MOTORING & CYCLING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1440, 29 November 1917, Page 26

MOTORING & CYCLING

On a recent evening the Mangaone Stream between Feild ng and Palmerston rose over 20ft., and Mr. R. Donald, who was motoring home from the Bunnythorpe side, dropped 4ft. on account of the scour caused by the flood waters running over the bridgehead. H's motor car was considerably damaged, but Mr. Donald escaped with a ducking. * ♦ * * The thirteenth pup'l of the Canterbury Aviation Company has taken his pilot’s certificate, the distinction going to R. A. Grant, of Fairlie, who was passed by Colonel Chaffey. He flew very well (states the “Press”), and showed good judgment, and his landings were good, although the morn ng was rather windy and the bright sunshine meant a loss of buoyancy. The fact that Grant was the thirteenth candidate to fly occasioned no superstitious forebodings, since he professed to regard thirteen as his lucky number, and was anxious to be examined on Tuesday, the thirteenth day of the month. There are nine pupils undergo’ng training and thirtythree waiting. * ♦ * ♦ Arising out of an application for permiss'on to erect a motor garage at Kelburn, a report was presented to the Wellington City Council by the City Engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton), pointing out that it was undesirable to allow a number of garages to be erected on the same section, since the kerb-crossings to give access to them tepded to obstruct the waterchannels and cause trouble by flooding in ra'ny weather. The Council instructed the By-laws Committee to prepare a by-law prohibiting the construction of more than one cross ng to any section except with the consent of the Council. * ♦ » ® The Christchurch Pioneer Club is considering the holding of a Red Cross motor carnival about the middle of February, on the lines of the meeting heli at the same time last year. The event will take place on the Canterbury Park racecourse, alongside the avlat on. ground, and it has been suggested that an event might be arranged between motor cycle and aeroplane. It is understood that such an event was mooted last year, but at that time the company’s aeroplanes were not landed. The Automobile Association has decided to lend its patronage to a motor carnival if the proceeds are given to patriotic lunds. * * ♦ • At the monthly meetng of the Otago Motor Club a joint application for monetary assistance was received from the Wellington and Wairarapa associations, in order to obtain an authoritative decision by the Supreme Court as to the legality of by-laws I'mit‘ng the speed of motor cars throughout New Zealand. The letter stated that these by-laws limited the speed to 10 or 12 miles per hour, or less, and such a speed was considered to be unreasonable. Mr. W. S. Wilson moved that the club donate their proportion of the cost of any such action through the court. The motion was seconded by Mr. W. Wright. Mr. M. Stevenson moyed as an amendment that the letter be received. He said he considered the speed lim ts fixed in certa’n localities quite reasonable. The engineer w’ho had the work of repairing the Main North road was receiving very little considerat’on from some of the motorists who used the road, the new metal being scattered all over the place. He was beginning to doubt now whether he had done the right thing in contest'ng the action of the Green Island Borough Council in installing a toll-bar. Mr. Wilson, in reply, said a l that was be'ng asked for was a uniform by-law. They wanted to prevent individual local bod es from inflict'ng hardships, as they had been doing. Had they not had one of their members (Mr. McFarlane) defending the action brought against him by the Ashburton Council for exceeding a low speed limit? The amendment was lost by 6 votes to 5, and the mot’on carried. Mr. Stevenson thereupon gave notice to move at the next meeting that the motion be rescinded.

A letter was sent to the Minister for Defence recently by Mr. J. Vigor Brown, M.P., asking why the candidates of the Auckland Flying School received better treatment than those of the Canterbury School. Mr. V gor Brown has received the following letter from the Minister for Defence: — “I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of November 6th regarding the difference in treatment of the last lot of pupils from the Auckland and Canterbury Flying Schools who went Home. I beg to inform you that eleven officers and ten cadets sailed with the last reinforcements, the officers being on a different boat to the cadets. The officers were pup’ls who had entered the Auckland School before the Canterbury School came into existence, and, therefore, they came under the old conditions from the Impel* al Government, which laid it down that on qualifying they were to be commissioned and sent to England as second lieutenants. As to the cadets, eight of these were from t ie Canterbury School and two from the Auckland School, the latter two having entered the Auckland School under the new conditions, which came into operation when the Canterbury School was opened. There is only one more pupil to qualify in the Auck-

land School, who w'll go Home as a second lieutenant. With this exception all future pupils from the Auckland School will be sent Home as cadets and on the same status as those from the Canterbury School. It is quite correct tnat the officers are paid 7s 6d. per day from date of embarkation, £2O for their uniforms, and £75 refund o': school fees, whilst under the new cond't’ons the cadets are paid Is. per day. and also receive an allowance of £75 prior to sailing. They do not receive the £2O outfit allowance, as the Imperial Government has instructed that they are to go Home in mufti.”

