MOTORING & CYCLING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1507, 13 March 1919, Page 30

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.

It is anticipated that the American output of motor cars will be back to normal about June of this year, whilst the majority of manufacturers hold the opinion that prices are likely to stay up, owing to increased cost of material and production.

It is anticipated that 20,000 motor trucks constructed for use by the American Army will, when released by the war authorities, be turned over to the American postal service for use in country districts.

Mr. Howard Nattrass, of Wellington, has just returned with his party from a trip through the Hot Lakes district. He found the trout-fishing on Lake Taupo excellent. The weather was all that could be desired, and every bit of the journey was enjoyed.

It has been decided in Auckland that in future the Auckland Motor Boat and Yacht Association will meet the steamers which bring drafts of soldiers back to their native land.

During last month 16 motor cars, nine motor cycles and two lorries were registered in Hastings.

Captain J. A. Carr, D. 5.0., of the Royal Air Force, has been granted his discharge, and will return to Auckland. He was present at the surrender of the German fleet, and went with the New Zealand contingent which occupied Samoa.

Advice has been received in Auckland that Messrs. O. M. and H. V. Coverdale, sons of Mr. Thomas Coverdale, of Kaiwaka, North Auckland, have gained their commissions as lieutenants in the R.A.F., having successfully passed through the aviation camps at Hastings, Bristol and Uxbridge. They received their training at Kohimarama.

The Point Halswell Road, Wellington, once so popular with motorists and others, has been closed ever since the war started, but the newlyformed Seatoun and Bays Progressive Association intends to urge the removal of the restriction as soon as peace is declared. The association will also press hard for the construction of the road from Seatoun to Lyall Bay.

Mrs. Gentles, who was injured in a motor car accident at Wellington, succumbed at the Hospital. The motor car ran over the side of Wilton Road, just beyond Devil’s bridge, and Mrs. Gentles was thrown out and sustained concussion of the brain.

A motor car belonging to Mr. N. L. Gtirr, of Dannevirke, which was removed from outside a hotel in Rangitikei Street the other evening, was found near the show grounds next morning. Apart from a couple of small tubes being broken, the car was undamaged.

With a view to testing the durability of concrete roads as compared with those made of tarred macadam, the Works Committee of the Christchurch City Council recommended that the tarred macadam now being laid at the junction of Tuam Street, Lincoln Road and Riccarton Avenue, be extended for two chains along Lincoln Road and that a further two chains of the road be laid down in concrete. The estimated cost of each was as follows: —Concrete, two chains by 36 feet, at 12s. per yard, £316 165.; tarred macadam, two chains by 36 feet, at 3s. 9d. per yard, £99. The committee selected Lincoln Road for the test as it carries traction engine traffic in addition to a large amount of vehicular traffic. This was agreed to by the council, but. on the suggestion of Councillor E. J. Howard, it was decided that a chain in reinforced concrete should also be laid down.

Miss Violet Bell, a daughter of Sir Francis and Lady Bell, who has been a member of the Motor Transport Corps in England, has received the M.B.E. • • T • Mr. Sydney Mair, engineer to the Rangitikei County Council, who took a flight over Rangitoto recently, said he enjoyed the sensation immensely. He made the ascent in the Kohimarama Flying School’s recently-im-ported hydro-seaplane, which is 56 feet across the wings, and is operated by a 125 h.p. six-cylinder engine. Mr. Mair said that they went over the slopes of Rangitoto, and in the descent, the machine planed down so swiftly that she was skimming along the water of the harbour before he realised they were down. * • • « A narrow escape from a serious accident occurred in the Manawatu Gorge when a large motor car, in rounding a bend too sharply, had one of its wheels wrenched off. The front of the car dived into the roadway with such force as to imbed the springs in the gravel, within a few inches of the bank, while the outer whftfil was torn off and sent flying

into the river below. One ‘of the motorists attempted to recover the missing wheel by diving for it, and his efforts were watched with the liveliest interest by a large number of other motorists, whose cars had been hung up by the accident.

Flight-Lieutenant Clarence Umbers, of Dunedin, came up to Auckland last week to join the Suevic in order to proceed to London. He has been recalled to England by the Air Board. Lieutenant Umbers is the son of Mr. Charles Umbers, postmaster at Moray Place, Dunedin, and distinguished himself as an airman on the Salonika front, where he gained the distinction ;f of an “ace,” by sending five eneiriy airmen to earth.

The storage of petrol aboard aeroplanes required for long distance flying is going to present a problem on high powered machines. The “Liberty” standardised engine consumes 36 gallons of petrol an hour with open throttle, and 30 gallons an hour for average travelling. The oil consumption is about gallons per hour. It therefore means that any aircraft meant to travel a number of hours without alighting must carry quite a load of petrol. It is not the weight, it is the bulk that is going to trouble designers of the commercial long distance aircraft.

Captain Christopher Musgrave, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Musgrave, of Christchurch, has been awarded the Air Force Cross. Captain Musgrave left New Zealand with the Main Body as a private. He was wounded at Gallipoli, and was invalided to New Zealand suffering from enteric. In April, 1916, he was discharged. On becoming convalescent he went Home and joined the Flying Force, and served for seven or eight months at the front in France. During the past year he has been second in command of the Aerial Fighting School at Heliopolis. * * * * Who will be the Henry Ford of the motor cycle industry? is a question asked by one of the leading American motoring journals. There is no doubt a tremendous market is awaiting the designer and manufacturer of a popular priced fool-proof motor cycle that anyone can ride — in fact, a machine for the masses. There appears to be no reason why a medium-powered machine —built in huge numbers —on the standardised system adopted with such great success by Ford with his car, should not be marketed in the region of

from £2O to £25. In the past it has been the classes rather than the masses who have been catered for. In fact, in America the flrst-c’ass motor cycle outfit sells at more than the Ford. For those who can afford it, the £lOO side-car outfit is well worth the money, but what is wanted is a real utility machine at a reasonable figure.

