HIGHROAD & BY-ROAD.

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18809, 3 December 1932, Page 23 (Supplement)

HIGHROAD & BY-ROAD.

SPARKS. A rubber company reoently built its 200,000,000 th tyre. Of course, the directors celebrated the occasion with a blow-out. * * * * The' Importation of new motor vehicles into the Irish Free State is practically at a standstill owing to tho prohibitive import duties. If it wasn’t "for his car (says an American paper), many a poor farmer couldn't reach the place where his kind are meeting to demand relief, As a result of remonstrating With a constable for not giving a trafOc signal clearly a motorist has been prosecuted in England. lie was ordered to pay costs. * * * * "Didn’t yoU have any better sense than to strike a match to see if your petrol tank was empty?” “Well, why not? it was a safety match 1" * * * * In the recent Italian Grand Pt'ix at Monza the Alfa-Romeo concern used a secret fuel that smelled like shoe polish. People with cigarettes were kept at a considerable distance. « * w * Men of 50 are the steadiest drivers, a survey shows. By that time, you understand, they have found that it is safer to keep only one head on their shoulders at a time. * * * * If all these groups being organised to help the railroads will only ride on the trains and pay full fare (says an American paper) the roads may he saved. * * * * Soviet Russia has started a synthetic rubber plant, alcohol being the basic Ingredient, which, in view of the low price of the genuine article, is a rather astonishing enterprise. « 9 * * A rich American travelling in France presented the car in which he had had the misfortune to crash to a man who helped him at the time of the accident. Its value was considerable. # # # * The “ Golden Arrow," the world record breaking car of the late Sir Henry Segrave was on view at the recent Canadian National Exhibition. There were no exhibits of British cars. 3 9 9 * We are of opinion that if someone had sounded an auto horn at the psychological moment (says an exchange), America wouldn’t have lost that Olympic high jump. Lubrication of the spring leaves should bo carried out at least twice a year, and is an attention which will greatly add to the silence and riding comfort of the car anil reduce wear and tear. * * * * Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Sunbeam track-racing car is equipped with a pre-selective self-changing gearbox, of Armstrong-Siddeley manufacture. Using the new gearbox, Sir Malcolm recently won an Important event at Brooklands. * * * * It is noteworthy (writes a visitor from Christchurch) that children from Otago country schools have formed the habit of walking In single file on the roadside when motors approach. The same safe practice does not seem to be followed in Canterbury, oountry districts. * * * * The golden rules for battery maintenance are to top up with distilled water every fortnight and to keep the top of the battery dry and clean; to switch off the headlights when using the self-starter, and to use the side lights only when parking. * * * * In the final cinder track test match England v. Australia, at Wembley Stadium, England, England won by 51 points to 42. Hours before the time of starting the stadium was beseiged by a huge ( crowd. Tho attendance was 84,000'. « • * » The car of to-day uses as many as eight to 10 different alloy steels. Chrome vanadium is used in transmission gears and springs; chrome molybdenum or chrome nickel in propeller and rear axle shafts, and nickel steel in differential gears. Valve and clutch springs are made of manganese steel, ball bearings of chromium steel, and bodv trim of stainless steel. ’4• • • At a recent display of the new Morris cars at Manchester the failure of a fuse plunged the premises in darkness. However, all the lights of the assembled cars were switched on, the beams crossing each other like a ! miniature searchlight display, while | tho new Morris direction signals were : given a practical demonstration under : nocturnal conditions. * • * * While many people view with alarm the Injury and loss of life which ooour I eaoh year In trafflo accidents. In which ! cars are concerned, a British doctor ! points out that the motor vehlole has ! contributed materially to reducing the aggregate death rate in most communities Instead of increasing it. From i 1911 to .1931 deaths in motor accidents in Great Britain increased from 2987 to 5955. Jn the same period deaths from a serious infantile com- | plaint spread by flies bred in stables .decreased from 46,212 to 2,510. This marked decrease is attributed to the ; replacement of horses . by motor i vehicles and the consequent closing | of the stables In which the flics onoc | bred. .