MOTODING & CYCLING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1572, 10 June 1920, Page 26

MOTODING & 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 Government have granted £2OO compassionate allowance to Mr. W. H. Tilbury, taxi-driver, who was seriously injured, and whose wife was killed, when a train ran into a motor car on the Mosgiel railway crossingin January last.

“The state of the roads from Te Awamutu to Korakonui is terrible,” complains a correspondent of the Waipa “Post.” “A motor car that left Korakonui late the other night was bogged several times, and 'finally, when a rut of exceptional size was reached, two springs were broken. Is there no metal in the Dominion? If the roads are not remedied soon it will mean practically isolation for the rest of the winter.”

“That the attention of the Minister for Railways be again drawn to the urgent necessity for better communication between the port of Wellington and the surrounding country districts.” Such was the nature of a remit moved by Mr. Hugh Morrison (Masterton) at the Farmers’ Conference at Feilding. In supporting it. Mr. Morrison particularly stressed the disadvantages under which the Wairarapa laboured. On either coast there were big hills over which the trains had to pass. The expensive Rimutaka incline still stood as a monument of expensiveness.

A motor launch, which was used as a tender to seaplanes by the Royal Air Force on the English coast during the war, was brought to Auckland by the lonic from Southhampton. The boat is 35ft. in length and has a 75 h.p. engine, which develops a speed of 13 knots. Captain Whitney, who returned by the lonic, is the owner of the launch, and intends fitting her out as a cruiser.

Captain R. Burn, eldest son of Mr. J. H. Burn, of Petone, returned last week after an absence of nine years abroad. During the war, Captain Burn patented a number of inventions, and after service in Egypt as second in command of the New Zealand Motor Transport, he was appointed to the position of Experimental Officer to the War Inventions Board, which dealt with all patents in connection with the war. Later he was appointed Assistant-Director of Aircraft Production with headquarters at Hendon. Recently Captain Burn had been acting as Home buyer for the engineering firm of Messrs. Burn and Sons, of Petone.

“With the enormous production of motor cars here and in America and other places,” said Mr. Handley Page in London recently, “the day is not far distant when it will be impossible to move along the roads; and there will be only one thing left to do if you want to go anywhere, and that is to travel by air. So that those who are far-seeing and wish to travel in the future will be now turning their thoughts very attentively not to purchasing an aeroplane, but to getting accustomed to new means of travelling.”

An accident that might easily have terminated fatally occurred at the Waingawa Meat Works, Masterton. About 9.30 o’clock H. Lambert (a plumber) and a boy (Clarence Salisbury, aged 16) were working on a car in the garage when a blow lamp used for welding exploded. Salisbury was knocked down and badly bruised about the head, and his arms were shockingly burnt. The works ambulance brigade rendered first aid, but the lad was injured so severely that he had to be removed to the Greytown Hospital, where he is progressing favourably. Lambert was burnt about the face, but was able to resume work later.

A British motor cycle expert, dealing with the matter of engines, says we could do with a substitute for the 1000 c.c. V-twin, admitting the while that they are good and get better each succeeding year, but that we only use them on bicycles and cyclecars because we cannot get better balanced engines of better torque without accepting serious disadvantages. While the fiat-twin is better than the V-twin, it is difficult to house. The four-cylinder engine is better than the V-twin, but it is expensive and complicated by comparison. What he desires is an engine possessing the simplicity, reliability, and durability of the 500c.c. singlecylinder plus really good balance and torque.

The cycle-car or light type of motor is a vehicle that owes its origin and development to England. From the earliest days of motoring there . has been a hankering among many motorists for a vehicle constructed on the simplest possible lines, and offering a comfort and reliability which, if not entirely on the same plane as those of the highpowered.. fully-fledged touring car, would at least satisfy the demands of those limited to a certain expenditure. And the light, dependable type of car is surely coming, low in price and cost of operation.

Provided they can secure reasonable quantities of bicycles, new or second hand, cycle agents and dealers should be able to do a driving trade in these days of high costs of locomotion, eithei* by tram; train or motor. There are many youths and even men in this generation who have no knowledge whatever of the utility or facility of the bicycle. It is a great time-gainer and moneysaver, besides always being ready for use at any hour of the day or night. There are many old-time wheelmen reverting to the simple machine, and the advantages of its use need but to be brought before the travelling public in a proper fashion when hundreds —even thousands —more machines would be sold and put into commission. Taking into consideration its weight-carrying capacity and economy in use, the bicycle is the most efficient carrier extant.

