NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19061, 4 July 1925, Page 10 (Supplement)

NOTES.

'I here arc 4,500,000 vehicles owned by farmers in Great Britain. In one day, recently, at New York, no fewer than 592 motorists were fined at the traffic courts, leaving behind them a sum ol money equal to about £SOO. A Oriti.sh motor insurance authority states that about £14,000,000 was paid in motor premiums last year, while tlio sum paid in claims was nearly £8,000,000. Prince Nicholas, of Rumania, has personally driven some 300 different makes and types of motor-cars in the 16 years ho has been a motorist. This would seem to bo a record. For some months members of the Auckland Automobile Association have been supplied with itineraries of tours which they propose to make. Those will bo available for all routes during the ensuing season.

About 300 cars were attended to during the fortnight's headlight-testing demonstration, conducted by the Auckland Automobile Association recently. Tho question of continuing the service is under consider it ion.

It was an interesting fact, remarked .Mr. Wynyard to the North Island Motor Union the other day, that the mileage of metalled roads in New Zealand was greater in proportion t) population than in the U.S.A. but in tho matter of maintenance New Zealand wis a long way behind.

Inglewood Coiuity expects to have the bitumen surfacing work on Junction Road (via Egmont village to New Plymouth) completed in a fortnight, with reasonably tine weather, a gap of only 30 chains remaining to bo done. About 182 chains have already been done, and a mile on tho main Mountain Road toward Stratford.

It is proposed to build tho first motor road in Germany from Aix-la-Chapelle via Cologne, Dusseldorf, Duisburg, Hamm, Bielefeld, Hauover, to Berlin. Overbridges or underbridges will be constructed at all road ancl railway crossings. Building operations aro to .commence either at the end of this vear or early in 1926.

What is claimed to be tho world's longest motor toll bridge has been recently completed between Tampa and St. Petersburg, in Florida, U.S.A. It is six miles long, and reduces fthe driving distance between these two towns by 24 miles; it accommodates four cars abreast, and crosses a section of old Tampa Bay where the water was too shallow for navigation and too deep to allow of tho construction of an ordinary highway.

There was quite a lot of merriment in Temuka, on a recent afternoon while a very old dilapidated car was being engaged in delivery work. The radiator of this prehistoric-looking bus was leaking very badly, and the driver in desperation tried to remedy, the leaking by. inserting a quantity of oatmeal. This proved to havq effect in more ways than one, for it literally urned the car into a porridge pot, and burning oatmeal could bo smelt all down the street.

In the first two months of this yearmore than 1600 Bills relating to tho automobile industry trade and traffic were introduced into the various United States Legislatures. It is reported by the motorbus division of the American Automobile Association that many of tho measures aro drastic, and, if enacted, would restrict the uso of motor vehicles. Some, it is admitted, are constructive, and should be passed, but tho greater number have been drawn up without proper investigation for the need of such laws. More attention to the enforcement, of existing laws is urged.

THE A.A.A. YEAR BOOK. Much useful information concerning the doings of motorists in the Auckland Province is contained in the 1925 Year Book, just issued by the Auckland Automobile Association. Besides the annual reports of the parent hodv and its branches, it contains a complete list of the 2538 members, reports of the last Muriwai race meeting, the gymkhana at Mangere, and other matters of interest. There are special contributions by Mr. Mr. M. H. Wynyard, dealing with the operations of the sfain Highways Board; Mr. W. B. Leyland, giving reminiscences of the A.A.A., run to the Waitomo Caves in 1907; Mr. G. W. Hutchison, secretary of the A.A.A., on "Motoring Conditions Abroad," and Mr. 11. E. Champtaloup, service officer to the association, on " The A.A.A. Information Bureau." Numerous photographs add to the attractiveness of the publication.

A.A.A. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of tho Auckland Automobile Association will be held on Tuesday evening at Rush Munro's cafeteria, Karangahapo Road. Special parking arrangements for cars have been made. Hereford and Howe Streets, the first and second streets running north off Karangahapo Road toward the city from the reservoir, and Jersey Street, joining these two streets and runing parallel with Karangahape Road, havo been allotted, and the service officer of the association will bo in attendance prior to the meeting to park cars. Special lighting concessions havo been granted by the police and City Council, and any cars parked by the association's officer will be safe in this respect. j

ERECTION OF SIGNPOSTS. For the month of June, 43 road signs have been erected by the Auckland Automobile Association. • At a meeting held this week a comprehensive programme of activities in this respect was arranged, and it is anticipated that a further 300 signs will be erected before the next touring season opens. The association's new road-map of the North Island will be available by the beginning of August.