MOTORS AND MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2192, 3 July 1914, Page 5

MOTORS AND MOTORING

[By Cluich.]

A Lower Hutt Scandal. .When aro the local bodies going to wake up and insist on Hrafhc being lighted nt night? Last evening tho writer canio through'tho Lower Hutt at between 6.30 and 6 o'clock, and passed about a dozen unlighted vehicles of' all sorts between flic post office aad the station. With brightlv-lit 'motors coming- in; the opposite direction all tho time, it is impossible to sep ino unlighted vehicles on the sides of tho' road, and. with the volunio of traffic on this stretch a bad" smash will probably, occur before long uuless the lawis enforced. ■' ; ■ Walrarana Activity.';''. ' The AYairarapa Automobile Associaa thoroughly'iivo body, and is doing very valuable work in its district. One of- its iatest. departures is to have a set of safety, rules for road users, priuted l . and distributed to the schools, instructing the.chiftlren what to do in emergencies on the road,, etc.With tho .co-operation of the hea'fl'mastors, it is proposed shortly, to havequestions founded on these put to the children in the Featherstbn, Carterton, Greytown, and Martinoorbugfi schools, and prizes will be awarded for the best answers.. '..'. ■■ ;/■ ' :■■ The association has already 150 members, but it. is determined to ad.d to ..the list as rapidly as possible. The secretary, Mr. I. AV last .'week put on.no fewer than' 20 new'members ,himself. . . •••.-■ '' • ■• '.Aβ evidence 1 of the practical.nature "of tho work that is being done, it may bo mentioned that the association the other day found £15, for the purpose of having some necessary work done on the Rimutaka Road, and! has given' £5 tcwards the building of a bridge acrossMorton's Creek, on the Carterton-Glad-stone Road. , ■■■ •:•'. r . What the Municipalities Want. •The motor is to come in for a good share of attention at the- Municipal Conference opening in .Wellington on, Tuesday week. The following remits have been set down for consideration:

Motor Tax. —That the executive,of municipal and counties "associations jointly confer with a view of deciding upon the best method of making proj vision by legislative authority to tax motor vehicles on-a graduated scale for the upkeep of main roads and streets, and as to the fairest, method of expending- the. said tax."—Palmerston North. Motor Tax.—That legislation : be obtained to give local bodies authority to tax the owners of motor .vehicles for the purpose of maintaining roads .injuriously affected by motor traffic.— Wellington. ■'......'■ . "; Speed Limit',—That- ihe executive of the Municipal and Counties Associations jointly draw up a sat of regulations fixing the limit ■of speed, etc., the Government to include its recoinmondations in an amended Act.—Palmerston North, i

Uniform : Rijto of .Speed.—That the Government be requested to bring an Act to regulate, to. a uniform speed of motor-cars and motor-bicycles throughout tho Dominion, particularly' when travelling through boroughs, and that any infringement of the speed limit be made an offence under the Police Offencos Act.—Greytown. .

Polico Department to Fix Speed Limit.—That tho speed'limit of motorcars and motor-cycles be fixed in every borough, town district, and county by the Polico Department.—AA'anganui.

Numbers —Silencer. —That the Motor Regulations Act be altered to mako it compulsory: (a) That the number, of motors ho affixed' at both rear and front, and that the rear number bo shown at nijjht by means of a light; (b) that it bo an offenco for*motor cycles to be driven within a city or town without a silencer being affixed and used. — Palmerston North.

Government 'to.-Administer Act.— That the ' adminisiration. of this Act ba undertaken by the Government, that after paying tho'cost of administration, any surnlus available bo distributed to the local authorities in whoso districts the owners or the registered ca'-s reside, also that , registration of all motors be effected annually.—AVanscanui.

Government Motors.—That legislation bo introduced to brine persons in the' Public Service'of tho Crown tinder tlie Motor Regulation Act,' 1908, as regards, registration, sneed. lights, etc.. the Crown Laiv Office having: advised that such persons aro not within tho Act.— New Plymouth.

