MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 238, 2 July 1920, Page 2

MOTORS & MOTORING

(By "Clutch. Automobile Union Presidency. . ... Tho president of the New Zealand Automobile Uniou, Mr. I'. S." M'Lean, has considered it desirable- to Te'sign- liis ■offico before the annual - meeting., tliia month. It'has beeii known for'soma time past that Air. M'Lean did . not desire to be re-olccted. holding the view that bo, important an office should be open to-' some of tho best won connected with the union, and noi retained permanently by any one of them. It would seem, however, that Mr. M'Lean has •been moved -to resign so that he may consider himself free to advocate an amendment in tho method -proposed-by the union for levying, 'taxation. At? a meeting of the Automobile Union a .few years ago a.'resolution was- passed trial taxation for tho upkeep of roads -skpu-Ki bo by means of an ad valorem duty on tyres, but it appears that 'this view ;u undergoing some change, and itymay.be that the president feels' that as A delegata he will be freor to put. forward his oiv>] view than if ho occupied >the presidential chair. "Clutch".. understands thxt Mr. M'Lcan'e view has aomo reference to taxation upon tho vehicle itself, based upon a combination o£ horse-power an.l weight. ■ This is tho system that has Tecently been adopted in Western Australia, and appears to be working well. Mr.- M'Lean is really the founder vi the New Zoaland Automobile Union, as it was duo to his personal efforts'and' influence thai the .union-, was'brought into existence, and his services oh behalf of automobilism are regarded- as of - incalculable value. It is hoped that his retirement from the presidency will Jiot imply a relaxation of his interest.

