MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 304, 19 September 1919, Page 2

MOTORS & MOTORING

<15y "Clutch,")

Good Roads Association, The Good Koads Association of New Zealand proposes to embark upon a strenuous campaign during, the. coming year, tho objects of tho association being directly in tho interests of. all classes of tho community. Tho executive is making applications for donations from various institutions to enable it to carry out the. full programme of activities which it has mapped out. It appears that the support'received throughout tho Dominion and the sympathy expressed bv members of Parliament', make it certain that tho Good Eoads Association petition for new legislation governing tile administration of the main arterial roads will he granted, and tho first objects of. the association thereby fulfilled, but there is no possibility of tho funds subscribed exceeding the amount which can be applied to useful purposes in connection with good roads and-'the committee therefore hopes for liberal support from all motor associations.. At the last meeting of the committee of the Wellington Automobile Club it was decided to ask the- secretary of tho Now Zealand Automobile Union to take 6teps' to form branches of tho Good. .Roads Association in the various centres of the Dominion. "

Main Western Outlet. The Public Works Department has informed the Wellington Automobile Club that sufficient survey has been undertaken to show that the road via Pakimtanui, _ Horokiwi, Waimii, and Wiritoki Creek is not a suitable one for' a main western outlet from Wellington, as the saddle, is higher than the present road. The grades would be 6teeper, and it would be very expensive to construct. Tho secretary of the Wellington. Automobile Club pointed.out to.the last meeting of the committee that this was ciuite in agreement with Mr. Harold Smith's letter .written to' : Tiie Dominion some few weeks ago, wherein he pointed out that the height of tho summit known as Wiritoki Saddlo is .higher than the highest point, of the Pnckakariki' Hill Road. Tho PaeksUnriki Hall is 84G feet, Public Works, survey, whereas the Wiritoki Saddle is over 900 feet, .. aneroid .measurement. Therefore, the-committee decided that tho toad, from Pa>emata to Paekakariki. via Tukerua, as shown ,in the man issued by the club, is the only possible, one for- tho club'to push forward for the Government's consideration. , , The Hutt County Council informed the club that the following resolution had been carried at a-meeting of. the council held on September .9:—"That ft monster deputation of all interested bodies should wait on the Minister of Public Works in connection with the main western .road via Pukerua. also Welling-ton-Palmerstoh North main road, Paekakariki Hill, to fully point out their .views', in order, that the various bodies concerned can coiuo together in the matter to insure that proper action'may be taken with respect, thereto.'' Dr, C. Prendergnst Knight and Mr., C. ■SI. Banks were appointed to represent the club in thoniatler. Indifferent Motorists. .

A littlo while ago, Mr. H. J. Stott, secretary of the Wellington Automobile Club, wrote to Mr. It. S. Abraham, of Palmerston North, asking ..his opinion as to whether a branch of tho club could be formed at Palmerston .North. At the last meeting of the committee of. the Wellington Automobile Club a reply was received from Mr. Abraham, who stated that ho called a meeting of motorists to consider the Wellington club's proposals with regard to the alteration of the .road between the const and Wellington, and. so great was tko- interest taken in the matter by Palmerston North motorists that no fewer ..than two reporters were present, but not. a' single motorist. Under- these' -circumstances, Mr. Abraham was noi.,prep:ired to.go on with, the matter,■ but .undertook to'"Lavo copies of the secretary's., letter' 'struck, off aud-sent to the. principal .'motorists in the district .for them to decide w)i<?- ; ther they agreed to join the Wellington club.' . ' " ' ' '

New Zealand Automobile Union, The Wellington Automobile Club recently suggested to the various motor associations in tk-9 Dominion that halfyearly meetings of the New Zealand Automobile Union should be held iir-llie various centres, as is done in many other instances, but replies-received from the Otago, Auckland, and Canterbury Associations aro not quite in agreement with this' proposal.

