THE MOTOR WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18448, 9 January 1922, Page 2

THE MOTOR WORLD.

By Accelerator. [ltems of news—short descriptions of toon, the state oj roads, etc.,—comment, or inquiries wIU be welcomed bj " Accelerator."] A PLEASANT TOUR. . - A correspondent has favoured me with the following interesting account of u. recent tour:— "The first journey to Lake Onslow was undertaken by a Dodge car with no fewer than seven occupants, Dr J. R. Gilmour being at the wheel. The actual distance by road, as tabulated by the - speedometer, was 25 miles, and the highest point crossed, Mount Peirot, is at an altitude of over 3000 ft. An extensive view of the. surrounding country from this coign of 'vantage included the snow-capped Remarkables, Mount St. Bathana, and the Hawkdun Range. The circuitous road from Teviot station gave ample opportunity for demonstrating the driver's skill and the -passengers' confidence, though it was not tiil the slopes of Mount Teviot was reached that the chains were fixed to the back wheels, the road in a few gullies being a trifle loose and wet owing to recent rains. After a brief visit to the ' dam' waterfall, a welcome from that keen angler, Mr R. Cockbuin, and a refreshing cup of tea, names were inscribed in the visitors' book at. the hut, snapshots were taken as mementoes and credentials,.. and the return journey was negotiated without undue excitement. Several of the extensive paddocks traversed -are covered with excellent pasture, the newly-shorn sheep were looking in good condition, and the elusive bunny is a negligible quantity. Owing to the necessarily loose surface of the newlyformed road and its occafioriai steep grades, it would be unwiro to attempt the journey in 'anything but the driest weather, and it was a matter of congratulation _ that the pioneer party included an alert High School boy, who was an expert at opening and closing the usual variety of farm gates, ot which there are 20 on the Lake road. This trip should nrove an attractive one for the many visitors to Teviot,, the journey from Roxburgh taking about two hours. Anglers will find the speckled beauties in goodly numbers and condition ; "shootiste can stalk the quail, the duck, or the bunny, and the invigorating air and undulating scenery are free to all." PIONEER OARS. /Writing to "Torque" of the Auckland Star, Mr Harvey Palmer throws some light on the .early New Zealand cars. Mr Palmer says:— "In the year ISOI three steam cars were landed called ' Locomobiles/ They were all two-seaters, very much like a kind of buggy, tiller steering, George Henning, of Auckland, had one. Mr Oates, of Ohristchurch, had another, and I had the third. They gave a lot of trouble, because no ono really understood , them. The one we had in Napier was the pride of the town, and at the shows it created no end of comment. We afterwards got a single-cylinder Oidsmobile, and as a boy I was the envy of all the boys for miles around, because I could drive the only car in tho town. The Hawke's Bay Motor Company also imported a steam bus, doubledecker, which proved a failure. We ran the old Oidsmobile with tho mail to Taupo for years and did the trip of\ 100 miles in eight hours. Ryan, in Auckland, sent a man over to Napier to see our machine, as he had some coming out-and wanted to see what they were like. H. F. Butcher shortly afterwards landed a two-cylinder de Covil, which, cost, £7OO, and it was a swell car in those days. "A Gardner Serpolet was landed for the Union Steam Ship Company" to run the mails between Port Chalmers and- Ehmedin, .but it also proved a irost, and the trip was abandoned for a time, until they replaced the first car with a steam oar, which ran on up with methylated spirits. Several cars arrived about' 1902-3—tho Rambler, the 10 h.p. twin cylinder Korto. and the Spyker 7 h.p. 'twin. In answer to your question, I think the Oidsmobile 5 h.p. single cylinder, two-seater, was the first benzineidriven motor car in New Zealand." MULTUM IN PARVO. ~-. Use new tubes in new tyros. Careful drivors save fuel. Test wheels often for wobbling. A pint of 'petrol can evaporate in 24 hours. . Avoid sudden stops, quick starts and skidding. > The life of an automobile "depends on the way you treat it. ; Turning the steering mechanism ■ while the oar is standing motionless is a.strain on tyres. '"', The best time to learn the first stages cf driving an automobile is early in tho morning. Keep oil off the motom. It gathers dirt. A cheap mechanic usually proves the most expensive. Never "cut in" short after passing a vehicle. . In some future time, reckless walking will be considered just as serious as reckless driving. Running an .automobile without 'carrying an extra tyre is like starting on a picnic without a lunch basket. The explosive force of petrol, 'properiy mixed with air and compressed, is 14 times greater than dynamite. Never allow your car to bo washed by inexperienced or unscrupulous workmen who use coal-oil, gasoline, lye soaps,! and hot water. Because the rubber tyres act as nonconductors,, the motor car is the safest place in the world to be during an electric storm. Endurance, economy, comfort, and price are the four most popular features of a passenger automobile. "Road hogs" in motor vehicles and "i»v walkers" on highways are the two worst enemies of automobiling. Many fata) accidents have occurred to operators wiho thoughtlesslv step on the accelerator instead of on tho brake. At a speed ol 20 miles an hour fa car should be able to stop within 37ft.' At 40 miles an hour a. distance of 148 ft is required TRANSPORT COMPETITION. There is no longer a monopoly of transport.. The motor was the first to break the monopoly and remains everywhere as the great revolutionising force. Britain is just facing this problem. The railways, emerging from Government control, find that during the years just passed, motor transport has reached the point where the road vehicle goie the pick of the freight and not a little of the passenger traffic The yearly loss to ths railways through this< competition is put at 6,000,000 tons. ' Wherein is the ad-wantage? Obviously m the mobility of the motor vehicle. Choosing its traffic, its rates are frequently lower. But, not only in freight rates has it the edge; it can transport goods more quickly, and. what is vital to the shipper with fewer handling charges. Thus even where the rates are equal or even slightly lower on the railways, the advantages of road-borne freight are so compelling that the operators of motor vehicles have a waiting list and can pick up the loads they prefer to haul, leaving fiho remainder to the rails.

