MOTORING & CYCLING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1473, 18 July 1918, Page 28

MOTORING & CYCLING.

Photographs of private motorists in their cars, snapshots taken while on tour, or accounts of motoring trips and other items of interest to carowners, will be inserted in these columns if posted to “New Zealand Sporting and Dramatic Review, P.O. Box 52, Auckland.

Four more men have gained their tickets at the Aviation School at Sockburn, these being E. Kingberg (Taranaki) and C. Williamson, K. Matson and L. Garland (all of Christchurch). The number of pupils who have passed up to the present is now 104.

L. H. Stewart, the fourth son of Mr. J. R. Stewart, of Dunedin, has joined the Royal Flying Corps, and is leaving for the front in the course of a few days. He graduated in the Flying School at Christchurch, and successfully passed for his pilot’s certificate. He is a Manaia boy, a former student of Wanganui College, and has only just passed his- tweneieth year, and is a fine specimen of a young New Zealander, being 6ft. 2in. in height.

In the Year Book of the Auckland Automobile Association for 1918, appears an interesting article on “Industrial Alcohol.” The spirit can, it is stated, be made from fallen fruit, grain, beet, molasses, potatoes, rice, turnips, etc., the cost of distillation being small. In the United States distillers get Is. lOd. per gallon, and it is estimated the cost of production is lid. per gallon. One advantage of wood alcohol is that it dissolves in water, whereas other motor spirits float on the surface. It is pointed out, on the other hand, that the heating power of alcohol is less than that of gasolene. Wood alcohol can be made from sawdust, scrap wood, shavings, stubble, straw, chaff, corn cobs, etc., the sulphuric acid problem being the key to the economical production of both this and industrial alcohol.

The number of private and industrial motor vehicles registered in the United States of America in 1916 was 3,512,996, and last year the total had mounted to 5,148,063.

In a motor car case at the Supreme Court, Wellington, counsel told His Honour the Chief Justice that the car was sold in Wellington in July of last year, left for Featherston on July 16, but did not arrive at its destination until October! Sir Robert Stout smilingly suggested that the distance could be walked in less time, and was incredulous of counsel’s statement that “after all there was not really much wrong with the car; repairs being incidental to the ownership of any car.”

Sub-Lieutenant Thomas Turnbull (son of Mr. William Turnbull, Wellington) has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve for the part he took in the recent naval operations at Zeebrugge and Ostend. Lieutenant T. Turnbull left New Zealand about 18 months ago with the first Expeditionary Motor Patrol Force, and has been on active service in the North Sea ever since. His brother, Lieutenant William Turnbull, is also in the motor patrol service.

His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) delivered judgment in the Supreme Court, Wellington, last week in the appeal case Walter Smart v. Ernest Craig. The original action was brought by Smart for the recovery from Craig of a sum of money for payment under a hire purchase agreement in respect of a motor car. Craig counter-claimed for damages for alleged misrepresentation. The Magistrate held that there had been no misrepresentation, but that what was said by Smart’s agent was warranty. The appeal was on the point of whether there was a warranty or a representation, and his Honour held that what was said by Smart’s agent was perfectly innocent, and that he believed what he had said, but what he said amounted in law to a warranty, and, therefore, since the warranty was not borne out by the facts the damages were properly given by the magistrate. The appeal was dismissed with £7 7s. costs.

“The ‘Waacs’ are fine with the motor ambulances,” says a soldier who has just arrived badly wounded in London from the fighting in Belgium. “They are cheering up the wounded wonderfully with their smiles and thoughtfulness for our comfort. When I arrived at the base they were jolly kind and looked after us like mothers. One girl brought out her cigarette case and handed it round. The driver of the ambulance came round to see if there were any bad cases. She saw that I was a bit badly knocked about and said she would drive slow enough to make it quite comfortable. The girls were all bright and merry, and you should see how the chaps’ faces lighted up, although some of them were suffering considerable pain. There are no girls more popular out there than the ‘Waacs’ and the fighting men cannot speak too highly of the splendid work they are doing.”

“I desire to make it known that the drivers and riders of motor vehicles in the Government employ are the worst offenders in respect of fast travelling in the streets of the city. Because they are in the 'Government service they think they are a law unto themselves. Mr.

Justice Edwards has remarked on the pace these machines travel through the streets,” said Mr. J. O’Shea (city solicitor) when a lad, employed by the postal authorities, was charged before Mr. F. V. Fraser, S.M., in Wellington, with riding a motor cycle at night without having a light attached. The magistrate said there was less excuse for a Government official to ride without a light than another person, as lamps and other equipment are supplied to the officials.

