THE MOTOR. (By "Autos.")

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 86, 12 April 1911, Page 4

THE MOTOR. (By "Autos.")

The coming event in the local motor-cycle world 19 the 24 -hour reliability trial organised by the N-ew Zealand Motor C\-cle- Club. It is booked for the Friday and Saturday. 21st and 22nd April, tho week after JiasT>er. Tho route is from the G.P.0., Weilmgicn, to Waipava, via th« Itanawatu Goi-s>e, and back by the "Waiiw'apa. Compettofivs will run on .i schedule time, -which h&& been wcrlcpd out at the lollowing itMeds.: Night time, 14m p.h. ; day lime, 20m p.h. Each competitor will be supplied vrith a card showing times to crrne at and depart liom the various controls ; and it aJjould be the turn of every rider to run to his schedule time to pro\e the reliability of his machine. Competitors will be allowed margins of 3 minutes early and 5 minutes late at the dilferent conti-ols, und after these maigim have bseu taken into consideration marks will bo lost as follows :— 2 marks par minute for every minute early, and 1 mark per minute for overy minute late. To eliminate- errors In watches competitors must each have it scrJed watch, and it will be from this watch that the times will be taken. The watches must be healed to the satisiac>tion of the judges ; any competitor whose watch is not healed will not be allowed 10 start. In the event of any competitor damaging or breaking the ' seal of his ■uateh during the couise of the trial lie will be disqualih'ed. The official at Waipawa will re-set and re-wind watches if any competitor desires it. Any watch altered, at Waipawa must be seal-sd again. Competitors must not make any adjustments to their machines whilst in conkrok. Riders disregarding this rule will be disqualified. Corrtr-ols will be established at the following towns: — Up journer — Pahautanui, Waikanae, Levin, Rnimorston North, Dannevirke, Norse\.ood, Waipawa. Down journey — Worsev,«od, Dannevirke, Pahiatua, Eketahuna, iM;rsterlon, Grey town, Pakuratahi, Taitn, Wellington. On the up journey competitors will have 30 minutes at Levin for supper, and on the down journey 1 hour at Pahiatua. 1-or lunch. Prizes will be allotted as follows: — A gold medal to the rider adhering closest to f "ulc time. Silver medals to tho rideii arriving al every control within the margins allowed, viz., 3 minutes early and. 5 minutes hue. Certificates to the ridero not losing mora than 50 marks. In the event oi' the rider making the best performance losing more than 10U marks, no medais will be given, but certilicat-es will be issued at the discretion of the judges. In reference to the disqualification of G. B. Brown, a competitor in the recent trials of the New Zealand Ivfotor Cycle Club, a- subject which was treifcted at full length in this cplumn iasi/ V. eek, I have , interviewed one or two of the chief officials and find them very naturally reticent of matter for publication while things are as they are. 'fhey hold, however, that they are fully justified in the action they took with reGpect to the alleged oii'ence, and point oat that the alleged offender ha-d op- 1 ptrtunity of reply in writing when the ! charge was eubmuted to him. Of this opportunity he took advantage as ho considered litting. It was only after the investigation of evidence that tho fommittee came to the decision already announced. Under the circumstances i can say no more at present, except to maintain again that the procedure might very materially ha>ve been improved. On the merits of the case I am not com- j putent to oxpiesc judgment. 1 should think it would be wieer. howev-er, in event of such contingencies arising in the future, that the committee of tho club should follow the practice of other amateur sports bodies, such as the Wellington Rugby Union. Here, say, in the case o f a charge of rough play, for which the referee has ordered a player off the field, the defendant, nis witnesses, and his accuser and his witnasscs are all asked to come before tho Management Committee of the union. They do so on the night appointed j the accused is placed before his accusers ; the referee makes his charge with specific instance. If necessary, ether 1 witnesses are called. Then the* accused replies, defending himself or pleading guilty, as the case may ' be. He also is allowed to call witnesses. The parties then withdraw and the committee weighs over tb-eir evidence and comes to s, decision. Whether this is right or wrong, it is at least fair — fair play to both sides. 1 admit the cases are not quite en all fours, but tho New Zealand Motor Cycle Club might at least season their judicial practice with a spice of these methods. Ihere would not be any likelihood of trouble or threats if that "were- done. At the same time I hasten to add that the club made very handsome amends for tho mistake over the timing cf the first hill-climb by holding a new trial, with a substantial trophy, towards which tho committee contributed personally. This was- a more courageous way wit of a difficult position than au) imaginative method ol calculating the results from minutes and fractions of a second without seconds; and in endeavouring to keep the club free and independent of the influence of the "trade" element the committee has received much commendation, from ail over New Zealand, .especially from parts where that influence is considered unduly strong. Members of the committee work . exceedingly haa'd in honorary • tasks, but they shculd remember, as in the case of other athletic bodies, that tho public expects just as businesslike- _ management from them as paid professionals are supposed to give. Businesslike methods are by no means out of place 111 amateur societies — in fact, that is wheie the public loves to distinguish things, and if honorary committees elected by their fellows are to retain their fellows' confidence the more businesslike they are ths better. An interesting ptiper on the two-cycle internal combustion t,ngine, to which the Manchester Guardian devotes a column, j was read recently before the Manchester Ap-ccialion of Engineers by Mr. Alan Chorlton, works mtivager, of Messrs.' Miuher and Platt,.Ltd., oi Ralford, Lan-c;;-lure. Many signs cf a revival of interest in engines of the two-cycle type, ho stud, were noted, even in motor-car driving and marine oil-engine work. For tl-c-e -duties many authorities thought iho two-eyclo would be the ultimalo type. A valueless oil-engine had a real attraction for all engineers on the score of simplicity. The great advantage* ot the tiro-cycle engine was iho largj spoad variation, which gave it n range down to one-quarter maximum speed. Befereuo was also made to tho Diesel engine of the two-cycle as being probably tho ultimate form for marine engine work. Mr. Chorlton, who is a Lrother oi' a member of the staff of this paper, also cuyyestcd. the introduction of a specially-designed steam boiler and. cylinder for recovering somo of the heat lost in the MJihaust oncl water jacket. Motrr cyclists" will be pleased to know that M-essrs.^ Sutherland end Itonkino are opening their new commodious promises in Mercei -tlreefc (oppo^'t-o ths livening Pest) as a free gaiayte tor motor-cycles. This will be appieeia-ted by motor iato who havo no pi 100 to safely' leave their mr.chines vuiilo 111 town/ and will be the only motor-c)cla garage in Wellington, — Aclvt.