As excellent as our automobile engines now are some engineers do not hesitate to say that they are far from as efficient as they should be — and might be —in the use of fuel. If improvements can be effected in this direction they will be duly appreciated; but the question arises whether the perfected engine will require any more skill to operate it than the present types. A favourite statement of manufacturers has long been that their designs are “fool-proof,” and while this expression is not very complimentary to their customers, it, in fact, covers a considerable percentage of the driving public; and the splendid record of the modern car bears witness to the truth of the makers’ claims. There are undoubtedly many engineers who al-

ready know how to build a better engine, but are deterred from the attempt by the fear that they would not be properly handled. On the other hand, the very reliability of the modern engine makes the average owner indifferent to all technical problems of operation, and even to the proper care of their machines. < A popular jaunt with Auckland motorists is to Muriwai, near Waimauku, a pleasant run of about hours from town. With its beautiful beach, stretching for over 30 miles along the West Coast, it has been in great demand all the summer with motor car owners, and in a few years time as its possibilities become more widely known, it should be one of the tourist resorts of New Zealand. Even now it is not unusual to see 500 people make the trip out on Sunday, and several prominent Aucklanders have secured allotments near by with a prevision of future days. There is a strong protest voiced however against the condition of the roads giving access from the city. Don Buck’s Hill, for instance, is a veritable quagmire after a little rain, though the formation of the Devia-

tion removes a good many disabilities. But considering that the road is the main north avenue to Helensville, “it is a great pity,” emphasised a well-known motoring authority the other day, “that the powers that be can’t see their way to keep it in better order, pointing to the desirability of all main artery roads being taken over by the Government.” It would pay from every point of view. It would open the eyes of the public to the advantages of Muriwai as a tourist resort and would give an impetus to the farming industry of the surrounding district. Three miles from the beach on Mr. John L. Roche’s farm is a delightful wonder spot — the Okiritoto Falls — a powerful cascade set in a framework of beautiful bush scenery, which tourists would travel many miles to see. Once upon a time the falls were utilised to generate the power for a flaxmill erected in the vicinity. Now their utilitarian glory has departed, and they divert themselves to their own natural course.

Mrs. Robertson, an elderly lady, who, while motoring over the Paekakariki Hill in company with her son-in-law and Mr. Montague, of Wellington, in November last, was thrown from a motor car, has now recovered sufficiently from her injuries to be able to leave the Otaki Hospital.

A movement is on foot among the members of the old Motor Cycle Club to procure a wreath in memory of Corporal H. Fancourt (writes “Carburetter,” in the Otago “Daily Times”). Harman was the first secretary of the Motor Cycle Club, and one of those who were responsible for the fusion of the Motor Cycle Club and Motor Association into the Otago Motor Club. The patriotic work and many and varied activities of the O.M.C. are due in no small degree to those motorists who foresaw the possibilities of a combined club, and no small share of the work was carried out by the late member.

Owing to the successful issue of the last motor cycle hill climbing contest conducted by the Napier Motor Cycle Club last month, that live body has decided to hold another such competition on Saturday afternoon, March 15, on the Taradale hills.

The directing-editor of several of the leading United States motoring journals, whilst on a visit to England, was recently asked if the American motor manufacturers were expecting a free market in Great Britain after having played an important part in the finishing up of the war. His reply was: “We expect that the American motor manufacturers will be faced with a tariff of from 30 to 40 per cent, for a period of at least five years.” If this forecast comes true, it will make a tremendous difference to the British motor industry and give it a fair chance to again get on its feet.

In the paper on “Road Stones in the Wellington and Taranaki Districts,” which he read before the New Zealand Civil Engineers’ Conference at Auckland, Mr. A. S. Mair

stated that in a large proportion of the country covered by tertiary rocks no stone of any kind was available for road building, and this made the making of artificial stone a necessity. This had been done with varying success. He stated that he had manufactured some 12,000 to 15,000 cubic yards of this ’ material, which had made first-class roads — demonstrating the value of burned papa. Mr. Mair dealt with the need of arousing greater public interest in road-making, which, with the increase of transportation, was a growing problem. He expressed the hope that before long a Dominion Association to advocate better roading would be formed, and that the Government would make definite investigations into the problem.

The children of the various orphan institutions in Auckland were taken for a most enjoyable outing to Buckland’s Beach, Tamaki, thanks to the generosity of the Auckland Automobile Association, who chose this way to commemorate the Allied victory. About 70 motor cars were engaged, and 600 children from the following institutions were entertained: The Salvation Army Chrildren’s School at Herne Bay, Richmond Road Home. Mount Albert Orphanage, Leslie Presbyterian Orphanage (Remuera), the Rev. Jeffries’ Home for Destitute Children at Ponsonby, the Manurewa Orphan Home, and St. Mary’s Home, Onehunga. During the afternoon. Mr. W. H. Wynyard (the vice-presi-dent of the association), addressed the children, and explained that the object of the association in providing the outing was to impress upon them the important influence the victory of the Allied arms would have upon the younger generations. Refreshments were served, and an added delight was an aeroplane display previously arranged with the New Zealand Flying School. The Garrison Band was in attendance.