MOTORING & CYCLING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1517, 22 May 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, 1 Box 52, Auckland.

According to advice received locally from a Gisbornite in the Flying Corps in England, the New Zealand Government is sending out a batch of 40 aeroplanes as a first consignment.

The Poverty Bay Motor Cycle Club intend holding a series of fortnightly dances during the winter season to raise funds for their forthcoming sports meeting next spring.

Three pupils of the New Zealand Flying School at Kohimarama, Messrs. Douglas Mill (Dunedin), B. A. Storey (Hastings), and A. G. Petrie (Stratford) have passed their final flying tests.

There is such a demand for motor cars in this country that every car that arrives is immediately mopped up, irrespective of the price asked, was the opinion expressed at the Napier County Council meeting.

The new Queen’s Drive at Palmerston North, through the Esplanade, is now open to the public, and a large number of motor car owners take advantage of the drive, which opens up a very' pretty route. The surface has been rolled and makes a good road for cars.

The Wanganui County Council has decided to apply for permission from the Government to erect a toll gate on the main road from Wellington to Wanganui, or as an alternative, the Government grant £lO,OOO for the reconstruction of the road.

The drivers of horse vehicles who use the Hutt Road at night complain that the bright lights on motor cars have a tendency to cause accidents. They suggest that the difficulty could be overcome by a by-law requiring owners of motor cars to frost the lower portion of their head lamp glasses.

The Wellington Automobile Club at its meeting discussed a proposal for making a deviation in the road to Paekakariki, constructing it via Plimmerton, Pukerua and the sea coast. The suggested road would save four or five miles, and an elevation of 570 feet over the Paekakariki Hill.

Not many New Zealand lads under 20 years of age (says the Wanganui “Herald”) have been on active service for three years and nine months, and have passed through the campaigns at the Somme, Passchendaele, Messines, La Bassee, Cambrai and Rheims. That is the experience of a Wanganui boy, recently returned looking the picture of health, who enlisted at the age of fifteen years seven months, and was a member of the New Zealand Cycling Corps.

The Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce forwarded to the Borough Council a copy of the following resolution: “That the time has arrived when the Government should control the main arterial roads of the Dominion, with a view to the formation of permanent highways; that all local bodies be urged to co-operate in the work of putting the main arterial roads in such permanent condition in respect to the surface and width as to carry with safety the rapidly increasing number of power-driven vehicles.” The Mayor said it was a big matter, and should be deferred for consideration. Councillor Hill moved, and Councillor DeCosta seconded, that the letter be received. Councillor Coleman favoured the matter being* held over till the next meeting. Councillor Hill then withdrew his motion, with his seconder’s consent. The subject, he said, was one for the Government, and was beyond the scope of the council. The suggestion of Councillor Coleman was adopted in the form of a motion.

In the official announcement of the inaugural meeting of the newly-form-ed British Motor League, it is stated that the league offers, for a nominal subscription, “an organised force for obtaining the redress of all injustice to motorists, and is fighting for equitable taxation, the maintenance of good roads, fairer laws, driving licenses freed from endorsements two years old, cheap and good motor fuel, and the democracy of motoring.”

At a meeting of the council of the Canterbury Automobile Association it was reported that for the period from January 1 to April 30, 1919, the soldiers’ car had travelled 4046 miles, carrying 757 men and sisters. Out of 103 working days the car was on the road 94, and out of this 77 were trips from the hospital. The following were elected members of the association, the majority as members of the Ashburton branch: —J. G. Hunt, G. W. Skellerup, J. Stewart, A. Ballantyne, T. Rose, W. T. Smith, D. Fechney, Junr., J. Smith, W. S. Lowe, S. Thompson, R. Holland, J. Dolan, J. Carr, A. E. Bussell, F. W. Watt, T. Hamson, H. Green, J. C. Grubb, W. T. P. Lock, C. G. C. Harper, J. Poff,

Senr., H. Maginness, H. Watson, W. W. Goodwin, A. McKay, E. Latter, W. R. Gorton, W. R. Furniss, P. Curran, J. Rowell, George Lyon, W. B. Brittenden, E. H. Henderson, I. K. Buchanan, A. H. Anthony, W. Syme, A. D. Cooper, W. Shaw, G. Shipley, T. O. Morgan, and Miss D. Andrews.

