A MOTORING CAUSERIE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18565, 24 November 1923, Page 12 (Supplement)

A MOTORING CAUSERIE.

[»T oru BRITISH CORRESPONDENT.] And German Eoads. It is probable that by the same methods of propaganda, and by pleading poverty, Germany has created a general impression that, dvioly, her condition is parlous. As to that, and if "one* takes the roads as a criterion, the oountry is getting along quite well with the "mark 'depreciated to .one fifty-millionth., of its par ..vaLiie-rin. fact may be better than during normal times. By inflation public debt has been abolished and local todies are free to expend the whoie of the rates on "work and none on debt liquidation. This explains, as nothing else can, the thorough-going road repair ■work I saw in progress when in Germany. Similar activity in New Zealand would stir up feelings of wonder at the prodigality of the county council. Roads and footpaths, yes, and forest paths are swept and well-kept in this land of the Teuton who has not—he —the wherewithal to meet his liabilities.

"Pordismg'* Industry. sAt the Industrial Welfare Conference held recently at Oxford the Ford factory system came in for a deal of criticism— some adverse, but mostly approving. One speaker declared Chat British factories too often were run on a system of administration, based on the formula cii, "mysSlf, my father, my son and my ■wife's sister's nephew." He daime'd-that the definitive aims of the Ford plan were preferable, and that they were not soul-destroying, as so often was alleged. Another delegate expressed the opinion that the dull monotony of Ford's repititi<m methods was. indeed, death to Che aouL He went further and declared (amidst laughter) that these methods wrought a further. evil in that they enabled the number of road fatalities to be increased at a very cheap rate. The medical officer of the Ford works was able, however, to dispose of the sonlkilling bogey by pointing out that the company's operatives at Manchester received 3s per hour, and had greater material means to acquire comfort :.n their lives than had , the workers in ot her factories, • •*"

Future lighting Systems, - Electric lighting may not absorb a great .deal of the power of a car, but ho would be a bold mail .who would assert that wo have reached 'finality in the design of lighting systems. Many scientists are engaged upon research work which may shortly yield results of material interest to motorists. The Motor has recently dawn attention to the remarkable results already obtained with the Nyon light, in which glass; tubes, containing this special and comparatively new gas, glow with striking brilliancy when high-voltage electricity is applied. True, /Neon tubes give a yery bright orange-red- glow, but in time it- may , easily bo possible to obtain a. glow'approximating to sunlight/ which would be ideal for headlamps, as. the glow would emanate in, diffused forjn. Moreover, the t light *• would; be' obtaihed by a small current., as the Neon ligb + is about twice as " efficient as the half-watt bulb. New gases and combinations of 'gases may. easily , produce glow effects with valuable lighting, characteristics. Pumps and Petrol,

Motorists are more particular about the spirit fed to their carburetters than are the bibulous about the quality of that they-imbibe. Ead whisky is condemned; bad petrol is cxccrated. This attitude of mind accounts for the wave of protest that has arisen lately in England amongst First And' foremost, it is directed against the quality of fuel, but there is coupled a complaint against the quantity supplied by pump measure. Recent charges involve ' the honesty of the dealer and the go)d behaviour of the pumps. As to accuracy, it matters not what typo of pump is used, being a mechanical contrivance, the best may fail at times, while the worst will register incorrectly with surprising regularity. Recent tests by the London County Council revealed- that accurate measure is the ex9®P ion, and that short measure is given often than . long. pumn-r°' t the shorfc measure of the •S bS'VII:' ;>'• sho ' u « e often correot , '," can there i. but never mo 8 i PP t /' and sometimes short, the same, a can V lar '- ° ne pays for. -A" xt-.with l afea 8 ' n ;®! n K ; J, can, one accepts the pump, i jP I{ on an one regards * therefore, to reh&WiuPi. •!' the Pump, . confidence, i The motoHof ltself in public tee—and this is * mattL^f"*' 8 a B"anby local bodies, Motor supervision : - lions motor (trad«) ««Jw. n#r ) associai?'., petrol companies. (I) Xfow, and the correct; (2) that the supply % grade is -; that the quantity is (3) mßy a stem ° { u, 6pection and Metered. form the pother „ Rented |g^^i UP, and - frosa What B ? slly b <