MOTORING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8752, 15 October 1906, Page 1

MOTORING.

NOTES.

(By PETROL.) During his recent trip to England Mr J. B. Clark&s-n made arrangements to represent the new Speedwell Motor Company of luiightsbridge, London, in New Zealand. He has since placed the agency with Messrs Dexter and Crazier, of Auckland, who will run. Spoedwell cars in conjunction with their Cadillacs. Several Speedwell orders have already been placed by Messrs Dexter and Go.

Mr Clarkson was almost successful in arranging a motor exhibit that would have been one of the chief features of the International Exhibition. He discussed the matter with Mr S. F. Edge, the well-known British motorist, with the result that it was practically decided to forward three Napier cars, of 60, 40 and 18-h.p. respectively, to New Zealand. A close examination of the Exhibition conditions, however, elicited the information that, once within the Exhibition grounds, the cars could not bo taken out until th© fair was <*ver>,, and, as th© Napier people naturally wanted to be able on occasion to show their cars travelling on the roads to persons interested, the project was abandoned.

The annual report of the Canterbury Automobile Association states that the year commenced with a membership of 87, and has increased to 94. The balance-sheet shows that, although the expenditure for the year increased by £IG2 (5s lid. the balance to credit stande at £125 11s 2d, or an increase of £38 10s 5d upon the balance recorded last year. Subscriptions increased by £1 loa 6d, whilst the gymkhana showed a profit of £10 lls lOd, and the annual banquet a profit of 13s 6d. The committee considers that the financial position of the Association is very Bound. Two very successful gymkhanas had been held. A gymkhana has been arranged to take place on the sports ground of the Exhibition early next year, and amongst other prospective fixtures would be a lull-climbing competition, which would in all probability be arranged by the incoming committee. During the year Mr G. Palmer had resigned his position as vice-president, and Mr A. E. G. Rhodes has been elected to fill the vacancy. The committee had taken a good deal of trouble to bring under the notice of i the Government the necessity for removing the duty on motor tyres, and would recommend the incoming committee to keep the matter steadily in view in tho event of the tariff question being reopened. As a result of t-he agitation set on foot by the committee, a cum of £1500 had been placed on the Estimates of last year for the construction of a bridge across the Waipara, and it would probably be commenced soon. The committco had brought under the notice of the Ashburton County Council the necessity for bridging the worst water races in the county, and as a result all such races in the county had been bridged. In this connection the committee had approached the various local authorities, and asked them to erect white posts near the approach to water races under their jurisdiction, but without success. The committee had brought under the notice of the proper authorities the bad state of repair of tho roads within the Christ-church Tramway Board District, and in some cases the recommendations had been adopted. Early in the year a conference of lcoal bodies had been held in Christchurch with a view to the adoption of uniform by-laws to govern motoring. The committee regretted to report that the obnoxious by-law, prohibiting tho driving of a car Between Cooptown and Akaroa between sunset and sunrise, which had been successfully contested last year, had been repassed, and as a result two of the members had been prosecuted. The committee had fought both these caees, as in its opinion the principle involved was one of vital importance to the Association. One of the members had been summoned for driving in the city at a pace which was considered bj r /the authorities to be unreasonable. The cc-m-

-mittee, deeming the prosecution a ! vexatious one, had taken up the case, and the Magistrate had dismissed the information. - In conclusion, the report 1 states that every point of interest to I the Association has been considered^by I the committee, which considers that i the Association has proved of value to, and is deserving of the support of every person owning a oar. 1 The London motor omnibus business i appears to have a large element of prot fit about it, according to rumour which has it that one " autocrat of au-to-mobilism is weaving a. web round half-a-dozen companies, while Mr Harvey dv Cross is reported to be cornering the second-hand business." The "Ardennes Circuit" race has again proved the advantages of removable rims. The first five cars and the seventh were all fitted with Michelin removable rims: The only car in the race «.not fitted with removable rims was 'Wagner's Darracq, and he covered 100 kilometres in the fastest time.

Owing to the tremendous rate at which the motor trade is developing in England, the old Coventry firm of Humber and Co. has found it necessary to still further extend its works. _ The company has already three distinct factories in full swing; but, in, order to keep abreast of the times, it has acquired a plot of land in Coventry, twenty-nine acres in extent, on which it is intended to concentrate the motor branch.