Registering Authority.—That the interpretation clause. -"Registering Authority." bo amended by deleting the words "having a peculation of not less than, fivn thousand.—Foilding.) (Carried at three conferences.) . Wheel and Ticket Taxes.—That steps lie taken to obtain the ; necessarv an-, thority enabling bordujih councils to levy taxes as follows: 1. A tax on motorbuses, lorries, cartsj and other wheeled traffic of an excessively wearing nature. The proceeds to.be devoted to the maintenance of roads. —Hastings.' State of tho Roads. ■ • Winter is now upon us and mud and slush and greasy, bends t are the , rule through'the country . districts. This week "Clutch" was up and down through the Wairarapa and Forty-mile Bush districts: Any city motorists who may the run through will bo interested to hear that so far as new.metal is concerned the biggest hurdle ;is' the three-mile stretch now being laid down, from 'Mason's Gardens on towards the Upper Hutt. The most troublesome.'. run, in fact, between .Wellington and Pahiatua is that in the Hutt Valley. : Tho surface on the Rimutakas. is in very fair order for the time of year. Some-of the corners are decidedly on the_ greasy side &nd require careful negotiating. -.'.•.. . l The road across the'Wajrarapa , Plains froni. Featherston right through Mastertbn toiOpaki is a pleasure to travel over, and is probably the-finest stretch of main' road in the North Island. From Opaki onwards in the. vnlley lip , to Eketahuna things • were generally moist. About ten miles put from Mastertoiv there is a longish stretch of metal, and patches, of course, elsewhere. The writer went over the j short road from Hastwell to Ekntahuna and found it in good order. This short route is sign-posted 'for motorists going north, but not for those coming south. After leaving Eketnuuna by the main road south and crossing the. bridge, take the first turning to the left and four miles will be saved. Botwoen Newman and Hamna there is something over.two miles of metal down, but it is well worn now, and it is possible to run ov.cr.it comfortably. In Pahiatua a good deal of patching is being done, but no heavy coating of metal is to'bo laid down* The road from Gre'ytown to Martinborough', via -Jlo/on, is in 'excellent order, and, except for a little jjreasrness in places, so is that from Martinborougli to Feauiersfon. Tlie oxccllcmoc of the roads in • Featherston county makes it a popular week-end 'resort'for the whole of the Wairarapa district, and it is stated that on a recent Sunday no fewer than twenty cars were to be seen at the Lake Ferry. The Caro of, Cape Cart Hoods, Aii the majority of touring cars are nowadays fitted with Cape cart, bonds, it may be useful to draw attention to a lew points- concerning these useful additions to a car's equipment, with the view of preventing their rapid deterioration. To tho wealthy motorist, 110

