MOTORING WORLD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 237, 3 September 1927, Page 14

MOTORING WORLD.

NOTES. All championship events under New Zealand Auto Cycle Union rules will this year be run from rolling starts. It is considered that there is a huge potential market for economical motor cycles in China “when things settle down.” There were 302,416 cars and 59,186 commercial motors in Australia on January 1 last. In 1922 Australia had only 89,191 motor vehicles. A nation which has designated itself “hustlers” -might be expected to ranklo under the traffic congestion for which its cities are notorious. An American efficiency expert has estimated that traffic congestion on the highways of the United States involves an annual loss of £800,000,000 in time and petrol. In common with 100 cities in all parts of the world Johannesburg is facing the problem of private omnibus competition with its tramway service. For three years buses have been attracting tram custom, and the municipality has decided! not to consider further tramway extensions to remote suburbs. A municipal fleet of 20 British omnibuses was placed in service last March, but since these to compete with nearly 100 privately-owned buses, it is likely that the local body will add to the original number. New cars for 1928 will begin to appear in Great Britain early in September. The British Olympia will be held in the third week in October, and every manufacturer endeavours to introduce his new models before the show. There is much speculation regarding the trend which will be revealed within the next few weeks, but it is generally believed that still more low priced sixes will appear. In braking,' bodywork, and general mechanical detail little change may be expected. The 1928 American cars will not make their bow until the holding of the national show in New York in January. The Helper (to victim of motor accident) : “How on earth did it happen?” Victim: “You see that cliff?.” Helper: “Yes.” The Victim: “Well, I didn’tl” ■motor CAMPS. QUEENSTOWN ADDED TO LIST. STANDARDS IN CANADA. The latest camp at which a camping place for motorists is provided is Queenstown. The town clerk of the borough of Queenstown has written to the secretary of the South Island Motor Union stating that the council has set aside a site on Western Terrace, overlooking Lake Wakatipu, five minutes away from the Post Office. The park is neatly laid out in sections, an area of 25ft. by 25ft. being allotted for motor and tent. The conveniences include fireplaces, electric light, water supply and sanitary conveniences for both sexes. Fuel for firing and milk are procurable close to the camp. In view of the number of motorists’ camps established in both the South and North Islands, the following standards which are required in a Canadian province should prove of interest. Definition: A motor tourist camp shall be considered as any area set apart for the accommodation of motor tourists and operated with or without charge. Certificate of Approval: All camps in which camping facilities are found by the authorised inspector to comply with these standards shall be given a certificate of approval, signed by the Minister of Health and countersigned by the inspector. The authorised inspector shall be the district officer of health or some other officer or officers of the department appointed for the purpose. Registration: At every approved motor tourist camp a register shall be kept in which all guests remaining overnight shall be registered, specifying the date of stay and home address, ana such register shall be open for inspection.

Supervision: Every approved camp shall be under continuous supervision of an attendant, who shall exercise every reasonable effort to keep the camp in a clean and sanitary condition, to maintain conventional conduct, and to afford every reasonable protection to those using the ground or equipment for camping purposes. A list of approved motor tourist camps will be kept by the Department of Health, and will be open to the public and available for reference. Site: Every approved motor tourist camping ground shall be located on a sit© that is well drained and not in an environment prejudicial to health. Water Supply: Every approved motor tourist camp shall be provided with an adequate water supply from a source which meets with the requirements of the Department of Health. Where a supply from an approved municipal source is not available water may be obtained from properly protected wells, springs, or other • sources approved by the Department of Health. The. supply shall be readily available for camp use, and shall be clearly placarded as the camp water supply. Sanitary Conveniences: Sufficient toilet accommodation, properly designed, shall be provided in each camp for each sex. Refuse: Covered, water-tight, metal receptacles shall do provided in convenient locations for depositing refuse and camp litter. All refuse shall be collected daily and buried, or burned and buried. Sand traps shall be provided for the reception of the contents of kettles and other moist wastes. Burning of refuse shall be in an incinerator at least 18 inches in diameter, with the grates raised at least six inches off the ground.

Lighting: All sanitary conveniences in camps shall be lighted from dusk to dawn.

Cooking Facilities: Where cooking facilities are provided, covered garbage pails shall be available, and where facilities are enclosed the building shall be adequately lighted, ventilated and screened against flies, and shall be kept clean.

Laundry: Laundry operations shall not be carried on in natural waters adjacent tq camp. Bathing Facilities: Where bathing facilities are provided, and the depth of current in the water is such as to require it, suitable warning signs shall be posted and life-saving appliances shall be provided. Warning signs shall be posted adjacent to diving boards indicating the depth of water.

HUGE SPEEDWAY. GERMANY’S NURBURG RING. 270 CURVES AND STIFF GRADES. Germany now boasts the largest motor race track in the world, a 17mile circuit known as the Nurburg Ring. It was recently opened with a series of 200-mile races, in which the winners averaged about 57 miles per hour. This is an excellent average for a trade which has been scientifically constructed to searchingly. test every car. The Ring" is a completely enclosed one-way mountain circuit. Its lowest point is 1100 ft. above sea level and its highest 2000 ft. It has one level, straight mile and about 270 curves and turns, while the gradients are frequently sudden, some as steep as one in three. That the track is dangerous as well as difficult was proved by the number of accidents at the first meetings. TRAFFIC FATALITIES. 40 PER CENT NON-MOTOR.. Although there is a tendency to lay the full blame for the traffic fatality rate at the door of the motor vehicle, statistics show that 40 per cent of the deaths in New Zealand are duet to nonmotor accidents. Of 258 fatalities in 1926, 155, or 60 per cent, are attributed to motor vehicles in the official statistics of inquests held during the period. Following are details of the death roll in 1926:

The statistics disclose the surprising fact that only 16 per cent of the victims of vehicle accidents are women. It may be assumed that the woman’s more nervous temperament permits her to take fewer risks. FRAGILE RACING CARS. In view of the terrific speeds which have been the rule on American board tracks, especially since the advent of the 1500 c.c. racer, the fact that the Indianapolis 500-mile race this year was won at 97.54 m.p.h., has occasioned very considerable surprise in racing circles in that country. In practice many of the cars were timed to lap at 120 m.p.h., and those in the know predicted that all records would be broken in this year’s event. As a matter of fact, however, the speed is 1.66 m.p.h. better than in 1926, but is 1 m.p.h. slower than the 1924 event and 3.19 m.p.h. less than Peter de Paolo’s 1925 record of 101.13 m.p.h. From the outset predictions as to record speeds for the track and the distance seemed to be almost a certainty, for the early laps were at 111 m.p.h., but after an hour it dropped to 105 m.p.h. No fewer than seven cars dropped out before covering 30 laps (75 miles), the front-drive cars, of which there were ten, suffering with broken front axles, while superchargers, broken petrol pipes and split tanks, and accidents—one fatal—also took their toll. Altogether only 13 finished out of 33 starters, which is a very high percentage of failures in this American classic. What was the cause of these failures, considering that these cars had proved to be at least 15 m.p.h. faster than their 2-litre predecessors, and had furthermore proved this to be the cause by averaging 125 m.p.h. in 200-mile races on board speedways? Experts attribute the . chief cause to the bricksurfaced track, for the cars had been previously run on smooth,. broad speedways and specifically designed for ultra-high speeds under those conditions. In other words, they are not robust enough to withstand such high speeds on such a rough surface.

AMERICAN TAXES.

Following the British motorists’ complaint against the excessive motor tax of £1 per horsepower, American motorists aije appealing for a reduction in levies. The greater proportion of American motor revenue is collected through petrol taxes varying in the rate per gallon according to the State. In addition there are various levies effected through the number plate system as operated in New Zealand. The American Automobile Association had issued the following statement: — “State taxes have enourmously increased in recent years. That is a matter of common knowledge. What is not so well known, however, is the proportion of this increase in state taxation that has been thrown on the car-owning citizens. “In 1916 the motor vehicle taxes constituted only 11.2 per cent of all the revenue from State taxes. In 1926 the ratio had increased to close to 60 Eer cent. ,In other words,, almost onealf of all State revenues are now derived from taxes on automobiles, as compared with a little over 11 per cent some ten years ago. “In total figures the motor vehicle State tax has arisen from £8,050,000 in 1916 to £100,000,000 in 1925, or an increase of 1240 per cent. “In the ten years, 1916 to 1925, the increase in automobile registration was 570 per cent, as compared with an increase of 1240 per cent in the total amount of revenue gathered by the State from motor vehicle taxes.”

CARE OF RADIATORS. It is wise to make a practice of always filling the radiator with soft water whenever this can be obtained. Hard water contains a certain amount of mineraji matter which tends to collect upon the inside of the water jackets and pipes and renders the cooling system less effective. Occasionally it may happen that soft water cannot be obtained when it is necessary to fill up on the road. Hard water may be used on these occasions without hesitation, but soft water should be the rule. Radiator water has sometimes a rusty appearance, and when so it is just as well to run it out while hot before the sediment it contains has time to settle. Fill again with clean soft water. Little attentions of this kind do no take long, and in he end one’s trouble is amply repaid..

ii in xJ/d\j . —* Males. Females. Motor vehicles ... 127 28 Railways ... 52 5 Horse vehicles ... 15 5 Tramways ... 17 2 Traction engines 2 — Bicycles 4 ~217 1 41