Cycling and Motor Notes

Otago Witness, Issue 3148, 15 July 1914, Page 56

Cycling and Motor Notes

by demon.

The subject of taxation of motor vehicles for the upkeep of roads will be brought prominently forward by some of the remits before the conference of the Municipal Association, which is to be held in Wellington this week. Wellington, Palmerston North, and Hastings are each forwarding remits seeking to establish power for local authorities to levy taxes to cover the injury done by vehicles to road surfaces. The Palmerston remit contains a little more matter than the rest. It is: “That the executive of municipal and counties associations jointly confer with a view to deciding upon the best method of making provision by legislative authority to tax motor vehicles on a graduated scale for the upkeep of main roads and streets and as to the fairest method of expending the-'said tax.” The point of chief interest, from a motoring point of view, is the word “graduated.” Owners of powered vehicles are more interested in the fairest method of levying the tax than in the fairest method of expending it.

The South Canterbury Centre of the Now r Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union received October 17 as the suggested date for the Timaru-Christchurch road race. This would allow the competitors in the Egmont race (says the Herald) about three weeks in which to get ready for the race, while the date selected is a month ahead of the new road race to. bo run this year at Palmerston North, and known as the Pal-merston-Wanganui race. The centre has yet to meet to discuss the date.

The annual report of the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall boasts of statistics unrivalled by any club in the world. Its members’ list is nearly 8000. It has a county club near Epsom. - with a park of 338 acres. The boats and yachts owned by members have an aggregate tonnage of over 12,000. For rents, rates, taxes, and insurance in London the club paid £31,203 last year. The house wages, laundry, and uniforms cost nearly £IB,OOO a year, and lighting, heating, and water £4512. The value of the wine stock is £23,000, and last year over 200,000 meals, exclusive of teas and light refreshment, were served in the club in Pall Mall.

The much-talkod-about petrol railway carriages, the first motor train in New Zealand, is announced to carry its first passengers on the Ist of next month. This style of motor will bo greatly approbated on the run to the proposed route. Between Wellington S'nd Ngaio five tunnels are encountered, all within a short radius of Wellington City, before the train emerges from the ramparts of the Empire City into the breezinoss of the clean country atmosphere.

A ranchman living in the backwoods of America wrote to the manufacturers of a well-known make of car to inform them that lie had clone quite a lot of hunting with his car. During last winter, he said, ho ran down and captured over a dozen prairie wolves on the frozen surface of a lake. It was the most exciting sport he over indulged in.

The warning given by the coroner at a recent inquest in Wandsworth against the practice among motor cyclists of riding with a girl perched behind on the carrier is endorsed by the Autocyclo Union (says the London Daily Mail of May 9). Observation shows that this practice is steadily increasing, though there? is abundance of evidence to prove its danger. Tire motor cycle is not a stable machine and its equilibrium is only maintained with some effort. The youth with his Phyllis behind has an unsteady balance and an insufficient control over his cycle. He is thus a danger not only to her and to himself, but also to the public.

Nearly half the accidents which are privately reported to the Autocycle Un.on are, it appears, duo to the presence of a second rider behind, and a heavy addition is made to the insurance rate on motor cycles used for the conveyance of more than one person. Whether the police should not interfere and forbid the practice is a serious question. In Germany,, it may be noted, such riding- is strictly • forbidden in the towns, as are also the conveyance of children on ordinary cycles, and the very dangerous trick of holding on to motor cars by cyclists, which is all too common in this country. “The Accurator” is the name of a new instrument just put on the English market by the Bowden Company. This in strument is really an efficiency indicator, and the driver of a motor car can read from its dial whether his engine is performing efficiently or not without relying entirely upon hs own judgment. It has two needles, one indicating the actual power at the road wheels, as shown by the speed of the car, the other the fuel required to produce that speed. It is claimed that the accurator gives, where an an- valve is used, the exact economical mixture, that it indicates the most economical speed on hills and on tho flat, and -indicates the proper position of the throttle for the work required. It also shows the correct gear for climbing hills. Hornsted, the crack Benz driver, has just created new world’s figures at Brooklands (England) for the flying mile car track record. Hornsted drove a mile in 28.095 cc, equivalent to a speed of over 128£ miles an hour —remarkable travelling on a circular track. Whilst Hornstod’s wonderful performance is world’s record for tho track, faster time has been established for tho same distance by tho crack American driver R. Burman, who in April, 1911. covered 1760 yards on the hard sand at Florida Beach (U.S.A.), in 25 2-sscc, equal to a speed of 141£ miles an hour. Of the two performances Hornstcd’s is undoubtedly the better, for whilst his was accomplished on a circular banked track, which necessitates covering considerably over the correct distance, Butman’s drive was a straightaway one, along a flat beach. The previous mile track record stotfl at 31 l-sseo to the credit of V. Hemery, at Brooklands, in November, 1909.

