SERIAL STORY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 504, 6 November 1928, Page 7

SERIAL STORY

REGISTRATION INNOVATION Troubled by the never-ending string of numerals which roam across the registration plates on lately-bought cars, the police of the State of California (U.S.A.) have thought out a method of saving the eye strain which follows attempts to read the figures. Registration numbers there run into millions. Next year California’s licence plates will have deep yellow numerals on a black ground, and six characters will be the maximum on each plate. Registration numbers will commence from IAI. the next number will be IA2. and so on up to 9A-99-99. Then a new series will begin at 181, and will continue through the alphabet, to 9Z-99-99. The letters I, O and Q will not be used, because of their similarity to numerals. Letters and numbers will be in script instead of the block numbers, have revealed the script to have which are usually employed, as tests NEW SPARK PLUGS EFFECT ON ENGINE SHOWN A recent engineering test in a Chicago, U.S.A., laboratory showed that an automobile engine running 20 miles an hour and equipped with spark plugs that had been in use slightly more than 10,000 miles developed 20.6 horsepower. With a new set of plugs th£ same engine gave a horse-power reading of 25.4. One “horse-power” Is sufficient to lift 33,0001 b one foot in one minute. The method used in determining this unit is very interesting. Back in the ISth century James Watt, inventor %f the steam engine, and Matthew Boulton started to manufacture hoisting engines to replace the horses then used in the coal mines of England. In order to compare (he power of one of their engines with that of the number of horses required to perform the same work, they undertook to test the pulling power of a heavy draughthorse. They found that a horse could lift 3501 bof coal 100 ft in one minute, which is equivalent to lifting 33,0001 b one foot in one minute.