MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 298, 10 September 1920, Page 2

MOTORS & MOTORING

(By "Clutch."}

An Appeal to Local Motorists. A couplo of months'ago the Wellington Automobile Club'instituted n "safety first campaign," but the idea does not secni to have been taken with the high degroo of enthusiasm that was anticipated. Some 2200 posters have been issued which members of the- club have been asked to exhibit on their cars, but ■up to tho present not many have been seen about tho streets. . Tho posters bear appropriate warnings, such as, "Pedestrians Look to. the Kight' and Left Bofore Crossing the. Street," tho object of the club being to educate pconl© in tho proper use of tho streets. Commenting on the fact, that few motorists have pasted the warnings oil their care, Mr. 11. J. Stott (secretary of the Wellington Automobile Club) remarked to "Clutch that some members have, apparently taken the narrow-minded view that tho posters will detract from tho appearance of their cars. "That may be so,' said Mr. Stolt, "but their failure to display the posters 6poils tho effectiveness ot the club's effort. Tho campaign cannot, fully succeed unless it is given wholehearted support. I foci that tho members are not helping us to give tho idoa publicity, especially after we havo gone to considerable expense to set the. campaign going. The object of tho campaign is most important. _ One never knows when a member is going (o knock a man down and be had up for manslaughter, and to guard against such an eventuality members ought to assißt in educating tho public how to use tho streets. Strictly speaking, it should bo the duty of tho Citv Council to educate the public, but it lias done nothing except to make bylaws against the motorist. The club approached tho City Council in December last with a request that steps should be taken for the better control of traffic in the citv streets, but, so far, there have .been no definite results from its proposals and requests. Tho time is comin,r soon, however, when the council will have to recognise its responsibilities in this matter, and educate the people howto board and leave, trams. Motor traflio has come to the city, and nothing will prevent its growth.' Mr. Stott added that posters had 'been supplied to members of . the. club, promi"*' l . l B n r«Be Proprietors, and the |\clhngto.i Taxi Owners' Association. In acknowledging the receipt of the posters forwarded to him Mr H. A. Bush, secretary of the Taxi-Owners'' Association, stated that ha had distributed them amongst the members. and they had been ony too pie sed to display theta knowing full 1 ll «t thev would 1)0 the means of at. least helping to educate the lntsltndaisicnl-don't-ca're-wait-f or-me sort of public, who Tve verv badly in need of.adv.ee «> to how to cross tho rend." Mr. Bush saul that his association would bo only too pleased to co-operate with the Autoili - ttle Club in anv manner that might ue suggested to further the snWy ' campaign." Mr. Stott informed "Clutch that as some taxi-cabs had not jet_ha fhn notices pasted on their screens, ho to the Taxi-Owners Association asking that the placards I should be displayed on all cars.

A Warning from Riccafton. As many motorists from Wellington are accustomed to take he.r ,ears to Christchurch for carnival. tUe y should pay heed to a warning if™* 1 the last' meeting of the luccarton .B ourli Council by the . > •?" Ford) who indicated that it is the in tention of the council to regulate motor traffic through the borough m futue on all raco days. The Mayor Mid in» the recent race week at l« ceal {°" course I had a number of P°) lc ® Prists road, and quite a number of n lotorls ™ have received summonses for On. this occasion uniformed police on the road. but I will not pnimm that uniformed men will always be emtf.o>ed, m I mav arrange for plain-clothes inspector, Wor. I am (ssuing this public raining now, as it is the in ent.oni of this council to put down motor speed ill?, which is too common, with i«ft HnV race days only should not bei spau? ,i t >p T Stokes and other eounci lois Hie Mayor's attitude, which •was unanimously approved.

Piston Wear. If an engine has been dismantled i i» SS' the top of the Ptoto oti - tBl flf thfl pansion due lo_ th « c 0 .; s usually s,s£Vsj*ir'S tho middle and .0075 . evidenced much more ito,«»» cy ii„der. the piston will s 'j P iston will be worn srtwc&jwi*-*

sccwto^ of. the New « J ha 9 warned m, a«■. monSf IMjT jfe® licriod of 191 J. Iq V „ '-.£1,823,713, soma tho iirst hfclf , . t A.n n will tluia Wooo better than in 1919. U *i« » toten that little.] headway made by the English '1 ' ' in entering; for WiejJ J" t] figures quoted, fact, from the look of «e flfw do . they cannot copo with tho uoluu SBSSgs tish vehicles, but noverthekss »era 'ire making an appearance fitted with rte ac. able rmis. 6oniet.mes able wheels, sometimes as supplemental J to them. The detachable wheel on Americacars'to until comparatively re. ceritly 60 rare bs to bo almost capabla of just description as non-existent but now every "class" 4 lu £ r A c '? detachto Great Britain is fitted with cletacli able wheels, and in one or two cases iL. mn u K lifivo conc fof the detachable wheel, inving dropped-the favourite from the point of view of racJn<r men Its resilience and great strengtn compared to weight are great assets, but its expense docs not Rive it m the eyes of the private motorist sufficient extra advantage to justify the initial outlay. The preased steel spoke wheel is very cosily dnmascd if the caa-'bo driven up aminst a' street kerbstone, and the wood gpoko wheel is apt to suffer from bad warping, especially when it is used under severe climatic conditions, such, for instance, as when. considerable extremes of temperature cither throughout the day or-throughout- the year ore tho rule. For all-round uso tho pressed sloel disc wheel appears to carry the day, for quito apart from its obvious advantage ill eoso of cleaning it is enormously strong, it is very light, and it is the cheapest of all in manufacture. It is, of course, entirely immune from climatic changes. Lighting-up time: To-day 5.35 p.m. Next Friday, 5.42 p.m.