The Dunlop Rubber Company has received a telegram from Port Darwin stat ing that J. Fahey,-who left Adelaide with F. Reichenbach to attack the overland record to Darwin, had arrived, there safely. It will bo remembered that Fahey fell over an embankment early in the record ride and sprained his ankle, and upon arrival at Alice Springs, in the centre of Australia, he was reluctantly compelled to lay up and give his ankle a spell, his companion pushing on and eventually gaining the record by 15 hours. Fahey reports having had a good ride- northwards from Alice Springs to the Northern Territory, and states that the country in the interior is in a very dry state. ACROSS AMERICA. A remarkable motor cycle ride has been accomplished in America by a rider named E. G. Baker. Riding an Indian 7 h.p. twin, Baker crossed the American continent from California to New York in the astounding time of 11 days 12hr lOmin. The previous best record on a motor cycle was 20 days 9hr linin to the credit of V. Davis. Baker left San Diego, California, on May 3, and was in New York—3ss7 miles away—on May 15. The longest day’s ride was 375 miles, accomplished in 16 hours. The only trouble experienced on the trip was eight punctures. Baker’s record cuts three days off the car record for this transcontinental ride. GREAT INTERNATIONAL TEST. AUSTRIAN ALPINE TRIAL. The world’s greatest annual international contest, known as the “Alpine Tour,” was decided in Austria last week, and the Dunlop Rubber Company is in receipt of a cablegram stating that a Minerva carried off the honours. Seventy-four cars entered for the trial, which-started on June 14 and finished on June 23. The total length of’ course was 1820 miles, spread over eight stages. The. contest is a particularly strenuous one, including climbs over 24 Alpine passes, all over 6000 ft high, whilst many of the mountain reads are almost impassable. Most of the world’s leading makers entered cars for the test, and 11 manufacturers \ sent teams of three. The following makes of cars were amongst those that took part x in the great trial: Minerva, Rolls-Royce, Benz, Austrc-Daim-ler, Opal, Fiat, Darracq, Vauxhall, Cadillac, Overland, Laurin-Klement, Hotchkiss, Puch, Wolseley, Nag, and ArmstrongWhitworth, so that it will be seen that the victory of the Minerva with its Silent Knight Sleeve valve type of engine is an important and significant one. Amongst the contestants were numbered several of the nobil'ty of Europe, including Archduke Josef Ferdinand and Archduke Henry Ferdinand of Austria. AUTOMATIC CHANGESPEED GEAR. There is a dist : nct tendency towards special refinements in car equipment, mainly designed to save the owner-driver t : mc and labour. We have self-starters, self-inflators, and electric light sets, all of which increase the price of production, and consequently the retail price, and also add seriously to the weight, thus increasing tyro wear, petrol consumption, and the wear and tear of the car generally. No doubt in the case of those who are generously endowed with this world’s goods these luxuries are advisable; but in the case of the man to whom economy is of importance, they might easily be dispensed with. There is one refinement, however, that all motorists are looking forward to, and would be willing to pay for, and that is the automatic change speed gear. Comparatively few motorists change gear perfectly; practcally all beginners do damage before they have learned the art. It is always more or loss a matter of anxiety when touring in hilly districts, for to bungle the gear change means dropping on to a still lower gear, and in some cases coming to an absolute standstill, resulting in the necessity for restarting on a stiff and possibly dangerous gradient. For these reasons this new development, which is now attracting considerable attention from manufacturers, is likely to" be most beneficial to motorists generally. The modern gear box is a brutal arrangement. Any design which will permit of rapid gear changes, without the risk of grinding the wheels, is to be welcomed and encouraged, though, we would add, the movement is still more or loss in its infancy, and in all probability by no means perfected, but on. oars where it is well carried out and thoroughly tested, we should think the risk of failure is very trifling indeed, and hardly -worthy of consideration.

