MOTORING & CYCLING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1522, 26 June 1919, Page 26

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 he inserted in these columns if posted to “New Zealand Sporting and Dramatic Review,” P.O. ‘ Box 52, Auckland.

The formation of an aeronautic branch of the Auckland Automobile Association has been discussed by the committee of the association. The committee, in its annual report, states that while it does not regard the suggestion with disfavour, it has deferred the question of taking action in the matter.

Mr. W. E.' Hyslop, of the Tourist Motor Company, Hastings, left by the Niagara on a business visit to America and England.

The question of the appropriation of motor cars by joy-riders is to be brought under the notice of the Minister, with the object of having it made a penal offence.

The Feilding Chamber of Commerce has given its support to the suggestion of the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce that the Government should maintain the main arterial roads of . the Dominion.

At the Supreme Court at Blenheim Henry Lauritz Holmes was found not guilty of stealing a motor car, valued at £4OO. The defence was that the car was given to the accused by a person who did not reappear in connection with the matter.

“Every night one can see scores of men and women, girls and boys, riding bicycles without lights,” said Mr. S. E. McCarthy, S.M., in the Christchurch Court, in dealing with a man charged with riding a bicycle at night without a light. “I am going to start with a fine of £1 and 7s. court costs, and raise it by increments of ss. until I see, that this wholesome breaking of the law has ceased.”

By Order-in-Council gazetted it is provided that the duty on “tractors driven by gas, oil or electricity for use in stores or warehouses, or upon wharves oi* pavements, or for similar use,” are to be subject to the same Customs duty as- motor vehicles for road traffic —10 per cent, if of British manufacture, and 20 per cent, if made outside of the British Empire.

A motor accident which might have been attended with much more serious results occurred at the Taradale road, Napier. Near the Wharerangi turn-off one of the front tyres was punctured and the tyre came off. The result was that the cai - got out of control of the driver and it did some sensational zig-zagging along the road before it finished the “stunt” by completely overturning in the mud of the inner harbour at the side of the road. There were five or six people in the car, but none of them was seriously injured. The hood was up at the time of the accident, and to this is attributed the occupants’ fortunate escqjpe.

An Otago man who recently toured the north of the South Island speaks of the motor trip from Nelson to Christchurch as one of the most enjoyable experiences of his life, and he has travelled through Europe and America. It is a three days’ run through beautiful scenery. Inquiring at Nelson why the tour was not more widely known, he received the significant answer that there would be no difficulty in enticing thousands to undertake the run every year, but Nelson has not the accommodation for anything like a big rush of visitors.

Two Royal Air Force officers when recently flying over London spoke from a height of 3000 feet through a wireless telephone. At an air lecture at the Engineers’ Institute the lecturer, Major Erskine Murray, placed a trumpet-shaped instrument on the table, and the amazed audience heard a strident voice issuing from it, describing the flight. It finally said, “I’m getting fed up,” and broke off, but returned thanks amid tremendous applause.

A London cable announces that last month in an endurance flight a Handley Page aeroplane travelled 836 miles at a speed of 73 miles an hour with a load of 24,8901 b.

The Tarrant Company at Farnborough, England, has built the world’s biggest triplane. It is 76 feet long, 131 feet wide, and 37 feet high. It has a whale-shaped, blunt-nosed body, with six Napier-Lion engines, each of 500 h.p. It will presently attempt the trans-Atlantic flight from England. Another is being built to carry 92 passengers in two tiers.

At a recent War Services dinner in London given to members of the Royal Automobile Club, General Sir William Robertson stated that there was no part of the nation which had more right to be satisfied with their contribution to the war than the owner-drivers of the R.A.C. When the war began there was a demand for cars far in excess of what could be met by the trade, but the club members promptly came to the rescue. In England cars belonging to club members had covered 37 million miles in the country’s service, and had saved millions of pounds. The same can be truthfully said of the majority of the. automobile club members in this country, many of- whom have given all their available time towards helping the cause right throughout the war period.

A strange affair occurred in Christchurch one Saturday night recently. A two seater motor car, being driven along a street adjacent to a business section of the city, knocked down a man named William Pickering, aged 75. The driver of the car disappeared before he could be identified, and the car was later taken by an unknown person to a near-by garage. The car had been left by the owner outside the King Edward Barracks, and is supposed to have been stolen by the person who was driving when the accident occurred. Pickering was taken to the hospital. The matter is in the hands of the police.

