THE MOTOR WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18294, 11 July 1921, Page 10

THE MOTOR WORLD.

By Accelerator. [ltems of nows—short descriptions of tours, the state of roads, etc., —comment, or inquiries will be welcomed by “ Accelerator.”] HEADLIGHT EVILS. Improvements in headlighting, while great, still leave much to be desired, if not in quality, at lead in quantity (says n writer). For however good some systems and devices may be, it is a fact that none will contest that only too few cars aro euipped with appliances that are scarcely worth the name. Worse yet, the neglect to adjust and properly maintain such appliances as aro known to have real merit works the utmost harm alike to the motoring- public and to the makers of such Equipment. Between glare from undimmed, unfocused, and poorly aimed lamps on other cars and the poor lighting which ho often conceives to. be lawful on his own, the timid motorist has an exceedingly apprehensive time of it after dark. Between fear of the police and fear of the other fellow he as well stay of! the road altogether, but if he does what will become of the bold and careless who never complain but go on taking chances?

SPEED LIMITS. What is a reasonable speed for motor cars? The question cannot bo settled by a universal limit, for the reason that everything depends on circumstances. Speaking on this question as affected by some drastic by-law proposals of the Newmarket Borough Council, Mr G. Henning declared that he had never had an accident, though ho once ran ovqr a dog but did not kill him. Ho added that he was one of the first motorists who drove to Wellington, and that ho possibly had the reputation of being one of the fastest drivers in Auckland? What was a reasonable speed was all a question as to how many people were in the street, and what traffic there was. He had driven up Queen street at 11 o’clock at night at 30 miles an hour, and considered that a reasonable speed under the conditions.

Motorists generally were pleased with the decision of Mr Mosley, S.M., in the Timaru by-law cases, where the Borough Council had fixed the speed limit over all street intersections at four miles per hour. The defence was that such n limitation was in itself dangerous, and the magistrate had himself tested four cars at four miles an hour* on the high gear and not one got across. Two got across on second gear, but the speed was so slow /(is to impede traffic. He declared the by-law unreasonable and therefore invalid. Ten alleged breaches of the by-law hinged on the decision.

THE BARBARIC TOLL GATE. Just now there is much talk in the North Island of a reversion to' barbarism in the matter of toll gates. The Minister of Public Works lias been interviewed and resolutions are being passed by public bodies. Included in the proposed toll gates is one on the Day’s Bay road, and the Wellington Automobile Club strongly objects. Replying to a deputation from the club, Mr Coates was non-oommittal on the general principle of toll gates, but ho said that the Department had a proposal—he did no. know whether the Automobile Association would back it up or not —for an arterial main roads scheme, under which they hotted to devote any tax which might bo put on tyros to the purpose of constructing and maintaining highways between certain points; and how would they then get on about the side-roads such as that to Day’s Bay. A member of the deputation said that if the local bodies were relieved of the cost v of the main roads they would bo able to devote morel to the upkeep of the sideroads and the by-ways. The association would be satisfied with one main arterial road to the chief centres.