HOW EXPENSES ARE INCREASED.

A hea\y toll is being lA'.eci on motor car owners uirough some tinns giving secret commissions to chauffeurs in return tor using certain tyres and accessor.es on their employers’ cars. Few motorists realise ttio extent to which this evil practice has grown during the past low' years, but it is estimated that 06 to 40 per cent, of the chauffers in Melbourne receive bribes from accessory firms (says the Argus), 'ibis practice increases the cost to the motor car owner in three different ways. In the first place, ho is liable to be saddled with shoddy goods, for the unscrupulous chauffeur does not deal with the firm which supplies the best accessories, but the one which the highest commission; secondly, inlhe majority of cases the commission demanded by the driver is added to the employer’s bill; and,, lastly, it pays the employee to wear out tyres in the shortest possible time in order that a new sot may enable him to collect further sums. Speaking on the subject, the manager of a t leading tyre firm said: “ Chauffeurs come into our place of business every day and say ‘ How much is it worth to me to persuade “ the boss ” to use your tyres? ’ these men play one firm up against another by saying * So-and-so has offered me 7g per cent., and you only give me 5 per cent. ’ Unless you can raise the amount your tyres won’t last another week.’ A case occurred yesterday in whiph the newly-employed chauffeur of a man, who owns four cars, upon which our tyres have been fitted for years, came to us and said, ‘Unless you pay me per cent, on all tyres purchased, not another one will be used on Mr ’s cars.’ It is a peculiar fact that many men and women leave the purchasing of valuable automobile goods, amounting in some oases to £2OO or £SOO a year, to their chauffeurs, yet they would not entrust the buying of anything else at a fraction of the amount involved to their employees. “ Speaking of this question to a lady client of ours a few days ago, I said, ‘ Would you entrust your maid with the purchase for you of a sealskin coat worth £so?’ She replied, ‘Certainly not!’ My answer was, ■ ‘ Then why do you give your chauffeur a free hand in buying tyres worth four times that amount?’ ” One result of bribing chauffeurs is the exceptionaly low tyre mileage obtained. It pays the employee to use up as many tyres as possible, for the more new ones that are purchased the more money he receives. It is, therefore, of no advantage to him to pile up high tyre mileages, nor does he advocate retreading when the tyro is partially worn. His advice to his employer is, “These tyres are fit for no father service. It is better to get a new set.” Some of the men make no secret of the fact that they have wilfully destroyed Valuable tyres because they received nothing out of the deal. • One chauffeur openly made the following statement' to , a tyre salesman: “My employer imported 12 tyres from England, but they did not last a fortnight. I ran them at 251 b pressure, and they were gone in no time. He won’t get any more of those tyres in a hurry !” Another way in which the employer loses through this practice is in replacements and repairs. Where a claim might be successfully made for a new tyre owing to faulty construction, the dishonest chauffeur will never adopt that course. He gains nothing by it, and the car-owner is easily prevailed on to sanction the purchase of a now tyre