It appears that Brooklands—the fine automobile racing track at Weymouth, in England, and upon which many world-famed speed records were established in pre-war days—was considerably damaged by war vehicles during the past few years. It is in such a state that speed stunts are out of the question until the surface has been repaired. This fine banked track has been of great value to the English makers in the past as a testing ground, and efforts are to be made to get Brooklands back into racing trim. There is little doubt but that this track will soon again be the scene of many fine motor speed performances. In this connection it is interesting to note that there is talk of a huge motor speedway being constructed near Paris. If proceeded with it will be modelled on Brooklands lines, but will be about seven miles in circumference.

Colombatto, the Italian pace-fol-lower, recently won a motor-paced contest for a gold cup at the Velodrome d’Hiver, Paris. His defeated opponents were Corry, the Australian, Vanderstuyft, and Deruyter. At the same meeting the Winter Grand Prix, a 25 kilom. race, consisting of 100 sprints, was easily secured by Oscar Egg, who was first in 21 sprints and second in 30, and totalled 157 points to the next man’s 89. The time taken was 33min. 28sec., record for the track.

Mr. J. H. P. Strang, of Palmerston North, who recently returned from England after serving in the motor service on the western front, was present at the last meeting of the Manawatu Patriotic Society. In welcoming Mr. Strang the Mayor said that those members of the society who had been connected with it since the beginning of the war would remember the energy displayed by Mr. Strang on behalf of the soldiers. Work was nothing to him. It was with regret that Mr. Strang had left them, but he had gone to England and offered his services to do motor work with the British Army on the western front. Mr. Allan Strang, a brother, who was in England on the outbreak of war, had also volunteered his services, but not being able to get anything to do had returned to the Dominion. It proved that, though

both gentlemen were getting along in years, they were not backward in desiring to do something for their King and country. Mr. Strang briefly replied and thanked the members for welcoming him.

The subject of a motor tax is to engage the attention of the Chambers of Commerce Conference next month. The Wellington Central Chamber has given notice of the following proposal:—“That an annual tax be imposed on all motor-driven road vehicles. That such tax be levied on horse-power and weight combined. That the tax be applied towards the improvement of arterial roads. That the annual tax be collected by the local motor registering authorities. That the tax be allocated to those local bodies responsible for the maintenance of arterial roads in proportion to the amount each local body has spent annually on such maintenance. That on account of the large amount of useful information at its disposal the New Zealand Automobile Union be invited to send delegates to participate in the discussion on remits relating to the question of motor tax.”

British aircraft manufacturers do not exhibit enthusiasm in discussing the entries for the Australian flight, says a London cable. The Handley Page Co. says that the Commonwealth does not indicate the facilities it offers. The competition would possibly be more useful for small machines, as £lO,OOO does not cover even the expenses of aerodromes suiting Handley Page machines. “There is a limit to glory-hunting,” the company says. “Even if we win the Atlantic flight we will be greatly out of pocket; but the Australian costs would be terrific.”

During the final phase of the Allied offensive the Germans had retired to the eastern side of Le Cateau, while British- troops were aligned on the other side. The civilians had not been evacuated, and when they attempted to escape the Germans turned their machine-guns on them. In addition to being exposed to fire, they had no food. This was known to both the Germans and ourselves. The Germans, of course, would not help them. The Royal Air Force, however, came to the rescue. Food was collected and dumped at the aerodrome, and the machines began to transfer it to Le Cateau —flying over low in spite of furious fire from the Huns, and dropping it in streets until the town was sufficiently provisioned for the time being.

The French airman Lieutenant Roget towards the end of last month flew from Paris to Rabat, in Morocco, a distance of 1375 miles, in 11 hours 50 minutes, which is a record nonstop flight, beating the recent Azores flight by 125 miles.

Harry Hawker, the intrepid Australian airman, who will be always remembered as the first air pilot to attempt the trans-Atlantic flight, is noted for his remarkable daring, and in this connection W. E. Hart, Australia’s first aviator, relates the following anecdote which took place when Mr. Hart was on service in England dring the war period:—“l came across Hawker again at Brooklands when I was quartered there with the first Australian Flying Corps,” says Mr. Hart, “and he offered me the use of any of his machines for practice purposes. He showed the greatest consideration and kindness to the Australian officers, and rendered us much assistance. At that place I saw Hawker perform a wonderful and daring flight. He flew through an opening in the understructure of the Brooklands bridge—an opening through which there was only sufficient room to wheel the machine, but he flew through on a ‘bank’ at a speed of more than 80 miles an hour. It seemed an impossible feat, but he did ’it.”

