE INSURANCE. AN AMERICAN INNOVATION. A novel plan lias been adopted by one American motor • trader of extending maintenance .service insurance to ’every purchaser c.t their cans, subject to the buyer joining up with thenservice system. The motorist pays a set .sum ot £3 a) month for a term of 15 months, and ‘is thereby relieved of .ail further maintenance trouble during that penod. ’The company guarantees to keep the car. in perfect condition and exeoute all repairs. The owner is required to report with his oar at the service station at stated intervals of which lie ‘is given due notice. He does nab have to lose his oar in one sense, for another car which is ‘fully insured i»s loaned to him while ‘his is being .attended to and tuned U p. That is one feature that has made a .strong appeal. Ail owner never wants car worse than when lit is in the workshop. His car is given li thorough inspection. No detail i*s neglected. Ihe oil is ‘ch aimed in the motor, the transmission ‘cared for, the ignition and carburettor inspected, and, if necessary, put in '-order Not only this, but the oar gets a .waft'll along with the change of oil land grease, and when the owner gets 'it back he lias the assurance that his 'car is in perfect running order, that 'lie has been treated .as he would want to be treated, and just as his contract 'specifies. Then again the car is de'liverod wherever lie may want it, and >he is all set for a trip of any duration. . ... The trips to the service station are Woveriieid by the capacity of the oil 'supply. That is to ,say, on some models .the owner is requested to drive 'in every 500 miles, on other models 'every 1000 miles. Of course the more 'the owner drives the more frequent his 'trips to the station. The .system is uaid to be satisfactorily alike to motorists and the trader.

NATURAL HISTORY. INTERESTING SOUTH ISLAND FEATURES. (From the Canterbury Annual.) The lakes, rivers, roads and mountains of the South Island have been described again and again, iiien fame is so wide that it is unnecessary to refer to their manifold beauties; but it will interest motorists to have some information on the natural history- of the country through which they pass. In settled parts, they will see many sights that may be seen in older countries. There are cultivated fields, extensive pastures, plantations of introduced trees, hedgerows, patches ol gorse and bx-ooni, and gardens of exotic flowers, the face or the land having been changed by settlement and by utilitarian ideas; and they will see and hear scores oi birds brought to New Zealand to help to check insect pests, or to charm people with, their song and presence. Away from settlement, where the scenery is most magnificent, there niav be seen the ancient fiorui and fauna. Even a casual acquaintance With them is a valuable item in a motor trio, something to bring back and to hold as a permanent recollection. MESSAGE FROM THE SEA. PICKED UP AT STEWART ISLAND. Doughboy Bay, on the rugged 'vest coast of Stewart Island, a tew mi.es from Mason’s Bay, has an interest oi its ban, both romantic and even dramatic. It was off here that in l'ebruary, IS9J, occurred the wreck of the barque “Emil.e” with the loss of nine lives Th e wreckage of that ill-fated; barque is still to he seen piled up oil the beach. Doughboy Bay, like Mason’s Bay, is a sort of catchment area for the- flotsam and jatsam brought by th e warm current from the Californian Coast, The island fishermen always seize an opportunity of .anding there when raie occasions occur. Recently two joung men, G. and S. Least, walked o.er the rugged hills to Doughboy in search ol ambergris, ancl umoung the various curiosities found cast up on the beach the most valuable was a complete spare wheel and tyre from a motor truck. The t-.re, a “Goodyear,” was quite new and fully blown up, which had caused it to float from no one knows where. It would be interesting to know if the spare wheel came f.oni some South.and vehicle. Ihe rim was painted red. RESPONSIBILITY. Responsibility is the greatest character builder in the development of man. It brings out ali that is worth while. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Jardne leceutly uttered, two sentences, vibrant with live counsel for the ambitious young man, whatever his chosen vocation : “Don’t drive me with a club. P are responsibility oii me and I’ll work my head off for you.” To develop youth, give him a hard job. Don’t let, him shift responsibility ?•<>• the difficulties standing in his path; train him in self-reliance. Then, as. he progresses to handling othe- men, to the problems of the cx-e-utive, he will never “drive with a luV’ bat will sav: “There is, your ‘ob; tile solution is in your keeping.” Grown men and business men might well take the advice of Secretary Jardine for the development of themselves.. Failnie is too often dee to lack of se’f reliance, to insufficient res onsibirty, to immaturity. True success is a continuous progression o r development- —meeting obstacles and conquering them. Automobile News Letter.