MOTORDOM

Southland Times, Issue 19657, 6 October 1922, Page 7

MOTORDOM

NOTES AND NEWS

( By “Self-Starter.”:

WHEN WILL SIGNPOSTS COME? Now that the Soring is here, and motoring parties are seeking interesting and pleasant trips to make, comment has been current regarding the. necessity for the signposts the Southland Motor Association is to put up throughout the district. Motorists remark that they have been passing cross-roads and various other points where some directionguide is badly needed with gradually decreasing expectation of seeing a new sign-post telling them which way to take, where it would lead them and how far it was to the next township. Several travellers have mentioned the matter, and their remarks temp “Self-starter" to the conclusion that h« sign-post scheme inaugurated some time ag< by the local motoring body has not yet advanced beyond the tender stage, although ample time has elapsed for the making of revisions in the original specifications which were found to be necessary', and for the tenders to have been called and one accepted to the new design, and also for work to have started on the erection of the guides. The fact is that since the new tenders were called there has been no meeting of the executive of the Association, and therefore the scheme naturally could not. be advanced. It seems that any necessary work of this description should have been put under way in time to meet the increasing numbers of motorists who take advantage of the bright spring weather to commence their road pleasures. A sign-post scheme naturally loses much of its advantage when it is not ready to meet the-first of ’.he seasonal demands, and it seems hard for travellers to be compelled to find their way on unfamiliar roads without the assistance they know is in slow course of preparation. PETROL PRICE PUZZLE. It remains a mystery to us that the price of petrol continues at its present high figure. The bulk of our supplies comes from America, where the price of crude oil from which petrol is obtained ha/ fallen some 20 per cent. For instance. Pennsylvania crude was 3.25 dollars per barrel, having fallen from 4 dollars since the beginning of January. Aad to this the improvement in the rate of exchange, which is now 4.37 dollars compared with 3.54 dollars about the middle of last year, and bearing in mind that there has been a substantial fall in freights, it will be evident that there will be a reduction in

the price of motor spirit is overdue. Another reason why the price of petrol should be lowered is to be found in the fact that the bulk storage system- is now becoming general, and distribution costs should be considerably lessened. Imports of motor spirit are also being well maintained, and stocks in the country must be more ♦ than adequate for present demands. With all these factors so obviously in favour of a reduction, why is it that present prices are so high? RULE OF THE ROAD. THE INCONSIDERATE DRIVER. The inconsiderate driver, perhaps better known as the "road hog/’ is hated as much by his fellow motorists as by the general public. Fortunately, he is in a very small minority of motorists. It is a mistake to imagine that the road hog is always a fast driver. He will often confine himsetf to very moderate speeds, yet endanger himself and" fellow road users by rank carlessness and ignorance. He is generally addicted to / driving on either side of the road indiscriminately, drawing out suddenly in front of a faster car, cutting across the nose of another vehicle when taking a side turning, and the positive crime of overtaking at corners—usually “blind” ones. If he indulges in high speeds, so much the worse. Instead of confining his fast driving to broad, straight roads, where there is the minimum of danger, he "hogs” through villages, round corners (usually on the wrong side of the road) and dashes recklessly past side roads. He never dreams of slackening speed, and treats pedestrians and other road users with supreme contempt. At night he will blind all-comers with glaring heat!lights, and drive at a speed considerably outside the margin of safety to himself. Now the law, as it exists, and no matter to what extent, it may be altered, cannot stop such a man from commit ting, day in and day out, breaches of written and unwritten road law. True, he may be fined now and again for exceeding the speed limit, and occasionally for driving to the public danger, but such penalties will not in the slightest degree educate him to better road conduct. While he continues on his way unchecked, scores of motorists who never dream of being guilty of any of the abovementioned offences, are summoned for acts which did, and could do, no harm to anyPart of the difficulty in educating the motorist is due to the obscure meaning of many of the Motor Car Regulations, and the many doubtful pointfl which constantly crop up in the ordinary rule of the road will require elucidation if every vehicle driver is to have an absolutely clear knowledge of everything he may or may not do. CARE OF THE CAR POINTS FOR THE AMATEUR. IN TRAFFIC. Notice how first gear “goes in.’ should engage noiselessly and without effort. As the driver lets in the clutch, the car should glide forward without a suspicion of a jerk. It will depend very much upon the size and type of cay as to what distance should be covered before engaging second or third speed. On a large and powerful car it may be possible to change up through the various stages within a few yards at little more than a crawl. On a light car fitted with a high-speed engine, however, it will probably be necessary to cover quite a little distance, accelerating meanwhile between first and second or second and third speeds. i The main points to observe are t.he ease : and degree oi siieucc with which the gears engage, although it will be found that at low speeds even an unskilled driver can make a silent change down. It is when changing gear at- high sjieeds that bad design or, more often, bad driving becomes evident. The ability of the car to run slowly on top gear and to accelerate when there is a gap in the traffic should be most carefully observed. A car that is docile in city streets is a pleasure to drive anywhere. As the car threads its way through congested traffic, the sweetness or otherwise of the clutch and the brakes can be noted; i the latter should act silently and progressively without causing the car to skid. Particular regard should also be paid to the i steering at thus stage, as one should be able to drive single-handed without strain even i at the merest crawl. ON THE OPEN ROAD. As the city traffic and rows of houses give | way to the iresh, green countryside, the car ■ should be accelerated up to a comfortable touring speed. Note how the engine responds to pressure on the accelerator pedal. There should be no sign of a knock, and the car should' rapidly increase its speed, smoothly and without fuss. Next pay attention to the behaviour of the car on corners and on rough roads. No anxiety should be felt when rounding corners at reasonable and over bad,

