CYCLING & MOTOR NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 3614, 19 June 1923, Page 48

CYCLING & MOTOR NOTES

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“ DEMON.”

——Amateur cycling has developed to such •n extent in Victoria that it has been decided to organise a 100 miles road race this year, probably over a ICO miles section of the famous Warrnambool-Melbourne course. As regards the Dunlop Rubber Company’s classic event, ihe “Warrnambool,” nothing lja.s yet been decided as to where this, the world's greatest handicap race, is to finish this year. An endeavour is being made to secure a suitable locality, so that contestants and officials will be free from overcrowding at the finishing point. When cables are used for brakes it becomes necessary for the user to examine them periodically, and see that there is proper length of adjustment available. Ilust and friction are the greatest enemies of the cable. They both result in breaking of the •trands. When the first strand goes the cable rapidly elongates, and it« strength is also proportionally reduced. Breakages of strands should he carefully watched for. and should be avoided by ensuring proper greasing of the cables for their whole length, so su to prevent rust, and by seeing that the DSbles are quite free from any rubbing oon-

tact with any part of the car or its mechanism, which would cause abrasion.

Air Henry Ford is just sixty years of age. He is one of the richest men in the world to-day. He was born on a farm, and even from his very childhood he was making machines, taking machines to pieces, trying to improve machines, trying to find out new labour-saving contrivances. He hated the waste of time and of labour in farm life, and ns special dream from boyhood was the ‘‘horseless carriage.” After learning all there was to be learned, trying one position after another, and working for years for the Edison Company, he at last threw up all the conventional ideas and resolved to go into the motor-car business for himself. This was in 1899 —only 24 years ago. He had no capital. He had an intense belief in the ”ga.s engine” and its possibilities. And his wife with himself resolved to risk their all in its chance of success. He succeeded, and became the managing director of a company. But that did not suit him. The company was out to make money. Ford was out ! r> ’-"rk certain ideas, which he thought would revolutionise industry. So they parted. He resigned in 1902, “determined never again to put himself under orders.” ANTI-DAZZLE LIGHTS. After experiments conducted for more than a _vea r, the London General Omnibus CorripaiPf claim to have found an anti-dazzle headlight device for motor-vehicles. In future, all motor-omnibuses in the London General Country services will carry lamps fitted with anti-dazzle lenses. These lights have been authorised by the licencing authorities. The lens, fitted to an ordinary motor-car lamp, throws the beam of liglit below the level of the vision of approaching pedestrians and of the drivers of approaching vehicles.

TARCA FLORIO RAGE. The fourteenth Targa Florio race, held over a distance of 270 miies over a wild, mountainous course in the Island of Sicily, was rendered more difficult than usual this year by reason of weather conditions. It is recognised that this race is one of the most gruelling both tor oars and drivers, for more than six thousand distinct turns have to be negotiated, and there are not more than twenty miles of level road. Competition was keen among the Italian makes, represented by Fiat. Alfa-Romeo, Diatto and Nazzaro, the three French makes, Peugeot, Bugatti and Chenard-Walcker, and the Austrian Steyr. Andre Boillot, the winner m 1919 started favourite, but was forced out after covering about half the distance. This put Italian drivers in the lead, and after an exciting struggle Sivocei, driving a six-cylinder Alfa-Romeo, of 4500 <h., won the Targa at an average speed of practically 37 miles an hour. Second man home was Ascari on a 3-litre Alfa-Romeo. In this race the competitors are divided into classes according to piston displacement, and in the 1500 c.c. class the amateur driver De Seta finished first, on a 501 Fiat, beating the winner in the 2000 ce. class by a big margin. The following are the results of the race: 1500 cc. Class. —De Seta on Fiat, 8 hours, 51min, bisec. 1; Lenti on Bugatti, 9 hours 6rnin 38sec, 2. 2000 cc. Class.—Modo on Diatto, 9 hours, 27min. 1 3000 cc. Class.—Ascari on Alfa-Romeo, 7 hours 20min 52sec, 1 : Minoia on Steyr, 7 hours 32rnin 40sec, 2; Masetti on AlfaRomeo, 7 hours 35min 4sec, 5 ; Bodendieh on Chenard-Walcker, 9 hours, lrnin, 4. 4503 cc. Class. -Sivooci on Alfa-Romeo, 7 hours 18min, 1; Becchi on Nazzaro, 8 hours 15min, 2. MOTORISTS, BEWARE. New Zealand possesses some Interesting sign-posts, etc., warning motorists against unseen dangers ahead. There is one, for instance, in an up-country town which requests the motorist to exercise care on account of school children. When he passes the school he comes across another sign which politely thanks him on behalf of the children. America has numerous similar warnings for car drivers. Here are a few chosen at random:—“Go Slow,” Be Careful—Bad Corner,” ‘‘Close Cut-outs,” “Take Your Time,” “Hospital—Bo Quiet,” “No Parking,” “What’s Your Hurry?” “Speed Limit —Fifteen Miles,” “Don’t Speed—Think,” “Go Slow—See Our City,” “Go Fast—See Our Judge,” “Playgrounds —Be Careful,” “Remember Wo Charge Speeders One Dollar a Mile,” “Slow Down —Avoid Accidents,” “Obey the Motor Vehicles Laws,” “Control Your Car,” “Too Much Speed, Cemetery Ahead,” “More Care, Less Haste,” Gaol is the Place for Speeders,” “Better Be Safe, Why So Fast?” “Slow Down, and See the Sights,” “Drive with Care, It Pays,” “Obey Signals,” “The Vehicle to the Right Has the Right-of-Way,” “Drive Carefully. Some of the warnings for pedestrians are:

