MOTORING & CYCLING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1498, 9 January 1919, 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.

The Defence Department is advised that 21323 Sergeant-Mechanic Raymond George Goldfinch, formerly of Feilding, and at present attached to the Royal Air Force, has been awarded the Royal Air Force Medal.

A movement is being inaugurated by the Wanganui County Council to endeavour to secure co-operation of various local bodies with a view of selecting an engineering expert to proceed to America to investigate the latest methods of roading, bridge building, and up-to-date machinery.

Miss Alys Burns, daughter of Madame Gower Burns, of Christchurch, who was working for the last fourteen months in munition factories at Home, recently obtained a commission in the Royal Motor Air Flying Force, which means that she is attached to the Force in the capacity of a lady chauffeur.

At the meeting of the Napier Chamber of Commerce, a letter was received from the Gisborne Chamber asking support and co-operation in their urging upon the Government that when aeri/1 postal services are being established a service between Napier and Gisborne be one of the first to be considered. They pointed out that recently, owing to boisterous weather, Gisborne was cut off from the outside world, without mails, etc., for ten days. Mr. McLeay (Richardson and Co.) said this sort of thing very seldom happened and recently it was due to the hold-up of boats through the epidemic. His company did everything possible in transmitting mails. As the matter was considered rather premature, it was referred to the committee.

A public gathering was held at the flying grounds of the Canterbury Aviation Company at Sockburn on Boxing Day, when between 2000 and 3000 people attended to see the flights made by Mr. C. M. Hill, chief instructor, and Mr. Mercer, assistant instructor. Messrs. Hill and Mercer had a race in two 100 h.p. double-seaters, with Messrs. Smith and Bowles as passengers. The course was from the aerodrome to the Show Grounds and back, a total distance of about eight miles; the finishing “post” was the landing ring at the aerodrome. The two men started off at 2.28 p.m.; they were seen to turn six minutes after starting, and Mr. Hill landed first near the ring at 2.36 p.m., making the time for the trip eight minutes altogether. The times were not taken with a stop-watch, but the average speed must have been about 60 miles per hour, the return journey, with the wind, being done about three times as fast as the out trip. During the afternoon Mr. Hill gave a very fine exhibition of acrobatics, cartwheeling, nose-diving, and so on, and was heartily applauded on landing.

- A prediction as to the future use of seaplanes is given in the “Merchant Service Review,” by Mr. D. H. Bernard. “Our overseas commerce,” he writes, “will be vastly improved by aviation. Within a reasonable period of the end of the war we shall find all the 'principal mail liners fitted with seaplanes. A liner leaving New York with urgent and important letters will be able to discharge them by seaplane, 300 to 400 miles west of the Irish Coast; within a few hours they can be delivered in London, thus effecting a saving in time of twentyfour hours. The same procedure can be carried out by a vessel bound to New York. It is quite within the bounds of possibility that letters posted in London can be delivered in New York within four days.” The writer is of opinion that this service will be subsidised by the Government of both countries, and he points out that it could be developed on routes to all parts of the world.

Lieutenant James D. Sloss, of thf Royal Air Force, who died of wounds in France a short time ago, secured his flying certificate at the Canterbury Aviation School, and completed his training in England before going to France. • • • * At the monthly meeting of the Waiapu County Council it was resolved: “That a letter be sent to the Postmaster-General, pointing out that in the opinion of this council the Government, when instituting aerial mail services, should recognise that the back-block districts should be the first to derive any benefit from such services, as their postal arrangements at the present are extremely inferior.” « • « « A London cable states that a commercial airship has been planned. It is 1100 feet in length, and has a range of 20,000 miles. It can cruise sixteen days without descending, and its maximum speed is 95 miles an hour. It can carry 200 tons, inclusive of passengers and goods. It can fly comfortably and absolutely safely at an altitude of 1000 feet. Round-the-world trips are assured.

