MOTORING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 132, 10 July 1914, Page 2

MOTORING.

NEWS AND NOTES. V Some remarkably accurate work was done in the speed-judging competition recently held by the Wellington Motor Cycling Club. , The course was from Clyde Quay School round the Queen 's Drive to Evans's Bay, over the Worser Bay hill, on to Miramar, Lyall Bay, and bask to the, school, a distance of 20.5 miles. The competitors, of whom there were about a dozen, were each given envelopes containing a card with a cer : tain speed rate marked on it. The Winner was E. Creed (17f miles per hour), whose time error was 2mih 16sec. H. E. Edmonds (184 miles) was next, with an error of ijniin lsec, and J. Boucher (I7i miles) third, with an error of 4min 13sec.

Owing to the number of accidents at level railway crossings in England during the past few years, due, it is alleged, as much to the want of attention and proper lighting on the part of the railway companies as to any carelessness or negligence of motor drivers, there is a recurrence of the question as to whether railroad traffic should always have precedence of highway.traffic in these days of A*astly increased road transportation —the more so seeing that the use of mechanically propelled vehicles on the. roads bids fair to 1 be<?orrre very much more; general. Although the subject l is too far advanced for Australian &on-; ditions, it clearly reveals "the trend of; thought and possible action regarding; the new, or, rather, the revived road traffic. The advent of the automobiles after the locomotive was unfortunate?' for the road vehicle; had it come before; ■—its proper place in the sequence of, things—after the stage coach, that is-*— ! not only would the highways and roads question have never been allowed* to fall into comparative oblivion, but—if we can only dissociate our minds from what the railways npw are —transportation on a special and exclusive steel roadway would scarcely have been countenanced, and certainly ■would not .have developed, to its* present immenseproportions.

The annual report of the Boyal Automobile Club in Pall Mall boasts of sta J tistics unrivalled by any, club in. the worjd. Its members' list is nearly; 8000. It has a county club near Epsom, with a park of 338, acres.. The boats, and yachts,, ownedby members have an aggregate tonnage• of over 12,000. For, .rents, rates, tjaxea, and insurance in pandon the paid £31,203 last year. ' . The house wa&es, laund;y, and uniforms cost nearly £IB,OOO 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 great annual international motor test, held on the Austrian. Alps, and, in fact, known a? the Alpine Tour,'' was this year. ..by^a.^fr^rya',stipcl with Dunlop tyres. In all 74 cars competed, while the course jyas JB2O inilps, spread over eight stages in ten days. The contest is a particularly strenuous one, including climbs through 24 Alpine passfes, all over 6000 ft high, while many of the mountain roads are almost impassable. Most of the world's leading makers entered cars for the test, and 11 manufacturers sent teams of three.

L. G. Hornsted, the crack "Benz" driver, has just created new world's figures at " Brooklands'' (England) for the flying rtiile car track record. Hornsted drove a mile in 28.095 ec, equivalent to a speed of over 128J miles an hour. Whilst Hornsted V wonderful performance is a world's record for the track, fastest time has been established for the same distance by the crack American driver, R. Burman, who, in April, 1011, covered 1760 1 yards on the hard sartd •at Florida Beach,-' Daytond (U.S.A.) in 25 2-ssec, equal to a speed of 14T£ miles an hour. Of the two performances Hornsted's is undoubtedly the better, for, whilst this was accomplished on a circular banked track; which necessitates covering considerably over the correct distance, Burman's drivei was a straightaway one, along a flat beach. The previous mile traek record stood at 31 l-ssec, to the credit of V. Hennery, at "Brooklands," in November, 1909, The much-talked-about petrol railway carriages, the first motor train in New Zealand, is announced to carry its first passengers on the first of next month. This style of motor will be greatly appreciated on the run to Johusonville, the proposed route.. Between Wellington and Ngaio five tunnels are encountered, all within a short radius qf Wellington city, before the train pitnerges from the Ramparts of the Empire City into the breeziness of the clean country atmosphere. The annual report of the New Zealand Automobile Vnion, which will be presented on the 10th of next month, deals with the Government's intention to relieve local bodies of the management of arterial roads. This will have an important effect on any legislation dealing with automobile affairs. The tax which was suggested by the union, and which it was proposed should be collected and administered by motor councils, consisting of representatives of local bodies, would in' that case be wholly or partially collected and administered by the Government, The delegates will be asked at the annual meeting to give these matters their earnest consideration, and it would be well jf they could* be discussed by the several local associations in anticipation of the meeting of the delegates. ; The subject of taxation of motpr vehicles for the upkeep of roads will 15'e. brought prominently forward by sonije of the remits before the conference ;oif the Municipal Association, which is tio be held in Wellington next week. Wei-; lington, 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 Paimerston remit contains a little more matter than the rest. It is: "That the executive of municipal and counties associations jointly confer with a view of 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 e.xpendiing the said tax." The point of interest, from a motoring ppint 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.