Wellington Automobile Club, Tho following new members were elected at the last meeting of tho Wcllington Automobilo Club Mr.-Smith, G.W. Harty, G. Johnson, E. B. Dvmock, H-- T. Wyatt, C. -Living (Kliandailah), W; 11. Wallace (Makara), T,- E. Miiw'by, F. D. Kean, C. A. Loughhan, W. M. Kebbell (Masterton), G. Davidson, Hopo 13; Gibbons, W. P. Soiiimerville, Dr. W. K. Fylfo, F. G. Bold (Petone). Hurconiba and Son, C. Colysus (Kliandailah), Fitzgerald and Pearce, Ltd., G. Cox, ]?. K, Kirkealdie, C. Duffy, F. N: Jarison, G. Nicholls, L. Blake, Kcmpthonie, Prosser and Co., W. H. Green, H. L. Friend, F. W. Dickersoii (Pahautanui), J. Wilson, F. G. Burns, H. Wood, L. Casetberg, A. E.' Hislop, Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Coihpanv, Bing, Harris, Ltd., W. H.. Balliiiger,' J.-F. Turnbull, R. M. Griffiths. W. Jndd! Gear Meat Co., J. R. Stansell, L. E. Barber (Petone), Guiseppo Meo, H. G. Putter. A". W. Barber, A. B. Carver, H. S. AVard. W.F.0.A., B. J. Darall, J. Campsell, E. Bucholz, J..E. Cave (Lower Hurt), ICaiapoi Woollen Co,, J. 11. Pevnolds, J. ft-Francis, Tho N.Z. Automobiles, Ltd.. A. H. Hatrick 'and Co., van Slavoron '8r05.,. S. Brice, W. Moeller, A. Al.Proctor, C. T. Midlaiie, C.'H. Andrews, E. Collie, K. Roynolds, C. Goodall, W. Baker,.E. H, Gawler (Te Horo), G. B. Todd (Greytown), N.Z. Express Co., F. 13. Lane, A. Samuels. W. Smith,'F. F. Kichardson, A. Simm, It. 11. Hankens, C. F. Goodman, C. E. Dunn, E. D. Barber. 11. Wade, Cox Gordon,' B. F. Kelly, ,T. M. Morice, E. Bawson. J. Fearon (Petone), C. Simmons (Foxton), —, Beck, A.' 11. Tattle (Otaki), Thompson Bros., Ltd.,' M. Dingle", W. Weston, A. P. Harley. L. M. Silver, N.Z. Motor Tvre Co.. Ltd., F. N. Mather, H. Hall, A. Whittal/er, H„ Hull, Inglis Bros., W. Wolla'nd K. Tanthem, A. Fortune, A. Sheppard, W. D. Dobson, T. Exton (Lower -IMt),. and J. G. Smith.

A Dangerous Corner. At the last meeting of thocommitteo of the Wellington Automobilo Club tho secretary was directed to point out to tho notice of the Hutt Comity, Comicil the dangerous corner leading from- York Bay into Jlahina Bay, and to request tho '-council either to widen the corner or erect a. danger-board, ■ ' Road Economics. In, a lecture at Christchureb on "Road Economics of To-day," Mr.- L. .31. Saudston, M.A., B.Sc:, declared that the automobile had absolutely revolutionised the particular branch of: engineering for road-making, but as local people .vero not educated up 'to what was' being dono elsewhere, the engineers were hardly empowered to act on modern methods. A. great deal of money had been wasted in the past in road conatruotion. He would prefer that thoGovernment should send lecturers round the country to educate tho peoplo on tho subject, for it was essential that they should bo educated. As it was peoplo wondered what ho was getting out of it. The macadamised' road was no longer suited (o modern traffic. Ho quoted instances showing tho saving in motor running costs on roads in America which had been improved on modern methods. Formerly in New Zealand tho_ people who paid the cost of road-making and maintaining were tho people who mostly used tho roads, but with , the motor traffic that was changed, and it was not equitable that only a portion of the peoplo should bear the cost. For that reason alone, be advocated unified control of main arterial roads. Tar-sealed roads although fairly successfully adopted in sonio placcs-and ho instanced Taranaki-liad their defects, mid wcro inferior to asphalt roads, of which there woro very fow in New Zealand. Asphalt embodied'petroleum oil, and not tar, and was less affected by climatic conditions. In the United States the main roads were now mostly of asphalt, woodblocks, or brick paving. Thero .was, however, no such thing as tho best kind of road generally speaking, because dif-

