JOTTINGS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 53, 26 November 1926, Page 9

JOTTINGS

Several Christchurch dealers report having sold more motor-cars at the recent Olympia Show in that city than at any previous show, states the “Suu.”

Hawke's Bay County has asked the Main Highways Board to declare the Napier-Taihape road a main highway. The acting-chairman of the Highways Board, .Mr. C. J. McKenzie, in reply, stated that there were 6000 miles of main highway already, the same mileage as in California, which is onethird larger in area, and the board would have to be very careful in adding to the mileage.—Our trouble is that a lot of the roads declared main highways are really by-roads.

Motor tourists camping at Tongaporutu are requested to keep off the road reserve near the bridge, as there has been much interference with the movement of stock in consequence of camps being pitched here. The Taranaki District Highways Council has taken the matter tip with the Taranaki Automobile Association, and notices are to be erected,

The main road between Waikanae and Otaki, which was recently badly pot-holed in consequence of the wet weather and heavy motor traffic, is reported by Mr. W. N. Anderson, Horowhenua County engineer, to have now been put in fair order.

Uawa County, Poverty Bay district, in urging its claims for special consideration from the Main Highways Board, has pointed out that road metal in its part of the country costs as much as 85s. a yard.

Motorists are being prosecuted in Sydney for failing to adjust their headlamps to prevent dazzle. In America certain States ‘■equire drivers to produce a certificate of adjustment on demand. Prosecution follows if a card is. not forwarded from the adjusting station within 24 hours.

A great deal of attention is centred on the Motor Bus Bill, now before the South Australian Parliament. The Bill is aimed to remove private enterprise from passenger transportation. In Victoria the motor-buses have been practically wiped off the road, and. the opinion is that South Australia, is attempting to follow the legislation of Victoria.

Since the commencement of the present financial year, in June last, the Auckland Automobile Association has erected over 1000 additional road direction signs. This brings the .errand total for 15 months’ work to over 2230 signs.

Ninety retail stores in Boston. U.S.A., give free parking in central garages to customers during the morning ‘hours. At one garage, entirely under cover, with room for 1500 cars, there is free parking from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. Customers • may leave their cars after the three hours at a charge of 10 cents for each additional hour. Thirty-five cents entitles a retailer’s customer to storage in the garage for the day. Steady customers may buy coupon books of 25 coupons, each entitling them to a day’s storage in a large garage.

Special arrangements are being made by the Railway Department for trucking cars for motorists who intend to make the trip to the West Coast at Christmas time. Provided that sufficient cars are offering, the Department will put on a train which will leave Christchurch on Christmas morning. Motorists intending to take advantage of the occasion are requested to communicate first with the secretar}’ of the C.A.A. (Mr. J. S. Hawkes).

There were 95,511 motor-cars in New Zealand at the end of September. T)f these 8115, or 9 per cent., were British. Wellington leads with 11} per cent, of English cars. Palmerston North and Napier have 11 per cent., and Wanganui 10 per cent. Christchurch has 9} per cent., and Auckland is next, with the Dominion average of 9 per cent. Thames and Hamilton are strong American markets, and they are last on the list, with only 2} per cent, of British cars.

At the recent annual meeting of the American National Paint, Oil, and Varnish Association the president stated that in the near future it will be possible for a new coat of paint _on a car to be applied, dried, and polished while the owner is eating his lunch.

Provision for the garaging of worshippers’ cars has been made by Dr.

Poole, minister of Christ Church, Westminster Bridge Road, London. As many. as two thousand visitors ate sometimes present at service in this church, amongst whom arc a considerable proportion of car owners.

The Legislature of the State of Washington has laid down a uniform lighting system for motor vehicles to eliminate glaring headlights. Adjusting stations for headlights will be established, and it will be unlawful to sell any headlight lens, reflector or headlight control device unless it is of an approved type.

There are now 1669 separate stretches of all-concrete roads in Great Britain. Among the counties Lancashire easily leads, with 931; and Southwark, with 128, has nearly double the number of all the rest of the London boroughs. The total milcage of Britain’s concrete roads does not reach 400, whereas the U.S.A, have more than 40,000 miles.

The next meeting of the South Island Motor Union is to be held at Oamaru on December 3. One of the subjects set down for discussion is the excesive number of motor accidents which occur in the Dominion. With a view to obtaining proposals to reduce them to a minimum the union has written to affiliated bodies asking them to give the matter consideration and forward their opinions. It is probable that after the meeting the co-operation of the North Island Union will be sought in approaching the Government in the matter.

The National Roads and Motorists’ Association of Australia is holding examinations for motor mechanics and issuing diplomas. The examiners are noted experts paid by the association, and mechanics are keen to pass the tests, and make use of the testimonial which it affords in these times of haphazard motor work by incompetent youths.

Grapeland, Texas, is the only city in the United States, and probably the world, where petrol is cheaper than water. Residents pay 35 cents a gallon for distilled water for drinking purposes, and petrol is quoted at 20 cents.

In 1923 the British automobile industry turned out about 88,000 vehicles, of which some 6250 were exported. In 1925 the total production was 153,000 vehicles, of which over 29,000 were exported, representing nearly 20 per cent, of the total production, and very nearly one-third of what the total production had been two years earlier. Well over one-third of the increased production was exported. That this satisfactory development in export trade is still continuing is shown by the fact that for the first four months of 1926 the export figures were some 33 per cent, higher than for the corresponding four months of 1925.