CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1047, 31 March 1910, Page 12

CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

The directors of the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., have decided upon the increase in capital foreshadowed by the chairman at the annual general meeting held in December. In a circular it is announced that the increase will take the form of the creation of 20,000 new shares of £1 each, ranking in all respects with the present capital, to be issued at a premium of £6 10s per share. The number of shares originally mentioned was 12,000; but the basis of the new undertakings contemplated by the company has since been considerably broadened. It has been decided to offer these shares to the present shareholders, and the allotments will not be less than the pro rata proportion of one new share for every eleven old shares. « * * It is estimated that there are over two million cyclists in Great Britain, annually absorbing over half-a-mil-lion machines, and four times that number of tyres. The value of cycles annually made in England totals over £3,500,000. This is exclusive of accessories and parts, so that it can be seen what a gigantic business the English cycle trade rs. During the recent English Parliamentary elections, it is estimated that over 50,000 motor cars did good work in carrying hundreds of thousands of voters to the polling booths, and, at the same time, valuable service to the motoring cause. Men who go down to the poll in cars (and, many will go down in nothing else) can get an idea of its ease of running and the thorough control of the car, and are reconciled to it as a means of conveyance. The important thing is

that the “murderous motorist” no longer lives in the imagination of the people.

An attempt was made last week by A. Birch to break the cycling road record over the Greymouth-Christ-church route. The roads were in fairly good order, but Birch, who rode alone and without any outside assistance, was handicapped by an imperfect knowledge of the roads, and had several times to dismount and inquire the way. Leaving Greymouth at 5 a.m., he reached the Bealey at 11.47 a.m., and between there and Springfield, which was reached at 5.50 p.m., he had several punctures, delays from this source totalling about an hour. He left Springfield at 6.15 p.m., after having tea, and reached the Christchurch post office at 8.59 p.m. Under the circumstances the time registered for the journey, 15hrs. 59min, constitutes a very good performance.