Flight-Lieutenant J. Woods, who piloted the de Haviland aeroplane at Gisborne during the recent flying demonstration at the Park racecourse, said he regretted he would not be able to go on with the Gisborne demonstration, as he was leaving for England by the Makura from Auckland. He was sorry that he would be away for the continuation of the flying, as he had been exceptionally well treated by the people of Gisborne. Lieutenant Woods explained to a “Poverty Bay Herald” reporter that he was proceeding to England on aviation business, and with a view to bringing out a machine to New Zealand to establish flying on commercial lines in the Dominion. Flis intentions were to operate with

an aeroplane, and he would probablv undertake a flying demonstration before picking out any definite locality. He believed, however, there was a good opening for an aerial passenger and mail service between Gisborne and Napier, more especially on account of the district’s isolated position.

Aviation as a business in civil life in peace time does not offer very bright prospects at present, according to Flight-Lieutenant Clarence Umbers, who has just returned to Dunedin from England after long experience in the Air Force. He considers that aviation is not possible as a recreation except to the very wealthy. Anyone could buy in England numbers of machines at £lOO, but when it came to running them he would find it cost a small fortune. The result was that thousands of good war machines were going to waste. Air services were mostly a “wash-out,” the London-Paris one being the most successful example. Airships were out of the question on account of their cost. Hangars were a third as expensive as the airship, and five hundred men were needed to land the R 34, which had since been sold to America.

Gaston Chevrolet (France) won the 500-mile automobile championship, De Palma, the. American holder of the speed title, competed, but his car caught fire. An average speed of 90 miles an hour was maintained.

As a sequel to a motoring collision which occurred in Gladstone Road on April 18 last, a young man named Harold Gush, a motor cyclist, was charged before Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M., at the Gisborne Magistrate’s Court with failing to keep a good control, a sharp look-out, sound his horn, and keep on the proper side. Mr. Burnard, who represented defendant, entered a plea of guility on a technical offence of failing to sound the horn. Sub - Inspector Cassels accepted the plea, and the information was amended accordingly. The Sub-Inspector explained the prosecution was the result of a collision between a motor car and motor cycle at the Grey Street intersection on a Sunday after-

noon. Defendant and his wife (who was in the side-car) were both injured. He had failed to sound his horn. The driver of the car would appear before the Court later. Mr. Burnard stated that it was purely a technical breach. His client’s energies were concentrated on avoiding a collision, and the sounding of the horn was immaterial, as both parties had each other in sight. Defendant ' had slowed down to avoid a collision, which, however, resulted as the outcome of a misunderstanding between them. His Worship remarked that the rules of the road were quite plain, and after examining the diagram produced he said it appeared to him that the motor cyclist had been, trying to take a short cut, and had actually run towards the car, meeting the motorist on the wrong corner. He suggested that he should defer his decision until hearing the other side. Mr. Burnard submitted that his Worship apparently had only to fix a penalty for failing to sound the horn, and the offence was therefore purely technical. Sub-Inspector Cassels said the motor cyclist had failed to sound his horn at the corner as required, and which the majority of motorists failed in doing. His Worship said he looked on it as more than a technical offence, for it was apparent from the diagram there was negligent driving on defendant’s part. A fine of £2, with costs 135., was imposed.

A peculiar accident happened in Manchester Street, Christchurch, the other day. At the Cashel Street intersection, a huge - motor lorry was run into by an ordinary carrier’s horse-drawn vehicle. The wheel of the carrier’s cart caught the lorry near the tail board, and the impact tipped the lorry completely over. Its driver jumped clear, and when the lorry was righted, it was ascertained that even the paint was hardly scratched. The carrier’s cart was quite uninjured.

The final batch of New Zealand members of the Royal Air Force returned to New Zealand by the lonic.. They were: Captain P. Fowler, of Feilding; Captain M. Buckley, of Fairlie; Lieutenant G. Hood. Masterton; Lieutenant C. H. Noble-Camp-bell, Napier; Lieutenant Clarence Umbers, Dunedin; Lieutenant C. Dolling Smith, of England; Lieutenant H. Smith, of Pahiatua; and and Lady Administrator Shortridge, of the Women’s Royal Air Force.

A reserved decision by Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., in the case of Edward Spiers (Mr. Singer), who was recently charged by the police with leaving a motor car in a private street after sunset without sufficient lights, was delivered at the Auckland Police Court. Mr. Singer contended that the by-law requiring vehicles to show a white light in front and a red one behind did not apply to motor cars. ■ Furthermore, the lane connecting Victoria and Darby Streets was a private street. The magistrate ruled that by-law No. 1 part 25, section 837, defined the kind of lights motor cars must be provided with, but by-law No. 5, section 2, required lights of a different kind, and such as could not conveniently be fitted to a motor car. The inference was that the by-law in question was not applicable to motor cars, and the charge was dismissed.

