Cycling & Motor Notes

Otago Witness, Issue 3574, 12 September 1922, Page 48

Cycling & Motor Notes

BY

DEMON.”

Amongst the many modifications in body design that have come to the fore during recent years the tendency of developing the streamline form is possibly the most outstanding. With a very few exceptions, the streamline effect, has only been adopted with the object of producing the body lines favoured by the sports-car owner, and its real value in the direction of reducing head resistance has not been very great. It seems likely, however, that further improvements in streamline bodies will rake place as soon as the fashion gets a firm hold upon the generality of motorists, and if the low resistance body takes the public fancy there are distinct possibilities of chassis design becoming modified to suit the exterior of the wind-resisting body. Many prospective purchasers of oars have emphasised that they attach no importance to the speed capacity of one or other of the motors, and when such an opinion is expressed it can safely be said that the persons interested are on the point of taking up motor.r.g for the first time. The novice is no reliable critic of motor car qualities, and he does not realise that if he buys a car that could not satisfy a desire for speed, which, at the time, he does not possess., but almost surely will develop with the progress of his experience, lie loses many things that, while quite distinct from speed, are in themselves desirable, and are found in the highest degree only on cars of which the speed capacity is the least pleasing. The really foolproof machine is not possible, at least, not unless some new motive power is discovered. A motor cycle, like any other piece of mechanism, requires the application of common-sense methods to its upkeep, and at stated intervals a certain amount of skilled attention. That being the case, says the Motor -cycle, a really unmechanical person, one, for instance, that only knows which way a water-tap turns from sheer force of habit, could not honestly be held to be capable of looking after a motor cycle. Evidence of this can be found oil any main road at holiday times. Plenty of pedi-cyclists—and the mere bicycle is simple enough—are to lx? seen laboriously replacing the driving chain, which jumps its sprockets again in a mile or two. Apparently, then, there are intellects which cannot grasp even such an elementary idea as oham adjustment. MOTOR TRACKS. The special correspondence of the New Zealand Free lattice in the United States (Miss Nellie Scanlan) writes as follows: “In New York State recently 1 was motoring along a country road where there was a 12ft concrete track. This had not been laid in the middle, but on one side, the idea being that as there was not a great deal of traffic vehicles could use it. on* taking to the metal road while passing another. When there is sufficient money the other half road will be laid in concrete. It liaf been found more economical to do this instead of laving a middle section, and widening it on either side as traffic increased, ami money l>ecame available. T hey usually leave expansion cracks, perhaps 20f> apart, and fill them with tar, blit it lias been found that the concrete makes its own expansion cracks, which are instantly filled, so in some places they do not lay the road in sections, with the expansion provided for. but leave the road to do its own cracking.” BIG FLYING. •fbere was a wonderful exhibition of flyskill and daring by the 10Q British tit pilots in the presence of 50,000 people