ferent conditions required different * methods of construction. The United * States iiad been forced to mako a science , of road-making, because so much money was being spent on tins work. In Australia, as well as in America, the tendency had been to over-develop railways itpd undcr-develop road:?. The life-Wood of a country's production must flow through tho.roads, and the United States Government recognised the necessity .of educating the public on road-making, and in mis a largo sum was voted for improving roads, tho subsidies to be ' conditional on each State spending; money to improve tho main highways. The Government insisted on intelligent expenditure by tho local bodies, if na-' tional money was to lie spent. Ho was a great believer in concrete roads, but this system was rather expensive, for a country 'like New Zealand, .considering the .population. Concrete roading was so far only in 'the experimental stages. Brick roads were f-atisfactory, provided > a tough paving class of brick could bo " obtained.

Princ.iplos of tf-'o Sterlef. - •• Kveryono who has a car provided with, a starter, which, of course, in these days, means the electric variety' should go to considerable pains, says "The Motor" (England) to leara its principles off by heart. An up-to-date car-owner should . know tho starter at least to tho same extent that ha knows the engine, that is to say, the cycle of operations, nod the- ; construction of tho engine and functions of tho- many component parts. Neverthe- t less, strange to say, thero are .many owli--e'rs and drivers to-day who do.jiot know the fundamental principles of the' inter-nal-combustion engine that they handle, and it is':stronger still that so long as ] matters go all right they do not take tho trouble to learn. However, it is safe to ' say that.when such knowledge is wanted , it is needed very, urgently indeed, and it ' means considerable • expense and loss of i time in gettiug other people to carry out simple jobs that the owner or driver : •could, do himself. .The c-lectric starter, is, : fortunately for the motorist,, one of tho '

simplest pieces of•■ mechanism—if. it can be strictly, called ."mechanism" --at all-in-.existence, and he benefits enormously from the fact that the electric motor has been used for many years as the most successful of till powef.produeing machines. It. has .reached, a degreo of reliability which is superior to .that, of tlje interjiiii-combustion engine, as an electric motor will. w.ork under conditions of neglect in a way that no internal-com-bustion engine, could possibly be'expected to do.' This, however, must not be taken to mean Jliat the'electric 6tarter can be entirely neglected and.left to look after itself, a:> there are undoubtedly points -wherein it-may give trouble-if grossly neglected. Here, and There. Mr. L. S. Drake, city motor inspector, is to be asked by tho Wellington' Automobile Club to givo a lecture to.motorists on precautious that should.be taken by motorists to prevent accidents wheu driving motor-cars.

At a meeting of the American Export Association held recently at IC'nicago, it was decided not to make an effort to sell motor-ears in the European markets. The • Wellington Automobile Club has decided to engage canvassers iu order to increase tho eluu's membership. At last meeting of the Victorian MotorCycle Club the plans and specifications of the. "Motordrome" to be built at tha Amateur Sports Ground, were submitted, and 'created jgreat ciKhusiasm amongst tho members; who are now looking forward with groat interest to its erection. The plans show tlmt the angle of the track will be capable' of carrying high speeds with perfect safety, and the surface being of reinforced concrete with afairly smooth 'face will reduce tyre wear to a minimum. The balance-sheet of tho Wellington Automobile., Club shows a substantial credit balance on this past, year's working, and it has been arranged'' that a draft report, shall be brought; down for ;,the consideration.of the committee. ..The French Government is purchasing fronv America, the...entire, motor-car, •motor-truck, and motorcycle equipment thafc, ; was in.Francu with tho American army. -.These vehicles will comprise 7575 passenger cars, 32,300. motor-trucks, and 49,000 •■ motor-cycles. The French authorities will dispose of these vehicles in Europe. .-,■■■

. • Lighting-up time:—To-day, 5.13 p.m. Next Friday, 5.50 p in.