MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2449, 30 April 1915, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

[By Clutch.]

A National Highway. 111 directing attention to the need for a national highway through the North Island the Tauniarunui Chamber of Commerce is doing good work. It is questionable, 'however, whother ■ the route it has suggested is the best for such a work. A road following the Main Trunk railway line would be useful hi linking up the towns along that route,' hut it would not be nearly so valuable a factor in developing the country as a road through districts not already 3erv'ed by a railway nor likely to bo for some time to come. The best route for a national highway from Wellington to Auckland is undoubtedly somewhere botween the Main Trunk line and the West Coast. Working from oast to west there are five main arteries to the north, some of them, of course, in a very undeveloped state.' First of all is the Main Trunk railway, with the road running beside it up as far as Taumaruniui. From Taumarunui to Te Kuiti thero is a gap in this road and a tortuous deviation through the Ohura country is necessary. From To Kuiti the road runs on to Hamilton and down the Waikato. The next route is that from Wanganui up to Parapara Road, which runs midway .between the Main Trunk line and the Wanganui River as far as Raetihi and then merges •in the road previously mentioned. The ' formation work on this was only recently completed. The third highway' is th© Wanganui River.

After that oomes tile Stratford-Main Trunk route where road and railway will eventually follow approximately the came line. The last_ road through is that from Waitara,_ via TJrenui, and the Moltau to Te Knitij where it junotions with the Main Trunk routo. The Routes Compared. It will thus be seen that the two lines of railway and the rivor tap the greater part of the country. While the Parapara Road will sorv« the district between tho Main Trunk and the river.

The Waitara-Te Kuiti Toad, however, runs through a district which is not on the line of any 1 projected railway, but which deserves at least 1 good road communication with the rest of the Dominion. A national highway following this route would both link up north and south and open up much good country now very much isolated. At present the road is practicable only in dry weather for motor traffic. The journey from New Plymouth to Auckland and vice versa has been done in the day by car over it on more than' one occasion. Metal is scaroe along the route and tho cost of constructing a durable road will be high, but the work is one that has much to commend it from ovory point of view.

"Want Any Hnlp?" The Wellington motorist who makes a trip, in any other district' of the Dominion usually receives an agreoablo surpriso if compelled by misadventuro to halt by tho wayside with tire or other trouble. Front practically every car and motor-cyclo that passes comes 'i. cheery "Want any help?" or "All right?" and it is Quito tho exception to see anyone shoot by without, offering assistance. The "attention is often very far from perfunctory and most people \who have toured much with their cars have pleasant recollections of complete strangers lending assistance at a pinch with the utmost goodwill. _ In the vicinity of Wellington the position is very different. It is the rule here for motorists to pass anyone in distress without - inquiry of any' sort, and if assistance is needed from a passing car practically the only way to obtain it is- to block the roadway. Now a ?^„¥s!" n . o , ne ' lears a perfunctory call oi All right?" from a car speeding by. at 25 jn.-p.h,, but it is usually a waste of breath to reply as-the'driver is far out of earshot before one can open one's mouth. It is only right to add that'the majority of motor-cyclists show far more.esprit de corps than do the big car owners, and frequently come to the aid of their bigger brethren with a patch, some rubber solution, the loan of a spanner, or what not. Unless Wellington City motorists wish to acquire a reputation for being the most selfish m the Dominion they need to mend their ways and develop a little of the pull-together spirit of other districts.

