MOTORIXG & CYCLING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1553, 29 January 1920, Page 28

MOTORIXG & 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 aiid Dramatic Review,” P.O. Box. 52, Auckland.

Mr. H. Mclntosh, city motor inspector, stated in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court that the ‘ city by-laws were being amended to allow a passenger to be carried on' the back of a motor cycle if a side-car were attached, and if a special seat apart from the carrier were provided.

“It is not enough to have a light on a motor cycle. The light must be a sufficient one,” Mr. V. G. Day, S.M., told a Christchurch motor cyclist who was brought before him on a charge of riding his machine by night without lights. “What is called the ‘bobby dodger’ is no good,” the magistrate added.

A party of motorists recently made the trip between Wellington and Auckland in a three-seater car in excellent time, although not attempting to put up a record. The distance between Auckland and Wellington, via Napier, is over 500 miles, and this was covered in twenty-two hours.

The Wairarapa Automobile Insurance Company held a meeting at Greytown last week. The question of what cover to put on cars was discussed, but it is to be further considered; also the position of ‘“first members” as against those joining subsequently. Five new members joined. Mr. Howard Jackson was elected to the directorate. The question of those members who have not paid premiums for two years was discussed, but adjourned. Regarding the proposed beach patrols at New Brighton, the Mayor ‘ of Christchurch has received a letter from the Pioneer Bicycle and Sports Club recommending that in addition to their other duties the patrols should have control of all traffic, and see that a safe speed limit is observed, especially in the vicinity of the pier and those portions of the beach where the public congregate thickly. The Mayor intends forwarding the communication to the Mayor of New Brighton.

At the last meeting of the Wairarapa Automobile Association it was decided to erect a fence at the summit of Rimutaka Hill, also to have the sides of that road fenced. Donations of wire for this purpose have been received. The secretary was elected a representative on the Automobile Union. Messrs. Elgar, Booth, Wilson, Holmes. Benton, Stewart, White, and Bunny were appointed delegates to the union. It was decided to hold the motor trials on February 12 on the Tauherenikau course. The sum of £l3O was allocated to be divided between eight events. .

Their Majesties King George and Queen Mary, accompanied by Princess Mary, visited the Olympia Automobile Exhibition. The Royal party arrived by car with Sir Brian Godfrey Faussett and Col. Wigram in attendance, being received by Mr. Frank Lanchester, president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders; Messrs. E. M. C. Instone and J. Maughfling, vice-presidents, and Mr. A. S. Mays Smith, hon. treasurer; Messrs. F. R. Simms and Sydney Straker, past presidents of the S.M.M.T.; Sir Arthur Stanley and Sir Julian Orde, representing the Royal Automobile Club. Miss Betty Lanchester presented a handsome bouquet to the Queen. Generally, the King showed himself in close touch with the motor movement, and frequently enquired as to the number of cars being produced. Few people at the show seemed to realise that the King is himself a motorist, and, as a naval officer, knows a great deal more about engineering details than the average motor car buyer.

A point of considerable moment to motorists was raised at the Auckland Police Court, when a. charge was heard before Mr. J. E. Wilson, S.M., against E. C. Turner, of driving a motor car in Queen Street without being in possession of a certificate that he was entitled to do so. The evidence showed that the car was being driven by Mr. Turner under the supervision of the traffic inspector, who was testing’his efficiency to drive before granting a certificate. The provisions of the latter specify that the driver must be able to handle a car efficiently amongst traffic, and Queen Street is invariably chosen as part ,of the testing ground. For the defence, Mr. Towle pointed out the anomaly of the by-law that anyone qualifying for a license ’ was practically invited into the forbidden area, and then laid himself open to prosecution. The magistrate agreed that

it was in the interests, of the motorists and public that the driver should demonstrate his ability • amongst traffic, and recommended the withdrawal of the case, and this the sub-inspector consented to. The traffic inspector pointed out that it was the universal practice to test those qualifying for their certificate in busy thoroughfares, and mentioned that of about 8000 cases he had put through he had found it necessary on only about a dozen cases to defer the sanction of the license.

The excessive speed at which many motor cars and motor cycles are driven in the Mount Albert district was commented on at a meeting of the Mount Albert Borough Council. The council agreed that such a speed constituted a menace to public safety, and resolved to request the police to watch for the offenders.

. Fast times are being registered on the American motor speedways these days. One of the latest registered is 100 miles on a Harley-Davidson motor cycle, ridden by Burns, a Californian, in 67 minutes 57 seconds, a sustained speed of 88 miles per hour. This performance was registered in competition. Other fine rides at the same sports meeting held on the Sheepshead Bay track, New York, were: 2 miles in 71 3-ssec., and 50 miles in 32min. 57 2-ssec. From the look of things it will not be long before 100 miles is accomplished in an hour on a motor cycle. The late Percy Lambert (England) was the first carist to cram 100 miles into the hour, driving a 25 h.p. Talbot 103 miles 1470 yards in 60 minutes on Brooklands track in February, 1913.