doubt the renewal of ,-i hoOtt naa.V not bo j ' a matter of any coiisccjaenee, but to tho i majority of car-owners it is it distinct consideration. A writer in tl» "Auloremarks that everyone 'i-jas iSoen many cases of Cape- hoqd's being spirited within tho space <rf -twelve months through, carrying parcels, small iaaiujbays, etc., in the i'oHs. Considerable damage may also be caused fctittHigls JM-t fitting the hood sticks iftw pdsitiflit, so that there can be no shftltc or nwwenieiil-. To prolong the life of the , material of the hood, the' folds Shotllcl be arranged properly, making siire tba-t "they do ftot Ret caught in such a way 33 to pr-oshieo holes through, frayiftg< , Another rcisq precaution is thoroughly to fernsh ijte hood after a'dusty drive, and this should bo done before the e&x is wadwif, the cushions of the car being ptev-fcttsly removed. Most people do liof Mfce , driving with the hood up, -and cohscijuctitl;? when a shower or storm is over it. is lowered immediately, ft is b&tter, iioTrever. to keep,it up tor a v.-liije 'iiiitil it is dry, and if this: jwerautron, be ia# taken it should be raised" i'lie niflmertt the f car reaches the garage* tfttefwise,-Ming in a. damp condition.,.,the ftsMie' Is ttkefj' to rot and depreciate iftpidlj". I'Mnally., if the .car is not to life- Us.ect much <tei*ig the winter months,, jftfe tocf .-hotiM. be kept raised in tfiega.ra'ge, a large -shoot being thrown over -the- whale vefele. When a hood is kejst- folded for long periods in damp weaihef tte fabric is more liable to rot. . ' A 1000-Mile Motor Rea.d; The Paris correspondent ftf Hie "Daily Mail" states ;■—The stitkjciiies in French Indo-China Jiifte fcgUn a series of engineering, 'wfrrks to the- establishment of a •molor road i-OOfl .miles long between Hanoi, rtftd Saigen. A|t present travellers by land joupiisy- ffi turn by train, by niqlbf-ca) , , by inute, ami by palanquin. '|sft bridges i'.re btsng built, and the road, -wtvfeb. trusses three different mountain-ranges, wsJ} bfe changed into a modem JogcJ e<.pa.Me\of bearing swift motor tf-ft-ffie. '* Motor Cycling Notes, " To-morrow (Saturday) tlie Wellington Motor Cycling Club lyifl.hoM a temp, tiiial. In this trial eaeli ttjSrri w.ili dp)i» sist of three rider* to-.tldt toget-W throughout the trial. Points fijr fle S. and R. Cup will lie awarded- f(*r fte best individual perforniance, while medals will be given to each- toastobt® of the winning team. '. 0«. tte foljowiie f Saturday the club will -hold a fast liili j climb at Severn Street, islastifas, An English ifias. teen |tted with artillery type. , steel wheels. ■ such as are so cqram.Oiilj: in U:s.e on cars. The device opens up -qtoie an interesting field for discussion,' As the "Motor ; Cyple" rehiarks, hf Kgbtaess afltl strength it is,liard'to> beat a s<FetHttiilis : wire wheel, but from ft<? point of view of thp. steol spakes SCfj-ro heavily. There is. yet anethev *jjje.. which is well Tvortb.eotfsicUfffi.-t-iQ.il, aiwj ■ that is the disc who'ei, sliicli ebuld f«isistof a separate att.aclinjavt or he built ur> in the irist-aivco, TUis typo is easier still to, oleSiji, aticl ecffllcl l«-oV ably be manufactured ■ very eteaply in cmantities, though • ii suffe'rs from Wβ , disadvantage that 9 ptr.mig jade-wintl ivo.uld certainly affeot fe sifteyiug. Hints and Tips. If, a. motor,persist.,k misfiring tfifien only a-light load-Is ieifig..'. carried, it may often bo cured % wlclcrn'iig tjj'e sparking plug gaps Spgh%. If 011 t*e oilier liaud the eflgiijo ws-ftro wh-cn pulling hard with ait opon thjottte. it may often bo put rlghi' efosing 'tto spark gaps' somewhat. -, - ' Nuts which have ■ rusted: io a holt fir stud can bo removed easily 'bv iirst heating the nut-witji a torch a«l tiven applying a wrench. Wlfjte tte .nut m hot,, it should be t?ppefj- %!)■% wift. a hammer. Another Diethell h used frequently in. which; hyroseiio is potiiferf upon tho rusted ' parts, niiu- tls.e mit tappod wiiile the wrench is bains used. Those who are olsKosih! to "park their cars in' the street will fi-nd' tfeii a litifc precaution in preventing ivaW getting under the hood will-' he|(> matters eisterially. An-exchange desc'ifSbes Jiaw α-n owner left his car opt ki the rain far v aliout six hours, awl ttho-n, he trietl t» start it after tliftrii-inster-m fs-imtt fte carburettor choked wi-Mf \vii-t6r a.iid- tlio magneto-was alsp 'IlJe fi'.ate* <mtered through the rSdiator fa foft-t, artd { by means of an opening ittaclg % rte I hood support; The tvSticl Mew the water into the cairbur-cttor a-JT val'vo and over the uncovered If H is known that rain is face tlw radiator away from, the wind, .a-ftri if possible cover any lioles in the-' liahd.