Clearly, each mode of transport is essential. In long haulage and heavy bulk traffic the railway is obviously the agent of advantage; in short hauls the road vehicle is at its best. If each develop® its branch of enterprise both will prosper, and each will act as a check to the other to the advantage of the public. That the railways will make a determined effort to meet road transport goes for the saying. They will do this probably by cheaper rates, by economy in operation, by deduction of terminal delays, and ty improvement in handling methods at the depots. In this way they will induce much traffic to return to their lines. Meantime the road vehicles also will be developing. EPITAPHS. The first concerns the fate of a driver who pressed the wrong' lever at a critical moment. He saw the bridge And tried to duck it; Kicked first the gas And then the bucket. The second deals with William Clay who would rather be right than be alive. Here lies the bones of William. Clay, Who died maintaining the right of way. He was right—dead right—as he sped along. .. But he’s just as dead as if he were wrong. The third deals with the fate of Martha Blake, who was issued a license before her brain and feet were properly co-ordinated: Here rest the bones of Martha Blake, Tread softly os you pass. She thought her foot was on the brake, But it was on the gas. ~

CONCRETE PAVING IN AMERICA. The remarkable development of motor transport in the United States has led to a vast expenditure on, road improvements, and, in view of. ,the high wages ;,-.paid, much thought has been devoted to reducing labour costs by utilising it with a maximum of efficiency. In some cases , the contractors for concrete pavements are making extensive use of industrial railways. These are laid down along the side of the road, and have among other advantages the fact that by their use all the heavy traffic incidental to the supply of materials to the mixer is kept clear of the foundation or subgrade. When such traffic is allowed to pass over this subgrade the letters suffers severely and requires resurfacing before it can be made ready again to receive the concrete. Several miles of industrial railway • wore used by the contractors for 14 miles of concrete pavement near Springfield. The trucks used by them held each two cubic yards of material.and were handled by a 13-ton steam locomotive. The mixer used was of the largest typo and the work has been carried on very rapidly. The record was reached when 147 lineal feet of the pavement, 16ft wide, was laid in cne hour. In eight hours 915 ft have Keen laid. Such railways are,'however, not economical if the ’gradients are high, or the amount of work to be done small. In many cases the railway is used, only for the final stage of the transportation. Material is brought to it by motor lorries, passing over thr finished and hardened portion of the concrete roadway. The motors are unloidod before reaching the point where the concrete', is still green, and the material is then carried by the railway to the mixer. As further concrete hardens the length of haul oy motor is increased. The overlapping section of the rails is then, taken up and transferred to form a new railhead, which thus keeps pace with the advancement of the* mixer.

