THE MOTOR WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18514, 27 March 1922, Page 2

THE MOTOR WORLD.

Bt Accelerator. [ltems of news—short descriptions of t«nr», the state of roads, etc., —comment, or inquiries will be welcomed by “ Aecelerstor. J THE HILL CLIMB CONTEST. At a meeting of the committee of the Otago Motor Club held on Thursday last the re-runs of the Austin and Studebaker cars in the gecent hill-climb contest were disallowed. The officials in charge stated that the Austin was given a second trial on the ground that on the lower part of the hill one ot the doors of the car swung o{>eii and the driver, in attempting to close the door, lost a good deal of pace. As it seemed probable that the door had not been securely closed by the timekeeper when entering the car it was considered that Mr De Boer was entitled to another trial. The Studebaker was driven with chains on the wheels. Immediately after a good start one of the chains oame adrift and fouled the mudguard and one of the officials in the cur requested Mr Besen to stop, and he was allowed another ruirft The committee ruled that the onus lay on the driver of a car to sec that his car was In proper order for such a test and that ha must accept the responsibility for all accidents after a fair start. Tho award made gives first plage and the Drummond Cup to tho Morris Oxford entered by Messrs Bartel and Boag. The second ; rize goes to Mr P. Drummond with the Essex, and lie also wins the trophy for 'astesi i hue. Mr Drummond has handed one of the trophies back to the club, and Eds has been won by Dr Cameron, who secured third place. Dr Cameron was the only private owner securing a place. The award now stands : Partcl and Boag (Morris Oxford), time, 3min 40 2-oscu; formula 169 (wins Drummond Cup) 1 P. Drummond /Essex), time, 2min 58soo; formula, 165 2 Dr Cameron (Essex), time, 3min 28seo; formula, 192 (trophy £2 Sa) 3 P. Drummond (Essex), fastest time (trophy £2 2s). ONE WAY WITH CARBON. T ho following rcm.intable experience of the owner of a O.N. car has been related to Light Oar and Cycle Car (England): “Haying allowed his engine to become so heavily carbonised that it would hardly run on the level, a motorist was proceeding home one night when he was startled by conking’ and a shower of fireworks, which apparently emerged from the exhaust pipe. ’lho effect of this manifestation was to render iho running of tho engine as smooth and devoid of knocking as when new, and he oame to Iho conclusion, that, somehow or other the engine had decarbonised itsell in some manner, possibly by detonation.'' The journel’s comment is that it would bo interesting to hear if any other motorists have had a similar experience. THE MOTOR UNIONS. The time is now ripe (says a Christchurch writer)' for the adoption of a new name for the New Zealand Automobile Union. The only two associations in the South Island affiliated to the Wellington body are those at Blenheim and Nelson. The latter is moving in the direction of joining the South Island Union, which is serving South Island interests much more satistactorilv than the erroneously-called New Zealand Union is doing for the North Island. Practically nothing has been done by tho North Islanders for Blenheim and Nelson. A scheme is on foot by the South Island Union to place sign-posts along the main road from Nelson to Bluff, and it is not likely that the North Island will support its right to affiliation fees from the northern provinces of the South Island by contributing to the cost. It must be plain that if the south is to derive any money for roads, tho North Island will not lend assistance. Aucklanders continue to grow) about tiioir bad roads, and are quite satisfied with tho New Zealand Union idea. A STIFF TYRE TEST. The motor car is no better than its tyres, and in saying that it is no disparagement to the motor, especially to the Albaui car that recently put up such a fine performance ;n covering 5000 miles, driving continuously night and day, and practically without an engine stop, save when through heavy rain, a little water found its way into the carburottci’. The roads over which the trial was made combined many routes from Melbourne, not all of which were pood, yet the Dunlop tyres, a set of which went through the long journey, were in splendid condition. The famous “Railroad” tread is easily distinguishable, even on the rear wheel tyres, and look quite good enough for another 5000 miles. The time occupied in the test was 228 hours, showing a fine average of over* 17 miles per hour. It was a signal success for tho Albani car, an Australian production, which evidently has been built to suit Australian conditions. PASSING TRAMCARS. Mr P. S. Nidi oils, viea-nrjjiuenl of the Canterbury Automobile Association, was asked, when in Auckland, to attend a meeting of lie Auckland Automobile Association, to discuss the large number of accidents which have taken place there recently. When asked for his opinion he soid that, Auckland was not the only place where these accidents were taking place. There was the same thing in Christchurch and other centres, and the saddest part was that most of the victims were children. There hud been .iiso.Hiion on ’.tin ve-y same question in Christchurch as to whether or not motor cars should stop to allow tram passengers to alight. Personally, his own opinion was that motor cars should stop when a tram stopped. Motor cars were not only a means of transport, but also a time-saving device; and there was no reason why tha maximum of time should be saved at the expense of life He did not see why children of young years, who had equal rights to the road, should not be protected. Such a by-law was not in existence in Christchurch, but there was an agitation in that direction at the present time A by-law has been passed in Auckland, and motor cars must now stop, as in Dunedin. THE BLUE ESSEX TOUR. The Blue Essex returned to Dunedin last Monday, after an interesting tour of Southland and Lakes districts. Mr Ramaciotiti had an interesting tale to tell “Accelerator” on his return. .From Dunedin to within 10 miles of Gore, said Mr Ramaciotti, the Main road is very patchy, but from therq to Invercargill it is perfect, tho surface well formed and hard. .The 38i miles from Gore to Invercargill was covered in exactly 45 minutes, averaging over 50 miles per hour. This time must surely be one of the best recorded between the two towns. After a number of short tours in the vicinity of Invercargill. Mr Ramaciotti, accompanied with friends from the latter town. left for Manapouri, via Otautau, Clifden, Blackmount, and Redclifis, and reached the Mararoa River, within six miles of Manapouri, to find that the road up the embankment on the other side had been washed away, so a return had to be made to pick up the track to Keys and in crossing Excelsior Greek for the second time, the Essex slid on to a big boulder in the creek, tho petrol tank taking the weight of the car, leaving the back wheels off the bed of the creek. All attempts to fill the intervening space failed, and in shifting boulders one of (he party fondled a big eel and fell back into the snow #ater with fright. After this it was decided to tramp back seven miles to Rodcliffs Station, where the owners (Messrs Speight and Draper) welcomed tho unexpected late-hour visitors with the warmest generosity. Next morning Mr Alan Speight assisted with a draught horse, enabling the stranded motorists to get out of their predicament. An inspection of the tank, which supported the car all night, showed no signs of leakage or damage. The tour was then continued to Tc Anau. Lumsdcn. Kingston, and steamer to Queenstown, and over the Crown Range to Lake Wanaka. Mr Ramaciotti returned to Dunedin via Cromwell, Roxburgh (where the hood of the car was nut up after being folded for at least eight days previously), Lawrence, and Milton. At the latter town the main road bridge is undergoing repair, a slight, deviation having to be made over a temporary bridge and unformed road, which has become a “stopping place” for motorists —-you have to stop ami push your car out of the mud, or perhaps disentangle it from the wive fencing. When Mr Ramaciotti reached the spot no fewer (han four oars were “ in the soup,” and when they “ got out” the Essex “got in." Beyond these incident? the car returned none the worse, and is now doing Mount Cook, en route for Nelson and back to. Wellington. TRAFFIC CONTROL. A great deal of interest (says the motor writer in Christchurch Sun) has been aroused in the work of the traffic policemen at the intersection of Hereford and Colombo street* These officers have been mods um of thu week u on experiment