pot-holey roads the car should ride steadily, answering instantly to the slightest touch of the wheel. At the same time one may observe what degree of comfort is afforded by the springing and upholstery, whether such item as wings or bonnet are prone to rattle or “drum,” and whether the springs show any tendency to "bottom” when hitting an out size in bumps or pot-holes. On a straight stretch of road, where the surface is good and there are no dangerous side turnings or cross-roads, one might possibly indulge in a short burst of speed. It is a mistake to imagine that one does Dot require speed. It is true that one can eldom ru : a fast car “all out” on top gear, ouc a resvxte of power is an untold blessing , e hen it comes to climbing a long gradient on the lower ratios. The chief features to observe when the car is travelling fast are its steadiness and ease of control. It is also just as well to find out in what length one can come to a dead stop from speed. Hill-climbing is probably the most carefully watched demonstration of all. In order to maintain a good average speed, it is necessary to climb hills fast, and to do this on a stiff gradient means an early change into the next lower gear, while the car may still be travelling at a good clip. It is then that ease of changing becomes an important factor. A well-designed and carefully made gearbox should allow of a quiet change at almost any speed when the car is properly driven. While on the subject of hills, it is useful to ascertain how the car will start, from a standstill on various gradients, and to what extent it can be accelerated when so doing. The descent of a long incline should also be insisted upon and a sharp look-out kept for squeaking or noises of any description. Both foot and hand brakes should be tested independently It is surprising what a number of people forget the importance of a comfortable : driving position. All the controls should fall easily and naturally to the hand, and should be reached without leaning forward lor straining in any way. The pedals should be reached comfortably and a crainp-ed-up position of the legs avoided. It is also worth finding out if the right arm can be kept comfortably inside the body when driving, as it is no joke to have one’s elbow exposed to all the fury of wind and rain during a 100-mile winter drive. THE OIL SHORTAGE SCARE.

