“SPARKING WELL.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17245, 11 January 1924, Page 1

“SPARKING WELL.”

DR THACKER RETURNS.

“ THIRTY MILES TO THE GALLON.”

“Fine! Doing thirty miles to the gallon !’’ That was liow Dr Thacker answered a reporter who greeted him on bis return to Christchurch to-day and inquired how he was after a world tour extending over many months “"We have stayed in seventy-five hotels, been in sixty-two trains and motored ten thousand miles,” added Dr Thacker. “ The best thing we have experienced in our travels has been the wonderful opinion everybody has of our soldiers. That is not speaking of them as fighting men, but as to their wonderful behaviour in the com-

munities. We have met dozens and dozens of people wtio came into direct contact with our soldiers, and they, with one accord, stated that when there w as a New Zealand soldier standing by, no matter what was going on. they always felt happy and safe. They considered that the New Zealanders had come from happy homes. “The next, most happy thing has been t'he general all-round kindness everywhere. As an example of that, if you pulled up your taxi anywhere in London. and the people on the pavement saw you were getting out with any difficulty, they would pull up inUnediately and come and try to help you.” MOTORING PROGRESS. Dr Thacker said that they were not going to destroy the country lanes in England. Instead, they were going to cut big highways right across the country. The progress and development of motoring was demonstrated, he said-, in the wonderful show made at the Olympia exhibition, the annexe of which this year was as great as the whole exhibition previously. Between thirty and forty thousand people visited the exhibition every day. “ The most notable thing about the cars,” he said. “is the question of the four brakes, that- is. with brakes on the front wheels in addition to the back wheels. Most of the English manufacturers are standing pat, to watch de velopments. The French makers have added the front brakes. T think the four brakes will lead to a, great deal of /dangerous driving, owing to the belief of the drivers that they can pull up so quickly Especially will this b» the in the city streets, where people will pull up quickly and so cause cars behind them to run into them Ther» is no doubt, that the Enel'«h manufacturers have awakened to the realisation that they must beat the Americans A splendid light touring oar can now he obtained at from £250 to £300.” Dr Thacker mentioned that he had secured a car of this t.vp« One of the things that impressed us in London was the number of is

lands in the streets. Since we were there last these had increased a thousand fold. The islands are not placed at the corners of the streets, but a little distance from the comers. These islands have upright buffers at each end to prevent the encroachment i f the buses in turning. To a. largo extent these islands are doing away with the necssity for so much police control of the traffic. Tn the more difficult streets these islands are solving the traffic problem. For people to say they are obstructions is ridiculous nonsense. POLITICS AT HOME. ".Whan ,we left Jiondon,” sAid *Dr Thacker, “the election was just, two days off. The Conservatives were staking everything on protection and Empire preference. The Liberals Bad ’ united in the free trade policy, and Mr Lloyd George and Mr Asquith were to be found on the same platform. Mr T/loyd George was going round like a whirlwind, and talking to thousands of people by means of wireless. The Labour party had hitched their waggon to the unemployment problem and tlie capital levy. The other two parties made a tremendous hoo-doo about the capital levy proposals, hut it is wonderful what strength the capital levy proposal ha<t gained in England. There is not the slightest doubt in the world but that the Labour Party have got some of the finest brains in the conn try in their party. Lawyers ; doctors and big business and commercial men are among those who have attached themselves to the Labour party and who stood this time as I/abour representatives. The women candidates put up a splendid fight for social reform. T think that Mr Baldwin will be put out and that Mr Ramsay MacDonald will be sent for. Mr MacDonald has declared that he will cut out the extreme planks from his platform, such as the capital levy and the nationalisation of industry, and will devote his attention to social reforms, wages and unemployment. If that policy is rejected by the .Liberals and Conservatives then Mr MacDonald can go to ; the country on that platform and he will win. The Conservatives and the Liberals have already practically arranged that the man who polled the least number of votes in the last threer.orner contest shall withdraw at the next election and so leave the way clear for a direct issue with Labour. If, however. Mr MacDonald’s policy is such as the Liberals can accept, they will not junction with I>abour, hut they will come to a working agreement.” Turning from domestic to international politics Dr Thacker expressed, the opinion that if a vote were taken in England on the subject, ninety per cent of the people would vote for the French in connection with the R.uhr policy. The whole sympathy of the people, he said, was with France.