Prior to his departure for the South to take up farming pursuits, Mr. W. E. Mills, a 'member of the council of the Canterbury Automobile Association, a past president, and the first elected life member of the association, was presented with a motor clock. The presentation was made on behalf of the association by Mr. J. S. Hawkes, the president.

Sergeant Hogan, at a recent sitting of the Hastings Magistrate 'Court, stated that the new motor regulations providing that no vehicles shall be allowed to stand in the street for a longer period than 20 minutes, other than on authorised stands, had come into force. It was the intention of the police to enforce this by-law as much as possible.

'“ln my opinion every county council making a distinct effort to improve their roads should have the right to tax motor traffic, either by toll gate or by vehicle license, as a temporary means of meeting the extra, cost involved, until such time as the Government can bring in a comprehensive measure dealing with the whole question.” remarked the 'chairman of the Taranaki County Council. “It is absolutely unfair to ask ratepayers to bear the whole cost of the road improvement and motorists to get the free use of them.

A proposal for a flight by aeroplane from Christchurch to Greymouth was recently put before Captain Dickson, of the Sockburn Aerodrome. by the Mayor of Greymouth (Mr. J. D. Lynch), who visited him along with Mr. Olney, of Barrytown. The aviator promised the Mayor he would visit the Coast as early as possible and make an inspection of suitable landing places. He stated that there would be no trouble in getting to Springfield, for the country was open, but the route thence to Otira would have to be mapped out very carefully. The nearest landing

place appeared to be at Taipo or Jackson’s. From thence the route would be into the Grey valley, with the landing place probably at Omoto.

Lieutenant C. R. Pratt, who left New Zealand with the Main Body and saw service in Egypt, Palestine, and on Gallinoli,, is returning to the Dominion. Lieutenant Pratt, after receiving his commission, was transferred to the Royal Air Force, and subsequently appointed to the position of instructor, and in that capacity was responsible for the training of a number of New Zealand airmen. Lieutenant Pratt intends bringing several aeroplanes with him for commercial flying, but is at present delayed in Australia, where he is conducting a series of flights. He is interesting himself in the suggested flight from Australia to New Zealand, and if the conditions are suitable will probably attempt to make the passage across the Tasman Sea.

An application on behalf of the Lodge Sparking Plug Company, Limited, for leave to proceed with the registration of the word “Lodge,” as applicable to the Lodge sparking plug, as a trade mark under Section 64 of The Patents, Designs, and Trademarks Act, was heard by his Honour Sir John Salmond in the Wellington Supreme Court. Mr. C. H. Treadwell appeared for the applicants, while Mr. J. Prendeville, of the Crown Law Office, represented the Registrar of Patents. The case put forward by counsel was that the sparking plug was the invention of Sir Oliver Lodge, and the manufacturers and vendors were the Lodge Sparking Plug Company, Ltd. The application was made on the ground of use in New Zealand over a period of ten years. Mr. Prendeville intimated that the Department did not oppose the aplication. His Honour reserved his decision.

In a lecture on “Aviation and the Possibilities that await the Development of the Aeroplane,” Mr. F. Handley Page pointed out that during the war economy in the cost of running played no part in the design. "But since the war is over and peace has broken out,” said Mr. Page, “ we have had to contend with running a service at a cost commensurate with the number of passengers, and at a price that they would pay to fly. Everyone is satisfied that the stability is good; but everyone is not satisfied that the price is low enough for their pocket, or to carry goods, and our attention has been directed to finding a means whereby economy can be improved and the cheapness of machines increased, and I am pleased to say that we have had very successful results in that direction. Our experiments have been directed to finding out whether it would not be possible to fly with smaller ’planes and one of our interesting discoveries intimates that we shall be able to use 'planes of at least half the size of the present area.” Experiments showed that they would be able to land slower with these smaller machines, and that with 25 h.p. instead of 100 h.p. they would be able to fly with pilot and passenger, and with enough petrol and oil for five hours at a speed of 100 to 110 miles an hour. Such a machine would cost from £l5O to £2OO. “Which means,” said Mr. Page, “that we shall be able to get a small machine that you could put perhaps in the coal shed, and drag it out on a fine Saturday after-

noon, so as to take your own, or somebody else’s. ‘best girl’—l was going to say to Paris, but to any destination that you choose —and have a range of 500 miles at a cost no greater than that of running a small motor car.”