Cycling and Motoring Notes.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 19 April 1917, Page 4

Cycling and Motoring Notes.

♦ — From the Dunlop Rubber Company zi j Australasia. Limited, for the week 7th and- -14th April, 1917. The chief motoring .attraction of the Easter Holidays • is, >of course, .the big ! patriotic carnival at Mortlake- (Vic.) 150 miles from ■ Melbourne." It is a motor-cycle meeting :of practically three events held in eonjuntion with a racemeeting conducted "by tho local [Racing Club, tho proceeds from all sources to be devoted to the funds of the Mort~. lake Red Cross Society, The relibik ity run from tho metrtpolis will almost take tho form of a monster tour, for the participants will be accompanied by dozens of -other motor-cyclists on solos and - side-car - combinations. •- - The ' competitors, of course, will ■ observe a | time schedule, hut" the quality; cf the !' roads and the imposition- -of speed limits ! will enable the lowest powered macli- * ines to easily compass the oourse with- ' out undue haste and Hisoomfort. This ! contest will fill in Good "Friday, Mel- ' bourne being loft at 9 a.m., .with lunch ! at Coke, 92 miles, thus making an I early arrival at Mortlake possible.

I On the following day (Saturday), in addition to the meeting of tlio.Racing Club, the Victorian- Motor-cycle ,Club i w ill conduct the first side-car race held in the Commonwealth, ' and .on that account alone the novelty of tho .-com-> petition will be an attraction in itself.' There is a good entry for this event, .and it is expected that there will be some amusing incidents tr at '-the - many corn ers, for the • combination machines require adept handling at speed when rounding curves. The chief contest of the carnival will be :the 300 miles speed race on the triangular • circuit near Mortlake, which will be traversed six times by the competitors.' [Machines ranging up to 7-9 liorso. .power will be pitted one against the other, when the pace on the : long" straights rwill ■ "be very willing indeed. Thousands of spectators came from- all ' parts of the district last year to witness the event, while scores of motor-car tourists made Mortlake a place of call on ilieir return journey from excursions further afield. Mortlake will again be crowded with visitors, and those who are wise arranged for accomodation .as soon as the meeting was definitely fixed to take place.

At the annual' meeting of the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria', held last week, the president,'iDr ft.-E. Wei gall, referred to -the >! honour > conferred ■by His Majesty the King -by permission.of the use of the prefix "'Royal" to the name of the club. He said it was a distinction long coveted, and was sure that the very commendable way all motorists had responded to the call of Empire, backed up with the activity of the R.A.C.V. as a body, officially and otherwise, were potent factors in gaining the special mark of appreciation. The club and motorists generally had, in Victoria, carried, out .223 .organised outings for soldiers,? and now a few were engaged on the.-great recruiting? campaign in the country, giving their cars and'their time, for a week at a stretch, and travelling, hundreds of miles in carrying .the military officers to various centres. The presdent. pointed out that shortly there would arrive a number of troop hospital ships (now | approaching Australia under convoy), when the resources of the motorists would be strained to the uttermost, and- the club required the assistance of every member and his car and as mail}' unattached motorists who could make their vehicles available to convey our returned warriors from the ship's side to the city and thence to the institutions assigned to thom. It wa6 not. thought that the vessels would arrive until after Easter,- but now was the time to organise and be assured of the number of cars -avaflaible. The neeessitv would arise in each- of the States. During the meeting the question of holding some outing for members was discussed, it being remembered that since the outbreak of war there had been no sporting or social -event held: —except the Children's -Annual Picnic, which was a work of human interest and one the club is strongly disposed to continue. The question of the outing was referred to. the committee. The matter of new CJlub rooms also cropped- up. and although it was recognised' that the time was not propitious for such an undertaking, the committee was directed not to lose sight of the need for car accomodation in connection with" new premises. The' members expressed themselves favourable to an additional £2000 of the club's available funds being invested iin the Commonwealth war loan, making in all £4000 thus contributed.

Tlie revival of interest in -cycling has ever been expected by those who know and appreciate what wheeling really is,, and when, we speak of cycling, we refer to the pastime and to the utilitarian side of the pursuit, and not at all to racing and competitive events of any kind, which come under the comprehensive heading'-of sport. Yet theve are many people who fail to discrimin-, ate between sport and pastime, arid when cycling is referred to their thoughts invariably revert -to the race track. The recrudescence of the louring phase of wheeling, is to be welcomed, for not only can the exponents vew the country at leisure, but they are also deriving inestimable benefits from the 'exercise-—an exercise which Jnot only must be taken out of doors, aiding greatly the physical condition, but the constanti chnnging -of scene , supplies a beneficial mental tonic. Cycling has aptly been described as a gymnasium in itself without the monotony of a gymnasium—really a sugar-coated exercise if the rider will but-rationally follow the pursuits.