MOTORING & CYCLING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1262, 25 June 1914, Page 31

MOTORING & CYCLING

The Canterbury Automobile Association has received tenders for the supply of one hundred standard sign-posts which will be supplied to local bodies for the purpose of directing travellers on the main roads. As is done in other places, the posts will bear the name of the Canterbury Automobile Association beside the directions.

Leaving a car out in the rain does not improve its appearance in time, and leaving a wet hood folded up does not do the hood too much good. It is best to wash a car before putting it to bed for the night. Wet or damp cushions should be dried off. Sunshine is good, but to leave a car standing in the sun for hours and hours does not help to keep up its good appearance. Clean up the oily engine and bonnet. Keep tools clean and free from rust; dust up your hood regularly. Oil the locks on your doors, and see they do not get out of order. Tighten up loose parts regularly.

The secretary of the Wellington Automobile club has written to the Railway Department, asking that the piers on the railway viaduct over the Hutt Road should be painted, so as to be clearly distinguishable on dark nights, which is far from being the\ case at present.

Motor engineering from the marine point of view is increasing steadily in importance. Messrs. Harland and Wolff have now launched from their Glasgow works their second motor ship, the Falstria, built for the East Asiatic Company, of Copenhagen. Their first was the Mississippi, which they launched in February for the Atlantic Transport line. The Falstria is of 4,730 tons and the Mississippi of 4,500 tons, and they are being supplied with twin-screw Diesel engines by. the Burmeister and Wain Company, of Glasgow. Approaching the launching stage the firm have the motor ship Bostonian, for the Leyland line —also for Burmeister and Wain Diesel engines—while the same engineering firm are now installing machinery in the East Asiatic Company’s Bandon —a vessel of 3,485 tons from which Messrs.' Barclay, Curie and Co. have removed the reciprocating steam engines. The Bandon’s sister ships, Chumpon and Pangan, are also at Glasgow for “conversion” from steam to oil, and they, too, will have Burmeister and Wain Diesel engines. In each case the reciprocating engines are being transferred to| a new hull, built on the east coast.

A good idea to keep the legs warm in winter when motoring, is mentioned in an English paper. Remove a narrow strip of floorboard, and as soon as the car starts the current of warm air running from the engine will rush through the space under your overcoat, keeping legs and body warm. Don’t lift the board right over fly-wheel, or oil may splash through.

The rapidity with which motoring has developed in Australia is indicated by a return presented to the House of Representatives recently by the Miniser of Customs. It shows that the importations of motor-car and motor-wag-gon bodies increased in value £62,642 in 1909 to £220,088 in 1912 i and of chassis from £435,514 in 1909 to £1,451,495 in 1912. Last year there was a slight falling off in both bodies and chassis, the importations being £216,381 in the case of the former, and £1,333,721 of the later.

By the end of the present year the Wellington City Council will possess a fleet of 17 motor vehicles and four! motor cycles. The Fire Brigade has six fire motors and a motor-cycle with fire equipment; the Tramways Department has two motor wagons; the Electric Lighting Department a tower wagon and three motor cycles. Then there is the City Engineer’s 10 h.pA Austin and the 9 h.p. Renault used as a pay car. The motors on order include three motor buses for the tramways, and a one-ton Albion for the Electric Lighting Department. Tenders are also being called for two 1 electric vehicles.

The motorist in England who runs people down and then drives away has not only to evade the ordinary police regulations, but also the organisation of his fellow motorists. A motorist who was on his. wrong side knocked down a couple of cyclists, and then fled. When the mail left England, a week had elapsed since the accident, but the driver had not come forward, and no one had been able to get on his track. But both the police and the Automobile Associa-

tion were determined that he should be found. The means of identification were slender. The make of the car was known, and also the fact that it had a single headlight, and had lost a grease-cap from the front. As the cycle was carried forty-two feet, it is inferred that the speed must have been thirty miles an hour. The 500 scouts of the Automobile Association, which has over 85,000 members, and whose patrol service, extending all over the country, costs more than £■50,000 a year to maintain, had joined the police in the hunt for the runaway car.

It is stated that a movement is afoot in Gisborne for the formation of an automobile club. Wairoa motorists are already setting about the formation of such an institution and it is likely that the community of interest between the two centres will result in much advantage to both clubs.

The contract for the supply of three Tilling-Stevens motor ’buses for the Wellington City Council has been signed. The successful tenderers were Messrs. Richardson and McCabe, and the price for the three, with bodies complete, was £3945 (bare chassis £3105). The unsuccessful tenderers were: —Messrs. Hatrick and Co. (Thornycroft), £2905 14s. 3d.; Messrs. J. J. Niven and Co. (Straker-Squire), £3233 9s. 6d. (alternative £3096); Messrs. Grapes and Riley (Albion), £3210 (bodies built locally), £3397 (bodies imported); the same (Thomas transmission), £4144 19s. and £3300 (chassis only); Messrs. Inglis Bros. (Dennis), £3113 25.; Messrs. J. A. Lutz (Benz), £3814 10s., £3754 10s., £3844 10s. (imported bodies), £3091 10s. (locally-built bodies), £2325 (chassis only); Messrs. G. Henning (Daimler), £3651 (local bodies), £3891 (imported (bodies); Messrs. G. W. Woods (Argyll), £3090; Messrs. Dalgety (Halley, £3066 and £3312.

The “Trade Review” states that the imports of motor cars into New Zealand during the year ended Decem-

ber 31st 1913, totalled 2913 chasses, and 2731 bodies, of a value of £678,500, while parts and materials for these and for steam motor lorries were imported to the value of £274,737. The number of motor cycles imported in the year was 2691, valued at £51,459, and the parts and materials for these totalled £30,199. This is a grand total for cars, cycles, and materials of £1,034,895. Fully 96 per cent, of the cycles were of British origin; of the cars 1042 came from the United Kingdam, 962 from the United States, 811. from Canada, 60 from France, 13 from Germany, 19 from Australia, and 6 from Belgium and Italy.

The Waitotara County Council has purchased a motor car for local use, and the engineer went down to Wellington to take delivery. On the way back in the car he took particular notice of the condition of the roads he traversed. Some, he said, were rather rough, and would be much improved by a few applications of a heavy steam roller. Undoubtedly, the best roads he passed over were in the Rangitikei Counity. Another thing he noticed was the condition of the bridges, many of which were dilapidated and had an unstable appearance, but few being worthy of the name of bridge. He could say that the Waitotara County was not the worst roaded and bridged county in the Dominion, but at the same time he did not wish to imply that he thought it was the best in those respects.

At a recent meeting of the Canterbury Automobile Association a memo, was received from the South Canterbury Association, asking for assistance to a proposal to widen the traffic bridge alongside the Rangitata railway bridge, as a motor bridge over the erratic and treacherous river would be of great advantage to touring cars and prevent a long detour. The matter of an accident at Rakaia, in which it was alleged that a motor car had been driven off without the owner stopping to see what damage he had done, was also considered. It was resolved by the Association to offer the police every assistance in identifying the offender and bringing him to book.