THE MOTOR WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23542, 4 July 1938, Page 3

THE MOTOR WORLD

By ACCELERATOR

ACKNOWLEDGMENT The Bedford Transport Magazine for May. “Report on Pneumatic Tyred Carts and other Equipment” in use on the University of Reading Farm at Son-ning-on-Thames, by Professor Robert Rae, B.Agr., This pamphlet has been issued by the British Rubber Publicity Association (Incorporated in England), which has now taken over the activities hitherto carried out for a number of years by the Rubber Growers’ Association in connection with propaganda and publicity for rubber products and the development of new uses for rubber. USE OF HIGHWAYS FUNDS A recommendation that all proceeds from motor-spirit taxation should be devoted to road maintenance and improvement instead of the present arrangement whereby only a proportion of taxation is returned to roadusers, and the remaining expenditure met by loan money, is contained in a report prepared for the Canterbury Progress League by Professor A. H. Tocker, The report will be laid before a conference of local bodies in Christchurch on Wednesday next, when the suggestion will be discussed. The report contended that the emergency conditions which gave rise to heavy motor taxation were now past, and there was no need now for almost half the revenue to be diverted for general purposes. First introduced in 1927, the motorspirit tax was 4d a gallon, increased by successive stages to lOid, Of this, 6d was used on highways, and the remaining 4Jd went to the Consolidated Fund. For 1937 the value or petrol imported was £1,856,000, the report continued, and on this, £3,557,000 was paid in duties. This gave a rate of tax of 192 per cent, on the imported value of the petrol. The net yield from the tax was £3,370,000 in 1936-37, and of this amount £1,524,459 went to the Consolidated Fund. The grand total of all motor taxation for 1936-37, including customs duties on motor vehicles and parts, was £5,348,000, but of this amount only £2,756,375 went to highways, leaving £2,591,644 for the Consolidated Fund. “The position is, therefore, that of the total motor taxation, slightly more than half is used for highway purposes, and slightly less than half for other purposes,” the repor' stated. “Of the total motor-spirit taxation, about 55 per cent, is used for highway purposes, and 45 per cent, for other purposes. For 1937-38 all these figures would be higher, but the distribution of the tax revenue would be about the same. “In 1936-37 the revenue of the Main Highways account from all sources was £2,392,000, in addition £853,000 was borrowed, making the total receipts £3,245,000. The total receipts of the account, and the total expenditure are thus less than the Government’s total net revenue from motor-spirit taxation alone. “In spite of the fact that road-users are paying more in motor-spirit taxes alone than the total expenditure from the Main Highways account, the account has to borrow substantial amounts to mee* necessary expenses for construction and maintenance of highways. “If the whole of the motor-spirits taxation were devoted to highway purposes, the Main Highways Board would, in present conditions, be freed from the necessity of borrowing, road finances would be on a sounder financial basis, and n.ore money would be available for highways, one of the most important of all public works. “In view of the steady increase in motor vehicles, and of the consequent increased use of our highways, the need for expenditure on the maintenance and improvement of highways is a pressing problem. This problem might best be met by devoting the whole of the