THE ROAD PROBLEM. According to Mr George C. Warren and Mr E. Parker, both of Boston, who passed through Auckland on the Makura, concrete has not yet absolutely been proved as. the best material for road-making. The company with which these Bostonians are connected put down the famous Columbia highway, 216 miles long, running from Astoria through. the city of Portland, Oregon, and th© Columbia River Gorge, one of tne most beautiful scenic spots in the states. This fine thoroughfare is laid in a patent asphalt. In the early days of .permanent roads 10ft to 14ft was the maximum ou the trunk lines, but with the growth ot automobile traffic this was found to bo quite inadequate, and now the minimum road is 16ft wide, but in some of the busier routes 20ft and 25£t roads will be found. These thoroughfares are what w© in New Zealand would call “country roads ’ (except as to the surface, of course). ' . . With such excellent roads as America is getting the use of the motor truck is extending, and whole fleets* can be seen hauling merchandise from town to town. It has been found that fewer handlings and rapid despatch,, are points which weigh m favour of the motor os against the railway in what is known as “ short haul traffic. On long distance traffic the railway is still unassailable, but the motor has a distinct niche in the matter of transport, and where you have good roads the motor comes into its own. Contrasting asphalt and concrete road construction, Mr Warren! mentioned that a big point in favour of the first mentioned was the fact that there was no need to tear up an - existing road as a permanent coating of asphalt could be put down on any surface of an old road. He mentioned thalt since the war there had been a tremendous increase in the mileage of permanent roads laid down in the States, and hundreds of millions of dollars were being spent. The people were fully seized of the importance of good roads to development of the country. Mr Warren, who is accompanied by. his family, intends coming back to Now. Zealand ' from Sydney, and will spend some time in the dominion. MOTOR CYCLING. The Auckland Motor Racing Club’s meeting has been- fixed for March 4. Takapuna racecourse ‘ will be tbo track, usual, and at least two riders have notified their intention to attempt to lower the world s fastest time for a grass track flying mile. W. S. Chapman, of Butterknowle, England. claims to have reached the summit of Helvellyn (3118 ft). He used a gear of 18 to 1- He ascended from Patterdalo, via Grisedale Tarn, and descended toWythbum. Those who know the locality will appreciate that it is a remarkable achievemont. , . . . .... The news that the Abbe Gavois is still using a Panchard car which is 33 years old prouipts ,us to ask who is the owner' of the oldest motor cycle still in use. Mr Fellows, whoso 22-year-old\ Do Dion-engined machine, successfully completed the last London-Edin-burgh trial, must be near the record, but, doubtless, there are others still older. # That our young Princes an? keen motorists is common knowledge. While it _is true that the Prince of Wales is mainly, interested in cars, both. the Duke of York and Prince Henry are keen motor-cyclists. The latter, in particular,, takes great pride in his machine, and likes to carry put all but the most intricate repairs himself. Noyr comes the gratifying news that the Duke of York has shown his interest in tho paytime by entering a machine for tho recent 500 miles’ race at Brooklands ; The pastime generally will greatly gain in _ importance by this act of royal recognition.

SPARKS. / Never throw water in a • pool of burning gasoline; it only spreads the fire. Always make sure to picx up all the tools used after making repairs along the road. When using a hammer on any part of a car always keep a block of wood between it and /the metal part to be hammered. Faulty adjustment of brakes causes more accidents than anything else. Every car owner should adopt a fixed habit of making systematic brake inspection regularly. A brake has been invented to operate on all four wheels of an automobile. The application of th© brakos, it is clp-irn©d, will stbp a car in half the usual distance and prevent skidding. According to experts, tho most seryioablo colours for painting- the car in point of lasting qualities, freedom from peeling, cracking, and similar ills) are dark blue, dark green, and dark red. These colours are even better than the conventional black. A temporary fuse can easily be made by wrapping a small leaf of tinfoil, the kind that comes with chewing gum or cigarettes, round the burned fuse, and reinserting it in the fuse box. One or two layers of the foil are sufficient. When inspecting your car, the most important part to Took into is the steering gear. See ithat every nut is.- properly secured, and take out any additional looseness shown by too much play of this particular part. , Having considered a statement prepared by the borough treasurer, giving the comparative costa of house refuse collected by horse vehicles' and electric vehicles, the Preston (England) Corporation has authorised the purchase ot four electrics. A new car. after making its first 1000 miles, should be carefully inspected. The engine parts should bo given special attention. for tho slightest defect will result in trouble. Make your inspections frequently, until the car has worn to operate in perfeet order.