at the Hendon Aerodrome, near London, a few weeks ago. The weather wag. gusty and bumpy, with pelting rain and driving mist, which made flying difficult and dangerous, but there were no accidents. In such weather the finest performance was the formation flying by nine Bristol fighters. These machines, piloted by war-trained officers, raced through the mist and rain in three closely aligned groups, swinging to left and right, and always in touch. Then a flight-lieutenant did some marvellous tricks in his "crazy flying” on an Avro. Climbing swiftly, he made a flat turn at a moment when a less experienced flyer would have crashed tail down to the ground. Later he flew upside down, side-slipped, rolled, looped, went in and out of a vertical spin, showing perfect control and amazing judgment. From the civilian point of view the most important event was the rolling and looping of a D.H. 10, a big machine capable of carrying 10 passengers. Such feats had never been performed before on a machine of that capacity. A NEW FUEL. Motoring circles in England are discussing the announcement that the Distillers’ Company, Ltd., are regularly supplying a new motor spirit to a limited number of users. “We are,” states one of the directors, "taking a long view of the time when the petrol supplies of the world may be approaching exhaustion, and we think our new motor spirit will help out. considerably. From exhaustive tests which we have carried out. we are convinced that it i,5 economical and very efficient. The present price is the same as that of thirdgrade petrol—approximately Is 9d a gallon —and the tests have disclosed that for hillclimbing the spirit is admirable. *lt is made up of alcohol, power methylated spirit, and a number of other constituents that are a secret. ECONOMY OF MOTOR TRANSPORT. In the victualling of London there recently have been some interesting developments in the direction of the provision of motor vehicles specially equipped for the carriage of food under the best possible conditions. It is anticipated that in the near future meat-carrying motor vans will be provided with adequate means for ensuring that the conditions are substantially identical with those that exist when the meat. is kept in cold storage. The ■advantage of such vehicles where perishable food has to be conveyed over considerable distances i,> sufficiently obvious. The motor carries its load direct from door to door. There are no intermediate transhipments involving depreciation, due either to rough handling or to subjection to excessive temperatures. The elimination of rough handling is particularly important when the load consists of i c ,oft fruits, liable to be bruised and spoilt. In the first instance, the work of packing need not be so prolonged and extensive when the load is to be taken straight to the market as it would need to be if precautions had to be taken against the consequences of intermediate handling. Moreover, these handlings are often accompanied bv prolonged delays, so that their ill-effects have time to mature. The consequence of damage during the journey is twofold. The community as a whole loses portion of its food supplies, with the result that what remains has to he paid for at higher prices than it is really worth ; the producer hag a depreciated stock to dispose of. and, if the intermediate delay happen to lie of unusual length, lie loses his market, and must dispose of the stuff for whatever it will fetch. T here is. in fact, no sphere in which the advantages of the comparatively rapid and certainly direct-travelling motor over animal-drawn vehicles, or a combination of the use of these with the employment of the railway, more obvious and certain than in respect of the carriage of peri si ia Me food,still fa.

SAVE THE BRAKES. If the motorist will use his head and his throttle whilst running his car, lie will not need to blow his horn and will save his brakes. There are seme drivers who blow their horns upon the slighest provocation. The careful driver will steer his way through without raising Cain all round him. Then, there are so many motorists who really live on their brakes and forget they have a throttle. So many of them depend upon the foot brake, hardly ever taking recourse to the side (or emergency) brake. They are altogether wrong in both items. Reduce your speed wherever you may be, by the throttle, and use the brake as an assistant. By doing so you will save much wear and tear on brake lining. By occasionally using the emergency brake instead of depending always upon the foot brake, you will again save the brake lining. HIGHWAYS AND MOTOR TAXATION. An important conference of representatives of local bodies and motor associations was held in Christchurch last week. Air A. E. Jti 11. president, of the New Zealand Counties’ Association, was present. The decision of the conference was contained in the following resolution “In the opinion of this conference, no legislation dealing with the subject of high ways will be satisfactory to the local governing bodies of Canterbury unless the following fundamental principles are embodied : (a) Failing the adoption of two B-oards of Control, one for the North and one for the South Island, as previously proposed, counties should be grouped according to their geographical position and community of interest for the purpose of carrying out- a main traffic road scheme. (b) Allocation of the revenue from the tyre arid other tax to the two islands in proportion to the numbers of the motor vehicles registered in the two islands. (e) The inclusion in the scheme of all roads that the carrying or are likely to carry extensive traffic between centres of population or from one district to another. (di Earmarking of the tax money for interest and sinking fund on the capital 1 cost of construction (c) hereof, and for the maintenance of such new constructed and reconstructed roads.” CONTROL OF HIGHWAYS. MOTORISTS DISCUSS FEES AND TAA.ES. The memorandum recently presented by the Minister of Public \\ orks (Hon. -T. G. Coates) on the Main Highways Bill, was discussed by delegates to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Automobile Union at Wellington on Thursday last. A report presented by a sub-committee of ihe ' union was a general appreciation of the Minister’s ettorts. It offered -io objection to the Minister’s proposal of one board for the Dominion, provided allocation of the monev raised p.V taxation be upon-the basis of motor vehicles registered iu each island, taken periodically. The proposed highways board of control was approved, provided that motorists, as large contributors to its funds, received adequate representation. The union was of the opinion that primary roads, supplementary to mam highways, should receive more consideration. as they were necessary to complete arterial access through each island, and were important nationally for purposes of defence, tourist encouragement, and in the event of railway stoppages. These, roads should be t ntirely controlled under the direction o.f the highways board. If controlled by a highway board, constituted as suggested, the’union was agreeable to an annual license fee of £2 per car on private cars and up to £lO for commercial vehicles (the latter fee to be graded according to weight and carrying capacity), 15s for motor cycles, and £1 for three-wheel vehicles, including sidecars. The union favoured the suggestion that the highways board, where it, approved, should assist counties to borrow money for main traffic road construction, on the proportions sug-