In the pasc of a Melbourne firm which uses several motors for transport purposes, the head chauffeur sent a few weeks ago for the representative of a certain tyre company. On his arrival the tyre salesman was asked what discount would be giveiT to the firm on an order for a large number of tyres. He replied, “Seven and a-half per cent.” “ Make it 5 per cent, to me and the rest to the firm. They will be satisfied with per cent.,” suggested the chauffeur. This proposal was not accepted, and the order went somewhere else. Apparently the only remedy is for the owners to refuse any business offered to them through their chauffeurs, and to deal only with garages or firms of established reputation. Arrangements for the purchase of tyres and accessories should be directly undertaken by them, and a close scrutiny made of the* list prices and the amounts charged on their accounts. In th's wav they can see whether the chauffeur's bribe has been added to the cost. There is one difficulty, however, which will be hard to overcome. This is the fact that it is possible for an unscrupulous' chauffeur to drive the car in such a way that accessories bought free from secret commission may develop a habit of failing at inconvenient times. If the owner closely supervisee his car, however, he should be able to prevent any. such mishaps. * OTAGO MOTOR CLUB. The monthly meeting of the Otago Motor Club was held in the Jockey Club Rooms on the 7th, Mr A. E. Ansell . (vice-pre-sident) presiding over an attendance of about 25 members. CORRESPONDENCE. The Portobello Road Board wrote asking the club if it was still prepared to supply the necessary sign posts, etc., for regulating motor traffic. About 40 of these would be required.—The Roads Committee recommended that as it understood that the board was ordering all necessary signs there was no necessity for the club going to the expense of procuring any.—This matter evoked considerable discussion, and several members expressed the opinion that the club should supply the signs provided the board erected them in accordance with the club’s wishes. It was much desired that the recognised sign should be adopted by the board. Eventually a motion on these lines was carried. The Clerk of the Waikouaiti County Council wrote stating that its Inspector was preparing a report on the dangerous state of a corner on the Kilmog Hill, and the council’s by-law providing for a penalty of £5 in the case of a person driving an unlighted vehicle was to be enforced. The writer also asked for the club’s promised contribution of £2O towards the metalling of the Mount Cargill road. —The Chairman expressed approval of the council having met the club so fairly in the matter of unlighted vehicles. It was decided that the donation of £2O towards the metalling of the Mount Cargill road should be paid over, and the council’s attention be drawn to certain holes in the road which Acquire filling in. The Clerk of the Clutha County Council wrote acknowledging the receipt of the sum of £4O towards metalling a portion of

the road between Balclutha and Clinton, this amount to bo expended in two yearly contributions of £2O. —-Received, Mr Munro stating that the Defence Department was approaching the Government with a view to having the whole road between Invercargill and Dunedin put in a better condition. -. , ■ „ , Mr F. Y. Thomas (Christchurch), holder of the ciip for the mile championship, wrote stating that he had noticed the altered regulations under which this cup was to be contested for—namely, that the distance should be run from north to south, and then from south to north, and the mean time of each taken. He expressed his willingness to compete at any time in the future for the new cup presented by Mr S. Wilson under the altered conditions. — Received. TAXATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES. The Chairman introduced the matter of motor - taxation, which, he stated, would be -brought up in the very near future. It was exorcising the minds of a good number of county councillors, and would come under 'discussion at the approaching Municipal Conference. The general question of motor traffic would be considered, and he thought the club should do its best to guide the tax into the proper channels and see that the money so raised should go towards improving the roads. The question of licensed drivers would also be discussed, and he certainly thought every driver should be licensed. —(“ Hear, hear.”) The various methods of apportioning this tax were discussed at length, and Mr Roberts suggested that the club should affiliate with the New Zealand Automobile Association and work hand and hand with it. Mr M'Dougall moved —“ That the club endeavour to secure a wheel tax upon all vehicular traffic, and the committee pueih the matter forward as fast as possible.’’ Mr Munro seconded the motion, which was carried. It was then decided, on the motion of Mr J. R. M’Kenzie, “ That a sub-committee consisting of Messrs Ansell, Roberts, S. Smith, E. Anscombe, and G. T. Thorne be appointed to go into the whole matter of motor taxation generally, and affiliation with the New Zealand Automobile Association.” GENERAL. The Road Committee’s report (already published) was adopted without discussion, and it was decided to thank the Hawera Borough Council for the information it had supplied with reference to a now preparation for binding the roads. It w'as decided that the annual presentation of prizes and the annual meeting should be held in September, _ and should be followed by a social function. At the close of the general business, a paper on “ Road-making,” by Mr Anscombe, was read, and was closely listened to by all present, the writer being thanked for his paper.