NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19892, 10 March 1928, Page 10 (Supplement)

NOTES.

The Main Highways Board will inspect the roads in the Northern part of the South Island during April.

" How did you become such a victim of wanderlust?" 'i " From searching around for a place to park my car."

Patrols of the British R.A.C., assisted 8759 members under the " get you home" service during 1927. The listance covered by relief cars is estimated at 150,000 miles.

Exports of British cars, commercial vehicles and chassis during 1927 totalled 35,656 units as compared with 32,388 in 1926 The increase in value was nearly £1,000,000.

During a walk up Queen Street one could count a score of cars without rear view mirrors. This is a ,breach of the motor vehicle regulations just gazetted, and it is one of the points regarding equipment which wiil repay immediate attention. The steep section of Prince's Street giving access to Prince's Street alongside the Northern Club has again been repaired. The surface laid two months ago lasted only a few days, the friction of skidding wheels on the steep grade proving too much for the tar and sand finish. This road will never be used extensively. The short section of concrete laid by the Hawke's Bay County Council on the southern outlet from Napier has proved such a satisfactory job that the local body proposes to embark on further c» ncrete work on the Napier-Hastings highway. The Pakipaki-Te Aute road is being tar-sealed. The Sydney motor trade has barred the term." second-hand." It is thought that " used car " is more suggestive of value and this term is now used in all showroom displays and advertisements. Occasionally one sees-a car'on the garage floor which could be more accurately classified as an " abused car." A rather novel reason for wilfully damaging an automobile association notice board was given by a youth at the Nelson Magistrate's Court. He said that the association should not put its signs so close to. the ground because anyone running along would knock his head on them. That was why he had pulled the sign down. . Beatson Park, Hastings, is one of tho finest motdr camping grounds in tho North Island. Buildings have bee j erected and eight wash basins and a bath are available to tourists. A chip heater supplies hot water. Open fireplaces have also been arranged on the ground. This is an evidence of borough council enterprise pf which, so far, Auckland has no parallel. 1 . INVEROARGILL RACES. \ Motor racing in New Zealand will never lack if it is conducted on a ground which is easily accessible. This is proved by the fact that 12,000 people attended the Southland Motor Sports Association's meeting on Oreti Beach last Saturday. Muriwai races attracted less than 3000 a month ago. The explanation lies in the handy situation of Oreti Beach. If Auckland could find a motor sports ground within 15 miles of the city attendances of at least 20,000 could be expected. Speeds at Oreti Beach were not up to Muriwai standards. ■ The Stutz averaged 83£ m.p.h. for the classic event at Muriwai in February. The senior event on Oreti Beach last Saturday was won by C. W. Hamilton's Sunbeam with an average of only m.p.h., for the course of 24 miles. The light car championship was run over a course of 18 miles, and the winning car averaged only 54 m.p.h., as compared with the average of 75 m.p.h. established by the winning light car in the 50-mile event at Muriwai. TESTING PETROL. Large purchasers of petrol often make their own tests to ensure that a certain standard of volatility and purity is maintained. The Auckland City Council applies tests to petrol used in its large fleet of trucks and buses. In the valuation of motor-spirit the main considerations are the distillation range, the aromatic content and freedom from corrosives. Spirits rich in aromatics are not as liable to detonate or " pink " as those with lbw aromatic conteut. - ' ' During refining, petrol is, treated first with sulphuric acid and. then with caustic soda. The acid treatment removes certain gum-formirig substances, and the caustic soda is used to remove traces of the acid. Should acid remain, corrosion of the gauze strainers and of the carburetter float will result. NATIONAL SPEED LIMITS. Although four national speed limits are .fixed by the new motor vehicle regulations, this does not mean the end of a multiplicity of speed restrictions. After laying down 35 m.p.h. on the open road, 25 m.p.h. within boroughs, 15 m.p.h. across intersections, and 10 m.p.h. around sharp bends and inside safety zones, the regulations give a sweeping permission to local bodies to impose additional limits provided that signboards are erected to indicate the area affected. The signs must bear the wording "local restriction," and at the end of the road concerned there must be a conspicuous sign " restriction ceases." The regulations provide that it shall be a sufficient defence for a prosecuted motorist to show that the signs had not been erected.