On this subject it is interesting to note that the usual statements are being circulated in America to the effect that oil supplies will only last a few years more. Sir John Cadman, K.C.M.G., who .has recently been in the States, says it is quite common knowledge that the earth has only just been scratched in the search for oil, and that there are still immense possibilities. There is no need to be scared by such an obvious bogey as this persistent story about the failure of the earth to yield oil. The possibility is that t.he scare is' started from time to time to lull the world into belief that it must be content, to pay an exorbitant price for petrol in view of a possible shortage. With the lapsing of certain agreements made between American suppliers and large consumers the price should be still further reduced at the end of this year. But there should be a big reduction before them. GETTING MOST PLEASURE. FAST OR EASY DRIVING. Who gets the most pleasure out of motor-cycling—the . speed merchant or the potterer ? (asks a Motor Cycling correspondent). When 1 first took up motor-cycling as offering an ideal means of gratifying my liking for the country, I went iof several tours at what 1 suppose is the average motor-cyclist’s speed20 to 25 m.p.h. Of course, the fascination of having practically unlimited power and speed at one’s control was undeniable; but I am afraid I saw and appreciated very little of the beautiful country through which I often passed, thus missing the prime- object for which I had taken up motor-cycling. I came to the conclusion that anyone travelling at 20 rmpK and upwards, having due regard to their own safety and the safety of other road users, must keep practically all their attention on the road ahead. Since then I have toured for hundreds of miles at a maximum speed of 10 m.p.h., frequently over 100 miles per day, as, once the engine is nicely throttled down to this speed, there is no necessity to keep one's attention centred on the road ahead, thus enabling one to observe and appreciate what is going on around them to the full; also, I feel practically no fatigue after eight or ten hours in the saddle, in fact, I think the most delicate person could go on indefinitely (with duo allowance for eating and sleeping), whereas, after a few hours at moderate high speed, there is bound to be a certain amount of nerve strain felt by the strongest. The remarks apply equally well to motorcar driving and to those drivers who are so inclined pottering, just idling along, gives far greater pleasure than progress at speed. But motorists are divided into two main types—those who use the car purely as a means of getting somewhere, and those who go out to get t.he greatest possible pleasure from the actual journey. To the first type belongs the busy man who has little time to spare, and who Uses a motor as the most convenient transport. To the same class belongs also the driver who determines beforehand where he intends to find his pleasure, or where his destination shall be, and then uses the car merely as a means of getting there as quickly as possible, oblivious to anything by the way. But the second type gets the greatest pleasure out of motoring, as a rule. They are the philanderers, the people who haw time at their disposal, and they go out to enjoy a run. They know they cannot enjoy a journey at high speed, because the wayside scenes they want to see are gone before they can get a good (look at them. Perhaps the average motor party is a compound of both types. They want to get somewhere comfortably and as quickly as convenience will permit, but they are not in a great hurry, and want to sec everything by the way. It is safe to say that they get at least as much pleasure out of a trip* as the potterer, and beyond this they achieve a definite objective, a pre-planned journey's end, as well. NEWS AND NOTES. The Ford plant at Negishi, Japan, is now assembling 15 chassis a day. It is estimated that there are now 10,500 motor cars in Japan, 4500 of which are the übiquitous Ford. Motor vehicles in Shanghai number 2500, more than three times the total of horses, according to the Shanghai Sunday Timos. Coolie-drawn rikishfls, however, are the most popular type of equipage, totalling 16,000. Modern brakes are very different from the earlier and somewhat make-shift appliances to be found on the old cars. The internal expanding, metal-to-metal brake is' a well-designed piece of engineering and, given ordinary care, there is little that can get amiss with it. But hard wear, especially in hilly districts and frequent driving in congested traffic must have some effect on the braking mechanism, so that a time comes when the brakes reach somewhere near the kunut of their efficiency. More- ’

over, such is the design of the modern type of brake that, when that stage is reached, there is a danger of the mechanism overdrawing. and the brake being rendered inoperative. A thorough overhaul of car brakes is advisable from time to time, in fact it is essential for one’s safety.

A writer in Motor makers reference to the news that was flashed forth upon a somewhat sceptical world to the effect that somebody in New York had invented an electric lamp that would “burn for three years without current.” Furthermore, the size or candle-power of the lamp required was quite immaterial, for it could be produced to any size, even powerful arc light, on thn new principle. The inventor was stated to be guarding his secret jealously, and employing armed detectives night and day to protect the premises where the experiments were being carried out. The New Zealand Motor Traders’ Association has communicated with the secretary of the South Island Motor Union suggesting that a conference should be held between representatives of the Union, the Association and the New Zealand (North Island) Automobile Union, with a view to formulating a statement to the Minister in regard to the proposals of the Mr.in Highways Bill. The secretary of the South Island Union has replied stating that a conference would be acceptable and suggesting Tuesday, October 10. as the date of the meeting. The Marlborough Automobile /Association has applied for the next quarterly general meeting of the South Island Motor Union to be held at Blenheim. The next general meeting will be held in February.

The South Island Motor Union has received, directly and through affiliated organisations, expressions of opinion from many local bodies favouring separate boards of control fpr each island under the provisions of the proposed Main Highways Act. Not all motorists are in favour of having separate bodies to control the North and South Islands. There are some who hold the opinion that the creation of two separate bodies, one for each island, will merely have the effect of doubling administration charges. The point made by those who express this idea is that the necessary protection for the needs of the South Island can be obtained by the insertion of a clause in the Main Highways Bill providing for a division of the total money to be spent on reading work, a certain proportion to be used in the South Island and the remainder in the North.