NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20384, 12 October 1929, Page 12 (Supplement)

NOTES.

Fast travelling has been impossible on tho Bombay deviation this week. Tho road should be avoided in tho event of rain, as it is purely a line weather route. Jones was never an early bird lit tho oflico. One morning his boss exclaimed: ' Lato again. Havo you cvoi; done anything on timo?" "Yes, sir," was tho meek but prompt reply. " I purchased a car." Pile-driving has been commenced for tho concroto bridgo, which is to replace tho old, one-bar structure on tho main highway, just south of Mercer. The carriageway on tho new bridgo will bo 20t't. wide, and a straight approach will bo provided in place of tho sharp curva A variation of white lining lias been adopted in Hamilton. Tho centre line of tho main street has been defined with spaced metal discs threo or four inches in diameter. Similar discs havo been embedded on corners. Tho metal is rustproof, and although not as conspicuous as white lining it has tho advantage of durability.

The new *' autostrades," or super-roads, in Italy, which aro specially reserved for automobile traffic, havo no restriction on speed. Some 200 miles of these, fiat, straight and unintersected, havo been opened, and a much greater mileage is in courso of construction. Other traffic-ways are carried by bridges pr subways over or under tho privileged tracks, which arc from 24ft. to 40ft. broad, and have telephones at frequent intervals, so that unfortunate drivers can ring up for first-aid to cars or selves. Many motorists aro under the Impression that there aro no means of testing the spark at tho' terminal of the sparkingplug without receiving a shock, unless a screwdriver, hammer or -other tool with an insulated handle bo used. An allmetal spanner can be used just as well if care be taken to put ono end of it in contact with the cylinder-block first, subsequently bringing tho spanner nearer the terminal until a gap is sufficiently small for tho spark to jump is obtained. When removing the spanner or other tool, care should be taken not to lift tho earthed end until tho other part is sufficiently far from tho terminal tQ avoid accidental contact.

PREVENTABLE RATTLES

Few things annoy ono so much as a rattlo or a squeak; very often a particularly elusive rattle may bo cured by a. little attention given to the doors. It will usually bo found that tho doors are fitted with rubber buffers, and that by continual use these have become flattened. It is not always necessary to renew them, for by fitting a small pieco of paper or tin behind the rubber tho troublo can sometimes bo cured. At tho same time attention should bo given to the door locks, for if a few drops of oil are used occasionally at these points squeaks will disappear as.if by magic. Unless tools are packed well with rag, or in special containers, they will cause a tremendous amount of rattling. It should also bo remembered that if tools aro used on the road they should bo packed away carefully again. Loose floorboards arc another common source of rattle; it is a very good plan to tack a strip of felt or of rufcber to the edges so that in the event of their rubbing against one another they will uofc givo riso to squeaks. If felt is not available, try lightly greasing the edges of the boa'rds. By placing a piece of felt cut to the correct sizo under tho floor mats a feeling of comfort is given to the feet, and engine vibration will be prevented from reaching the passengers. This has the extra advantage of keeping the feet warm in tho winter and cool in summer.

PETROL AND PENCE.

Tho shilling in tho slot petrol pump perfected in England last year has not been taken up very seriously. Probaoly petrol sellers believe it better to pay an attendant to do late shifts and sell petrol by the tankful than to save wages and get tho odd shillings which the motorist might be fortunate enough to havo when confronted by a shortage of fuel. _ Tho fluctuating price of petrol is an objection to tho coin in tho slot pump. Tho Inspector of Weights and Measures would havo to deal in fractions with petrol at Is lid, as it is in New Zealand, and nobody would suggest that tho price should be rounded off in shillings and kept thero irrespective of tho rango of fluctuations. The halfpenny enters into petrol prices in some parts of England, although the price of first-grade in London is Is 7d.

Referring to this manipulation of halfpennies when filling up, Professor A. M. Low, tho well-known authority on automotive research says: " It is very easy but none the less interesting to make suggestions which are commercially undesirable. I believe that petrol pumps should not only bo disappearing, but that they should bo provided with sliding scales converting rapidly from money to gallons. When ono pays ten shillings for some of tho precious fluid thero is something foolish about accepting twopence halfpenny as change. It would bo more sensiblo surely to approximate tho number of gallons needed and hand tho attendant ten shillings with tho remark "so much for petrol." You can add " please" if you wish to be thought old-fashioned. I think that timo and lips would bo saved."