MOTORS AND MOTORING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2131, 24 April 1914, Page 11

MOTORS AND MOTORING.

[My Clutch.]

TIME TO LIUHT LAMPS. April .2-1 S.» p.m. " : >s Z\\Z\Z'.'"". . r >!ii " „ i! 7 r,A „ „ as 5.: i .. „ no s.'J ~ „ 31) 5.0 „ Lighting-up Time. 'i'lio motorist who trios to discover what is tho legal time for lighting up. his lumps has a thorny problem before him. Tun timo for lighting up motor head aud sidelights is fixed definitely as sunset by the Motor Regulation Act, 190 S. Lighting up time on other vehicles is, however, left for regulation by tho.various local bodies. As tho Motor regulation Act makes no mention of tail lights for motor.-, ono has ;lo turn up tho local by-laws to sec what they have to say on tho subject. Tho Wellington City by-law, for instance, demands a- motor tail-light, showing a whito light on tho registration" number and a red light to the rear. Tho Hutt County Council, on tho other hand, merely classos motors along with "every vehicle .other than a goods cart or a. bicycle," and iays it down that:— "Tho 'driver of every vehicle other than a goods cart or bicycle, which shall bo iu 'any"road within tho county after sunset and. before sunrise,, shall keep two proper and efficient carriage lamps, properly fitted outside; the vehicle, ono on each side thereof and also a red light showing behind, so as to be visible to tho driver of an overtaking vehicle." • It will bo noted from the wording of this "by-law that it is apparently not necessary that tho "two proper and efficient carriago lamps" shall ever at any time bo lighted. ' It is absurd that tho time for lighting up uiotor-car and motor-cycle head-lights should be fixed by Statute, while tho lighting" of motor-car tail lamps and of all lights on other vehicles should be left to the sweet will of several hundred local bodies—one traverses the- territory of sevon local bodies between Wellington and the Upper Hutt. The Police Offences Act deals with most things that tho drivers of vehicles. must and must not do, and it is a curious oversight that no provision was mado in it for the lighting of all vehicles at a definite and national •time. If any law requires amendment that regarding lighting up timo most certainly does. ,

What is "Sunsot"? Nobody, of course, ever lights up at,sunset, and any driver of a venicle requested to do so by a policeman would consider himself very hardly used. The law in Great Britain is that lamps must be. lit ono hour after sunset. As our twilight is shorter than that in tho Old Country a general rule that lamps should bo lit from half an hour after eunset until ono hour beforo sunriso would meet the situation. Tho point naturally arises as to what tho meaning of "sunset" ia. It may mean either the timo when the sun has ceased to shino on any portion'of tho visible landscape. or , tho time (as givon in tho almanacs) when the sun is duo to sink below tho sea horizon. As the latter seems to be what is intended, tho times for lighting up on each day on this basis until the next appearanco of this column have been inserted above. Motorists will thus be enabled to judge for themselves how far thqlaw and tho requirements of traffic coincide.

Traffic Regulation. The Wellington Automobile Club is on» deavouring to have a by-law made calling on motorists to give somo indication to following traffic of their intention to turn or stop. It is a pity that so few motorists give any warning when moving out of tho 6tream of traffic in our city streets. As this neglect is in many cases due to ignorance, it may bo as well to stato what tho recognised rule is. Beforo turning to the right the right arm should bo held out horizontally, and ping dr. tAirnirig to the left tho right forearm should be held up vertically. Apropos of,tho above, it is interesting to nolo, that an interesting signalling device and tail-lamp combined has been fitted by Mr. Drake, tho city motor in-" spector, to one of the tramway ' towerwagons. This consists of a neat littlo indicator with four electric lamps under a disc of ground glass. By pressing a 'switch the driver can signal "L" or ,- R" or "Stop." This device is, of course, chiefly, useful at night. The l'etone motor hurdles are still tho subject of correspondence between tho Automobile Club and the Borough Council. The council's latest letter states that the hurdles aro below tho height agreed upon with the club's engineer, and that the grades are not as steep as agreed upon. It is understood that tho club dissents from this view, and further correspondence is likely to follow. Danger-posts. Danger-posts will very shortly mark all tho bad turns and grades around Wellington. Tho Automobile Club has had no fewer than 200 posts made, and theso aro now ready for painting. It is intended to mark the road from Wellington to Palmerston North, to the top of the Eimutakas (ivheie tho Wairarapa Club's dan-ger-posts begin), and on tho Wainui-o-mata, Day's Bay, Seatoiin, Makara, and other Toads in the district. It is stated that another 200 or more posts will be mado if necessary, but care will be taken, while marking all dangor spots, not to overdo the sign-posting and so breed contempt for the danger marks. The posts, as previously stated, will be of tho regulation English pattern, a red triangle on a white pole.