In an obstinate case , tjf pis.Mn- s<nau?o- - is welt tn engage ffte starting liandli!, place- the jack .under it, a«l turn. ih& iack until the frame of thfi" ear Skis been raised half an J.itclr. O«a'Wli'oSijd then poiuv.potroj antf: all for nit-rafTm) dii the top of the pistons^-aTttl. fijl tl.m w.a-te ; r jacket with hot. watefr. With thft plteiMjii' consciousness that, a fetree eijvt-al ta, several hundredweiii-hk is tioitstafitly pushinpr at tho start-nig hand-Je, *pa# to take advantage least jefosation in tho seizure. ':':■ Here nnd There. Legal lighting-lip tiijip for atntof-cnris and motor-cycles: To-day, 4.3.1 p.nk; next Friday, 4.35 p.m.-. A , new svstem of ifebtirig is being experimented with in JJritaitt.. jtas-taiii of haviiift.hcadlights and SJfMiglits, a Bff of twelve lamps -(Stli , rcfleetofs is across the car in a Itixt, betmv tlio wind screen. Any' #Sitecl irtffilea- of lamps can be lit at one tinifs, and the rays nan he diireetert a,t amy sngle liy moving a lever. The felvt is.srtjd t«. m very effective for driyi-iig afld , tho bliriina: dazzle of- headlights is doiio -Way with. -';'., An ©lectrically-driveh eysle-esi.t is ptti-. mised'for early next xe%r-. Xt> will origtiH a to from the United , States, and it is the outcome of an eJeotrite nmabwit hnilt about two years ago for childfah's use. . ' . It has practically been decided that the next inter-St.ite reliabt.Kir Jiiotof contest between Sydiiej , mi ISMhrnxi'm? will be held the week *folio#ti(ij" Jiastei , in 1915. the date. earJv in April next. This arrangerijent will Stoft fjio automobile clubs of Nβ* South Wales and Victoria. As r.egS-nfe tliß route, it will be from Sydney to Jgrtoten Caves (114 miles'l first day; jenailaij Oaves to. Cootamundra (187 miles) 6,?e.pnrJ clay; Cootamundra to Albiify • (188 milos) third day; Alhury vjii. obro*e'to JTurclwson (149 miles) fourth dtij , .. mid Mur« chison via.Yea to Jlelkiffinio (12S| miie§s fifth day, tho total: distsmce beifle a«proximately 715 mite-. 'jVo ti ill. dinilis are proposad. The teat is-ft] njast tifcoly be held on similar lfn.es to the- last coffl» petition, reliability, GOttS-ijOT-ptJon, and hill climbing deciding the winners. Tho greatest rostf} eotvtcst of tlie world, the Tour de Prance, wliieli started on .Tune 28, fehijsties w\ July 87. Tho total distance is 8340- M~ik,% epreatj over 158 stages. The i'u'St (aftil focoitos £1000, whilst £9G is paid t<J tho- ffsnner of every stage, thesq prizojj bei-fig in addition to very valna-blo' beimscs pvsX by manufacturers, This, is- ttic pvwt tliat. Don Kirkh.am, the- . Australian roadcrack, has heen snfteially lirop-i fed for, and his recent staving iti Em'ujftan road races, roupled vi'i't-) 1 , his staying abilities, sho'iihl give him a"look in" amongst the rich praes. > P'urther-particular-S Eewived by tJw Dunlop Rubber, ConipiJisy frow England in reference to the tourist twjpliv- race, decided on June 11 oia the We oj Mm< show what a strenuous test this 609 miles of mountainous- eoiit'f-e ufoTitkii. Tweuty-tkee of the vorH's baaing tftrs

started, and only six cmuplftted *th« 3 course. This is "weeding out" ivifl; a Vongea-nfio! ■ Sovcjsd of the- leading rontons entered trains of three .cars, but enly one team of three "Jlinervae" was left in tlxs race sfter ISO miles fad beca negotiated, mid they finishsid uft second", third, a.wJ. fifth. Siicli a teanft proves' the need of Jong <Ustac© road contests tn mrprove tb© bveed airf reliability «jf tho m-esent-day tit, which many people te*cfay look upon as nearly perfect.

Tho teobnicjafl* el tho Atitortwbils Club M AtnsricHi are asin-g taovitig pfetui'fcs to illustrate 4he Svor'kmg of the various p.s-rts of tuokrr-e&r engines, and to show the various ills -tb which- tho parts sft> heir,

The American fcoarist wlio takes Ms tar to Eiirope fer Ilis summer ta&t is becom-tog aii tfiareasing quahtlty. iS'q-w- York "Pest" 'States tba't abjut 2O0& cars will bo lai?eii across- Fftj- tqtrs this summer. Tl-ie cest e| sbipineirt out 'a-jrd baeli, -iwludiiig teisg, ranges from £70- to"<80, , • .