CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1049, 14 April 1910, Page 12

CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

It is estimated that there are over two million cyclists in Great Britain, annually absorbing over half a million 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 is.

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 motor cause. Men who go down to the poll in cars (and many will go down in nothing else) get an idea of the ease and of the running and 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.

The recent floods in Paris have caused a tremendous loss to the French motor industry, for three-quarters of the Automobile factories were under water. An idea of the great loss can be gathered from the fact that in two workshops alone (the Renault and De Dion ) 6,500 workmen were thrown out of work. At the lowest estimate? 14.000 motor car workers were effected by the flooding of the Seine Valley. What the losses of such firms as the Renault, Darracq, De Dion, Gnome, Georges Richard, Peugeot, Gobron, Clement, Mors, Aries, Vinot’ Chenard, Sizaire, Saurer, Alcyon, Delage, and a host of smaller makers’ are, it would be difficult to estimate, but they must be something tremendous. The effect of the flood will be to throw back deliveries of cars of the above firms, which will cause much tribulation amongst Australians who have French cars on order.

A clever invention has been put on the market in America, by which motorists can easily follow any touring route. The invention is calling itself the Jones Live Map. The device is m the shape of a meter connecting through a flexible driving shaft by suitable mechanism to one of the front wheels of the car. To the meter is attached a disc of paper, the outer edge of which is divided into miles and tenths of miles, each disc showing one hundred miles. One is used for each route or part of a route up to this distance, and they can be renewed indefinitely, as far as tne traveller cares

to go. On the face of the disc or map, opposite the correct distance, is printed the features of the route, such as the names of towns, the turns, bridges, railroad crossings, etc. The live map revolves in the meter in such a way that each place in turn on the highway is indicated as it is reached, by a fixed pointer. Therefore, when the map tells of a “right turn,” a “fork in the road”, or gives the name of a village the car is at that point. The map contains a mass of information of all kinds. A glance at it will answer any question of the road —milage and direction—anything that can be predetermined. The flexible driving shaft makes it possible to pass the map for reference to the rear seats, but it can be read from the tonneau when in its regular place in the front of the car.