“Danger,” “Don’t Cut Across,” “Watch Your Step,” “Cross Here,” Safety First,” “Be careful.” INDIANAPOLIS 500. T. Milton, one of the leading motor racing men of America, has for the second time carried off the rich Indianapolis 500 miles track race. This is the most important automobile track event in the world. Milton, who won in 1921, this year drove a straight eight “Miller Special,” the engine being a small one of 121 cubic inches capacity. His time for the 500 miles was 5 hours 27 minutes, giving an average speed of 91 2-3 miles an hour, which is 3 m.p.h. slower than the record established by J. Murphy in last year’s contest but the 1922 winner used a bigger engine, the capacity being 1821, cubic inches. H. Hartz was second and J. Murphy third. The appended list of winners of this classic event is instructive as it illustrates the remarkable advance in the efficiency of racing cars since the first “Indianapolis” was won in 1911, witli an engine 3 2-3 times bigger than that in the winning car this year, yet the pace to-day is 17 m.p.li. faster.

MAIN HIGHWAYS BOARD. The personnel of the Main Highways Board, which was announced last week by the Minister of Public Works, has created grave disappointment among South Island motorists. While there is no personal objection to the gentlemen appointed the great preponderance of North Island representatives on the board is viewed with alarm. Prompted by a fear of an unfair allocation of the expenditure under the Main Highways Act, the South Island motorists contended for the establishment of two road boards. The official objection to two boards was on the ground of expense the Government pointing out that one board of four could work more economically than two boards of four members each. The new board consists of six members, of whioh one member is from the South Island, and the Minister is himself also a North Island member of Parliament. OTAGO MOTOR CLUB. The monthly meeting of the Otago Motor Club was held in the R.S.A. rooms last Tuesday. The president (Mr 11. H. ilalliday) occupied the chair.

COLOUR ROUTE SCHEME. Mr A. I. Woods referred to the advantages "to motorists of the proposed colour signs as against direction signs. He explained that a distinctive colour would be allotted, say, for a main road from Blenheim to the Bluff. 'lhe colour would be referred to in the route map and be numbered, say, 1 This colour would be shown on the pests on the route to be followed. Other colours would be allotted for other roads, and these would also have numbers on the map. He was very favourably impressed with the scheme. Under it a motorist could not possibly miss the route. The Southland Union intended to go on with tho scheme whether it was adopted by the other unions or not. The speaker said that one great advantage of the idea was that motorists would not require to get out of their cars to read direction signs. Mr W T . Wright moved that the club approve of the scheme, and that a sub-com-mittee be set up to go into the question. Mr J. L. Passmore seconded the motion. Mr Breon said that he was opposed to the scheme. They had already spent £6O in placing direction signs on the north road. They were simply going to double bank. They had practically only one main road in the South Island and there should be no difficulty in following it. In Victoria he understood that the colour scheme was working well, but there they had miles and miles of road without any adjacent habitations. Mr Wood said that he did not think the expense would he very great. The coloured posts would he used in conjunction with the presefit direction signs. The workTould bo done piecemeal. Mr Meek said that there was a difficulty in the fact that the colour signs would he confined to one route, whereas a motorist might know that the road was in had order and might wish to take an alternative route. The Chairman said that Mr Winslow, of Christchurch, had brought, the idea from America, where it worked admirably. Other members spoke in favour of the idea. Mr Ansell moved as an amendment that the sub-committee only go into the ques-tion-and report to the next meeting of the club. He wanted to know what it was going to cost the club. The expense would be a recurring one. Mr Breen seconded the amendment. The Chairman said that the remit on the question from the Southland Union had been adopted at the annual meeting of the South Island Union. , The amendment was lost and Mr Wright s motion carried. Messrs P W. Curtis. A. I. Woods, P. Breon, J. C. M'George, and W. Wright were appointed the sub-oommit tee. Mr Breen said he would bring forward a motion for next meeting to rescind the decision come to that night. GENERAL. Mr Ansell moved that a lefler he sent to the Maniototo County asking if it could

put a bridge ever the Shag River and offering financial assistance. Mr Wright seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr Wright moved that a letter be sent to the Bruce County Council asking if it. could see it way to paint the two bridges at Stoney Creek white. The motion was carried.

There is no province in New Zealand where settlers endeavour to promote the business and social life of their own district as in Taranaki (says the Stratford Post). No sooner is a school erected than the settlers endeavour by their own exertions to build a dairy factory and public hall. In time nearly every road or district will have its own public hall. Cardiff is a place in point, and the district is likely to be a more popular and progressive one in the future because the spirit of its settlers is decidedly in the direction of progress.

Piston displacement. 'Winner. Cubic in. m.p.h. Car. 1911 .. .. 447.1 74.59 ilarmon 1912 .. .. 490. S 78.7 National 1913 .. .. 418.13 76.92 Peugeot 1914 .. .. 380.2 82.47 Pelage 1915 .. .. 274 89.84 Mercedes 1916 .. .. 274 83.26 Peugeot War, 1919 not held. .. .. *J74 83.06 Peugeot 1920 .. .. 182.5 88.5 Monroe 1921 .. .. 182.5 89.G2 Frontenac 1922 . 18*2.5 94.48 Murphy 1923 .. .. 121 91.44 Miller Special