MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2835, 28 July 1916, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

[By Clutch.]

The New Zealand Union. Bearing in mind that the New Zealand Automobile Union exists largely to enable the motorists of the Dominion to make their weight tell for or against legislation specially affectintr their interests, the date chosen for the annual meeting this year seems to be not a very good one. Delegates are to assemble on August 4, when the Parliamentary .session will be very nearly at an end. Some of the remits 6ent in imply a demand for legislation, if they are approved by the Dominion body, but there is evidently little prospect of ttieir being laid before Parliament this year. This matters the less, however, since the settlement of a number of important questions in which motorists are closely conceded is bound in-any ca6e to be postponed, probably until after the war: Some questions, such as the proposal of the Wairarapa Association that the Government be asked to legislate in the direction of car-marking money derived from the taxation of motors for expenditure on roads, are well worth keeping to the fore, even if there is no immediate prospect of legislation. • Glaring Headliflhts. , One upon which tho .union should come to a definite decision is that of the dimming of unduly brilliant headlights. This is a matter in which motorists. should be prepared to readily meet a reasonable public There is no doubt that some lamps'are in use which constitute a serious, danger, and are liable to be a cause of accidents. Regulation is called for, 'and will no doubt be introduced, and- it is as well that motorists should take an active interest in the matter, and see that he regulation is on reasonable lines. , Buying Petrol.' . • . Practical appreciation of the enterprise, of their executive in effecting a considerable purchase of benzine ■ at a, somewhat reduced price is being shown by the members of the Wairarapa Automobile Association. It.was at first proposed to order- 100 tons, but when he came to assemble tho individual orders -sent-in by members,-the secretary had ; to increase tho amount to 120 tons. This action was endorsed by the executive at the. Inst meeting. The. Wairarapa experiment may stimulate similar action elsewhere. Some time ago tho Auckland Association purchased a fairly large consignment of petrol on behalf of its members, but the Wellington Association has only approached the matter in a tentative,way. ■•• ■

The Importance-of Accessories, Progress ,in accessory design bears a much stronger relationship to tho car than is generally surmised. The speed possibilities of the high-speed motor may be all attributed to tho engine, engineer, but the speed would not be possible without- ignition apparatus capable of furnishing an adequate spark for nil speed variations. Tho high-speed motor would not be possible without the. .lubricating oil that can withstand such speeds and temperatures, and .yet furnish that .necessary film .of oil around the revolvingVshaft. Speed would'not be possible were it not that the maker of metals x is developing aluminium or other alloys, which,' because of their oxceedhig light weight, make higher piston, speeds possible. Go through tho now motor-car and you' will find that its present-day evolution is not the work- of one' mechanical engineer, but the culmination of tho ehorts of perhaps several scores of engineers. It can truly be said that each car is tho work of a hundred engineers, perhaps two hundred engineers, and not of one man, who may style himself the chief .engineer of tho oar factorv. Tin's analysis best cites what the accessory engineer has been doing during the past year. He has not been idle; he has been working from the rising of the sun to the setting thereof; he has been burning the midnight current; ho has laboured assiduously 'over his last, and ho has'played his part in giving ns the motor-car of 19)6—a machine .better and cheaper than has ever before been placed oh the market. • It would be'impossible to cite here more than a few indications of how the current of progress has flowed in the past year. The magneto for the eicht and tho twelve has been developed. The battery ignition system for all types of V-mbtors has been improved. The side-outlet carburetter has been pushed ahead. Speedometers are now well equipped, with rest devices. Electric generators are not onlv efficient, but more compact. The same applies to starters. Here and There. The Wellington delegates to the annual meeting of. the New Zealand Automobile Union set down for August i are: Dr. Prendergast Knight, Messrs. Thos. Young and C. M. Banks.. f The Wairarapa Association will be represented by Messrs. M. Elgar and AV. Howard Booth. To solve the problem of tho straight rim versus the beaded edge, the introduction of a combination rim is being strongly advocated in Melbourne. - This rim may be converted to fit either the straight wall tire or the clincher. Mr. P. B. Kennedy, TJ.S'.A. Attache in Melbourne, has communicated with the authorities at Washington strongly advocating the introduction of the combination rim on American cars intended for the Australian market.-* This, it is considered, would lfiave an open choice for tho Australian buyer.

In a letter to the secretary of the Automobile, Club of Victoria, an officer writes enthusiastically of the work the Australian motormen are doing in Prance. The Auzac motormen claim the lecord in Prance, having loaded on to motor lorries supplies, including horse foddor,/for 22,000 men and horses in 33. minutes. During the week 400,000 shells daily, were fired by the Allies in the section of front where the Australians'are located. One of the wagons, with a sergeant, was blown up by an enemy shell, and the crew of two escaped 'with wounds, from which they are recovering. '

Lighting-lip time: To-day, 4.52. p.m. Next Friday, 6.0 p.m.

It. is stated- that one-third of benzine, can be saved and an additional speed of about ten miles per hour gained by putting a Speedier attachment on your engine. See advertisement on this page. ' In the early days of the war great things were expected of the armoured motor, and it certainly made a good re-, cord for a while, and has continued to do so in secondary campaigns..' But, as soon as both armies in the Western theatre dug themselves in, the usefulness of the armoured car was greatly discounted. Where arpiies arc engaged in active and movements, not mere sorties from trenches, tho. armoured car is of great value, but at-present it is being littlo used in Prance. On the other hand, the ammunition and supply cars that have to go up to the front are now frequently armoured, with advantage, although - their means of offence, or rather, defence, is limited to the rifles of their guards. Now that the German Western liues are\being driven in, it should not be long before the armoured cars get new and extended opportunities of proving their worth.