There was a field day at the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court recently, when 30 cyclists were each fined £1 and costs for not lighting their lamps.

Dr. Prendergast Knight. Messrs. C. M. Banks and H. J. Stott are to represent the Wellington Automobile Association at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Automobile Union on June 27.

Mr. H. Goodwin. representing Adams, Ltd.. Christchurch, was a passenger by the Niagara last week on a visit to the United States and England.

“There is a great deal of careless driving among the traffic of Auckland,” said Mr. J. E. Wilson, S.M., when dealing with a case in which a motorist was charged with having driven at an excessive speed in Queen Street, past the junction of Victoria Street. “This carelessness is noticed by everyone passing along the streets,” continued the magistrate, “and is a constant source of danger to those who wish to cross over.”

As a result of a number of complaints of motor cycles and bicycles being ridden in Havelock North at night without lights, it was decided at a meeting of the board that the acting chairman (Mr. J. H. Joll) urge the policeman to become more active in this respect.

“One of the great charms about Los Angeles,” says Mr. Albert Goldie, “is the perfect roads that radiate in every direction, oiled roads as smooth as satin, with no dust to trouble the man behind, and flowers all the way. There are hundreds of miles of the oiled roads, and all of them, I think without exception, are flanked with garden strips, about three or four yards wide, between the sidewalk and the road. In the rose season the effect is extremely beautiful.”

At the meeting of the Otago Motor Club the following letter was received from a mother of three soldiers, residing at Mornington: “Our third and last boy having returned from active service on Sunday night by the Faparoa draft, as his mother I am taking this opportunity of thanking your club for conveying him home so promptly by motor car. His two brothers were conveyed in like manner on their return, and we, as a family, would like to assure the club of our appreciation of kindness and to at least say, ‘Thank you’.” Members expressed their gratification at the kind acknowledgement, the chairman (Mr. Ansell) remarking that this was the first letter of the kind ever received by the club.

The unauthorised use of n>otor cars was brought before the council of the Canterbury Automobile Association by Mr. F. D. Sargent, who said that the New Zealand Parliament should pass an Act similar to an Act passed in New South Wales in 1915 with a view to stopping the practice It caused great inconvenience, and, sometimes, loss. Some silly youth, for instance, might take a standing car in the city, drive it into the country, and let it stand there for hours, perhaps seriously damaged, perhaps not. The New South Wales Act made it an offence for any person to drive or use a motor car without the consent of the owner, and a fine up to £2O could be imposed for the offence. If the offender held a license to drive a car, his license, in addition, might be cancelled. The council decided to send a remit embodying Mr. Sargent’s suggestion to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Automobile Union in Wellington on June 27.

The proposed by-law for the purpose of licensing vehicles in the county of Taranaki came in for further and strong condemnation at the hands of the New Plymouth Borough Council (reports the “News”). The action of the Mayor in communicating with other local bodies and organisations interested in the proposal was endorsed. The Mayor remarked that several of the bodies communi-

cated with had indicated their willingness to join in the protest against the by-law. It was eventually agreed that a conference of representatives of all bodies opposed to the by-law be held on a date to be arranged by the Mayor, and that a strong and influential deputation wait upon the County Council to point out the inadvisability of confirming the by-law. Councillor Clarke urged that the council must fight the proposal at all costs. He stated that if a national tax were put upon motor cars no one would object to paying it. but for one county to try and impose it was unfair.

At the last meeting of the Wellington City Council, the By-laws Committee reported that it had received a report from the motor inspector with reference to the question of returned soldiers taking up taxi work. The committee was of opinion that, returned soldiers should not be encouraged to take up this means of livelihood, as the number of cars plying for hire at present exceeded the demand. The committee had notified the Repatriation Department accordingly. Councillor Luckie said the inspector had reported that many of the returned soldiers had not sufficient nerve, besides which the occupation was overcrowded. The Mayor said he thought the returned soldier should have a “fair go.” Councillor Atkinson said he thought the Repatriation Board had done some returned soldiers a disservice by financing them for the purchase of motor cars. The renort was adopted.