A number of tests were recently carried out in California to determine the amount of thrust sustained by an ordinary rubber tyre when a motor vehicle rounds a corner. It was found that a car weighing 2500 pounds taking a curve of 50 feet radius at four miles per hour imposed practically no additional strain upon the tyres. In taking the same course at 20 miles per hour it was found that not only was the dead weight of the vehicle, i.e., 2500 pounds, thrown upon the outer wheels, but that there was a centrifugal load or side thrust equal to a force of about 655 pounds per tyre, applied in such a manner as to tend to strip the tyre off the rim. Practical tests of this nature are enlightening and should serve to remind the average driver that driving at moderate speeds in taking corners tends to add materially to the life of the tyres as well as to the machine.

The Siam Electricity Company, of Bangkok, Siam, maintains a fleet of five electric vehicles, two of which have been in use since 1904. These 13-year-old veterans are used for lamp delivery, wh'le the larger trucks are used by wiremen, and for various other uses of the company. These electrics are successfully operated by unskilled natives. This Siamese electricity supply company is especially interesting. Rice husks are used in place of coal at the generating station, and this unusual fuel is obtainable in almost unlimited quanitites at a low cost. To guard against a shortage of rice husks, the company keeps an oil tank in reserve for fuel, but it is rarely needed.

The class of user that has been hit hardest by the recent increase in the price of petrol is undoubtedly the doctor (says the English “L'ght Car”). Some who have not very large practices may be tempted to reduce their expenses by purchasing motor cycles, but unfortunately, unless a solo machine is employed—and it is not exactly the ideal type of motor vehicle for a medical man —the consumption of petrol will not be materially reduced. Owing to the cruder type of carburetter which is

usually fitted to a motor cycle, compared with a car, its petrol con sumption is out of all proportion to its weight, and, therefore, any material economy would scarcely be effected, apart from other considerations which make a motor bicycle less suitable than a small car for a doctor. The essential national service of the doctor, who nowadays very often has to work several practices besides his own, is recognised by the Government, firstly in the reduction of the car license duty and the motor spirit taxes, secondly in the more generous allowance of petrol which is granted for such work, and thirdly in the greater frequency with wh'ch a Ministry of Munitions permit for the supply of a new car can be obtained. In view of the high price of petrol, however, we hardly think that the remission of part of the tax is sufficient. No. 2 petrol now costs the doctor 4s. per gallon net, and it would be worth the cons deration of the Board of Trade as to whether a special maximum price could not be enforced in the case of professional men. * * • « The majority of amateur motor cycle riders do not realise the importance of keeping the steering head

in adjustment. Hundreds of machines are ridden with slack steering heads, with the consequence that the steering soon becomes imperfect, and an increased tendency towards side-slip results. The ball races of a steering head are subjected to side strain in addition to direct thrust, and if they are slackly adjusted conwear falls on- the sides of the cones, causing them to wear oval. In these days of pot-holey roads this adjustment should be given special attention.

The “Board of Trade Journal” reports, on the authority of an extract from the local press, which has been forwarded by H.M. Commiss’oner Attache in Yokohama (Mr. E. F. Crowe, C.M.G.), that a scheme for running a service of motor ’buses in Tokio is under consideration. If the Tokio authorities sanction the scheme it is said that two hundred motor ’buses will be employed, but that, on account of the narrowness of the streets, the ’buses will be of small size, holding only 20 passengers each. Mr. Crowe also reports that a company with a capital of £51,000 has been formed in Tokio for the purpose of conveying passengers by motor cars and also for selling and repairing motor cars.

The imports of petrol into England during the month of August totalled 7,853,368 gallons, a drop of nearly 4| millions on July, and a decrease of nearly 21 millions on August, 1916, ~which, however, was a record. The imports for the first eight months of the year total 88,563,803 gallons, compared with 109,778, 222 gallons in 1916. A motor transport fleet rapidly is being formed by the American Red Cross for relief work in France, this fleet having been especially requested by Major Grayson M. P. Murphy, who is in charge of Red Cross work in France. A total of £37,000 already has been expended for trucks and parts for this transport fleet, and the first unit has been forwarded. The unit consisted of 15 White and 15 Pierce-Arrow trucks, of from two to five tons capacity, in addition to 10 Pierce-Arrow dumping trucks, which are to be used to handle coal. Parts were sent with these trucks as a precaution against accidents which might mean serious delay in replacing them otherwise.