net proceeds of motorspirit taxation to highway purposes,” the report concluded. THE CITROEN CLUB This newly-formed one-car club held its monthly meeting on Thursday evening, with a good attendance of lumbers, including the president (Mr J. A. McDonald). Consideration was given to the domestic affairs of the club—the choice of a suitable badge, furnishing the clubroom, and social gatherings during the winter months. The successful competitors in the King’s Birthday rally, in which club members and teams gained first, second, and fourth places, were warmly congratulated by the chairman, who gave a lucid and interesting resume of the day’s events. He paid a warm tribute to the high standard of efficiency displayed by officials of A.A. (Otago) in the conduct of the rally and the incidental tests. Votes of thanks were tendered to Oamaru Motors, Ltd., for a competition cup which was on view, and to Messrs J. H. Tattersfield and Son, Ltd., of Invercargill, for a cheque to purchase a CU .P- &i s expected that the clubroom will be open this month, and the incorporation of the club completed. BATTERY CARE Owners of automobiles who are troubled when battery posts become c ,9£- rod , ed and which, at times, render difficult the removal of battery from the vehicle for recharging can easily avoid this electrolytic corrosion by detaching the cable terminals from battery and smearing the posts with petroleum jelly after first scraping them free of deposit. On no account should any form of grease be used for the purpose, as it is liable to set up decomposition, which causes surrounding sealing compound to soften and deteriorate with resultant damage to battery. Should one, at any time, through mischance, spill any acid from a battery on clothes or the upholstery of car, the quick application of a strong ammonia solution will neutralise the acid and prevent burning of material. FOR ROAD SAFETY An ingenious idea aiming at indirect lighting along highways is being tried out in the United States on the main road between Detroit and Lansing, a distance of 69£ miles. Posts have been erected 100 ft apart along the highway. They are 30in high, and stand Bft from the edge of the roadway Each post carries three small plastic discs, with prismatic backs, which pick up the lights of motor vehicles and reflect them back on to the road. It is believed that this system will eliminate road hazards at night time, as drivers will always have a row of prismatic reflections to define the driving side of the highway, and thus reduce risk of collisions through headlamp dazzle. The experiment is being followed with great interest by American traffic commissioners. WINTER CARE Winter is a destructive time for the car (remarks “ Chassis, in the Dominion), more especially if it is the second or third which the car is facing. Wet roads produce more wear and tear of chassis parts, rusting and general depreciation than is the case in summer. Low temperatures foster mechanical trouble. It is a wise money-saving motorist who takes every precaution in the care and maintenance of his car at this time of the year. Water splashed from the roads always contains a high percentage of gritty material, and the penetration of this into exposed bearings, such as steering joints and shackles greatly accelerates the rate of wear. The remedy in this case is regulai lubrication of these parts, which drives out the water and grit and excludes the entry of more for some time. Plated parts should be proof against rust, but with the modern practice of making parts from pressed steel, which formerly were of brass, combined with plating in which low price has been