A Levin resident who has just returned from a visit to Hawke’s Bay says that at a large shearing shed he visited, the whole board of thirty shearers was composed of Maoris, many of whom were accompanied by their wives, who acted as “pickersup” and did the work well. On leaving the shearing shed the Levinite noticed a small park of motor cars, and inquired as to who owned them. He was informed by the station owner that the cars belonged to the shearers, who made the rounds of the stations at shearing time in their own motors.

At the meeting of the Druids’ Lodge, Onehunga, a wristlet watch was presented to one of the members, Motorman W. R. Neville, in recognition of his prompt action which probably saved the life of a boy, the son of Mr. and Mrs. North, of Te Awamutu. The lad attempted to board a car as it was moving off. He missed his step and fell right under the car. The motorman, by the prompt application of the brakes, prevented the boy being either seriously injured or killed. Mr. North, to show his gratitude, forwarded the watch for presentation to Mr. Neville.

e Proposals in regard to an aerial postal service between Gisborne and Napier were referred to briefly by the Acting-Postmaster-General, the Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald. The Minister said that Sir Joseph Ward recognised the great difficulties of communication in various parts of New Zealand, and intended while at Home to go into the matter of an up-to-date aeroplane service. There were certain obstacles in the Dominion in regard to the starting off and the landing of the machines, but he thought that these had now been overcome. The safety of travelling in the air was now fully established, as was seen by the records of the flying men in the Great War. * * * * Among the New Zealanders who have gained distinction during the war is Captain Robert Burn, son of Mr. John Burn, motor engineer, of Petohe, Wellington. Captain Burn was educated at Sydney, and for some time was engaged and received mechanical training in his father’s engineering shop at Petone. He had a marked aptitude for mechanical work, and some years ago was responsible for several inventions mak-

ing for the greater efficiency of gas and oil engines. Some tim e before the outbreak of war he had gone to England to float a company to exploit a new type of oil engine invented by him, and he was in London when the call came for volunteers. He at once enlisted with the Ist New Zealand Contingent of Kitchener’s Army, and left for Egypt as a private. His mechanical knowledge became known, and he was transferred to the Motor Transport Department, and promoted to the rank of sergeantmajor, being for a time in charge of the motor repairs shop at one of the Egyptian camps.

What might have been a serious mishap occurred at Ruakituri, near Gisborne, resulting in a car driven by Mr. Walter Whyte being precipitated over the bank into the river. It appears that the car was passing an awkward corner of the road above the river, when the steering gear -became jambed, with the result that the car left the road. Fortunately all the occupants (excepting the driver) had alighted whilst the point was being negotiated. In falling the car is reported to have passed over Mr. Whyte, who was pulled out of the river in an unconscious condition, his clothes being torn to ribbons. Catching a stray horse a young lady who was with the party galloped off barebacked to the nearest settler’s for assistance. Mr. Whyte was severely shaken.

It was reported at the Ashburton County Council meeting that several taxi-drivers' from Christchurch were plying for hire at the last Methven races, many of them failing to take out a license for the day. It was agreed that all taxi-owners plying for hire within the county must take out a County Council license, and the inspector (Mr. A. Christie) promised to do his best to see that the council’s resolution was carried out at all races, shows, and other events at which taxis from Christchurch and Timaru were in attendance.

It is extraordinary that, while many non-paying railways have been built and others sanctioned for construction, money cannot be found for building good roads, which are more necessary, and upon which the success of the railways ultimately depends. There are numbers of lines upon which the whole of the passenger and goods traffic could have been easily accommodated with goods roads and motors at about half the cost, while the highways would have been available for other classes of vehicles. When people deprecate roads as against railways for the transport of

heavy lines of goods—and they have mentioned timber, where the logs run into tons in weight—they have forgotten, if they ever knew,‘that on the fields of battle, and sometimes over the mountainous country, motor vehicles have carried or hauled huge guns weighing up to 20 tons and more. How it can be advanced, in the face of this, that motor tractors could not be relied upon to move heavy goods is not clear. Railways, it is conceded will always be needed, with steam or electric traction, for the haulage of huge quantities of goods over long distances, such as wheat crops from the back-blocks, and the carriage of passengers over short services, as to be found in metropolitan areas; but for the transport of passengers and goods over distances up to 150 or 200 miles can easily be accomplished by the motor, given reasonably good roadways.

