Cycling and Motoring Notes.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 May 1915, Page 4

Cycling and Motoring Notes.

i<'rom the -Dunlop liubber Company ot Australasia, for the week ending May. 22. 1915.

It is very neceesary says the Dunlop Rubber co. that careful and frequent examination should be made of o.ue'6 tyres for small cute and so forth during the winter months. If these cuts extend at all deeply beyond the surface, and, in fact, get suspiciously near the canvas, the hole should at once be plugged with rubber stopping. Unless the cuts are stopped, a weak spot in a tyre will sooner or later /develop close to them. Water enters through the cut, attacks the canvas, and causes rotting, so that a small weak' spot is developed in the tyre. If aix examination be made of burst tyres, very frequently it will be found tiiat the burst has started from a small cut which has permitted water to rot the canvas. Its presence can be detected along the breakage line of the fabric because the ends of the fabric where the cut is caused are comparatively clean cut, whereas when the buret has occurred the ends of the strande ol the fabric are frayed.

It is somewhat extraordinary says the Autocar (England) that when so much is being said about the central position of change-speed gear' and brake levers nothing should be -adduced in favour of central steering. XJy "central steering" we mean the placing of the steering wheel, as well as the control pedals, in the middle of tbe car, the steering column and pedals being central and the levere at a convenient distance away from the centre for the right hand of the driver to operate them. The driver would, of course, be seated centrally also, and on each side of him there would be a -passenger seat. It is still more strange that, even on big public eervice vehicles, euch ae motor omnibueses, the driver and the control are placed eccentrically but it is perhaps, even more extraordinary that this should be tlie case in vehicles such as motor char-a-bancs, in which three or four people -occupy tho front seat besides the driver.

There is no <loubt whatever that central steering is better than side steering so far as judging distance* is cencerned, this applying to , driving

up to the kerb or to meeting or passing other vehicles, but there arc .quite a number of factors which may also be introduced in its favour as well as certain points agadnst it. Perhap* the strongest argument tor it is in the fact that a centrally controlled car is suitable for use in- any pa.rt of the world, as, whether the ruli> of tho road be to keep to the loft or to the- right it is just as good for either.

Then again, many cars are made* to scat, three people on the front seat, and this is particularly tire case with very large cars, and also, -with cars which are made to carry three persons only. Aβ an instance ot the small

three-seatcr. we may' .mention th" Phoenix, while, as an indirect instniuv of the largo car. we might ate tho T.aiicheeter, which is amply w : 'l<> euu ..'j;li f(<r thri'o, but -only carries t\v > becau.s<:the central seating portion is occupied b.v tho engine and rarbnrett.il> - . H;.\ ever, or almost any large ca.v tlicn s <i:iiplc room for throe on the front seat.

Another point in fovottr ol central steering is in regard to atHJoepheno •Vesistance. The present practice of making the car taper gradu.Viy from a narrow front to a wide *.aclc. s'miri; as in appearance, is really wrong; it is far more correct that the widest part of the car should be at or about the centre; that is to say. liiflseated cars should rather s-'at thr«-e behind. The taper bonnet ami d.-.-sh-board readily lend themselios to \< i'le front seats, as the present contour of both noce«s£tates a wide rear envl iv the bonnet, so that on fairly large cm*. at any rate, the transition to ?he i!u-et-seated front would not be difficult.

Another very strong arg'iuie; t in favour of the central posuijn is thit if a car were running light with the driver only on board 1 , bis weight would be central and properly distributed, not being, as is now the case, nil on one eide and that, too, en the side (which is necessarily the hea/.vr loadc-d, as practically all cars are heavier on ( the right than on tie left. Some years ago, a car so designed was made in England for T.iv'-i. - al! work but as it did not comply with th<> aat lion ties' specification it was turned down. MBNACE TO OHILD LIFE. If neglected the ordinary light cold will become severe, and a well established, ripe cold ie to the grem of diphtheria what honey is to the bee. Tho •greatest menace to child life is a neglected cold. Whether the cold be •slight or severe the very beet treatment tha can be adopted is to give Chamberlain's Cough Remedy. A' cold never ; ! results in diphtheria when Oiamberi lain's Cough Remedy is given. Sold every where. !