MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 208, 28 May 1920, Page 2

MOTORS & MOTORING

(By "Clutch")

Some Notable Lighting Proposals, Many changes are outlined in the in« terini report of Sir H, P. Mnybury'B r<*, port on the lighting of road vehicles. Of; course it is only a report of a dopart-' mental committee appointed to investigate tho matter, and. as such it may como to naught, like so many . other' reports of the kind. But if tho cornmi tteo'e recommendations, are adopted--by .the. Transport Minister, .the most.: vital thango will be a. reduction : in the, powcr[ of motor headlights, which the' committee tliinke are far too powerful; for ordinary use. at the present' timew This is'uiged on the ground that no;. satisfactory practicable dimming rie-j vice to Avoid dazzlo ha> yet been die-;' covered, and it is pointed out that while such devices,might avoid dazzle, thoy do, not givo a safe driving light, which is perfectly true. It would seem, there-; fore, that the. best means in the'opinion: V of the committee ifl to limit.the size of; the reflectors,'and arrive■ by this means:, at a maximum power light. . Another: . recoromontktion is tho BUDBtitution of a separate.rear light'for bicycles for the present reflex lense. Tho ' committee declines to exempt bicycles from the necessity of carrying a rear light, and thinks that a single lamp showing a white light to the front and a red. light ■to the rear could bo' fixed in 6uch a' position' na to meet all requirements.. Some, changes in the'lighting up lime; fo-all .vehicles are also outlined, Front . lights and red rear lights must bo carried on vehicles as under the present orders, except in tho case of uncovered-two-wheel horse-drawn vehicles,, which should be deomed to bo sufficiently lighted in'all respects if ,tho two front lamps display a red light in" the rear in ntldi-. tion to' a white light to the- front. The committee recommend . that legislaiionBhoiild be prepared . and introduced atthe earliest opportunity on these lines,-

English Car Tax. -: The proposal of. the Advisory Cunmittpe >:o the British Government to raisefurther revenuo by increasing the motorcar, tax in England lias created great constflrnation.. amongst~.tlio. non-wealthy, class of motorist? in tho Old Country, i tip to tho present English motorists have' paid an- annual "tax based on •horsepower,' ranging 'from about. £3 3s. on small powered vehicles up t0..£21, for a Rolls-Royce. For revenue purposes,,.it is .now; proposed, in Brigliiud' to. adopt a now system of-basing ear ; tnxat!pn,.viz.,' £1 per annum >per horse-power. To say that an outcry has resulted in England.' is to put it mildly. Consternation at. tii<S'grave injustice, of the proposal is rank—right throughout, the army of motorists.in Great Britain. .If adopted it would mean that a J'ord owner, would, have to pay an annual, lax of <C23j such a tax would hit Hie small car--ownor hardest, the little nmabouts bavin? to pay from £9 to JEH viarly; whilst a T(i!'bot would pay.,£26, a YMxUnll J223, and.a Rolls-Royce .£49. Tho matter has, been, taken up by the'various automobile, associations in England, who point out that tho imposition of. such an out-, rageous tax will mean' a tremendous set-' back ; to motoring in the Old Country,and to 'tho English lianufactiiror. A big- effort' is being made to 1 ave a more equitable system of taxation'adopted,: audi ns on petrol, which would ii.ean ; that the further a motorist travels-tho moro ho.pays;, this' would bo infinitely fairer than paying a lupip sum yearly based on horse-power.