To Auckland Via Ohura. Apropos of northern routes, the "New Zealand Herald" the other day published a description of the route south to Taranaki via Te Kuiti, Oliufa, Wliangamomona, and Stratford, as supplied by a party of Auckland motorists: Leaving Hamilton the road is taken through Ataupo, Te Awamutu, and Otorohanga to Te Kuiti, the surface being fair, partly pumice, partly metalled, and only one stiff hill—rough metal— which is olimbed when about three miles from Te Kuiti. On reaching the summit a splendid panorama of the surrounding country 'is obtained, and a winding run down hill in a few minutes lands one in the township of Te Kuiti —50 miles from Hamilton. From Te ICuiti the coach road is followed to Piopio; 18 miles. Now the road turns off sharply to the left, and partly newly-metalled and sandy clay roads are met with. From here to within, say, 25 miles of Stratford, where the main South Road is reached, is mostly unmetalled and in many parts (juite impnssable except when dry, but in ordinary summer conditions provided very good travelling all the way. .. New made farms are passed after leaving Piopio, tho country being undulating and hilly. At' about three miles on the Mokau River bridge is crossed and tho beautiful Wairere Falls, Mokau River, which are a couple of minutes' walk from the road, are well worth stopping to see. Trout fishing is obtainable'in the river.

The township of Aria is passed about nino miles further on; tlien the Waitsivheua Valley Road leads through good farm land and very valuable coalareas. The whole of this country is destined to be one of the most prosperous in the Dominion, and when lailtvay communication 'is opened Tip should provide coal in abundance for many generations. . • WaitWhena, 27 miles from Piopio, i is passed, and a. run of 11 miles reaches the township of Ohura, 56 miles froni T® Kuiti. There is a detour from Aria to Ohura, via Matiere, but the road ,i-i not as good as that via Waitewhenai x Leaving Ohura, 10 miles or so of more or less liilly farming country is fcraveised, then a climb of one and a half miles up a steep .winding saddle, '.villi precipitous clilfs on ono side, and glorious . scenery. After negotiating these hills, tlio Tangarakau Gorge is entered, and liere begins the most beautiful bush, river, and cliff scenery that one could wish to see. There is a winding road with good surface mile after mile for 11 nylos, opening up new vistas nt every bend—a delightful place to linger in. Soon after leaving the gorge climbing starts again—this is a country of everlasting "hills—and another i'ew miles brings in sight evidences of the openingof the .land —the workings of the slowgrowing Stratford-Oluu'a to Main Trunk railwitj. . Another seven miles or so with downhill tendency and Whangamomona is leached, 33 miles from Ohura. The country in the Whangamomona district is rapidly hoing opened np, and farm htuiees and fjrassod hills are takin'3 tile plnoi- of what a short time back was dciiso bush. Leaving Whangainomojm

for Stratford the first couplo of miles is undulating, then a climb up a saddle, the top of which is reached at about four miles. Oji t]iis route thero are three saddles. The surface is good in fine weather. Thero aro very sharp turns, hut the road being wider, these are muoh more easily negotiated with chains than roads previously passed in similar conditions. At 14 miles from Whangamomona. a stretch of 10 miles of metal is found, thon one mile and threequarters of clay, the last on the route, 1.11011 a run on perfect motalled _ surface, and LI miles into the thriving town of Stratford. The distance from Auckland to Stratford is 370 miles.

Petrol and the War. Doubts have been cast upon the statements made some time ago as to' the inconvenience' caused in Germany and Austria-Hungary by a shortage of petrol for motor-cars. That the inconvenience is real, not to say serious, is borno •jut by the observations of a special correspondent of the "Morning Post," Who has contributed to that journal a series of articles on the present condition of Austria-Hungary. In his communication datedßudapest, February' s, he says: "What-immediately struclc me in Budapest was that there were absolutely no motor vehicles. Some, I was told, had been commandeered by the War Office, hut the real reason for their complete absence was the lack of petroleum. . , Petroleum has now risen so much in price as to be beyond the reach of almost everyone, and this despite Budapest being nearer to petroleum springs and refining works than any other large town ia Europe."

