MASTERTON NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3070, 4 May 1917, Page 9

MASTERTON NOTES

Slits in the Hood. . The slits in. the sides of the metal hood of a motor-car serve an important purpose in keeping the motor .temperature at a' point which permits tbo car to operate at its greatest efficiency. The air that has wanned in passing over the engine "finds its exit to the outer atmosphere through these openings, and in this way opens a path for a constant stream of fresh cool air above,the working parts. The absonco of louvres or-the-presence of only a limited number means a back prossuro of warm air on the radiator fan. . On the contrary,' it follows that, tho greater .the'number of louvres the greater will bo the-velocity of, tho unwarmed air flowing under the bonnet. Motors From Canada. It is "interesting- to- loam that the .Ford motor car, jvhich' is so widely used in this Dominion, is not only made in Canada but that it is produced by an J altogether independent firm —the Ford Motor Company, of Canada. Nor 4 woj are told, is this concern, even financed by America.' li has been suggested that American capital has been employed to develop the motor-car industry across tho border, with tho primary, object of avoiding Customs . and preferential duties. That contention, however, it seems, cannot at all apply to "The Ford." The latter constitutes an out-and-out Canadian industry instituted, it*is stated, .entirely, by Mr. G. M. M'Gregor, the present general manager of the Ford Motor Company of Canada. It is from thie source- 'New -Zealand derives its..Ford.motor-cars. Here andj There. . If the carburetor catches fire do not givo way to pnnic. Shut off the gasoline at the tank and start tho motoi if possible. A self-starter is useful here, but one should spin it by hand if necessary. This draws. the flame into tho carburetor, where it will do no harm. Water from the radiator may ho thrown, on burning woodwork, but never throw water on a pool of burning gasoline ■on , the floor, as it r only spreads'-the fire. In meet the import tax in Great Britain, steps have already been taken'to manufacture American cars in Great Britain. It seems fallacious, as tho essence of cheap and efficient construction of. American motor-cars is standardisation on the largest and most concentrated scale. But the .American car manufacturer has shown that standardisation does not necessarily involve concentration, and that in certain circumstances decentralisation actually leads to a reduction of manufacturing eosts. By decentralising there is a diminution of the. possibility of labour and other difficulties which might arise if all tho cars turned out by tho largest makers were completely'finished in one works. Then .again, freights are greatly reduced, since in a railway wagon which could normally take only four assembled cars, the complete component parts of perhaps 50 could be carried roady for erection at the other end. ',

According to the latest census of motor vehicles in Groat Britain, tlio total number of automobiles and trueks in actual service is 171,607, about 5 per cent, of the number registered in the United States on January 1, 1917, which was 3,541,788. In each of tto seven states of New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, California, j Texas, and lowa there are more automobiles and trucks than in all of Great Britain. In. tho United States the production of cars for 1916 was well over 1,600,000. For motor-cycles there has been invented a. pump that automatically fills a tiro with air as a machine is running. ; Opening the relief valves to see if a cylinder is> missing explosions is a good way, but it sometimes fails unless you speed up the motor. Give tho engine plenty of gas and you will frequently got a burst of flame through the valve from, what you thought was a dead cylinder. *■'...■■ When two or more leaves of a spring break it is not advisable to install now leaves without resetting the Bpring. If the spring is used for some time its set is difforent from that of the new leaves installed, and tho effect results in another broken spring very soon. Lighting-up time: To-day, 4.55 p.m. Next Friday, 4.47 p.m.

An ex-soldier named Charles Henry Roxborough pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's .Court on Wednesday to a charge of bigamy. Ho was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. ■■ At tho statutory meeting of the Masterton Borough Council on AVednesday, the Mayor was installed, and the usual declarations were made. Committees were set up for the ensuing year. Some dißCUEsion took place.on ino proposal of tho Wairarapa Hospital and Charitable Aid- Board to increase the patients' fees', but no action was taken. ; Tho Masterton Bowling Club concluded its season on Thursday.