HERE AND THERE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6843, 22 February 1929, Page 10

HERE AND THERE

In Germany there are no fewer than 40,000 unguarded level railway crossings. World'production of motor cars during- 1928,’totalled 4.540.000. This year's British Olympia Motor Show will be held on October 17 to 26. A small American manufacturer of automotive equipment recently spent £3,500 .in denying a rumour that his business had been purchased by a rival. It sometimes oceurrs that the insulation of the high tension cables leading to the sparking plugs, deteriorates to such an exteut that a. marked improvement in engine operation is effected by replacing the cables with now ones. Tyres wear out faster the higher the temperature under which they are operated. In hot weather it, is unnecessary to run the tyres at a lower inflation pressure than in winter. A hand brake which is loose on its rachet, tends to work itself on when itho car is traversing rough roads. In all motoring troubles, prevention is better than cure. For instance, occassional checking up of the electric light conditions may prevent tho annoyance of tho lights failing after a theatre or dinner party, when one is not dressed for motor trouble finding.

It has been said that most of tho people who drive 60 miles an hour to get to some place do not seem to have anything important to do after they get there. The bearing of the cooling fan should receive regular lubrication attention. It is the fastest revolving bearing on the car, and this is a productive source of noise if neglected of oiL Harold Smith, the brilliant West Australian cyclist, who gained fastest time in the world famed Dunlop road race—Warrnambool to Melbourne—in 1925, has been riding very well in Sydney lately on the new board track. He recently won the three-quarter mile National Championship and also carried off first honours from scratch in the two-mile handicap, which he won in 3 min 54sees., thus breaking the previous Australian record (3min. 59 4-5 sees.) made on the Melbourne Exhibition track by*the late Floyd MacFarlane (U.S.A.) away back in 1906.

In “view of the varied opinion held by Australian traffic experts on the .subject of ‘off side" road preference, it is interesting to note that recently the Ministry of Transport, England, had this maiter under discussion, and the question as to whether traffic coming from the right should be given the right-of-way at cross roads, was decided in the negative; in other words it ■was not approved, and it was recommended that the existing rule that niaiu-road traffic has preference, shall stand.. It was proposed that a sign be erected at points where two importtant roads cross each other and that it

shall bear the word "Halt" to warn •the driver on the secondary road; aLso that a white line be drawn across the by-road. It is essential in the interests of all road users that motorists should realise that it is absolutely necessary for safe driving, for the person at tho wheel to look both to the right and to the left, before crossing a main Toad or any other road, irrespective of regulations.

While there arc not many automobiles in Japan, the tyre business there is growing rapidly in supplying pneumatic tyres for the native rickshaws. This fact was stated by Sir -George Beharrel, managing director of the Dunlop Rubber Company, Ltd., England, w*hile stopping at Seattle, U. S. A. on his American tour. "The Japanese would not part with their rickshaws,” he said, "so we put pneumatic tyres on them. The streets in many cities are too narrow for motor traffic, but the recent earthquake remedied that to a great extent. Yokohama is now rising as a model metropolis with broad avenues and amazing business activity."