MOTORING & CYCLING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1346, 10 February 1916, Page 20

MOTORING & CYCLING

His Excellency the Governor lias announced that he Will be pleased to accord his patronage to the Grand Patriotic Motor Carnival to be held m Christchurch on b ebruary 19.

Mr. F. N. Mantell, of Christchurch, has enlisted and will leave tor the front with the Wireless Corps. Mi. Manteii takes a keen interest m motor cyclmg, and recently won a iive-niile handicap race held at New Brighton, under tne auspices of the Pioneer Club.

The Automobile Club of Victoria has presented two motor amouiances and one touring car to the mihtary authorities for war use.

Word has been received by cable that Mr. J. A. M. Allan, who left New Zealand in October to join the hlyxtig Corps, has been appointed Flight SubLieutenant in the Royal Naval Air Service. Mr. Allan is a son or Mrs. Alexander Allan, of “Rockvale,” Waikari.

Mr. Gordon Pettigrew, of the staff of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., left for England by the Corinthic to join the Imperial Flying Corps.

Mr. Lloyd George has a curiouslooking mascot affixed to the bonnet of his motor car. It takes the form of a two-inch aeroplane shell —not a miniature or a copy, but the actual thing.

Mr. J. Torlesse, manager of the Union Bank at Waimate, -has been on a motoring tour of the scenic resorts of the West Coast, being accompanied by several residents of South Canterbury.

Mr. P. C. Skerrett, K.C., and Miss Skerrett are now back in Wellington, after a motoring tour in Canterbury and centres further south.

After a motoring tour of 1300 miles through the North Island, Mr. G. W. Allsop stated in Auckland that in his opinion the most beautiful scenery was that of the Omanawa Falls, near Tauranga. A great body of water falls from a height of about 100 ft., and some of the power generated by the falls is now being utilised to supply electricity for the borough of Tauranga. The power is conveyed a distance of about 16 miles, and, in add.tion to lighting the town, the Borough Council is supplying power for private use.

The fallacy of driving a motor too fast over a crossing was exemplified at Stratford the other day, when a collision occurred at the intersection of Broadway and Fenton Street between a motor car, driven by a young lady, and a motor cyclist. It appears that the car, driven about 20 miles an hour, was on its correct side goingsouth down Broadway, and when the motor cyclist, who mounted his machine only a few yards from the corner, came down Fenton Street attending to the mechanism he collided with the car. The cycle was badly damaged, but the rider escaped unscathed.

At the last meeting of the Otago Motor Club, presided over by Mr. J. A. Roberts, a letter was received from Mr. M. Cohen (editor of the “Evening Star”) asking the help of the club in establishing a fund for a motor ambulance to be named after Nurse Cavell. The chairman said that the matter had been referred to the committee, and it recommended that the club make a donation of 100 shillings towards this motor ambulance. This recommendation was adopted on the motion of Mr. Watson Munro.

Sir Joseph Ward, who arrived in Napier from Taupo by motor, stated to a “Herald” reporter that he was pleased with the general condition of the country. He had been to Rotorua for the past week, and the place was very busy, and full of people. The country generally between Rotorua and Napier had been very considerably altered during the last few years for the better.

Mr. Herbert Duke had a thrilling adventure in his motor launch Leona, a 24ft. clinker-built craft, on Auckland Anniversary Day. He was br'ng ng it from Waiwera on the morning of Anniversary Day to compete in a regatta race. The north-east gale raised a considerable sea, and Mr. Duke had a lively time when crossing the open water between Whangaparaoa Passage and Rangitoto Channel. Mr. Duke was accompanied by his wife and family, which included a baby in a cradle. He was heartily cheered by the officials on the judge’s boat when he passed the winning post first in the race in which he took part.

The Motor Service Corps, under the command of Major C. Rhodes, contributed their part to the welcome to the wounded soldiers who returned to Auckland by the Rotorua last week. Private car owners were also in readiness, and the men on arrival were conveyed to the Town Hall, and after luncheon were taken for trips round the city and suburbs.

E. Bayles, a well-known Hobart motor cyclist, recently tackled the figures established by the American rider, E. G. Baker, for the Launces-ton-Hobart ride. Bayles rode a Dun-lop-shod 7 h.p. Indian, and succeeded in clipping one and a-half minutes off the American’s time. His time for the 121 miles was 2hrs. 36mins. The Tasmanian crack would have even bettered this performance had he not punctured a front wheel tyre. He

also had a nasty fall after travelling 40 miles, and was again delayed, owing to being pulled up at a railway crossing. In the circumstances Bayles’ ride is a particularly meritorious one. It is noteworthy that Bayles and Baker elected to start from different ends of the route, Bayles starting from Launceston, while Baker chose the Hobart end.

The demand for expert motor drivers in England still continues. To meet the continual call it has been suggested that the difficulty be relieved by the lowering of the minimum age limit for the granting of driving licenses. The existing minimum age is 17 years, and it is proposed that this might be reduced co 16 or even 15 years of age. England already has some 60,000 motor drivers and mechanics at the front —a silent army that is doing invaluable work. • *> * * Among the applications for passports which have reached the Depart-

ment of Internal Affairs during the last few weeks (says a P.A. message from Wellington), have been many from young men, who stated that they wished to proceed to the United Kingdom in order to join the Royal FlyingCorps. The Department has required these men to report themselves at the High Commissioner’s office in London, and to make a declaration that if they were not required for the Flying Corps they would join some other branch of the Imperial service. Re-

cently the Minister of Internal Affairs asked the Minister of Defence to ascertain from the Imperial authorities whether or not these candidates for admission to the Flying Corps were needed at Home. “Information has beer received from the Imperial Government,” says the Defence Ministein reply, “that candidates for commissions in the Royal Flying Corps will be accepted under certain conditions. Mechanics cannot be accepted for the Royal Flying Corps at present, as it has been notified that the establishment has been completed. T'he Imperial Government will grant free passages for officers who are recognised by the New Zealand Defence Department, but should they prove unsuitable to graduate as military pilots, after instruction, they will be transferred for service with the infantry of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces. All candidates must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years, and must pass the usual medical examination and hold a commis-

sion in the Dominion military forces. In addition they must satisfy the Medical Board of New Zealand. The Defence Department will consider the granting of a commission to any suitable man who may qualify for an aviator’s certificate under the rules of the Aero Club, and who fulfils the other conditions, but such men must be British born and the son of British parents. Sons of aliens or of naturalised aliens cannot be recommended under any circumstances.”