Roads Improvement. A local motorist,' who has just returned from Napier, says that tho only thing needed to make tho run through thoroughly enjoyable is that the Woodvillo County Council should purcunso a road-roller, and ndopt more up-to-date methods of roadmaking. That local body, with tho best inteutions in- the world no doubt, has recently metalled tho main road for several milc3 with a very liberal quantity of looso river shingle, which it lias left for tho traffic to consolidate. In asking on Monday that the Government should take over the control of tho so-called "Groat North Road" and "Great South Road" from Auckland, the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. C. J. Parr) said it was estimated that a sum of something like .£200,000 would bo required to put tho eighty odd miles of road from Auckland to Hamilton iu good order. Captain Colbeck, in speaking at the same deputation, urged that tho Government should' collect the rate 3 from the North Cape to Wellington, pool them, add a £1 for'.£l subsidy, and then administer tho whole suni obtained wherever it was required. Another speaker, Major Lusk, representing tho Back Blocks Association, aud settlers in the King Country, considered it was a disgrace that there was not a good main arterial road in a lino between Auckland and Wellington. The upkeep of the main arterials roads was really a national work. The proposal put forward by "Observer" in The DOmikiox on Tuesday that a national northand-south highway between Wellington and Auckland should be mado via New Plymouth, Waitara, Mokau, and Hamilton, is one that should appeal to motorists, and appears to bo a found proposition, as a big area of good country would be benefitted.

The New Era in Transport. New Zealand is on tho ova of big development in commercial motor transport. A representative of one of the big English houses who has been visiting tho Dominion told the writer tho other day that his firm would probably bo establishing a depot of their own hero, in order to bo right, on the spot in view of the growing demand for commercial vehicles and the big possibilities of our market in this respect. ' All the local houses report an active inquiry for motor-vans and lorries, and as an indication of the business that i 9 being done, it may be mentioned that Messrs. Grapo3 ami Riley have tlivoo of tho welltried and popular Albions on- tho Wostmoath, and artiong the clients to whom they have just supplies vans and lorries, and for whom they have machines on order may bo mentioned: Messrs. Haynes and Co., Duncrtin (3 vans), Messrs. Smith and Caughey, Auckland; Messrs. M'Ewan and Carter; "Wellington City Tramways; Craig and Co.. Uunedin;.and Messrs. A. C. Scott, Auckland. Messrs. A. llatrick and Co. report an excellent domand for tho • ThornycrOft

wagons, and are naturally math pleased with the recent decision.of the State Coal Department to invest iu a Tliornycroft after a compotitivo test wifh sis other makes, tlio Thornycrcft nsconding Keul)on Avenue, Urooklyn, after a non-stop run with a. load of " tons deadweight ami four passengers. 'J'lic chassis of this machine tins now arrived, and is at Messrs. Hati-iclcs depot in Wakefield Street where it is well worth Inspection by those interested in motor transports Jt has a 10 h.p. engine, and i> of (lie well-known J Thornyerofl, War Office type, After having been started on benzine the oil-; Kino will run on kerosene at i per gallon. The 'chassis is designed U> give a low taro weight combined wilh great strength, and is staled to be very economical iu fuel and lt|(!it on ryto. The sumo fire lias nl<o just supplied n. BO h.p. chassis for the Wellington Firclirignrte, • ! Another lorry well worth inspection is the big il-t-toiiiier 40 h.p, Leyiimd nt Messrs. Mappus, Sanderson, ami <?n.'» warehouse in WakelieW street. This particular demons!ration model is vlnted j to have taken a load of throo tons up Reuben Avenue at Brooklyn. Halfway up tlio formidable grade n stop was madfl and the lorry restarted without difficulty. Mr, Magnus reports thai; t.ho Loyiaml recently took a four-ton load atid four pas-' sengers up a-grade of I in 6. A. feature of tho Leyland is the nickel-steel frame.