ELECTRIC TRACTION. Tlie events 01 the past few years have focussed attention as never before on the commercial posjibility, or necessity, on road haulage by mechanical and electrical transport. Ihe military activities during the war gave an impetus to the petrol-vehicle industry which produced phenomenal results in the rapid increase in output by all manutactureis of Petrol-trucks, m 1914 the military campaign employed 4000 trucks; by the end of 19i9 the number had increased to 54,000. The transport organisations during the year of 1918. included 88,010 men. operating 60,000 vehicles of all kinds, consuming in the year 80,000,0 bu gallons of petrol, over 400,000 tyrps, and about 10,460 tons of spare parts. It is rather surprising, in the face of these figures, that ui>on the termination of the period of war, and at a time when the great majority of these petrol-trucks were liberated for industrial use, and the manufacturing organisations were also clamduring "lor petrol-truck sales, the initiation ol the electric-vehicle industry in England should have commenced. This it did, however, and in no uncertain way. Within two years of the termination of war thenhad been cither imported into or manufactured in England over 2000 electric trucks, where previous to this time 'there had been only two or three eleotrio-vchicles of any kind. The advent of the electric-vehicle has produced in v Ex.-gland a crop of new manufacturers, and many old-fashioned businesses have added the new role ot electric-vehicle designer and manufacturer. True it is that the electric vehicle had been tried out in England many years ago, but owimf perhaps to its appearance at an inopportune time and before the electric battery had been brought to that particular lino of development which, suits the demands of vehicle practice, it was not favourably received, and its subsequent propagation was abandoned. To the United States, as in the case with-most of our other developments in- the hydro-electric and ordinary engineering, \ve owe the fostering and development of the electric vehicle, pleasure car, the commercial truck, and the automatic industrial truck. In the States the industry has been in operation for the past 17 years, and there are to date a total of something like 70,000 electric vehicles within the country, and a great majority of those supplied to other countries, England, and New Zealand included, owe their origin to the American manufacturer.

It is interesting to note, and not generally'known, that despite the rapid propagation of electric trucks in these older countries, we have still a greater proportion per head of population within our own country, New Zealand, than in any other place outside the United States. In Christchurch alone there are between 50 and 60 electric vehicles run by the Edison battery, and one or more run by the lead battery. The latest order and the largest single order yet received in this cduntry amounts to £20,000 for the supply of electric trucks to replace the petrol trucks in a North Island dairy companies’ organisation. It is estimated that the operating costs for this fleet of trucks will be an almost negligible amount over the tyro wear, and this item itself, will be about half the size of a similar petrol truck case. The trucks are to bo charged from the excess steam which at present flows to waste, so that in the matter of petrol alone, a huge annual saving will bo effected.

It will lie of some interest to Dunedin and Otago commercial houses to know that the electric vehicles may now be successfully adapted to hill work, a new form of Edison battery having been developed for that purpose. A few notes on tests which have been made on New Zealand hills will be, published later.

SPARKS. One is struck by the extraordinarily large number of dogs of tho small non-utilitv variety doing the sightsof Christchurch from tho seats of motor cars (says \>ho motor writer in the Sun). Doga don’t look ns attractive to the pedestrian as the rtHv mop of a child's head, hut fashion must have its sway. It was announced in April that, tbe Ford Motor Companv had 102.000 unfilled orders for automobiles on the books._ The plant built 80,000 ears in March, while the April output was expected to reach 100.000. Actual sales ip the home market in Januniy were P 7.208 ears .and 11*8 tractors. In February 63.60* ears and 1932 tractors were sold, while in March the sales reached still higher figures— 87.221 cars and 1708 tractors. I hear (says an English motor writerl great things of an anti-splash device called

the “Gentleman.” According to its show at "Camberwell in the recent test, it has a decided penchant for counterbalancing the dirty proclivities of motor buses and other aids “to the affluence of dressmakers. I am all in favour of efficient mudguarding, and if anything is going to operate against the mud-slinging of vehicles, which, when I pass them, offer a salute of filthy viscosity, I am in favour ot it.

A Canterbury motorist who has returned from a fairly long visit to important centres in Australia reports that trade there is very lively in various directions. In spite of slight industrial depression, competitions of all kinds are being held at regular intervals and with record entries. Interest in test runs and reliability races has never been keener. In one motor ovclo event a Queensland rider established a great performance by averaging 78 miles per hour both ways (with and against the wind) The previous bent was 75 miles an hour. “The Automobile Association is sometimes looked upon as a body of_ motorists without duo considers!ion for public safety, said Mr L, R. Partridge, in the course of hts remarks to the by-laws committee of the Wellington City Council. “I want to disillusion any people who are inclined to that belief. Wo arc out to fight the dangers to the public in every shape or form, and are trying to safeguard the public as well as motorists. We have endeavoured, wherever we could, to take the reckless motorist to task and see if regulations can bo framed lo minimise accidents.”