MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2563, 10 September 1915, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

« — [Br Clutoh.] A Tax on American Cars, In an article reviewing proposals put forward for raising money from motorists, the London "Morning Post" advocates the imposition of a duty on American ears, and says:—"The best reason of all is that with the monopoly of tho world's markets and through tile enormous scale on which it has now established itself, the highly-protected American motor industry is able to supply motor-cars, vehicle size for vehicle size, at anything up to 50 per cent, cheaper than our own unprotected industry, hampered by labour conditions and so forth, would be able to do if it wcro today in tho position of being free to ofFer cars for sale to the public. Therefore, though we are at war, and though tho British citizens requiring a motor vehicle to-day_ cannot purchase anything that will give 'employment to .British labour, but must instead buy a machine which represents money sent abroad, he is nevertheless in the position of having his requirements fulfilled for anything from three-quarters to only half tho cost of a home-made machine that would do equivalent work. At the moment I am not entering into details of design, of engine efficiency, and such like technicalities, but am .only considering car size and equipment against car size arid equipment; in othor words, an American machine that will servo a given purpose well enough against a British one that will also servo that purpose, to which end nice Mints like freedom from vibration in the working of .the machinery, flexibility, and similar qualities are of no account in war time. Why, therefore, are these foreign vehicles still imported into this country in ever-increasing quantities without any tax being imposed on them, although America has still a tariff of 45 per cent, established against our attempt to export cars to the United States? Let us at once put a war tax of 45 per oent. on all American cars imported into this country during the war, and still it will be no hardship ou the individual in these Islands who must possess himself of a inotor vehicle at this juncture, because he will be buying a. completely-equipped motor-car capable of doing the work he requires, which, after the import duty has been paid on it, will cost him no more than a similarly-equipped Britishmade vehicle of' equal sizo and capacity. Just because there are no homemade cars available for the public, why should the man wanting a motor vehicle ui war time be compelled to buy a machine at a much lower prico than ho would very likely pay for a car to do tuo same sort of' work if he had the choice of thp products of our own and ,i Ypntinental motor factories as well?"

Easing a Fierce Clutch. .M''- H. W./Lawrence, of Jolmsonyillo writes ,as follows :— I "Perhaps the following tips will be of some use to the readers of The Dominion who motor. Where a leather cone clutch is fierce and will only" engage sweetly by the constant application of oil at frequent intervals, which results in the oil' being tnrown all over the under gear, paraffin wax will bo found'useful. Proceed as follows the leather coiie several times with plenty of-benzine to remove as much oil as possible, lot leather dry, then scrape the surface with a knife slightly to remove any burnt leather, wow warm the leather, not too hot to injure same, get somo hard paraffin wax and melt it ill a tin and add a little fine pure powdered plumbago to it, stir and whilst hot with a hard brush rub it well into the fibre of the leather of the clutch, which is also warm; now replace dutch'on car, start car in neutral and lot the clutch in and out so that it slips by easing the clutch pedal slightly. The wax and plumbago on the surface will assume a liard polished surface, and the clutch will then take -up the drive sweetly.' A dressing will last several weeks' constant use, and when it requires renewing all you have to do is to push clutcli out and with a small flat painter's brush push some more foot wax between the leather and the metal surface of the clutch. Bo careful to keep any oil from contact with the clutch when onco dressed with the wax. Another good use of paraffin wax is in regard to putting on hard or refractory tires. Take a lump of paraffin wax and' vigorously rub the flap and the bead of the tire with it until it has a glazed' surface. It will then be found in nearly every case (juite easy to slip the tire on to tho rim. It will not injure the rubber of tire or tube; on the other band it will help to preserve the bead from water and rust. This is a nice clean method of dealing with refractory tires —much cleaner and better than the soft soap method."

Garage Tips. A box of sawdust will be found/useful in a. garage. It should be sifted to get rid of splinters, etc., and will be found particularly good for cleaning the bands and removing grease and dirt. It can also be used' for covoirng over grease spots on the floor where sand is not accessible. Another most useful article is a halfgallon lubricating oil tin, or something similar, with, a tap soldered in about two inches from the bottom. This is kept in the motor house on a table or shelf, or to the wall. Paraffin is kept in it, and a small hand bowl with a good-sized tooth brash or small nail brush is placed handy. s The hands can be well cleaned with the paraffin, and then the remainder is poured back into the tin and stoppered. An old gauze-bottomed funnel is handy for replacing the paraffin. All the dirt will sink to the bottom and the oil will come out fairly clean oring to the tap being placed 2in. up. The paraffin is removed from the hands with a handful of sawdust, and they can then be washed' with soap and water and more sawdust if required—F.W.B., in the "Autocar.".

Here and There. Legal lighting, up time for motor-cars and motor-cycles:—To-day, 5.41 p.m. Next Friday, 5.48 p.m. The Brassard, a ( cycling event, which carries a prize of £10 per week as long as the winner can hold the title, has been in the keeping of R. M'Nama, of New South Wales, for eight weeks, despite eisht separate challenges, a.nd races, all of which the Australian has won.

The amount of money spent annnally on motoring in the United States is almost incredible. To start with, the number of cars registered there reached the 2,000,000 mark on June 1, 1915. Figuring on ail average of four persons utilising each car—which is a conservative estimate—there are 8,000,000 people in the United States who enjoy motoring. As in jnany other things connected with the war, Germany's exactness and preparation is first in the field to solve the problem of the used "war-car" which looms threatening in the distance. Great- Britain and France realise the seriousness of the matter, but so far liavo not taken any action- to control it. Germany, however, has already made preparations to handle the delicato situation effectively the moment the war ' stops. A company has been formed, in which the Government and the motor-car manufacturers are interested, which company will take over all the cars used in tho war which arc capable of repair. They will be put in first-class running condition, and then offered to the public at a reasonable price. Only one-third of the total will be placed on tho market in the first year, one-third in the second year, and the remainder in the third year.