MOTORING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14747, 1 August 1911, Page 9

MOTORING.

Cardinals ato now permitted to use motO? 4 > cars when driving in Rome, the Pope having , given his permission owing to troubles and ,< v delay arising from a strike of local cabmen.. - , The results of motor ear' taxation in Ger- , many arc, as was foreshadowed some tim3y... ago, very disappointing to the Chancellor of :■.<{ the Exchequer. ' The fiscal year just - closed shows' that £140,750 «was * collected where : £187,500 was expected; .- while for . the five years to, date the minimum anticipated was £875,000, but'onlv £575,000.was realised. ' The interest taken in road improvement .n. throughout '.England is -greatly,- on the increase, and the many stretches of roadway. taken in • hand for betterment (with motorists' money tax • collected on petrol)—• •, are proving good object lessons. ' The British Government's invitation to ' the Permanent Committee of the Road. Congress to; hold ~: : the ' third International. Road Congress in : ' London in 1913 has been accepted. - /"Although . the dread. of . punctures , 'is not - now so great with motorists,; the possibility : of tiro trouble from the course ; must always be ' reckoned with; v hence, anything that \ tends to reduce trouble and expense with the pneumatic Ms of -more or less interest to . all motorists. Recently I made mention of ' specially prepared puncturc-proof - bands, composed of hard rubber and steel" tilings. vAnother similar band is a combination of ; 'specially-tanned chrome leather,' with a strip of woven copper " x wire reinforced along the centre.. It. is inserted between the tube arid cover, and not only-protects, the tube from puncture, but prevents it blowing but when placed in an old and otherwise useless cover.:.The bands are said to be light and- flexible. : s ..There is, the- motor hearse, motor,-ambul-ance,- motor " fires-fighting appliance, now there is,a'motor-driven "Black.Maria." One ; has j iist been-delivered to the police Authori- ;.. ties in . Chicago. . It 1 has seating accommoda- y. tion for 50 prisoners, in addition to accommodation for guards. - • * •' ■ An American : motorist -has: hit .on a neat idea for keeping his ; springs.-in; good: order. . He first places along the centre of the ,leaves a piece of felt saturated , with ~: asuitable lubricant,' then over? tlio'lot, is an -enamel }■■ ' leather cover, coloured'the same'as the coach works. This is laced over the entire length, , of the springs. ' Dust is iby this means kept '•away,'-'and the strip of felt keeps the leaves • lubricated. ' ' " The members of the Victorian- Motor-cycle Club participated in a : judging compe- : tition last Saturday, conducted on the samo lines as that carried out by ; the Automobile ■■ ■ ■i; Club some months • ago: . Each motor-cyclist had to;travel: a six-miles course, and adhere. . to i; a pace, set him •by the officialsat least" . to as'near, the speed as his judgment carried him. Great interest was shown in the event,•' and 26 took part, : the result being: H. ' Hon- ,<? Shaw (3i-h.p.'N.S.U.),' 12s. fast, 1; P. Rolla- •' son ;(3i-li*.p. Triumph), ,14s. slow, 2; L. V. Howard '(3£-h.p. Streak), IBs. fast, 3; ; A. - Searle (3i-h.p. Triumph),. 19a. slow. . j