A motor ambulance driver at the front writes: “Some of the - lorry spares I have seen that have been captured from the Huns show considerable ingenuity in the way of shock-absorbing wheels. By springs and concentric hubs they manage to absorb some of the road shocks. The tyre is always iron, and this, of course, is a handicap. The brasswork of the magnetos and dynamos, where fitted, is as tiny as can be managed. The engine of one brokendown lorry was in good repair, and, as an instance of Hunnish spite, the ignition had been advanced so that the first man who tried to start the engine—as any chauffeur would — would sustain a broken wrist for his pains. The lorry is now in Paris, where all the fresh captures go, and perhaps some day we shall find it in a museum to show what Fritz could do to save his country, and what he would like to do when he saw there was a possibility of losing the war.”

The phonograph is proving a useful adjunct to observation officers on duty in the air. These officers have found difficulty in making notes of details as quickly as they see them. Observation airplanes are now fitted with a registering phonograph, into which the officers speak through an acoustic tube.

It has for some time past been rumoured that the surplus of last year’s British potato crop may possibly be utilised for the making of alcohol, who, in turn, may take the place of petrol as a driving power, and also for heating and cooking purposes. Scientists and chemists agree that it may be a common sight in the future to- see cars, ’buses, motor vans and taxis driven by alcohol from the potato.

In a recent supplement to the London “Gazette,” in which Admiralty awards of the D. 5.0., D.S.C. and D.S.M. are announced, particulars are given of a plucky feat performed by Leading Mechanic Sydney Francis Anderson, D.S.M., who is awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal. After repairing while in flight the petrol system of his machine, which had been damaged in action with enemy

aircraft, he noticed trouble in the right engine. Asking the pilot to slow down as much as possible, he climbed out on to the lower plane and made extensive repairs. The work, which was done entirely in the open and in a wind force of 90 miles an hour, took over one and three-quarter hours and saved the machine.

Baron von Richthofen, the most famous of German airmen, has been brought down by the British in the Somme Valley. His body was recovered and buried with full military honours. One by one famous airmen have won their last victories and have been themselves brought down, writes Mr. Hamilton Fife in the “Daily Mail.” Yesterday it was Richthofen’s turn. He was the most famous of the enemy’s “star” pilots. As a pilot he was brilliantly skilful and resourceful. All our men gave him full credit for that, but they did not think he was entitled to so much fame for his “victories” as the Germans insisted upon conferring on him. He led what our airmen called a “circus,” meaning a number of ’planes which always went about with him. The “circus” would manoeuvre one of our machines into a position in which it could be struck at, and then Richthofen would deliver the blow. He was in much the same case as the espada in the bull-ring, the bull-fighter whose task it is to kill the animal after it had been weakened and worried by his com-

rades. This is no easy task, nor was it easy for Richthofen to bring down our ’planes, even when they could be manoeuvred into the right position for the dealing of the coup de grace, but a good deal of credit was due to his “circus” as well as to him. Richthofen was married five months ago to a German millionairess. The Kaiser recently conferred on him the Order of the Red Eagle, and is said to have appointed him his equerryairman. His brother brought down Captain Ball, the British “crack” airman.

Touching on dirigible balloons in the course of a lecture in Wellington, Lieutenant-Colonel Sleeman considered that the only advantage this type of aircraft had was its ability to hover, also its being able to receive and send wireless messages. However, the dirigibles were in great danger from anti-aircraft guns. The advance in anti-aircraft guns had been tremendous. The guns could fire to the maximum height at which an aeroplane could fly, namely, 20,000 feet. He did not think that any machine could go higher than 20,000 feet, because airmen who had reached this altitude had bled from the ears, eyes, and nose. Possibly someone

might invent a mask that would combat the rarefied air. The disadvantage of an aeroplane of not being able to hover would never be overcome, he was afraid. The aeroplane always had to be making a forward motion.

Mr. J. B. Clarkson, managing director for Hope Gibbons, Sons, and J. B. Clarkson, Ltd., Wellington and Christchurch, arrived safely in London, via America, on business. He is interviewing British motor manufacturers and explaining to them Australasian requirements, writes a correspondent.

According to English advices just to hand, officers of the Royal Air Force are to provide themselves with one suit of the new uniform without delay. To assist officers in obtaining uniforms of the pattern approved for the Royal Air Force, a grant of £lO is to be made from public funds to officers who have already received a khaki allowance, and £3O to naval officers if they hold field rank, and £25 to naval officers up to the rank of captain in the R.A.F.

We read that in a discussion on the pluckiest flying feat on record in an R.F.C. mess in France, the place of honour was given to Bleriot’s memorable flight from Calais to Dover in July, 1909. The machine had never previously been in the air long enough to cross the Channel, and it was uncertain whether it could maintain sufficient height to alight on the cliffs.

DISTRIBUTION OF PETROL.

BOARD OF TRADE INQUIRY

State control over the importation, sale and distribution of petrol has been decided upon by Cabinet as a result of the unsatisfactory position in regard to the distribution of oil fuel. The Board of Trade investigated the matter at the request of Cabinet, and have prepared regulations, of which the following is a summary to deal with the difficulty: (a) All persons desirous of importing petrol supplies into New Zealand should approach the Minister in Charge of Munitions and Supplies, who will be guided by the advice of the Board of Trade. (b) When petrol is landed in New Zealand, it is to be distributed by distributors who will be approved of and licensed by the Minister in Charge of the Munitions Department, on the recommendation of the Board of Trade. (c) These approved distributors will be subjected to certain conditions as regards the quantities of supplies sold to consumers, and as to the price. The chief of these conditions are: 1. No license will be required by distributors who acquire from importers a lesser quantity than four thousand gallons within any period of 28 days, but those distributors who receive more than four thousand gallons within any fsuch period will have to comply with the conditions as published, which include the question of retail price as fixed for the four main centres. 2. Distributors must also undertake not to supply any individual with more than four weeks’ supply of petrol for his requirements, and it * will be imperative on those applying for petrol to clearly indicate, by answer to a series of questions on a prescribed form, what their requirements are, and their holdings at the moment of application. 3. Every person shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable under the regulations who (a) Acquires the ownership or possession of petrol in breach of the provisions of the regulations; or (b) Commits any breach of the terms or conditions on which a license has been granted to him under the regulations; or (c) Obtain any such license on a false representation; or (d) Fails to make any return required from him in pursuance of the regulations; or (e) Fails to make such return which is false in any respect; or (f) Makes any false representation for the purpose of obtaining a supply of petrol from any other person. 4. The consumer will be required to make returns to vendors in accordance with the gazetted regulations, and the penalties for failure or breach are very heavy, as indicated above. While supplies of petrol appear to be ample for New Zealand’s requirements, it will not be necessary to classify users further than as follow. (1) Government and local bodies; (2) businesses and professions; (3) pleasure users. The onus of seeing that the more important and essential users get what preference is necessary will be upon the licensees and distributors. A petrol committee, consisting of those interested in the trade, will be appointed to be associated with the Minister in Charge and the Board of Trade. The maximum retail prices will be for Class A (petrol, motor spirit, benzine, naphtha and gasolene) and Class B (distillate and naphthalite): At Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Per case of not Per tin of not less than 8 less than 4 gallons. gallons.

At any place other than these ports the maximum retail price of petrol shall be the maximum retail price fixed as aforesaid for the port from which the seller customarily obtains his supply of petrol, or where there is no such customary port of supply, then for the nearest port, together in each case with such addition to the maximum retail price for that port as is equivalent to the actual cost of transportation from that port to the place of sale.

Before the war, when a man set about buying a car, generally his ideas would be that he wanted something at between £2OO and £250, or between £3OO and £350, or between £7OO and £BOO. In other words, at that period, most intending owners were in such a position that, on a car salesman showing sufficient cause, they could exercise appreciable latitude in the matter of the actual sum

paid most nearly to satisfy their requirements. At home the first observable motoring after-effect of the war will be to confine the individual car purchaser within a very much closer price range. While there win be always a certain demand for cars produced to sell wholly irrespective of cost, a big increase is to be looked for in the call for cars produced with each model to fit a certain price category. After the war the man with a £2OO vehicle in his mind will not be in a position to pay £225 for one; nor will the man with a £4OO car in mind be able to pay £5OO because it will enable him to obtain a machine superior to anything that will be available for the lesser sum. His limit will be £4OO, and nothing above that price will interest him as a buyer. In other words, to meet the post-war demands of the public the motor trade will have to keep retail price in mind to a much stricter extent than has been needful in the past. —H. Massac Buist, in “The Autocar.”

Lack of proper lubrication is a fruitful source of trouble in connection with valves, either through overlubrication causing carbon deposit or lack of lubrication leaving the surface dry. In either case, the action of the valve is affected, especially of the exhaust valves, for they are exposed to extreme heat. The general result is sluggish action, but in extreme cases the valves may get seized or stuck in their guides. Outside oiling is only a temporary relief, and entails the trouble of taking off the cover plates. Hence it is generally the case that the valves are neglected.

With the annual statistical abstract published by the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce, U.S.A., is a statement that brings home forcibly the fact that motor haulage has become a predominant factor in passenger transport. The motor vehicle carries annually almost double the number of passengers conveyed by the whole of the railways in the United States and Canada. Yet, it is pointed out, the capital of the motor industry is only about onethirtieth of that invested in railroads. “It does not require,” proceeds the statement, “a very vivid imagination to picture the future of the automobile industry. The huge task of world reconstruction after the war is certainly going to create an unprecedented demand for motor-pro-pelled vehicles.” To meet the coming road traffic, the United .States will expend upwards of 52 millions sterling on highway construction and improvement during the current year, which was decided upon through a developed appreciation of the utility of motors as a means of relieving the congestion on the railways.