Eliminating' Shook, A recent American invention is of spring-controlled yohlqle-wheeV link for e.thei flutoiiiobiles or wagons which i« designed to 1 take up shocks., when- the wheel' eijpQunters obstructions, V/ithout oommnnicaiipg the shocks through the •■ body of'thp vehicle. It is claimed ( :tliai it greatly'surpasses. the pneun)atio , tyro ip, efficiency and'thus makes bob- - siblo tho use of hard rubber cushion,, tyre* An advantage of this invention,, is' that the weight qf the vehicle rests', for'niost ofl tho time on the " vertical, jink?, which pre 'pivoted' vertically" oyer ; tljp' wjiepl axlp, "and the 'ppr;p«r ,ire nor- ' -, mally fjep fropj pressure' and'act with' \ • th« greatest freedom. " When the wheel enconntera ail obstruction, ■ it. is' checked momentarily in its forward movement, but by reason of the swinging link tho vehialp body continues, forward, utichecked,; and appreciable jar, while the wheel rises"'over the obstruction without lifting th» vehicle body, as tho springs take ,up the- 4'f, ilflosnieiit" hvoen it and tho body of the vehicle. Luge obstructions can bp crossed without, tho least perceptible raising of tlie; axle ,by tho iippiic.tr ■ v Jottings. ii Replying to automotorists who have as- ! ppi'tcfj tjiat driving a car or motor-cycle '- is 'extremely injurious to': heajth',' '■ » prominent jjnglish doctor declared that , icotoring is teneficial under three heads . j —physic?), mental, pud vpljlipna'.. Ho HBJijfe en? that in addition to the exeri t-ips. the motorist is in the open ;rr. "in. I haling ample quantities of oxygen to I meet,the increased needs 0 f the' aeceler- : nled currents of. blood.corpuscles;, and ! that when a persons drives a car f>9to 80 ■ * ni.iles' ho gives his arms nn'cj. torso a j course of purposeful .calisthenics that is most beneficial." • "Cycling" News" (EngMand) thinks ho must be 'referring to I wheeling when he writes, of "Rserrisp." > | The'n'.aro. many who -'.predict the. !'gradual pnd. almpst; cpipplptp cpnyprsipn ; of. everyone vrfip is, at present opposed , ; to. water cooling for mptor-eyc'.c en-, i i gines, and 'who' believe that 'in >lime ths'lieaVy'sidfrcpr cpnibjnatipu, if it is to"retain, its positipn ps a competitor of thp oyple-'pn'r and thelJß],t car, yi)l I'leoossorily haye t° iß!?hu|e a water- • cppTed-'piigillP, a rpyprsp, pntl eleclflO .- lighting. ■"•This, view jg-diespntpd from Strongly by others who ni'giie that tho, nearer.!th 6 feitle-rcar ppmbin'atton ' approapli'gs,'{ho- car the less will bo its chances'of continued popularity fpr (ho reason that the stgp from the oil© vo-. hide to the-other will be such-a small-one-that - few will hesitate _to • take it, thus becoming car-owners instead of motor-cyclists, , Qprta;nly. where the ■ matter of - water cooling 'alone is con- . , cerned it is difficult to subsepbe to the views of those "who believe it will become universal on tho hppvipr motprpyoio "mcklplp."''"' Air conV.hp; lias amply proved; its efficiency, jihi) iii present conditions, 'nptljing hiorp than' reasonable carp is'required iyhen driving to avoid "except-perhaps in such rvip biriiunistai)ces tliat pveii-with a radiator trouble, might ; fe occasioned .by the •least tendency'to oyerdrive. The fan |« hi some degree np altprnativo to wnterjacketing of cylinders, and we can call to mind 6oqie Eiirppeau inodels thus i fitted as standard in tho past. Except,, j however where'abnormal conditions pre: vail e'v'pn this appliance cannot be regarded ijs ne'oessa'ry, and with tho ttidght !.-oiiside'ratioii ever before .them designers for tltp mqgt pari; pschciv wafer oj»hng although- fully apprcciat.ing.'ib'sdrpntages iyherp otfeumstanao? favour'its'ns?'-"" . "•' -. -' '-Before the current year closes it a calculated, on a co'iispryptivp. basis, tao, ithnt there will be 10 niillipns of mbipr Vehicles : h■ copimifsjjiiin in Aniprica.. Thp '■ . vehicles will include passenger motorcars, . piotor-vnns, and coinnipfpials of alj.deecriptfiqns. If. thp average capital value of each'wcrd'a 'modest .£2OO, the aggregate' sum' involved is easy to estimate. Add to 'that the, cost of replacements in" tyros and tubos' alone; and an enormous fium wjlj" result. '. Tho ,United ijtatps reqiiiremenls for n.ptcr tyres.fpr • ■tho'curiieriii year are placed at IS m|l|um • wte (of ppvers-a prif ctigious prpductioii. . ( ' A CoVitntry mamiiaeturer-hao n nowV Bidprwr wliieh. can be used I'ipr. At th? war is a w-.1-padded seat, ,-itli sides And back in one umt,-.wnipli v ..- .n Wng lifted put, leaves the,insido. ,• '.f ihe oar chtiivlv olwr of obstructions-.-,r Jtlinga fipWp , ' l °*! l,) l^fiW V 7 \W cb!idi». * dptpchablp top. |n.. : psaitdon without ■ toots.■ and >}.m?9d ljfi; the W.holft <rf tj|o body.i:-, when' iiifs fe lit piw'to,«[? side doar. rnni- Sf '» opened, a iliohnct advsniriffj In wet weatlifr when doling with ; -ys'pdi'failly damaged )>y rain.- ■ '.-t»yMtaf up IMme: 'f<sday, i? 3 Pff'-