gested by the Minister. The sharing of maintenance costs was approved, the standard of maintenance to be decided by the main highways board. Petrol Tax Suggested. Mr I. Wilson, urged a petrol tax. and a reduction of the license fees to £1 for cars, £5 for commercial vehicles, and 10s for motor-cycles. The wiity he suggested on petrol was Id per gallon. Farmers would not notice the tax. A delegate interjected that such a proposal would never be got through the House against the farmers’ interests. Many petrol users did not use petrol on the roads. A letter from the South Island Union opposing any but a nominal license fee. and suggesting an increased tvre tax, was read by the secretary. A letter from Mr L. A. Edwards deprecated a petrol tax, and suggested that the balance of money required be found from the Consolidated Fund. The suggestion that the petrol tax be an alternative to flat rate licenses Mr Wynyard t:hcught futile. There would be no chance of getting it, through. Mr T. Murifc said that lorry owners objected to local registration fees, and would resent a multiplicity of taxation charges. Eventually the following motion proposed by Mr 1. Wilson was carried“ That the annual license fee be not more than £1 for motor-cars, £5 for commercial vehicles, 10s for motor cycles, and 5s for sidecars, the balance to be found by increasing the tyre tax.” A ga insi 1 -ocal Ta xai i on. The report was subjected to various alterations. It was proposed that, on the Highways Act coming into operation, local bodies should not have the power to impose local taxation on motor vehicles, such is

charging annual fees for a casual trip through. Owners were prepared to pay an annual fee t<» cover the Dominion, but did not want to pay annual fees to each county or local body they passed through, perhaps only once a year. It was not sought to curtail the power of local bodies in respect of extraordinary damage to roads and bridges. ANTI-DAZZLE PUZZLE. Lecturing before the Optical Society, London, on the problem of glare from motor headlights Mr »J. W. T. Walsh, of the National Physical Laboratory, said that the number of devices either actually on the market or proposed with the object of giving the lamp beam the required distribution to eliminate glare, was very great. Some 2000 had been produced over five years ago, but the problem might still be regarded a<s awaiting solution. The matter was, owing to the increasing number of accidents attributable to it. becoming of continually greater urgency. The difficulty lay in the fact that while a safe driving light required a beam of at least 3000 candle-power it was necessary in avoiding glare to drivers of oncoming traffic to reduce this to about 500 candle-power. There appeared to be no really satisfactory method of escape from this position of mutually antagonistic requirements. Mr Walsh emphasised the desirability of uniformity of anti-dazzle legislation throughout the world, and mentioned that the International Commission on Illumination hail appointed a special commission to secure this object. MOTOR GRAND PRIX. A private cable message received in Dunedin states that the Italian Grand Prix,

held on the new Speedway, Milan, over a distance of 373 miles, was won by a Fiat car, second, third, and fourth places also being filled by the same make of ear. The average speed was 83 miles per hour.