Motor & Cycle

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7853, 15 July 1911, Page 19

Motor & Cycle

A large amount of interest will doubtless be taken in the two six-days’ cycle races that are to bo held—one in Sydney and the other in Melbourne eaiiy next year. The two events are being promoted by the J. D. Williams Cinematograph Company, a wealthy concern with plenty of enterprise and capital. ino races will bo organised on the same lines as the big contest held annually at Madison Square Gardens, Now York, tho event being a team race —two riders a team —neither of whom are allowed on tho track more than 12 hours out of every twenty-four. Big prizes are to be given, the first being .£759, the second .£290, and thetiiiid .£-Vj. beanies a number of laluabie special prizes, including .Eloo toany Australian team that breaks the six-days world’s record figures of 2737 miles I<C yards put up by McFarland and Moran in the New York race.

In Sydney and Melbourne, there will probably bo big crowds attending towards tho end of each event, but where are tho crowds to come from during tho week days to keep a week's cycling cax-nival going? It tne same amount oi piize money was distributed' over, say, two Saturdays and the intermediate “Wednesday, eud.ng up with.a 24-hours' team race for big money more good would accrue to the sport and profits to tho promoters than if a six-days’ event is ho,d. A well diversified programme could bo arranged, including, say, a 50-miles' motor cycle invitation juiced race, tandem races, scratch events, championships, some half-mile and mile handicaps, a ibw nm.oi cycle c\cnts (incuKiing an inter-Stato motor cycle team race), finishing up with a 24-hunrs’ teams race. Such a programme would lie more likely to draw big crowds than the two events proposed.

A proposal put forward in New South Wales that motor cars bo taxed at the rateof *£o poi ear per annum, me proceed, to bo expended on road maintenance, has naturally stirred np a bitter protest. It is not so much the tax but the class distinction that is objected to, for if, say, every vehicle on tho road had to pay a wheel tax, and the proceeds were spent on road maintenance and 'improvements, then no reasonable man would object. Why motorists (who are arready heavily taxed through having to pay considerable duty on several parts of thoir cars) should be singled out and heavily weighted narrow iron tyred lorries—waggons—which cut tho roads to bits—bo passed by is a matter for enligntenmont.

The classic Bordeau-Paris road race was hem' over iho usual 367 miles’ course in May, and resulted in a win for a rider named F. Faber, whose timo was 18 hours 31 minutes. This event is tho most, coveted road ©vent held in France, and it has during the past twenty-one years rcsnit.diusomo historical contests. Among tho changes made in this year’s Bordeaux-Pans race was one abolishing all pacemakers between Bordeaux and Sainto-Mauro (188 miles). For the remainder of the distance (179 miles) pacemakers wore allowed, and the privilege was taken full advantage of. Tho record for the 367 miles separating Bordeaux front Paris is held by Trousellicr, who in 1908 covered tho distance in 17 hours 45 minutes 10 seconds; he was paced by single bicycles. With motor pacing tho record stands to Kiviorre's credit with 20 hours 36 minutes 46 seconds, accomplished in 1897. Qreger holds the tan-dem-paced record, his time being 24 hours 12 minutes 15 seconds. The fastest timo ever made between tho two cities is ,Huret’s 16 hours 35 minutes 47 seconds in 1899, but on this occasion he was paced by a motor car, and his performance cannot, on this account, bo compared with tho others.

A very fine road ride was recently accomplished by tho Westralian rider, C. J. Senior, who road 25 miles in competition over an out and homo course in 1 hour 3 minutes 3 seconds, which contitutes a new Australasian record, the previous best being J. Arnst’s 1 hour 6 minutes 7 seconds, established in Victoria in 1904. Senior won tho last Beverioy-Perth road race, covering tho 116 miles in 7 hours 10 minutes.

The question of petrol consumption is one of interest to all motorists, mast oi whom fancy they get better results from the part.ouiur brand o! petrol tney use than from other brands. Much has been put forward by the various companies respecting tho mileage per gallon obtained from their resjicetivo brands of petrol; but actual results have shewn that there is practically no advantage in one or the other, The chief attribute to small consumption is the proper adjustment of the carburetor, and the stopping of the engine when the car is not running. Tho writer knows of a car, which would easily do 26-28 miles to tho gallon of petrol, only giving an average of about 18. Much time was spent in adjustment and trials, with no better results, but it was afterwards discovered by the owner, a professional man, always left the car running Whilst he made his oaks, and this solved tho whole problem. Exactly the same thing may liajqnm with drivers unless careful observations, on the consumption are made. DREDGING THE THAMES A fleet of dredges which, together with other plant, nay involved an expenditure ot 4650,000, are about to carry out tho great task of dredging tho river Thames from tho Nora to London Bridge. Tho need for bringing tho Thames np -to date was emphasised in 1902 by a Royal Commission, which recomnaended that a channel thirty feet deep at low water, and, from 1,000 feet to GOO feet wide, should bo mado from the open soa to tho Albert Dock. This is to bo done by tho Tort Authority forthwith. Tho Commission made no definite recommendation regarding the channel above tho Albert Dock, but so ntach of tho trade of tho port is dealt with between that dock and London Bridge that the Authority hay decided to improve the channel up to London Bridge. Tho channel will be twenty feet deep at low water and 600 feet wide at tho Albert Dock, decreasing to feet deep and 450 feet wide at London Bridge. From Tilbury to tho sea the channel has already been completed except for the part through tho Yantlet choals, where tho depth is only 27 feet, but, on which a j>owerful suction dredger —the "Lord Desborough”—-is now engaged. Between Tilbury and the Albert Dock there is much to be done, for the depth decreases an til at some parts of Barking Reach there is only 16 feet to IS feet of water at the lowest tides. New plant Is being made for the work, and the dredging fleet will, when complete, consist of one large suction dredger, six bucket ladder dredgers, and twenty-one hopper barges for the conveyance of the dredged material to the sea.

Automatic striking cigarette-lighters hare now been taxed in Spain, and the first to .pay this new tax was King Alfonso.