MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 214, 4 June 1920, Page 2

MOTORS & MOTORING

(By "Clutch".) Stock-Drovers and Motorists. 'The mutual rights and obligations of 6tock-drovers and motorists on tho roada >vere the N subject of magisterial cousidera.tion at Hamiltca *omo weeks ago, A correspondent writes'suggesting, that in ~vieW'/)f tho importance to read users of tho decision then given, that public at- , tention sliould 'bo directed to this case, which was not fu'Jy reported erccpt in the local Press. The facts of • tho caso that a taxi-driver was sued fotf •£25, the valuo of a -bra-year-dd bull, ■ which was struck by the taxi-oar, one of its hind logs being broken and tho animal having to bo destroyed. Tho ownef of tho bull 'also o'.aimed burying ox-V penees 155., and £5 general! damages. For the defence, it was contended that the accident was caused by negligence of the drover in making no effort to drive tha cattle to tho side of tho road to allow tho'car to pass. After hearing evidence, the Magistrate gavo judgment for tho defendant taxi-driver with £5 ss. costs.' ; This ruling established tho obligation, of stock-drovers to do their part ill keep-' ing tho'road'clear for other users, and that if they neglect to do'so, and injur) to their>stock follows, they cannot look' for compensation aß' a matter of course. With ordinary courtesy on both sides trouble should' 'be rare- l>ut it is useful to havo it placed; on record that nobodj has a right to inonopolfse a road.

Wopld's Petrol Shortage, , 1 . The British Government is tardily ■ recognising- the great need for supplementing the nation's requirements in tho mattor of motor fuel, and the measure now; before the Federal Parliament respecting- the Poreian oil 'fields and re- ■ search' in Papua is ft reflection of ;th« Empire's activ.itiea in that direction. That thero is a world's shortage of petrol is recognised generally, but what is more significant is that the development of the motor-vehicle and its greatly increased use in cf.most all spheres of commercial activity is making the shortage of fuel more pronounced; that : instead of the supply catching up with the do* maud,'it is facing short cf requirements. The spccial sub-committee appointed by the British Government to make invcs< 'ligations into, tho questions of cost, prices, and profits in respect of petrol, 'benzole,' and other motor fuels 'rnado eomo Important recommendations; • Tho general'summary reads: "We find that . there is a grav? danger of a permanent , world-famine in motor spirit, even at : fabulous prices; that the/_sof.e remedy for this country (Britain) is a largely•increased production' of homo and of- ; Empire-produced motor fuel; that power •alcohol is the only potentially unlimited 'source of supply; that tho Government. 1 (should use evciy possitfe means to fosv :ter the production of power alcohol, and place, no restriction on tho production and use of power alcohol in this coun< try; that-tho U6e of bulk ftorage for ' all kinds' of motor fuel would very materially reduce the cost of distribution, and that the Government should giva special attention to this point." The 'sub-committee also found, that tl\e then existing price'of petrol f.o.b. is excessive,'and 'is taken as a basis of the price for all motor spirit coming; to Great Britain from whatever sourco of origin; that there ace understandings between t'ho s principal \ distributing companies ,in the UKited Kingdom' as to prices; that theuo distributing compamea importing petrol into, the country .do not produce pftroi themselves, but are. sub-. sidiary companies, formed and acquired by producing . companies or finunoiiv groups owning producing companies; that the price of No. 1 petroS should beJs. , lOld.T and No. 3,'25. BJd„ and that benzole should be sold at 2s. Bd. per gadon. It also is urged that the .Government should control tonnage, distribution, andproduction when within its jurisdiction, and that there should be international agreements to 6ecuro iunitv of action lor mutual protection agalpst, excessive .prices.. '