The metalling of the Motu-Opotiki road at Toatoa is being pushed on with, and the bad section of the road that hung up through traffic last winter should occasion no further difficulty, remarks the Gisborne “Herald.” The metalling has been extended from the factory to the top of the hill, also from the foot of the rise towards the Papamoa Hill. About half a mile of metalling is being put down, and excellent progress is being made. Widening operations near Hallum’s is also proceeding, and already considerable improvement has been effected. Several of the “hair pin” bends along this narrow portion are being straightened, and when completed the work will be greatly appreciated by motorists.

The connection between motoring in the air and motoring on terra firma has always been very close, much closer than between the latter and motor boating. It has been remarked that the automobile gave to the aircraft an engine which made aviation possible; and after the strenuous test of war the automobile received from the aeroplane a much improved engine, which is rapidly being adapted and adopted. A further connection has now been announced. Several of the large aeroplane factories are now turning attention to the production of motor cycles and cars, the Sopwith Company having already begun on motor cycles. This combination will go very far to popularising air-cooled engines in cars and motor cycles, affecting a saving in weight and production costs as well as simplifying the engine proper. Several types of air-cooled engines already in use have given good results on both motor cycles and cars, the models being of the aeroplane type with certain modifications to suit the machines for which they are severally intended.

Ever since the beginning of the war the members of the Canterbury Automobile Association have performed valuable service in helping patriotic objects, but they have lately become more and more inclined to object to the ever-increasing demands beingmade upon their cars and their time, and last week, except in regard to their work in transporting returned soldiers, they practically decided to refuse any further requests, says the “Press.” The subject came under discussion through the receipt of a letter from the Peace Celebration Executive’s Schools’ Committee, asking the association if they could help the children’s procession, which would take place on the Tuesday morning of the peace celebrations. There were about 3000 infants unable to walk the distance, the letter stated, and it had been suggested by the committee that the association might be able to do something in the matter. When members heard the letter read one or two audibly commented that it was “a cool request.” “I don’t want to be unkind,” said Mr. P. S.

Nicholls, “but I think something of this kind should be turned down now. We are going every day. It seems as if we are becoming a kind of benefit society.” Mr. F. W. Johnston: In any case we have our own procession to deal with. Upon the motion of Mr. Nicholls’ it was decided to reply to the request, stating that owing to the amount of work required to be done now in regard to returned soldiers, the association was unable to accede to the request.

“The establishment of postal services by aeroplane, assisted in the case of New Zealand by flying boats, is quite a practicable proposition, and one which the dominions will no doubt put in hand at an early date,” says Lieutenant-Colonel Vere Bettington, C.M.G., R.A.F., the special expert sent out by the Imperial Government to report upon the military, naval and civil aspects of aviation in New Zealand. “New Zealand, owing to the length of her coastline, presents special problems, and great use can probably be made of flying boats. With the information at present available, it is suggested that the following places, situated as they are

at convenient spots round the islands, may be selected for the establishment of aerodromes for commercial and postal purposes. In the North Island such aerodromes might be established at or near Auckland, New Plymouth, Napier, Wanganui, Wellington, and in the South Island at or near Nelson, Blenheim, Greymouth, Hokitika, Christchurch, Dunedin, the neighbourhood of Resolution Island, and Invercargill. When later aerial communication between New Zealand and Australia has been established the two air services will be able to work in close touch. Australia and New Zealand will no doubt lose no time in building up their own aircraft industries, but it will be essential to have without delay one or two up-to-date and well-equipped aircraft depots to receive and erect machines and engines which can be obtained as the result of the war from England. These depots should be capable of handling both aeroplanes and Jighter-than-air craft.”

Two men were sentenced at the South-Western (London) Police Court to four months’ imprisonment for stealing an Army motor car from the Silverthorne Road Depot. ♦ * • • A fire in Perry and Company’s motor garage in Armagh Street, Christchurch, gutted the workshop and destroyed two motor cars and three motor cycles. Perry’s machinery and stock were insured for £11,500 in the Union Company of Canton, and the premises for £lOO in the Alliance Office.

The Italian Automobile Manufacturers’ Association has decided not to hold any motor shows in Italy during the year 1919, in view of the large amount of work to be carried out in transforming the industry from a war to a peace basis. The leading Italian makers, however, will exhibit at the Paris and London shows, to be held towards the end of the year.

The members of the Motor Garage Proprietors’ Association met at Broadway’s, Christchurch, last week, to say au revoir to Mr. A; E. Smith, who is leaving on an extended trip to the Old Country. Complimentary speeches were made by Messrs. W. Hayward and H. J. Ranger, president and vicepresident respectively. Mr. Cousins, Dominion secretary, Garage Proprietors’ Association, and Mr. Edwards, president of the Wholesalers’ Association, were also present. Mr. Smith suitably responded.