Armoured car Design. According to report from France, the Germans are now using armoured cars, so designed that .reversing in order to turn is not necessary. The latter operation exposes the car -unduly, and gives the enemy time to concentrate 'its fire' on it. In the latest German typo there are three reverse speeds, and' the control 1 is so managed that the oar can be driven either backwards or forwards, the driver facing in the way it is going, just as in the case of a tramcar. It is said that this auxiliary steering ia now being ■fitted to somo of the armoured cars produced in England. It must bo a very complicated. arrangement, however, though it ha's been satisfactorily carried out it certainly constitutes a great improvement. One cannot imagine anything more trying or dangerous 1 than' suddenly coming on a stroiige force of the enemy and having to pull up and turn on a narrow road, which perhaps requires soveral reverse movements, before a complete turn can be made, and this,gives the enemy an excellent opportunity of "getting home."

Hints and Tips. To prevent sparking plugs becoming J wedged tight in tho cylinders, care should be taken to see that the plug before being used can be almost screwed up with the fiingers and only requires the uso of the. spanner to ensure - a proper seating. It is as well to first clean tho thread in tho cylinder with a paraffined rag, as a particle of motal or grit lodging in the thread tends to lock tho plug. ■ A touch of graph-to on tho plug thread is also a useful precaution. i.n testiug plugs, any thafare an' easy fit should be rejected just as are those that are a tight fit, as they are certain to cause leakage sooner or later. A tight-Sitting plug should have the.thread cased by running a standard die over it. All repair shops have such a tool. It is a mistake to attempt economy 111 fan and speedometer belts. Nothing but. the very best pays, and if you can get hold of a piece of good chrome leather it w'll outlast many" belts of the common strap type and will not stretch to any appreciable extent. Its greater strength makes it less likely that the fastener will pull out, and this is always the -weakest point of a belt. Personally I am not at all enamoured of tlie metallic fastener, as most of them require some power to bend tliem, arid they are all more or less noisy. If the engine is provided with somo method of adjusting the. distance botween pullev centres f t is best to take, out as much stretch as possible, and then chamber the ends to a very gradual taper. A shoemaker of saddler will then be able to make a very good job of the point by stitching the overlapping edges. If this is not possible, or if the belt_ has to be pieced together -while in position over one of the pulleys, the simplest plan is to make a butt jo'iit. Three holes must be made in each end, at a distance of a quarter of an inch from the end, and there is less weakening of the leather if the,holes are not drilled but made'with an awl. The ends can .then be laced together with a piece of leather boot lace in the manner indicated in the sketch. This brings the knot at the outside and ; n the centre, where it is most out of tho way.

Here and There. Legal, lighting-up time v for motor-cars and motor-cycles To-day: 5.1 p.m.; next Friday, 4.52 p.m. Mr. J. R. Self, of Auckland, who has recently returned from a. trip to England, has given a very- interesting report of motoring experiences at Home. He says -the best investment he made while he was away was to subscribe to the A.A. "Motoring in England and motoring'in New Zealand are quite distinct pastimes," says Mr. G. L. Thorburn, of Auckland, who has just, returned from a trip abroad. "To find a piece of loose metal on the roads at Home would be as common an occurrence as finding a half-crown on the road in Auckland.'' The English Automobile Association has made a present to France of £50,000 worth of motor ambulances, as the result of donations from members. Whilst the average motor cyclist is very economical in fuel, 100 miles to the gallon of petrol being a common occurrence, it will surprise most people to learn that on a ton mileage basis the motor cycle is not so economical as a motor-car. Even going so far as the "Tourist Trophy" car race of 1907, wo find the winning Rolls-Royoo averaging 40 ton miles to the gallon. Even an efficient motor cycle of to-day, weighing 3G01b., does woll to cover 100 miles on a gallon of petrol—tho ton mileage is something less than 17 —very poor when contrasted with tho figures' obtainablo.

In view of tho increased cost of living in Britain,' and with tho object of oncouraging their employees to do everything possible, to meet the present demands of the Government, the Dunlop llubbr Company, Ltd. (states the "Auto-Car"), have decided to pay until further notice a bonus on wages to all their Rubber workers, both mals and female. The amount of the bonus will be 10 per cent., or 2s. in the pound, payable weekly to those who have not lost more than one hour in tho week, except on account of sickness.