I Safaty-First Hints. .> . Don't emoVe-ori strike matches whua j filling the tank iVith petrol. Have an i electric .torch; . , ' . i< Don'tlight the lamps immediately af- ' ter replenishing-the -tank; Move the car 'a few yards so.ag:.to set away from, a possible' accumulation, of petrol vapour. Don't fill .'.'tho, tank inside the garage. ' Don't have any naked ..light or open stove inside- the- Ravage, and don t allow accumulations of rubbish. - _ Don't store petrol tins on their-Bide without noting "that the stopper is near tho' top edge. , Don't -foreet to turn oil tho petrol tan at oiice if a fire occurs, through .a back-fire into, the carburettor. Thp snirit in the float chamber will soon-be exhausted-,' especially if you race the enItine. Don't get. flurried 1 ■ Don't attempt- or allow any 6oldcring repair of' the petrol tank unless all sflirit is drained off, the tank completely filled with water and again emptied. Don't forget that acetylene lamps wantregular attention. All nissaaes should bo cleaned out very frequently, as if choked up an omlosion may haDDen. Don't make refilling the radiator a haphazard affairi - The water'must bo kept above the le\'el of the return, nine. Don't neglect overhauling the car from time'to time. 'Accidents due to,a wheel coming off or to defective, steering or to faulty brakes are nearly always the result of lack of care. No 1 machinery will keep in; order indefinitely without' pruper attention, and a motor-car has to undergo much rougher, usage than most uther machinery. Quite apart from the Question of' safety, you get better and longer service with less depreciation value, if -your car is well looked after. Don't forget the lubrication. Serious damage may be done to, .your,;cut if this is .-ncglßotcd, ■ Study the makers' instruc-r.i-jw on this point.

i Cleaning Valva.Stemj, . A very simple way of cleaning valvo j stems, which are under "suspicion of ; harbouring carbon- deposits, js to iniect |a littlo .kerosene in" the air -valve* of' I the carburettor, while the engine is running. In this way a little of the keroI scne finds its way down the valvo stem ■ and 6oftens and washes off the carbon, '■ It is not a bad idea to'. do this onco a month or bo.- \ * Motor Fuol from Gasworks. A petition to Parliament, by ■ the' various autoiuqbile organisations of • . Great Britain, points out that the use of benzole is restricted, only by the shortness of supplies,;.'and that, whereas in 1914 th»:production.of benzole.in Great Britain was 21,800,000 gallon 6, derived ' principally from coko oven works, in 1918, 180 gasworks were equipped with scrubbing plant, which yielded a-further supply at tuo rate of about 10,000,000 gallons annually. Last year the output from gasworks had fallen to approximately 3,500,000 gallons. It is estimated that more than 30,000,000 gallons of benzolo ! as motor fuel .could be produced from tlw - existing gasworks of the country if scrubbing were universally, adopted, and it is ' with a viow to rendering it obligatory upon gas 'undertakings to extract this I benzole that the petition is being pro- " moted.'

Fuelless Motor-Cycle. , ,A motor-bicycie which will work 1 \rirh- " ■out consumption of fuel or any running | expenses is-one "of the little - revolutions in transport which is promised for a \ near dah. Its inventors, Messrs. A. E. ' Steel and'E. Hardie, of the Central Traction Company; are tho originators of tho scheiuo. now. under official considora* . -tion. They declaro that it will bo possible to generate electricity from tho • power provided by the moving woight of road trafiio,- and it is by tho adaptation of this idea of weight power—tho body of tho oyole rider providing.the necessary impetus—that tho new motor-cyclo will ho driven. Describing tho applianco, Mr, Steel said that oil or water under,pros-" sure natuated a water motor geared to tho back wheel, tho pressure beina iunin-- f kined by tho woiglit of tho rider acting on a smalt pump immediately boneath the saddle. A. cylindrical tank, ten inches 1 ' by six inches, is fitted to tho tube holding tho saddle pillar, and into this tank air in originally pumped. Under tho cuddle is the brio Smalt punip.msid when ■ tho bicycle is in motion oil is drawn 1 from another lank mounted on a rear onrrior, and is forccd into tho air chamber, so that tho air is further compressed throughout the journoy. Tho cost of tho apparatus 'will bo under £2, and it caa Ik) fitted to any machine.