A Bill has recently been passed by the New York State (U.S.A.) which requires that all motor car headlamps must be suitably controlled or deflected so as to avoid any danger of dazzling the eyes of those approaching from the front. The glare nuisance is becoming so acute in this country that it is time the authorities took some steps with a view to reducing dazzlng head-lamp effects on city and suburban roads. Since the advent of the electric lighting sets, the trouble has greatly increased, and on certain thoroughfares it is positively dangerous driving into the glare of these und'mmed lights; in fact, one is to all intents and purposes blinded for the time being whilst within the range of these lamps. In America the trouble is being grappled with,

and many devices are now marketed that minimise the glaring headlight. Recently 38 devices were tested by the New York State Motor Federation and 25 of them were found to be capable of curbing the glare within the restrictions now imposed by the law. If they can be curbed in America, the problem is not insoluble in this country. In this connection an experienced motorist states that the des red end can be attained by painting over the lower half of the lens, and not the upper half, as is frequently recommended. He adds that this can be tested by driving the car up to within a few feet of the garage door, or a wall, in such a manner that the lights will throw two bright circles or spots, then cut off the light from one lamp by covering up first the lower and then the upper half. When the lower half is covered, it will be found that the light is thrown d'rectly on the ground

in front of the car, while, if the upper half is covered, the light is thrown in the air and directly in the face of the approaching driver or pedestrian. * * • • When Arthur Spencer annexed the American profess ! onal sprint championship from Frank Kramer recently, he issued a challenge to his redoubtable adversary for a match race, and followers of racing in the States have looked forward to this event with considerable interest. By winning the first heat Kramer raised great hopes among his supporters, but Spencer outpaced him ; n the remaining two heats and thus won the match. * ♦ * • The American authorities have practically decided on adopting standardised specifications for the motor

vehicles intended for war purposes. It is expected that before the end of 1917 motor trucks will be produced by the American manufacturers which will be entirely standard with respect to interchanging important parts. Engines, chain speed sets, axles, radiators, springs and even frames will be so closely alike in external dimensions that one can be eas ly replaced by another unit from a vehicle of different manufacture. Cons derable objection was raised to this standardisation when it was first spoken of, on the ground that it would hamper originality of des’gn. There is, however, no foundation for this belief, inasmuch as the only parts that are to be standardised are those relating to the locat’on or placing of the part in the frame structure. Engine hangers, for example, must all have a certain relation relative to the longitudinal centre line of the engine, and engines must have a

standard transmission coupling and must also have the same location for the various aux’liary parts. This does not mean that the details of the interior of the engine will need to be alike. The designer can use his originality in perfecting the inner parts of the engine, which, after all, are the parts that have the material bearing on the production of power. The interchangeability of parts will be a boon to the truck assembler, inasmuch as if he fails to obtain deliveries of certain units from one parts maker, he can obta'n a part of different design and manufacture that will have exactly the same system of installation hangers as prevails in the one that he could not obtain originally. There are good reasons for this standardisation, as it is an accepted fact that it has been proved dur’ng the present war that an army cannot use motor vehicles of all types indiscriminately without great difficulties. Not only does it produce trouble in forming convoys if the trucks are of different manufacture, but it also complicates the equ’pment necessary for maintenance. The more trucks of

the same make that an army has, the more its problem of maintenance is simplified. Another advantage of the standardisation is that the American Government will have a large number of manufacturers to draw upon in case of need. It is quite evident by the careful study that is now being given to this subject, that the United States Army vyll be in possession of the most complete motor truck equipment of any army in the world, and one that w.ll be of great value, because it will have been designed for the purpose intended and be composed of units well adapted to coordinate in the way that ‘s necessary to secure most efficient transportation. « * * Some 200 rubber trees have been planted in selected spots on Mr. Richard Keane’s estate at Parenga, in the Far North. Th s has been done as an experiment, which, if successful, will be valuable to the Dom'nion. * ♦ * * Mr. J. B. Clarkson has done 2000 miles by motor since his return from America. O » • • The following new members of the Otago Motor Club were elected last week: Dr. Colquhoun, Dr. Drennan, Messrs. D. Mann, J. E. Jago, R. A. Buckley, G. Duncan, A. Hoskin, T. Igcrocci, C. Paterson, A. M. Sidey, J. T. Tisdall, W. Taine, E. A. Tattersfield, E. L. Wilson, R. S. Glendining, T. E. Sagar, C. J. Stewart, M. B. McKenzie, and G. W. Walters. ♦ * * * Mr. P. R. Harman, who has been secretary.to the Pioneer Club, Christchurch, for the last four years, will go into the Cl Camp in January. Mr. Harman enlisted on the outbreak of war. but was rejected. He was also rejected on the ballot.