Passenger Services. A motor-bus sen-100 is to bo inaiiguratC'l. to-day between Belfast and I'iipanui, A Christchurch _ paper reports that as the result of a similar sernco, onlv recently tlisconlinqcd, tho railway receipt* from passenger traffic from, Belfast lm<l decreased 75 per cent. ; A fhrou;?li sorvico l>y rail and mfltor from Greymouth to Blenheim is advftoatwl by Mr. K. M'Calhnn, M.P. Biere is now twenty miles of railway frotn Koefton to laansrahua Lanriinp; lying eomplricd but unopßiied, and Mr. H'Ciitfnm oontenda that this should be open to traffic, and tliut tho Government 6hould aTfanßc to iss'we through tickets from Greymmith to B]enheim and.vico versa at railway rales. This,- of course, would mean a" subsidyto the motor-car service, or, itt tho aiternative, tho -establishment of a State car service. If his suggestion were carried out it would bo possible to inaugurate a service -whereby' a person could leava Greymouth or AVestnort ii> the moniitrs and catch a steamer, at Piston feT Wellington tho same night.

The Light Car Boom. The light car has evidently conjj to stay, though its durability has yet to bs thoroughly tested. In almost every town of any size in tho North Island rep.iweeta« fives of ono or more makes of these haadj little 8, 9, and 10-h.p. ■ machine* are tobe found. Two Wellington residents are reported to have had a successful run up to the Waitomo Caves and back at Easter in their Humborettes, a jeurney that is strenuous enough for any Car. Probably tho biggest trip yet undertaken by a light car in New Zealand was that accomplished by another WelHngto-nkn, who, early in tho month, completed a run to Auckland and back in a tidy little 3-10-h.p. English car. The journey was made via Napier, Taupo, Rotorua, nhd Hamilton, the total distance covered (with -side trips) during a three-weeks' absence from Wellington, being about ISOtt miles. Tlie car, which is a two-cylinder, water-cooled, worm-drive machine, stood the trip excellently, and is now running as swe*Hy as ever, and seems little the worse for tho severe bumping it underwent on the execrable roads in the north/ Th-& greater part of tho journey up was done in wet weather, and one accident was mot with on the greasy Taupo hills, which sent the car full tilt into a bank, bending, the front axle, but not badly enough ta prevent progress to Rotorua, nearly a hundred miles on over indifferent roads, -where repairs were effected. . Better .weather was experienced on the run down, the fast stage of the jottrrtey froin Raluicrstori ts Wellington (99 miles) being covered in' ■!{ hours, including stops. The load ijarried in addition to the passengers was considerable,- and besides clothing, tools, and spares, including n lent and camping gear. The petrol consumption from Wellington to Auckland was 17 gallons, which h very fair, considering the wet state b ; £ the roads and the long stretches to be run on low gear. Tho highest price touched for benzine en route was lis, a tin. The trip is stated to have. been-, completed without a single puncture. .* . ■ The new model of the Ss-ift f-h.p. light car,is on view at Messra. Whi.teombe and Pym's, in Vivian Street, and is an attrac-. tive little turn-out. The chief departure from, the 1913 model is that the tubular frame lias been abandoned, and olralmel ■ steel substituted, runing boards are pro-' vided instead of the step in the earlier model, and 700 x 80 wheels and tires are fitted'instead of 050 x 65. The engine is a thing of beauty, and I note that a re* cent writer in tho "Light Car"' picked it as his ideal.