Items of news—short descriptions of tours, the state of the roads, etc., comment, or inquiries—will be welcomed by Accelerator,

the main consideration, rust is often very troublesome. Cleaning plated parts with a paste of whiting and petroleum jelly will confer the longest possible life on the plate. Should one feel sufficiently keenly about rust to remove the radiator shell and headlamp rims and paint the insides with anti-corrosive paint after polishing off the rust with emery cloth, expensive future trouble will be saved.

Under sides of mudguards are the most exposed parts of the car to water, and for their preservation they need painting more frequently than other parts of the coachwork. A stiff wire brush or a pot-scraper is a good tool for cleaning before painting. In the technical department the engine should receive p thorough tune-up for easy starting. This includes cleaning and checking carefully the plug and contact-breaker gaps, petrol filter, and carburetter. High-tension wires with faulty insulation should be replaced, and the distributor cap cleaned both inside and out to obviate current leakages in damp weather. Cylinder wear, the most expensive form of car depreciation, is much more severe with a cold engine than with a warm one. Therefore look to the thermostat, which is a feature of most modern cars, and see that it is working properly. If it is in good order the cylinder block should warm up rapidly, and little of the cooling water should be circulated until the engine is well warmed. If there if no thermostat, portion of the radiator should be blanked off. Have the engine oil changed at regular intervals, and consult the charts issued by the oil companies to see that the correct winter grades are used in transmission and rear axle as well as in the engine. Engine oil depreciates more rapidly in cold weather, especially if the choke is used for a long period or the engine is run at low temperatures. The hardest use an engine can have is frequent stopping and starting in cold weather, so that the correct temperature is seldom attained. Another tip for winter concerns the detachable wheels. Much trouble will be saved if all the wheels are removed at the beginning of winter and the hubs and bolts are greased. Special attention 'should also ’ e given to the lubrication of the hub bearings. Trouble sometimes is encountered with the brakes refusing to grip satisfactorily in wet weather. In some cases it may be possible to improve the water-excluding device, but the real trouble lies in the linings. Some linings are little affected or may even oe improved in action by water, and the best remedy is to have a reliable garage replace the existing linings with this type. THE MOTOR CYCLE PROGRESS IN LIGHT-WEIGHTS An interesting development in the British motor cycle industry, which is the greatest of its kind in the world, is the attention now being concentrated on light-weight models. So efficient are the 175 c.c. and 250 c.c models now being made in Britain and ■sold throughout the Empire, that the latest models with engines of these cylinder capacities actually produce more power than did the larger capacity models of only a few years back. This means that motor cycling has been brought within the financial reach of the average person, while the cost of running has been reduced to almost an unbelievable figure, the petrol consumption ranging from 85 to over 100 m.p.g., and over 2000 miles to a gallon of oil. These machines are increasing in favour, not only in Great Britain, but also on the Continent. In addition, a ready market has been found in England for even lower-powered machines, which weigh, complete about 851 b. These are equipped with highly efficient two-stroke engines of 98 c.c. capacity, and are quite capable of taking an average man up a stiff gradient without the use of the pedals, with which the ultra-light-weight machine is fitted in case of need. As a means of private transport, these utility machines provide exceptionally cheap travel, running from 125 to 140 m.p.g., according to load and road conditions. A tank full of petrol will take the outfit about 500 miles.

For over a quarter of a century there has been a world-wide demand for an efficient motorised bicycle (says the Dunlop Bulletin), and judging by the latest models produced by several of the leading British motor cycle manufacturers, a notable advance has been made towards catering for those who desire ultra-cheap private transport without the work associated with pedalling a bicycle. The cost of running one of these auto-bikes in England is about eight miles a penny. There is little doubt that these wonderful light-weight motorised bicycles will yet find an extensive market in Australia. They sell in England, fully equipped with electric lighting, etc., at from £l7 to £l9, approximately the price of an ordinary bicycle in pre-war days.

SPARKS Dogs left to guard unattended cars in Paris aren’t doing the job. A new racket has started —stealing the dogs. Y- * Y- “ Not in a physical way,” said a witness at court when asked if he was hurt in the collision. Merely his pride y- y yMr and Mrs Henry Ford recently celebrated theii golden wedding at the home of Mr Edsel Ford, their only son. They both enjoy good health. y y “ The constable got nis notebook out, and the next minute I was doubled up with laughter,” said a motorist at Wood Green Police Court. “Was the pained look on the face of the constable worth every penny of the subsequent fine? ” asks the Motor. # # # Black is the most popular bodywork finish in England, and 68 per cent, of the sales are for this colour. Green has second largest demand, and blue the third. Statistics show that women are most attracted by green at the outset, but generally end by choosing black. “After alcohol a man thinks what a fine driver he is and takes risks he would not otherwise take,” according to a speaker addressing the annual assembly of the National Free Church Council. “ But we’re told that what we think, we are, so what? ” is another question. •Y- Y 'flu 1907, for every 1000 miles a motorist travelled it cost him on the average about £l6 13s 4d for tyre wear. To-dav, the average cost for these high-pressure tyres per 1000 miles of travel is in the region of £1 11s 3d, a cost generally bettered when modern balloon tyres are used, which is equivalent to less than a penny a tyre for every ten miles travelled. Y -Y- Y A Dutch army officer has invented a form of “ invisible ” light, which cannot be seen from the air and its presence cannot be detected by reflection The invention embodies a very narrow beam, which is invisible from a distance of 100 ft, but provides sufficient illumination for vehicles to proceed at 40 m.p.h. It should be particularly useful in avoiding damage to military motor transport by aerial bombardment.