An extraordinary accident occurred in the Avenue at Wanganui recently. (A girl was riding a bicycle close alongside a trap, when her machine became entangled in some way with the trap wheel. In an instant she was hoisted into the trap, and the bicycle, after performing a somersault, landed on the road. Strange to say, only a mudguard was buckled.

At the first social function of the Women’s Automobile Club of Australia, Mrs. T. E. L. Lambert, president, gave a brief outline of what the club had done since the formation, and appealed to everyone to do all they could to induce at least one more motorist to join the club. From 16 designs submitted as suggestions for the club badge, No. 3 was chosen. This design represents a motor wheel, with Minerva’s head in the centre, a small map of Australia on the top of the wheel, and wings making a finish at each side. At the foot is a ribbon bearing the words —“Women’s Automobile Club of Australia,” thus including the automobile, the woman and Australia. It Was designed by Miss Mary Deans, secretary of the club.

An exchange states that a representative of an enterprising American aeroplane manufacturing firm is canvassing the Dominion, and has already booked up no fewer than six orders for delivery when times are more normal.

The latest issue of the Wanganui “Collegian” gives details of the high distinctions gained by Flight-Major x Keith Caldwell. Major Caldwell in 1914 was a pupil at the Wanganui Collegiate School. Upon leaving he joined the R.F.C., being one of the first pupils to pass through the school 'at Kohimarama. Since then he has gained the Military Cross and has been given command of a squadron, while lately his services have been rewarded with the Distinguished Flying Cross.

The “trickiness” of the side road that motorists are under the necessity of taking owing to the absence of a bridge over the Selwyn, was referred to by Mr. L. M. Isitt, M.P., in his remarks at a deputation to Sir William Fraser. “If you travelled that road at night with a driver who didn’t know the way,” Mr. Isitt said, “there’s no knowing wher you would pull up. Why, I knew a prohibition party that lost its way and landed in a gravel pit!”

The Otago Motor Club has devised the following scheme for meeting returning troops: A list of all the car owners in the district has been prepared, and sections of the names are selected, and the owners drawn are expected, if at all possible, to turn out when asked. If any particular transport cannot be met, then the club desire the driver to turn out on a future, occasion.

Miss Muriel Perry, commandant of the Pioneer British Motor Kitchen Unit, under the Italian Red Cross, was attached to the Duke of Aosta’s Army on the Italian front. Miss Perry was decorated by the King of Italy in person with the silver medal for bravery in the field, a high military order for valour, bestowed upon her for her gallant front-lin e ambulance work during the battle of the Piave last June.’

Major Beith, better known as “lan Hay,” told some excellent stories in an address at the Overseas Club in England recently. One of the anecdotes was that of a London motor ’bus crowded with “Tommies” entering Lille in the early days of the war on their way to Mons. The British soldiers were always .so cheerful that the French were prepared for anything. They saw on the side of, the ’bus the theatre advertisement, “Potash and Perlmutter,” which, owing to the general hurry, had not been removed. The French forthwith threw their caps in the air and shouted “Vive la General Potash.” “Vive le General Perlmutter.”

The question of the maintenance of main arterial roads cropped up during a deputation in Christchurch to Sir William Fraser. Referring to it, Sir William said that, in respect of the subject matter of the deputation —the Selwyn traffic bridge—it was a side issue and had nothing to do with the bridge. The whole question would have to be taken up by Parliament and put on a proper basis. “You cannot,” the Minister continued, “make a uniform rule in respect of maintenance of that kind; if you do, it is bound to be inequitable. It will have to be tackled and tackled in the new Local Government Bill that the Parliament, now that the war is practically over, will have to take up with other imporant questions that have been hung up owing to the war.”