A Coference thai Failed, Although tho proposal to form .0 South Island branch ot tho New Zealand Motor Cycle Association was received: with cnchusiasm by the secretaries of the clubs circularised by the secretary of the North Canterbury Cycle Club, the flieEtiag d delegates which was to have been held iia Christchurch at Easter te discuss the matter fell through, owing to some deleg-aWs not having been appointed or not attending. 0 According to the Gbristehufah "Sun" an effort will be made to atraugo another meeting in August. Delegates who were in Christchurch and. prepared to do business on the dato appointed were two from the Nelson Motor-Cycle Club, two from Now Plymouth, two from North Canterbury, and two from Westpsrt.

Australia's First T.T. Race. Representatives oC three States—New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia—Tiattled for supramiey on Easter Monday, in the tourist trophy race of Australia, the most important motor cycling event yet held iu the Commonwealth. „

After 11 strenuous raco the hesionrs went to Victoria. Not onlv did that State win the coutest, per medium of Harrj Jenkins, astride a 7.-h.p. Indian, but an-nexed-second place as-wcM.-Eric Tyler, on a similar mount to tho winner, fillifig that position. Tho next two to finish were representatives of New South Wales—R. Ralston, of Wagga, on a 3J Triumph, filling third place, and F. Rose (6-h,p. BerryAbingdon) fourth.

Harry Jenkins is ono of tho jatfcrans of the sport in Viotorin, and a lino rider, who has met with many successes in reliability trials, road and track" races, and record attempts. The winner gave a masterly exhibition. Always regarded as a brilliant rider, he covered the''hundred miles in 2 hours Omin. 52 i-osec^—an average of lmin.. 12isec. for every ini-I-e, and' an average for the course of -lift miles per hour. This is a ride which will take a tremendous amount of beating ever the same course. Tho second man wa-9 smi.n. 57 l-ssec. behind.

Across the Tasman Sea. It was stated at the motor traitors' dinner in Sydney lost week that there were 9000 earg registered in the State. The- previous week there were $i new ears registrod, while -for the preceding five weeks.the average had not been less than 70 per week. The Automobile Club of Victoria lias established a "Roads awl IntelliEor.ee Branch," with local councils in -provincial centres and correspondents in the various State capitals. A paid organiser has been appointed tor twelve months to organise the new depaTtemnt, which should bo. invaluable to all motorists on tour. Victorian motorists aro beeuining mora or less perturbed at the suggestions made by municipal representatives in tbnt State for increased taxation in one direction or another, because it is asserted that the riiotor-vehicles aro breaking up tho roads. Tho "Argus" says it may «s well bo' admitted first as last that while-the roads are.constructed in the present slipshod fashion nothing else can be e.tpectett, Put in another way. tho rants are not built to carry present-day Ivaffic. Motorists will strenuously objeot to any further burden unless all vehicles ar-j ta'xed, ami the condition is reasonable aiul fair. In this month's issue of the "Australian Motorist" special attention is given the matter of- taxation of motorists through Iho customs, rates, and direct taxes, and a demand made that some of tho- niosicy collected, by i the - Commonwealth should bs expended in tho construction of "jsational routes;'which would also bo military

roads and -avenues' ofpostal communication. 11 Is being urged in Australia that Iho Commonwealth should subsidise commercial motor vehicles for fliuir possible use by the military'authorities, a? i* done in Great Britain ami on the (Vintinc-iit. Francis Birtto, the Australian Iranscontinpjititl cyclist awl motorist, ■ set oft' IVoiri Sydney "on Easier Saturday on tinoilier long trip. -AccoiupaJiiect' by Mr. Frank Hurley, who was photographer to Hir Mawson Expedition, Dirties crossed t.ho Bins Mountains and struck north to Southern Queensland, near CunamnHn. Thec« they proceed north to th«> Gull country, ami across to the Northern Territery,.and West Australia. : ■ --■ vv.;: