THE MOTOR WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20319, 30 January 1928, Page 4

THE MOTOR WORLD.

By ACCELERATOR

OTAGO MOTOR CLUB. The fixtures for the motor cycle section are as follows: Saturday, February 18. —Hill climb. Tuesday, February 28.—Club run. Saturday, March 3. —Southland beach races. Wednesday, March 7. —Pillion run. Saturday, March 17. —Beach races. Waikouaiti. Easter tour, April 6,7, 8 and 9. Saturday, April 28. —Paper chase. MOTOR CLUB ACTIVITIES. 1 have been favoured with copies of the programmes for the Hill Climb on Saturday, February 17, and for the Beach Races at Waikouaiti on Saturday, March 17. There are eight events in the hill climb programme, and the hill will be kept secret until the day of the trial. There are also the same number of events on the beach racing programme, which will be decided at Waikouaiti. The conditions of both contests are also set ouL and the entries close respectively on February 14 and March 10. HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW? Counsel (cross-examining a witness at Manchester): “Don’t you know that experienced motorists nowadays, when leaving their cars on a level road, never apply the hand-brake as this would cause the oil to congeal, making it more difficult to restart the engine? ’’ PETROL, BENZINE, OR GAS? _Mr Peter Hurll, the London representative of the Standard Oil Company, who has arrived in the United States to confer with Standard Oil officials, says; “ One of the details of the oil industry that should be attended to without delay is a universal name for gasoline. In England gasoline is called ‘motor spirit' or ‘petrol’; in France it is called ‘essence,’ and the word ‘ petrol ’ is used to designate kerosene. In Italy the bewildered motorist must ask for ‘ benzine ’ if he wants gasoline, well knowing that the liquid called ‘ benzine ’ in some other countries is highly explosive and might be dangerous to use in a motor car.” Since the United States handles and uses more than 70 per cent, of the world’s gasoline, says the Monitor, Mr Hurll suggested that motor spirit be called “ gasoline ” in conformity with the American custom. GEAR BOX LUBRICATION. The gear-box, although it does not have to work under such extreme temperatures a s the engine, should have a good deal of attention paid to its lubrication. Gener ally gear-box lubrication consists of filling the gear-box with lubricant at infrequent intervals, and trusting to it 8 permeating the essential mechanical details of that device. But if one considers the great pressures which have to be transmitted by the gear teeth and the shaft bearings it seems that this promiscuous kind of lubrication could well be improved upon. It would be essentially sound engineering, to provide pump lubrioation for gears and their shafts and bearings. It would add to the life of the gear and promote silence, because the sliding wheels would move easilv on their castellated shafts, and the selector bar mechanism being supplied similarly with oil under pressure would work more smoothly and easily, and gear-changing might be made a most smooth and easy operation. It may be that the time will come when the advisability of a really well-designed automatic lubricating system for the gearbox will bo considered as important a feature of car design a s is the elaborate and fool-proof automatic and positive force lubrication of the engines on the majority of good cars to-day. TYRE SUPPLIES. Great changes have taken place recently (says an exchange) in the sources from which New Zealand’s tyre supplies are drawn. There has been a tendency for increase in imports from Canada and Great Britain, while tyres from American factories have dropped well in arrears. Imports from France during 1927 were nearly double the 1926 total. Australia supplies negligible quantities. The substantial falling off in American imports is due chiefly to the drawing of certain well-known makes from subsidiary factories in Canada in order to benefit by the duties. A mild flutter has been caused in the tyre business in Auckland during the last few weeks owing to the action of two or three dealers who are giving discounts for cash whisk have resulted in savings of nearly f 1 on the price of some popular sized covers. These reductions have not met with the approval of the majority of tyre dealers; but while discussions have been proceeding the motorist has appreciated the opportunities which have been offering. There have been some misunderstandings owing to the lack of uniformity. For instance, the dealers who have cut prices have been selling 30in by. sin balloon tyres for £4 cash. At other garages the same size is priced at £4 15s. There have been difficulties where a motorist has ordered a tyre and found after it was fitted that he had chosen a garage which was adhering to the higher price list. Following are details of the imports ot tyres into New Zealand during the 11 months, January-November, 1926 and 1927: 1927 1926 £ £ , Canada .. 492,820 384,838 Great Britain 261,172 232,479 France .. .. 124,656 63,321 U.S.A 71,760 173,764 Italy .. .. 25,474 18,709 Belgium .. 2,273 3,741 Germany .. 828 1,818 Australia .. 655 1,371 Holland .. 69 Sweden .. 12 Eleven months 979,719 880,041 REGISTRATION OF CARS. The present system of changing number plates each year (says a northern exchange) one of the most extravagant and nonsensical demands made on the motorists of this country, and concerted action should be taken to alter things. The Wanganui Automobile Association, at a recent meeting, discussed the position, and the opinion was expressed that if all the motor organisations in New Zealand made an attack on the registration system they would get rid of it. The schemo was described a s a lot of bother. That opinion is a sensible one. It is difficult to understand how any Government which preaches economy and the husbanding of resources can s ee the slightest trace of economy in this absurd compulsory changing of motor number plates year after year. The greatest blunder was perpetrated by those misguided law-maker s who introduced the system, born as it is in California. In the first place wo bought our plates from America, but after a groat deal of persuasion. those who Zealand goods,” changed their policy, reposed a little faith m New Zealand industry, and had the plates made in (he Dominion. There were 166,816 motor vehicles in New Zealand in November. A sot of plates f° r each means £16,000 or more out of the pockets of the motoring community each vear, a prodigious sum spent to no useful purpose. . It is time the motoring organisations from one end of the country to the other took up this question with the Government. ns the system is wasteful and unnecessary. Every year the numbers are changed, tenders have to be let. plates have to be delivered by the case to all parts of the country, and much money must be snent in stationery. That is leaving out the inconvenience to the public of waiting in queues for platc-s, and so on. Thousands of pounds must be spent in administrative expenses. ■ When a motorist has a fixed number lie '■(-members it. but at the present time if cars are stolen records have to be searched to find the numbers of ears. Of course, that is the motorist’s neglect, but the system helps them to it. What is the solution? The British system, permanent number plates and a card in a disc on the windscreen. Each year the colour of the card is chanced, proof to police and traffic inspectors that the motorist has complied with the law. The cards could he printed by the Government itself at the minimum of expense. On what grounds do the Government defend the present costly system?

