MOTOR & CYCLE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7139, 28 May 1910, Page 12

MOTOR & CYCLE

It must have been a very lively cycle meeting; at Bundaberg (Qj the other aay. The bookmakers refused to i>ay 3gs for right to bet, and after consultation the committee reduced it to 2gs. As a large . number of pedestrians ana cyclists, who were in sympathy with the pencillers, refused to start in the various events, a line of £5 per man was imposed by the management, and in some cases disqualification for twelve mouths was added to the fine in the case of the cyclists. There was a great uproar on the announcement being made, and some of the leading movers in the strike were removed from the ground. The fines inflicted totalled £9O. Owing to the small sizes of enclosures, many German tracks have to accommodate the public on the inside of 'the arena. It Is probable that the Government will in future require that the public bo safeguarded by placing a barrier 30ft from the inside of tho edge of such tracks, and filling tho intervening space with sand. MOTOR BOOM IN AMERICA. According to both American and English automobile papers, tho United States, as a country, ia "motor mad." British manufacturers who have visited the States all agree that tho business in America at the present time is not only astonishing, but {jlmost beyond belief. Some of the mpers m tho new world set down the production of cars this year as 260,0j0, but the Automobile Association, which is composed of 72 of the loading American concerns, has capacity only for 10,000 cars this year, while outside this body tho number of vehicles produced will not exceed 50,000. Allowing, then, for 150,000 cars in 1911, it means 3,000 per week or 500 per day* Yet up to y the present, the outputs of all the mills arc absorbed with no apparent effort by tho local market. American cities equal In population to English cities that can ordinarily absorb 20 to 30 cars contain buyers for 500 privately-owned vehicles, a large proportion of these being high-powered and expensive. . New manufactories, with a capacity of 5,000 or more cars per annum, are springing up, while the older concerns are making additions to their already extensive works. It has been stated that firms have turned out as many as 275 finished cars per day! Were the output of even one of the big American makers diverted to England at greatly-reduced prices, it would undoubtedly demoralise the market for medium-priced cars. Tndeed, it is asserted that- tho Ford Company alone will probably turn out more cars this year than nil the motor mills in England combined. A panic in the United States could easily reduce the sale of cars by more than 100,000 during tho season, and in that case the States oould easily spare enough cars to supply the English market four times over. Should a panic come now, it would find the American maker with not only his undelivered 1910 cars on hand, but also his 1911 materials either contracted for or actually delivered to him. A.A.A. AND N.C.U. AT WAR. ' Cycle-racing in England is at present in a very mixed condition. The "Australasian” draws attention to the fact that the Amateur Athletic Association decided last month to break away from the National Cyclists' Union, the governing body of cycleracing in England. The A.A.A. disputes the right of the N.C.U. officials to enter the enclosure of a meeting unless their names figure on the programme, and also declines to allow any interference with cycling offenders direct, preferring it should come via the A.A.A. The right of governing cycle races is granted to the N.C.U. The cyclists' union has, however, adopted some stringent rules, or additions to rules, one being that promoters may postpone all or any races when considered necessary, "but (and this is the obnoxious addition/ the date of such postponed meeting shall bo subject to tho approval of the centre of the N.C.U. having jurisdiction.” At the meeting of the A.A.A., when the above decision w.aa made, there was only one dissentient; this hody will, in future, act independently of tho N.C.U., and will promote amateur uycle-racing as well as amateur athletics. The committee of the N.C.U. were to meet almost Immediately to consider the situation, and it was expected some sensational developments would occur during this month, perhaps on both sides, with a possible surprise from tho Midlands in the form of a strong professional association.

In a comparative table of speeds ~>y the many modes of progression, the supremacy of the automobile is demonstrated (says an exchange). Tho list is- as follows: —Motorcar, 131.75 miles; electric locomotive, 126.55 miles; steam locomotive, 120 miles; motor-cycle, 84.5 miles; bicycle, 65 miles; aeroplane, 49.99 miles; motor-boat, 37.93 miles; racehorse, 37.6 miles; pacing horse, 32.43 miles; steamship, 30.53 miles; trotter, 30,37 miles; skater, 2/.19 miles; footrunner, 34.20 miles; racing skiff (eights). 12.7/ miles; walker, 9.11 miles; swimmer, 2.65 miles. .The above figures represent the speed attained in miles per hour. Carrier pigeons have'‘reached a speed of 85.6 miles per hour. One or two of the speeds mentioned in the list, notably that of tho motor-boat, which has been exceeded by over five miles, are understated. cun MOTOR BOAT CHAMPIONSHIP OP THE WORLD. REMARKABLE PERFORMANCE BY AN ENGLISH BOAT. English files contain - the results of the racing at Monaco—the principal motor boat carnival of the year. The Coupe des Nations, considered the principal event of tho meeting, attracted five competitors, Ursula and Defender 11., representing England, •while the remaining boats were French. At the start, Deapujols and Jack trot away ahead of tho Duke of Westminster’s Ursula, but before they had reached Cap Martin, tho Ursula took tho lead,'Which she never abandoned throughout tho race, 16 turns of che course, 100 kilometres (about 62 miles). Defender 11. abandoned tho race after three rounds, her motor failing. With remarkable regularity, tho Ursula made round alter round in less than six. minutes, finishing in liir 26mih 59 2-sscc. going quite easily, as her record time was smin 21sec. for a round of the course. Brasier Dcspujols ran second, finishing in Ih. 3Amin. 42 2-ssec. It was a grand sight to see tho Ursula sweeping round and round the course, overtaking the other boats again and again. The Duke of Westminster steered Ursula himself. Ursula, in winning, put up a remarkable performance, averaging 43 miles per hour. This is wonderful travelling on tl Thc championship of the sea was ed bv nine boats, over a distance of 200 kilometres —about 125 miles, doconco winning by half an hour from Tele Mors, m 4h. 2^On D 'tlio concluding day of the meeting. Ursula succeeded in an attempt to break %h© record for the course. At the first .attempt, she rounded the course of six kilometres 250 metres in the record , smin. 21acc. .and she subsequently beat this by a fifth of a second. • , Dcspujols, the French Monaco with an official speed of 45 knots to her credit, but she did not do anything l?ke this speed, and Ursula easily proved her superior. ~