MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 222, 13 June 1919, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

r (By Clutch.)

, Advice to Now Privers. An American .journal offers the following- hints to new 'driven?:— "Take your time during the first month —keep cool' and hnvo'a, reason for everything you do, und above all think—do. not forffet it—think—<md you will get along all right. "Know what each pedal 'if an automobile is for—know what each button will do—'but be suro about it—and do not lose your head. Then you, will not get into any trouble. i "Early lnorniiw is the "best time to Icarn the staß9s of driving/ Go slowly/ Got ■ the habit of watching for vehicles both on the street you are d T', l ?i ? 011 the cross streets, i-'H -f a fi l' or t period, when you feel you have mastered (he elementary . things, drive later in the day, when t£4lfic is heavier. Hut be careful. This frill a6sustom you to tho crowds. During the learning period drive slowly. Do not afreed. Most of the trouble comes frpm driving too fast. J"^' n d out all about your car and treat it with consideration. Watch lubrication. You do not go without food for several days, nor should you allow your oar to be Without sufficient oil and -rater. Both are necessary for proper performance. "And remember your oar is a piece of machinery. It is not infallible. Do not expect the impossible of it. Treat it with consideration. And it will return uniform service to you." Rubber-Paved Roads. An experiment of great interest to motorists is being made at Soutkwark, ingland. Tho council cf that borough is lwing a length jof street with patent libber blocks in place of wood blocks. An English writer observes'in this connection that the experience cf many motorists, on wood paving sliowa that, the tar used in cementing and seasoning tho wood blooks and the scattering of small stonea over the smooth surface when the roads are worn, are destructive to tyres and chassis. It is claimed; that rubber blocks are more lasting and less slippery than either wood or stone paviug. Of j coarse, lie adds, the cost of rubber blo'ck paving is somewhat higher at the present time, but with the assistance of the Rubber Growers' Association, who are, desirous of fining an outlet for surplus rubber, especially of the lower qualities, there is no doubt that a cheaper method of emplbying rubber In road paving will foe found. The enormous quantities of waste rubber from tyres, «ind other .sources niight be"-utilised.. The blocks now used are, of course, not all rubber, but'-consist of, rubber slabs, vulcanised on to metal and embedded in concrete. They have the appearance,of an ordinary wood-paved road, and are said to be nonskidding. A section of roadway paved with ' rubber, blppk6 tiro years aijo shows scarcely any sign of wear, which is a very .decisive factor. . : . Road Improvements,At' th'e last meeting of the Wellington Automobile Clyty the 1 secretary- was di-, ' reeled to write to the Hutt County Council suggesting that in view of the open-Wig-up of the nuw Waikanne Road the corners should bo rounded »ff in the Akatarawa Gorge, and also to point out the necessity of having sarno fenced. It was decided that tho oommitteo should go out and 'view, the - progress of the new road at.tho earliest opportunity. It was decided .to . have the plan of the proposed new Wnikanae Eoad round the sea coast lithographed, and to print Mr. W, 11. Field's (M.P.) remarks,! which have already been published, the same to be sent out to all public bodies and others interested in, the scheme in tho North Island. .' ... : Here and There.. It is reported from Great Britain that the Royal Automobile Club !,nd the Com- . morciai Motor Users' Association have agreed, to make the necessary financial : provision for certain rosearoli work at Manchester University regarding the uso . of alcohol as motor fuel, to which effort . all motorists will wish eompleto success. ' An exchange observes that adaptation of the carburettor for the use of aloohol as ; motor fuel will be made with the samo simplicity that .obtains for bonzole and paraffin. It is (jnly by using -alternative spirit that motorists can hope to bring down high prices of petrol to reasonable figures. '•■ ■■' ,i ■ The Wellington Automobile Club recently wrote to tlie Minister of Justice asking for protection against' persons who remove and inakq unauthorised uso of motor-oars. The Minister has ropliod that he had already received similar representations and that, the matter has.been noted for consideration in connection with legislation next session. - In inspecting the springs attention should be given to tho spring and other subsidiary parts. Lost motion, * usually side play, often darelops in the spring, hangers and shacklcs; Not infrequently the bolts which pass though the spring eye will' .be worii nearly through in. tho course of a season's aotive running. Many cere have no /lubricating equipment for these email parts, ana they wear , out- rapidly under the stress of travel.,.. . . . The Wairarapq, Automobile Association is heartily supporting the action taken by the Wellington Association in refer-. once to the now road 10. Waikanne. Tho insido of copper wire of tho sort used for battery connections, frequently corrodes until it is completely eaten through, whon it parts and n short circuit results. This trouble is caused, by tho sulphuric acid .gas in the cells, accentuated %'tho damp air about tho battery. If the wires are coated at and around the terminals with '.up grease the copper will be effeotually protected from tho acid fumes; Dr. Prendcrgast JCnkht, Messrs. C. M. Banks, and- .H. J. Stott nro to represent tho Wellintgon Automobile Association at tho annual meeting of the Now Zealand Automobile/IJnion on. June, '27. At the annual general meeting of the British Auto-Cycle-Union,. Mr. E. ghrapnell j3jnitli ■ referred to essential requirements of motorists—namely, "the open rond," "home-produceil fuel" and "reasonable. urged motor cyclists to unify, their interests rather than, to associate thenisolves with other classes of road U6ers. In this way he said- they would find their interests adequately looked- after. Mr. S, Henshaw, Vice-PrMident- of the ; Ben«>le Association, announced that the benzole-producing concerns had decided to form a separate company for- the distribution of benzole, and that retail depots would be opened all over the country. He pleaded for the encouragement of the production of a home-produced fuel, and declared that two- million gallons of a benzole alcohol fuel per annum was o possibility of the immediate future. Lighting-up time-,—To-day, '4.28 p.m. I Next. Friday,-4.38 p.m. , i