Few motorists have ever driven in a motor car chassis minus mudguards; if they had they would be amazed at what they see on a day’s run out on the open road. As one watches the flexing and jolting of the front springs, the chattering action of the front axle, the jumping and bumping of the front wheels over the road inequalities, one marvels. Then turning round to see what’s happening at the rear of the chassis at 25 miles an hour over an ordinary give-and-take country road. In a whirl of dust, the wheels, springs, driving shaft, are all in violent action. The tyres pound the road —on the ground, then off it —the springs are alive doing work that amazes one. How light strips of steel can stand up to such terrific work is astounding. How the comparatively light shackles and bolts hold up against such barbarous treatment is, to say the least, remarkable. The- differential and

back axle are thumping about, whilst the driving shaft, flexing in its universal joints,, silently transmits its power with a slight purr through to the pair of Dunlop tyres on the driving wheels. That cotton and rubber can withstand such action, plus the strain of transmitting the drive, and stand it for thousands of miles, is incredible. Yet that is what goes on all the time you are motoring, only it is masked under the mudguards. What an object lesson such a drive is! It is a pity all motorists could not have the experience—if they did there would not be so much fast driving over bumpy road surfaces, and certainly less complaint when springs break and tyres wear out.

One of the outstanding features of the recent Olympia Motor Car Show in London was the obvious decrease in the purchasing power of money. Chassis worth £6OO before the war are now nearly double the money, and the same with the lower-priced cars. It is not only the chassis that is bringing such big figures, for the prices quoted for some of the best of the bodies is astounding. Fancy £ll6O being asked for a coupe body, and motorists rushing the makers for replicas of it! Yet it’s a fact. The price of this body is about what one could buy a Rolls-Royce chassis for before the war. Truly the world holds many surprises.

Mr. Hugh Gillies, of Masterton, who was judging at the Nuhaka Show, sustained a bereavement while on the show ground, his son, Mr. Norman Gillies, having been thrown from a high-powered motor cycle near Sandon. The body was found by the side of the road with a fractured skull. Marks on the road indicated that the cycle (which was last seen travelling at a very rapid rate) had skidded. The deceased had only recently returned from active service.

An extremely large shipment of motor cars was contained in the Gharinda. unloaded at Lyttelton last week. There were about 110 motor cars for Christchurch, as well as about the same number of motor cycles. In addition there was a small number of motor tractors and a large amount of motor car and cycle parts and machinery.

At the Cook Hospital Board’s last meeting a letter was received from Mr. H. E. Hill (the acting-coroner) with reference to the recent fatal accident on the Kaiti beach. The letter pointed out that a horse-drawn vehicle was the only ambulance available, and as the occasion was a holiday there were no horses about, and the injured man had to be taken to the hospital in an ordinary car. The coroner at the inquest forwarded the following rider to the jury’s verdict to the board: “That in the opinion of the jury, after hearing the evidence, there should be a motor ambulance in Gisborne, as the horse conveyance is too slow.” The coroner added that the matter seemed to be one of urgent public necessity. Mr. Humphreys pointed out that the board was negotiating for a motor ambulance, and was not overlooking the matter. He was of the opinion that a horse should be kept at the stable handy in case of an urgent call in the meantime, even if it meant extra cost to the board. Mr. McCliskie supported the suggestion of the former speaker. Mr. Coleman suggested that the new motor ambulance should be kept in the fire station, where it would be ready at all hours to go out without delay. Mr. DeCosta moved that the letter be replied to, pointing out that the motor ambulance was being secured and the matter had been before the board for the past two years; also pointing out that the board was making arrangements for a horse to be kept at the stables, especially for the ambulance. Mr. Tombleson mentioned a “trailer ambulance,” which could be hitched behind any ordinary car, and which was used on the war fronts during the period of the war. Mr. DeCosta’s motion was carried.

Mr. and Mrs. D. Crozier, formerly of Auckland but now of Christchurch, with Miss D. Crozier and Mr. D. Crozier, junior, motored through the North Island from Auckland to Wellington. « * ♦ ♦ Some 85,000 people are now employed in America making Ford cars, the daily production of which totals 3100. It is. a remarkable output, and even then is 400 cars a day short of the present demand. The possibilities of Hamilton becoming a landing place for mail-car-rying hydroplanes were discussed by the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce recently, when the president (Mr. G. Parr) said that so far the aerial mail service had only been considered to coastal towns. He believed an efficient service could be worked between Auckland and Hamilton, where there were two excellent landing places in the river and lake. It was decided to ask the Postmaster-General to place Hamilton on the list of towns to which experimental flights are to be made. • * • * Proposed new traffic regulations were recommended to the Auckland City Council by the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, as the result of observations made by him when abroad recently. He suggested, pending a statement going more fully into details, that “safety zones” for passengers boarding or alighting from tram-cars be introduced, and that two be placed at the top of Symonds Street and another at the terminus opposite the General Post Office. These “zones” were protected areas, over which wheeled traffic might not pass at all, and within which tram passengers might safely alight from or await cars. This would require a by-law, which, it was recommended, be enacted. Its terms might be such as would enable the application of the principal to other parts of the tramway system within the city, should it be deemed desirable. In controlling congested traffic areas in many large cities this scheme had been a great success. The matter was referred to the committee of the council as a whole. • • • • Evidence was given at the Wellington Magistrate’s Court one day last week by Inspector F. W. McCourtie that as motorists were returning to the city after a recent race meeting certain cars greatly exceeded the speed limit of 25 miles per hour. The driver of the inspector’s car said that his machine was capable of doing seventy miles per hour, and his car was “all out” when the offending motorist, Hector McClean, was overhauled. The Inspector put the speed of McClean’s car at fifty-five miles an hour, and that, too, on a busy road. Captain Hennah and Mr. R. D. Hanlon, J.P.’s, imposed a fine of £5 and 7s costs. John S. Swinson, who had driven his car at fifty miles an hour on the same date, was also fined £5 and costs, and Frank William Williams, whose car had attained a speed of 40 miles an hour, was fined £3 costs for having “cut corners” on the way to town. » • V « Writing to the “Post” in reference to street acidents. A. P. Hailey has the following to say: “I know that in some parts of America the pedestrian is summoned as well as the driver of the vehicle, and the one in fault is fined. A by-law framed on these lines here would make both parties liable, and would make a pedestrian look up and down a street before crossing. The seat of the trouble seems to be that the general public consider that the motorist is always to blame, quite overlooking the fact that it takes two to make an accident as well as a quarrel. How many times have accidents happened through people stepping off the footpath in front of a moving vehicle, in some cases resulting in the driver being charged with manslaughter? I have driven cars down both Cuba and Willis streets when there were more people on the road than there were on the footpath, and, when sounding the horn to clear the way, it is often taken as a personal affront. I wonder what these people would think if the car was driven on the footpath? As a member of the Wellington Automobile Club, 1 intend to do all in my power to get them to move in this direction, as I feel certain that, if the pedestrian as well as the driver of the vehicle was summoned, it would do away with 80 per cent, of the road accidents.

Mr. and Mrs. G. L. James, of Auckland, and their daughters are on a motoring tour of the Dominion. ¥ « ♦ • * The conference of South Island delegates to consider the advisability of forming a South Island Motor Association is to be held in Dunedin on Thursday, February 12, at 3 p.m. Recent cabled advices from London and New York notify a big jump in the price of cotton, in some cases the increase being nearly 100 per cent. This will be bad news for motorists, for motor covers are comprised of half cotton, the best the World produces, and the rise in price must in time influence the selling price of motor covers —in fact, all classes of tyres. The Harley-Davidson motor cycle is almost daily gaining in popularity throughout the Dominion, its excellent service under the most severe conditions leaving no doubt as to its absolute suitability for the New Zealand roads. Both the solo mount and the machine with side-car are in popular demand with devotees of motor cycling, and the Harley-David-son agents, Messrs. Merson Bros., 170-172 Symonds Street, Auckland, are kept extremely busy in coping with orders for new machines, supplying accessories, etc., and attending to the requirements of the ever-increasing army of Harley-Davidson riders.

In dismissing a charge against a motorist for exceeding the speed limit on the Ashburton bridge recently, the magistrate, Mr. W. R. McKean, had the following to say:—“lt would seem that the by-law, in so far as it purports to limit the speed to 10 miles an hour, is a dead letter. The benefit intended to be conferred by the by-law covers no doubt the safety of the travelling public, but it is clear, from the evidence of the prosecution, that the safety of the travelling public is in no way imperilled by the driving of a car at twice the speed permitted by the bylaw. The by-law is not of purely local concern, for it affects the right, common to all, to use a public highway, and the rule is that such a bylaw must be scrutinised with greater care than one that affects only the inhabitants ot a particular locality. If a speed of 20 miles an hour is safe —according to the evidence it is—then the limitation of 10 miles is unnecessary and of no benefit either to the inhabitants of the locality or to the public generally, and the by-law is therefore unreasonable. The informant demonstrated his method of timing cars crossing the bridge, and, I do not doubt, endeavoured to be quite impartial: but mistakes, I am satisfied, have been made, and I think that they have been made in this case.”

The British Petroleum Development Company, Ltd., of which Mr. Percy A. Hadley is managing director, has completed the erection of its derrick and drilling plant on the Upper Carrington Road, New Plymouth, and drilling operations will, it is expected, be commenced within the next few weeks. Mr. Hadley recently returned from the United States, where he secured the services of three experts.