THE CENTRAL CHANGE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 27 August 1927, Page 15

THE CENTRAL CHANGE.

PRINCIPAL ADVA XT AGES. The great advantage of the central gear shift—it is only one of the many advantages—lies in the fact that the change lever is right on top of its job. It is not Jikelv to suffer from sticking or straining as is so often the case with the right-hand control when in the hands of users who do not take the trouble to keep it in proper order as to lubrication, cleanliness, and adjustment. Being directly pivoted in the gear-Dox, and directly above the selector bars which it has to select, and control, the central lever renders gear changing much more rapid and certain. Mechanically, it is the direct method — and direct methods are always the best in any piece of mechanism. Another feature, in these days of car comfort and convenience one which is important from the point of view of the driver and his passengers, is the greater accessibility to the car which the central lever allows. Easy entrance to the driver’s seat is afforded by the central position, and ho can enter and leave with the minimum of discomfort to himself and his passenger, and with the maximum of celerity—sometimes an important consideration. From a mechanical point of view it has the decided advantage of eliminating any disarrangement or binding which might be caused by a whipping chassis, and, in the case of the body builder and his design arrangements, it nn- j dcubtedly eliminates one of the troubles which assail him in the lay-out of his body design.

HOMICIDE SQUAD. With the increasing hazards of every-day motoring, the traffic, commissioner of the Cleveland (U.S.A.) police department has organised a s; ccial Homicide Squad in the hopes of curbing deaths wheih have been caused by careless drivers. The squad, which is the only one of its kind in tiie ci untry, is supplied with complete photographic equipment, including a darkroom for developing pictures taken immediately after accidents, two offices and complete files for keeping records. There is always a sergeant and one patrolman on duty awaiting the call that a serious accident has occurred. Both men are trained in the use of cameras and draughting materii.als for making sketches. When an accident has occurred these officers start out in their own motor-car, one taking a camera and the other a portable typewriter. Arriving on the scene, they take pictures from every angle, a complete report is typed on the spot and all available witnesses including the drivers and occupants of the ears involved, are brought to the office of the squad. Forty-three drivers have already been convicted for manslaughter. Convictions for careless driving and failure to stop after accidents run into hundreds.