The Toronto-Hamilton Highway Commission (Canada), which controls 40 miles of concrete roadway between these two chief industrial centres, has

announced that it is prepared to take care of motor waggon traffic on this model road. Regulations have been adopted by the commission for the governing of the use of the highway by “commercialised” traffic running on a schedule basis. This has been done in anticipation of the inauguration of a regular motor waggon service between the two cities by companies authorised to conduct a public motor transportation business. Vehicles in the service will be licensed for the purpose by the commission, and will operate under special regulations. This is the first move in Canada to supervise the operation of trade motors on a regular route. These regulations will not restrict the free use of the road for transportation purposes by those manufacturing concerns which have factories along the route and which will be using many vehicles for private delivery.

The production, importation. distribution and consumption of petroleum in Italy has now been brought under State control. The available quantities, deducting the amount set aside for Government requirements, are until further notice to be exclusively reserved for the needs of agri-

culture and for lighting purposes

Mr. T. O. Jones, who has lately returned to New York from a business tour to Japan on behalf of the United States Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, reports that there are excellent motor trade prospects in Japan, and that the country is purchasing more large and expensive cars than ever before. According to Mr. Jones, during the first nine months of last year 600 cars were imported into Japan, as compared with 218 during the whole of 1916.

In the United Kingdom the motoring registrations during the war have steadily declined. Iru the United States the reverse has happened. During 1917, which was America’s first year of the war, there was an increase of 1,396,324 cars and motor cycles over 1916. The total registration in the United States on January 1, 1918, was 5,000,000, which means that there is one motor vehicle to every 20 people in the country. Two years ago there was one for every 40 people. In the British Isles the pre-war ratio was one motor for every hundred people.

No other overland inter-state route has attracted so much attention and aroused so much interest amongst motorists as that connecting Sydney and Melbourne via the South Coast Road and Gippsland. The numbers of cars and motor cycles which traversed the route last season was greater than in all previous years combined. What is needed now to make it the most popular overland tour in the Commonwealth is a motor guide on the same lines as those already- published defining the direct routes between Melbourne and Sydney and Melbourne and Adelaide; and we learn that such a guide is being prepared. It will take the form of a descriptive route map of the South Coast Road from Sydney, showing all the resorts — Bulli, Kiama, Wollongong, Narooma and Eden to Mallacoota, while from Melbourne will be shown routes to The Lakes, Buchan Caves, Mario and right through Gippsland to Mallacoota, and the two combined will form the through route between Melbourne and Sydney. It is a most picturesque trip, there being some hundreds of miles of beautiful valley, mountain and coastal scenery. * * ♦ ♦

That wild animals may successfully be pursued by aeroplane is shown by a story from California. A wellknown pilot took a sharpshooter among the hills near Rbsco and surveyed the country in wide circles. By the aid of field glasses they discovered two prowling coyotes stalking a covey of quail. The pilot shut off his engine, glided down to within a hundred yards of the coyotes, and put the machine on an even keel, while the sharpshooter, steadying himself against a strut, brought down both animals in turn. A third coyote was added later, and then a couple of bobcats were bagged. * -f * The fact that the term “Australasia” had proved conflicting to overseas exporting houses was brought under the notice of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce last week by the Auckland Motor Traders’ Union of Employers. It was stated that bad there been no such comprehensive name. Australian and New Zealand agencies would have been placed separately, with considerable advan- ■ tage to New Zealand. The council of the chamber decided to send a remit on the matter to the forthcoming conference of New Zealand Associated Chambers of Commerce. * * * * A London cable states that Sir Basil Zaharoff has given £25,000 to establish a professorship of aviation at London University.* A Swedish company has been formed for the purpose of establishing a system of transport over highways and through forests by means of motor road trains. The concern will devote its energies principally to the conveyance of timber for the Swedish Fuel Commission, but also will engage in general transport work on a large scale. The road trains will consist of a tractor and four trailers, and in order that the road surface will not be adversely affected, the wheels of the vehicle will have a width of not less than 12 inches. In winter the trailers will be replaced by sledges and the tractors specially fitted for moving over snow-covered roads.

Class A . . 27 6 13 9 Class B . . 22 6 - 11 3 At Napier and Timaru. Class A . . 28 0 14 0 Class B . . 23 0 11 6 At Wanganui, New Plymouth, and Gisborne. Class A . . 29 0 14 G Class B . . 24 0 12 0 At Invercargill. Class A . . 29 6 14 9 Class B . . 24 6 12 3