Imperial Motor Transport Council. An Empire Motor Fuels Committee and an Empire Roads and Transport Coinmittee were constituted, at a meeting of the Imperial Motor Transport Council, hold in London, on April 80. The council itself was formed in 1913 at the unanimous desire .of the delegates <■" parts cf tho Empire who attended U'.s Imperial Motor Transport Confer-inca he'd in London 111 that year. The pnmaiy purpose of is to organise conferences as may bo required, and to appoint, and' supervise tho- work of committees, the existence of whicn is found to be desirable in the interests of the extended use of motor; transport throughout the Empire. ' Menibership « the council includes officia.ly-;ippoiatea representatives of the 'Overseas Dominion's, the Indian Empire, and those Departments of tho Imporial -Government that are in any cense interestedllll transport, questions, in tho we.faro of i|n industry, or in tho use of' motor vehicles. Soth' committees have been pi wer to co-opt. additional' members; nud specifically to appoint corresponding members resident, in tho Empire Overseas. Tho terms of reference of the Empire Roada and Transport Committee are: (1) To fake steps to encoungo tho'exteMoa use of motor transport and tho f" r ™. c \ development of a system of .roads suit-, able to carry such transport in 41 l wl ™ of the Empire. (2) -To encourage all pos- - sihle uniformity in the laws and legu'lations governing the- use of motor, vehicles and'the basis ortaMtionappicd ! to motor-vehicles throughout the i-mpi 0. •(8) To endeavotir to obtain "the' Empire, goneral approval of the^pi unciple that the proceeds of motor-vehicle ehntt be -allocated ilcally to : the crcation of now , roads and the improvement of existing roads, (i) To encourage the of inensu • tending'• to ensUro that there shall h® •available in all parts ot'the. motor-vehicles suited to sencv fleets available and .suitable military use' so constituted as to »oure general uniformity and of maintenance in the_ event 'f-" 10 . operation of military forces f ous parts of the W '?■ £ operate with any Government or I'-cor porflcd -or unincorporated body f wr •sonfin order to furthest he olyec Isset fnvfh in Nos 1, 2, S, and 1 hereof. (6) Jo incur such expenditure as may be iltsirublo, "all such expenditure being subject to the approval of tho council. The members of this committee-are. Atr H C. B. Underdown, prcsideat of -'the" : Association of British; Metor Manufact lire rs, Ltd. (convener); Messrs.- 11. Percy Bonlnois, M.lnst.C.K of "the Roads' ■ TinfrTfrir"l T S' Brown (Union of• South Airicaji B Caillard (vice-president of the Asso.ciiili'n oTVilish Motor Mam>», TMI • - Frederick Coatcs, M.l.ilecn.i<. (Commonwealth of Australia); .T. Duncan Elliot, 'M.lnst.C.E. (nonunion, of .Vw Zealand); WnU er -Eraut M.lnst.C.L. (Crown Colonies); AV. L. G "ilith tjJo minion of' Canada); Vic or ( ?° < io, I^ n minion of. Newfoundland); C. L. Jlmwe (Department of Overseas rrade), Lieut. Oo?.onel Ti M. Hutchinson, D.&.0., 0.8.L., R.A.S.C. hVnr Office); Licut-Colone W. Paislev Robinson, D.5.0., R.A.S.C. (Mechanical Transport Advisoi to tlio Goverimient of.lndia); and J-essrs. E S. Shrapncl.-Snntli, C;P- L - .J? lw # man of 'the Standing Joint Committee of Mechanical Transport Associations) and reference of -Motor' Fuels Committee are: (1) 101 Ub immediate steps--to. encourage ai,d develop the production and utilisation of additional, motor fuel suppi.ies or raw materials therefor in .alt parts of tho Empire,'and more particnlar y-to ensu o increasing shipments of motor fuels to Great Britain, and so far as niaj Ik i eces fi nrv, to the Empire Overseas. (2) Jo co-operate with ..any Government or incorMrated or. unincorporated tody of in order to further the cbject St forth in (1) hereof. (3) To offer, for. the nui-nosds in view bonuses 01 other rewards and to incur such expenditure as may bd desirable, all such expenditure beins subject to tho approval (f th« • council. Tho members of this committeo are- Mr. E.'S. Shrapnell-Smith, O.E.L. (convener), chairman of the Joint Committee of, Mechamca l>an, - port Associations; Sir G. .11.^sli< now 11, TCBE 1.5.0., Director of Storcb, Aa 'm'irftlty; Aiv C-ommodore R. K. • iV 7 .Vj n"R r\] G., Aeronautical: In* filection directorate; Sir Charles BedILM- CB.S^SUV KCB MJ..E.E., F.R.S.. ch'*™™ Roval Aero 'Club; Sir Charles, Metca.fe, Dart. C.E., Tonsulting Lngineei for llhodesia; .Dr. TV. -R. Oruiaiidy, p:Sc„ MIA.E.. -Consulting Chemist Kineer; Mr. W. H. Ross, 0.8 E., of Lirirh- Ml - . G. J. Shave, M.l.Mech.L.i ®/ r HnAr Commcrrfai'Mofor

Jottings. Tn accordance with Part 2 of the Mo or % winual f 'he Ngr Zealand Automobile Union wllho held in u *llh th« Wter of omsines. sajswe could i *«.». n inlwtihito for the 1000 c.c. \- tffin'admittinK the while that thev we •ood. aS act hotter each succeeding •„ Uiif thnf wc only use them on ma d cvcle cU Wise wo oannot Mtbettor balanced engines of .belter torff nrf'fhfl V-twin. it iB diffioull to house, the four-cvlinder engine is better tlmn v ( but it ).« expensive nikl comcA efngle cylinder; ph» .really good M'oripSritW' »:horn bavins! to remove the-hands from the' handle-bar,'an English finii. JiM .atented a device fhftt is intended to. cmUv two bulbs in knecpntl? f'^n -.vluch vnMwr nines nre*. carried to n ; l,connec Hon S by a pil»: to th. reed.' The nd'vnntnjrK> of such ft nron4'ly controllable, would bo < ap. liroxiniate to those! of an clcctr.c horn, i&M mcrt willuu vchdy demand. , Lighting Time:-T<>-da.v. 4.32 p.m. J Voxt p.m.