[ltem* of news— short descriptions, of tours, the state of the roed% ©to., comment, or inquiries will be welcomed by “ Accelerator."2

New Zealand motorists do not receive the consideration due to them from the authorities. At every chance through the petrol tax, registration, number plates, tyres, and licenses to use and drive the Government squeezes the users of road transport in this country. We are approaching another change of plates. More money, waste of time, and the minimum of benefit. When will it end ? MOTOR CYCLE NOTES. A women’s section of the Harley-David-son M.C.C. has been formed in Durban, South Africa. Owing to many requests from South Africa, that country will be included in the B.S.A. world lour, which will coni dude next March. | « * ft I Imports into Germany are increasing, 1 for 1907 more machines were sent into that country during the first eight months of last year than during the corresponding period of 1926. ft ft ft The 1928 Tourist Trophy Races will be held on June 4,6, and 8. The Stock Trial will bo from March 19 to 24, end the International Six Days’ Trial from Sep- ! tember 17 to 22. Spencer Stratton’s recent visit to Auckland was mainly to try and interest Auckland motorists in the formation of a small cinder track similar to the speedway Royal at Sydney. tt * « Up to the present time no British manufacturer has booked space at the American Motor Cycle Show, which will be held at Madison Square Garden from January 30 to February 4, 1928 • * • To investigate the many charges made by overseas riders that British machines are disproportionately expensive in the Dominions, Mr H. C'rawshaw will shortly sail from England for Australia. ft ft ft It is now possible to run single-cylinder mol or cycle engines for a reasonably long period at 10,000 revolutions ft minute. This is no doubt due to the wonderful improvement that has taken place in metals, ft * • The South Canterbury Motor Cycle Club i s holding its annual gymkana in Fraser’s Park, Timaru, on Saturday next. A very comprehensive programme has been drawn up including football, novelty events, balloon bursting, and trick riding. Members wishing to make the run to Timaru ere requested to meet at Hie club rooms at 1 p.m. sharp on Saturday, 4th inst, * * * A week-end camp will be held at l.’hare Flat from February 4 to 6 ineulsive. All interested in the above will leave from the club rooms at 2.30 p.m. on Saturday next. ft ft • The first motor cyclist to cover 100 miles in an hour was C. F. Temple on a 096 c.c. 0.E.C.-Temple. This record was obtained on September 7, 1925, at Montlherv, and was officially confirmed by the International Federation of Motor Cycle Clubs (F.1.C.M.). ft ft ft A long distance motor cycle record was established just before the old year closed by Messrs Norman Cunningham and E, Cfacknell with a 998 c.c. Harley-Davidson and side-car which they rode from Perth to Sydney—about 2900 miles—in six days 2hr 26min, ft ft « The roll of the famous who are, or used to be, motor cyclists continues to grow. M. Maurice Maeterlinck, the Belgian poet and dramatist, was formerly an enthusiastic devotee of the mechanically propelled twowheeler, and was especially partial to big twins, on which he went in for speed work. > • • Is England’s supremacy in the motor cycle world being slowly but surely undermined ? England holds the greater majority of the records, but over the flying mile, the fastest 350 c.c. machine in the world is the Motosacoche at 105 ra.p.h. The fastest 500 c.c. machine is the F. N. at 114 m.p.h., and for many years America has led in the 1000 c.c. field, but then of course England does not recognise American records. SPARKS. New York car owners abandon their old ears in the streets in such numbers that a serious problem has been created. • * * The drivers of postal collecting outfits are earning a reputation for failure to sound the horn and dangerous cutting-in near postal boxes in the city. • * • In Constantinople dumb persons have been ordered to wear red ribbons around their hats. The blind are distinguished by white ribbons, while the deaf wear yellow ribbons. ft ft ft Aiming to check the proctice of obliterating the landscape with bill boards and road signs, Nevada (U.S.A.) authorities have ordered the removal of_ all signs within 40ft of either side of highways. Counsel (cross-examining a witness at Manchester): “ Don’t you know that experienced motorists nowadays, when leaving their cars on a level road, never apply the hand brake, as this would cause the oil to congeal, making it more difficult to restart the engine? ” « ft ft Is there anything more annoying than to follow a driver who thrusts a hand out to point out a pet goat or something to a passenger. Such a driver followed this practice on the North road on Sunday. The following car driver took the lead and taught the delinquent some lessons in indicating points of interest by hand. • • * The New Zealand Motor Trade Association has circularised 663 garage proprietors in connection with the proposal to stabilise the used car market under the Windsor plan. A request has been made for details of all second-hand sales during November and December. The returns so far as received for November disclose that 492 used cars, valued at £63,327, changed hands. • « • Total motor exports from Great Britain during the nine months ended September 30, 1927, were valued at nearly £1,000,000 greater than exports for the same period of 1926. Complete cars exported numbered 10,824, valued at £2.378,418, as against the 10,415 £2,277,368 of 1926; but the biggest increase came in chassis (chiefly for Australia), which rose more than 50 per cent. * » * “ America did not build roads because of her wealth, but to a large extent she is wealthy because sire built roads,” declares Mr John N. Willys, a prominent motoring authority. “ United States highways are considered an investment, not an expense, and result in increased property values, production, and employment, and lowered transport costa warrant the issuing of bonds for construction of an adequate highway system.” A tyre pressure guage which registers by simple application to the wall of the cover is selling in England at 7s 6d. This instrument depends upon the resilience of the tyre for its operation. A small spring button projects from the instrument and a tyre which is pumped hard will naturally yield very slightly _ when the button is applied. The simplicity of the gauge makes it possible to check the complete set of tyres without touching a valve, the whole operation requiring only 30 seconds for live tyres.