The important question of the upkeep of main arterial roads cropped up several times at the last meeting of the Hawke’s Bay County Council. The consensus of opinion was that the Government should assist in the upkeep. At the same time the question of toll-gates came in for favourable comment as the alternative to Government assistance. • The ground for complaint seemed to be mainly that the people who use the roads many times exceed the people who maintain them.

A series of tests have been conducted by the Technical Committee of the Automobile Club of America with benzole and a benzole-petrol mixture, as against petrol tests on the same engine—a four-cylinder of 3iin. bore and sin. stroke (95 by 127 mm). On benzole the engines showed a decrease in fuel consumption of 12.3 per cent., as compared with petrol, as well as less carbon deposit, and an average b.h.p. of 25.9 as against 24 b.h.p. With a mixture of 90 per cent, of benzole and 10 per cent, of petrol, a greater brake horse power was developed than was obtainable from petrol alone.

Inasmuch as the American Government restricted the output of motor cars after entering the war, the figures for 1918 naturally show a big reduction on the preceding year. They are none the less formidable, no fewer than 974,606 private passenger cars having been produced, as against 1,718,000 in 1917. Motor lorries, curiously enough, although their output was officially curtailed last August, actually increased in numbers from 109,000 in 1917 to 182,000 last year, exclusive of war requirements.

In her book, “The Woman’s Motor Manual," Gladys de Haviland holds that women do not make good car sellers as a general rule. “To my thinking (she writes) it is not a position at which the average girl can succeed.” Good looks are no doubt an advantage, but they are of much less importance than many girls who have them imagine. “A girl in her early twenties’’ (according to Miss de Haviland) “is seldom sufficiently sophisticated or businesslike to pull off a ‘deal,’ and, in the second place, anybody who is going to expend some hundreds, perhaps, in buying a car, will go about the matter carefully and thoughtfully, and would prefer to discuss the matter with a salesman who is also an expert in mechanism. In fact, however pretty and charming a girl might be, the average customer would prefer to talk business with a man.”

MOTOR ACCIDENTS. TO OVERCOME THE MENACE. Speaking at a meeting of the Canterbury Automobile Association, Mr. F. W. Johnstone said that the number of serious traffic accidents must have grieved the members, and he had drawn up several suggestions to overcome what he might call the motor menace. The danger might not be the fault of motorists, but rather the fault of people who could not move with the times or could not hear warnings. His suggestions were: (1) By educating the children, and through them the parents, by offering four prizes (a) for city and suburban schools under 12 years and over 12 years, and (b) country schools of the same ages for the best essay each year on the perils of the highway and how to avoid them. (2) Provide by-laws for the suspension and cancellation of certificates of habitually offending drivers. (3) Refuse to register cars with a single front windscreen. These' in wet and foggy weather were a menace. All wind-screens should be divided top and bottom. The top should be capable of being opened sufficiently in a line with the driver’s eyes to give a full view , of the road without subjecting him to the full blast of the weather. (4) Repeal that part of the Lights on Vehicles Act referring to dazzling

lights until some effective device is invented for allowing full lighting without dazzling. The Government has put the cart before the horse in enacting this provision before first finding a non-dazzling light. It was extremely dangerous to switch on dimmer lights except on a well-lit thoroughfare. (5) Strictly enforce the provisions of the Lights on Vehicles Act against drivers of unlighted vehicles. These were the greatest menace of all. In four miles on the North Road, from Belfast to Papanui, on one night recently he had met ten unlighted vehicles and fourteen unlighted bicycles. (6) Revive the association driving competitions, and make various classes to induce the majority of members to compete. (7) Impress on all drivers coming out of private entrances or side streets that a greater degree of care is required of them than of the driver who may be on the main highway passing such entrances or side streets. The whole matter was referred to the Automobile Conference, to be held in Christchurch this week.

At a meeting of the committee of the Auckland Automobile Association last week, a request was received from the St. John Ambulance Association and Red Cross Soc ety for the loan of nine motor cars to take part in the procession to be held on the second day of the peace celebrations. Members of the committee said they considered that, rather than lend cars for the purpose, the association should itself take part in the procession. Surprise was expressed that it had not been invited by the City Council to do so, in view of the war work which had been done by the members. The request of the patriotic bodies was therefore declined. The matter of organising for the procession was deferred in the meantime.