It is probable that, from the beginning of next month three policemen will commence their duties permanently. They will be stationed at tho Hereford street comer, tho Clock Tower, and at the intersection of Colombo and Cashel streets. The work of the officers has resulted in the speeding-up of traffic, and the good effect of their work is apparent. Trams are controlled' in common with the rest of the traffic. It is plain that after a few months at work these officers will have accomplished much in the education of drivers of vehicles. But what of the cyclist and the pedestrian f The cyclist is going to be a source p( trouble, but no doubt a fine or two will teach a lesson to the offending majority. As for the pedestrians—weJl. many are Incorrigible. They will walk all over the roadway, but in years to come the work of the Safety First Committee in the schools will bear fruit. FUEL TESTS AND FUEL PRICES. Tho Royal Automobile Club of Victoria will shortly conduct - motor fuel test with fuels produced in Australia, to which, however, may be added not more than 50 per cent, of imported spirit. The result of this test will be of great interest to all motorists. Mineral spirit distilled from shale in both 'Tasmania and New South Wales will be used, as well as benzole and alcohol, and various combinations too numerous to specify. The test will take j place over a hilly section of road, and | motor vehicles of all types are expected to ! be entered for (he test. i The abnormally high prices maintained for petrol are responsible for the interest | manifested in substitute fuels. That there has been a comparatively small reduction during the past year is true, but even now | prices are like throe times as | much as the motorists are charged in : America. The reduction here is due to the : better exchange rates prevailing, but no ] benefit has been derived from the improved freight, and other rates. Referee, e has been made from time to time of the great shortage of motor fuel after the armistice, but it has not eventuated. It would now seem that these statements, inspired, no doubt, wore intended to lull ns into indifference or resignation so that the high prices could be maintained. To a very great extent they have been successful. The effect of the high fuel costa on motoring has been very bad. High costs have hindered development not merely of the motor vehicle, but of businesses that would have expanded with cheap power. Consider the effect were petrol procurable at, two shillings a gallon. Hundreds of motors of all types have boon withdrawn from service because of the high running cost?, to say nothing of the tons of thousands of others that have been used only to a very limited extent. It means, in effect, that progress has been retarded, and only cheap fuel will stimulate (he industry. SPARKS. According to the experience of the Christchurch city motor inspector, Mr H. Macintosh, .March and April are the worst months of the year for motor car accidents. Already there have been several collisions this month. A Ford car was travelling from Nottingham to Mansfield on a recent night, when it was struck by a gale and blown completely over. The five occupants were thrown out. One man received a fractured collarbone, but the others escaped with slight injuries, British motoring papers are conducting a discussion of the intersecting road problem. Tho granting of precedence to the car on the right impresses ’the British mind as confusing. In its place it is proposed that the vehicle on the main road have right of way; and that when neither road is a main one, one or the other be mad© so by convention. An organisation of furniture packers and movers of Boston recently placed in service a motor truck that is unquestionably one of the finest vehicles devoted to furniture hauling in America. This de luxe moving van consists of a special enclosed body mounted on a 3-3i-.ton chassis. The truck is used almost exclusively for long hauls between such places as Boston and Philadelphia, New York, and Chicago, and can tranport the contents of a six-roomed house at one load. A revolution in aerial mechanics is anticipated by experts as a consequence of the adaptation of the steam turbine to a modern aeroplane. Tills discovery was one of the features of the Fifth Biennial Small Power Engineering and Scientific Exhibition, which was held at the Royal Horticultural Hall, Westminster, recently. Steam also supplies the motive power of a new type of hydroplane, the pressure being double that supplied to the most powerful locomotive m the world.