MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2509, 9 July 1915, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

[By Clutoh.]

Wellington Automobile Club. Besides meeting Dr. Valintine ' and dealing with matters relating to the supply of motor-cars for the transport of the sick and wounded soldiers, the Wellington Automobile Club put through a good deal of general business at its meeting on Tuesday. Mr. C. H. Izard, wlio presided, stated that it was desired that the meeting should give the club's delegates to the Automofeile Union Conference to-day their ideas on the subject of motor taxation; • Two Tesolutions.were adopted. Oil the motion: of Mr.- 0. M. Bants it was agreed that in view o| the small net amount a motor tax would provide towards the upkeep of tho roads (if the Dominion, that the club considers the proposed tax on motors undeiirvjle.

A motion by Mr. Pryor was carried as follows .-—"That in the event of motor taxation, this club favours a national wheel tax, and that any local body making a claim on the fund should be compelled to expend a percentage of the amount required l as a subsidy for the maintenance of main arteriahroad;."

A committee was set up to en-ifauur to secure au agreement with 'the trir for the registration of the club under the Friendly Societies Act. . Mr. Stott, the .secretary of the dub,' states that since May 1 25 new members hate joined, the total membership now standing at 125.

Auckland Club House Scheme. There was a considerable diversity of opinion among the members of tiio Auckland Automobile Association it- its meeting the other day when the question of approving a! , suggestion that the association acquire a club house was introduced. The suggestion was .brought forward by tho committee as an outcome of a resolution passed on October 8, 1912, that upon the membership of the association reaching 300 steps be taken to obtain a club house. . After discussion this motion was withdrawn and the following • was substituted: — "That it be a recommendation that such steps he taken as may be necessary to carry into'effect the suggestion whereby the association may arrange with the. Pacific Club for the joint use of its club rooms." One member said that the present was a time when the association's resources 'should be husbanded. Another stated that if the association had £200 to spare the money should bo spent on ■ the"' roads. The sutn would bo subsidised by tho Government.' The present time was inopportune to em--bark on an enterprise of the nature' The motion was put and lost, its supporters, being few in number.

Military Motorists Wanted in Britain. There lias for some time (says the' "Light Car" of May 5) been, a-general impression that tho supply of motor drivers available for the'A.SIC.jM.T., is well in advance of the number. .of lorries ready .to be piifc ;{t their-disposal. Tho fact of the matter is that it', has been necessary of late, as it'were, to lay in stocks. both of c-ars and of drivers. The moment has come when enormous numbers. of , men, who vent iiito training during tho first month or so of tho war, are ready lor active service. It is no longer merely a question of replenishing losses at the front aiid increasing our strength sloivjy and steadily. The next movQ must bo to'bring about an enoraccession of force . -which alone can suffice to elfcct any really. sweeping change in tho present state of affairs in .France.'and Flanders.. '

The mechanical transport -.'Stiver is presumed "to be-alrcadyVa trained specialist. Consequently, it- has..not been thought fo enlist him until within a, fow weeks or days of tho time wbpn his services might,reasonably be expected to be'-required on the Continent, In some eases, expectations have been falsified, and-men have been kept waiting, niid the impression consequent--ly conveyed that,there wero more than enough drivers available.

Wo have it olv the best authority that this is not tho ease. Skilled men are now very urgently needed. If they do not come forward, the movement of huge forces towards the front will be materially delayed. An army, corps is of little use without its ammunition columns, and those who are in a position to assist, but who hesitate to do so" at, the present, instant, must in the future class themselves with the minority of workmen who have refused to work overtime, or'preferred their pleasures to their duty, and so jeopardised, the adequacy of ammunition supplies. There are in the A.S.C.,' M.T., thousands of private motorists acting as' transport drivers. The work >is thoroughly interesting, and what is more is well paid at the rate of 6s. a day, to which may be added a generous separation allowance for wife'" and fanir ily.yln-some instances, the total remuneration works out at upwards of £4 per week. In any case; it is an honest statement of fact to say that the. transport driver is in reality very much better off from the pecuniary standpoint than the junior commissioned ofiicere.•

The Speed.Limit in U.S.A. . The "Motor Age" of New York, April 2iii issue, contains the following paragraph .. "The motor cop. is without a job in Fresno County, California. Instead of motor cycle-mounted guardians of the highways, : the motorists are placed on their respective- honours to observe the laws regarding the speed limit. Signs 10ft. x 30ft. have been erected over the State highway ,at each edge of the county telling motorists that the motorcycle policeman had been taken off the job.' The traveller is notified by the sign that he is pKced on his honour to observe tho speed limit and to con-duct-himself so a roturn to the cop system will not be necessary. The plan has been received with much favour hy all motorists."

Here and There. Legal lighting-up time for motor-cars and motor-cycles To-day, 4.35 p.m.; next Friday, 4.41 p.m. "It is a standing disgrace to Auckland tliat a motorist cannot go 40 miles out of Auckland to-day," remarked Mr. Neville Nowcomb, prior to vacating the presidential chair at the annual meeting of the Auckland Automobile Association last" night. "We are bounded by an impassable patch. We want a main outlet from one end of tlie province; to the other. South Island and Wellington motorists can travel any distance in their own parts of the Dominion, but when they come to the Auckland Province they are unable to proceed. Tourists from Australia come over and land at Wellington. . They motor to Taupo without condescending-to visit the sea 'of mud." All who have had opportunities of observing the Allied armies ill tho field, says. "Cycling" (Eng-)> , l iave . been struck with the large proportion of cyclists employed by the Belgians compared with other armies, thus it' is not surprising that the armoured car corps which Belgium'is now putting in the field should have cyclist companies attached. Without entering into military details, it may be mentioned that the Belgians iiavo foNned and have now placed in the : field a very powerful armoured-car corps. ■ The call for more English expert motor"drivers at the front has led to a patriotic movement' in England which has for its object the release from service of many thousands of chauffeurs who are now engaged by firma (Uld pnvMs QTO&fl gf CM6.