MOTORING NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 64, 4 August 1914, Page 7

MOTORING NOTES.

An idea of ilia value l.he leading French cycle ihumiJiiclurers place on | winning the l»g 'i't.ur de i'-rance, & 3340-mile road nice in fifteen stags', round France, tan be imagined from the fact that one Jiriu oilers a bonus i f £2OOO to the winner should ,he .ri J-.-one of their uiaeii.nes. As the lir-st-prize is £IOOO cask. the event represent.-, a small fortune It/ liw .successful rider. The South Canterbury centre of the New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union received October 17 as the su»gested date for the Tiunaru-Uhrist-ohureli road race. This wouM stllow the competitors in the Kgniont race (says tlie Herald) about tliTce weeks in which to get ready for the nice, while the date selected in a month ahea'tl of the new road race to be run this week at Palmerston North, and known as the Palmerston-Wanganui race. The Centr.has yet to meet to discuss the date.

Nearly lia.'f the. accidents which are privately reported to the Autocyele Union are, it appears, due to the presence of a second, rider behind, and a heavy addition is made in the insurance rate on molor-eyeles used for the conveyance of miore than one person. Whether the police should not interfere and forbid the practice is a serious question. In Germany, it may be noted, such riding is strictly forbidden in the towns, as are also the conveyance ®*. children on ordinary cycles, and tlie very dangerous trick of holding on to motor-cars by cyc!ssts, which' is all too common in this country. Snell, one of the Au3traUi.au road rscera at present in Europe declares that tihe Belgians l , are tlie best road riders in the world. "I consider," he states, "that their best men tire from lomin to 20min faster than lam 'in a race over 200 miles. Kirkham and Munro are the only Australians-to compare with them. The use -of vulcanised fibre, raw 'hH l and compressed paper as material for the construction of motor-ear ge;>>' wheels has been experimented with in various parts of the world without coming into general use. The latest material that is being tried in England is cotton fabric compressed to several tons per square inch. The chief advantages claimed are noiseless -running and elccticity to take up the shock of intermittent drives. In addition to thes,'. advantages this new material is undamaged by oil or water, and is not subject to expansion or contraction from variations of temperature. Great durability is also claimed, the teeth after a time developing a highly p-olislied surface. Gear wheels of this description are stated, to .have given very good re- . milts when used for timing gear wheels. The imotor legislation which it is proposed to ibring forward during this; session will bo watched with interest ail over New ealand. It is suggested by the New Zealand Automobile Union that the following would be a fair scale of taxation: —On motor-cars not exceeding 15cwt, £1 10s; cars between lix'wt and 25cwt, £2 10s. cars exceeding 25cwt, £2 10s; motor-bicycles* tin] motor-tricycles of whatever weighty, 10s. The proceeds of such a tax have not been offituaflly estimated as far as is known, but it is safe to assume that the minimum l yield wouftl be £40,000 per annum.

Paul Guignard, the crack French pac.' follower is, stated to he one of th-.< wealthiest racing cyclists in the woril. G-nignard, who -has held the world's paced hour record—fi3 miles, 25f> yards since is 40 years of age, and is now riding as well' as ever. He is reported to have saved over £30,000 from hi:, winnings and ibig retaining fees. The only other cyclist who has earned anything like this amount from raeinrr. is Frank Kramer, the American speed king, who has been- practically invincible in America for over a decade.

Motor-car racing in America has become a 'business, and it promises to become a paving profession at that. With one speedway already established at Indianapolis, three others in course of construction, and wisi several of the largest cities considering speedway propositions, motor racing looks like booming in America. Even this year promoters are offering in the neighbourhood of £40.000 in cash for racing attractions, and the jneiin difficulty is in getting enough cars and drivers to go round. The promoters are fighting for the ibest dates, and altogether it looks like a big year. Looking; ahead, one finds that 1015 oaight to be syen greater, for by that time there will be more cars built, and more drivers deyeloped.

Particulars are to hand of the tinnuaV ntotor-cj'clc. side-car and cyc'e-car rui from London to Edinburgh and back, a distance of 800 miles. This year's event) drew an entry of 272 (including 70 light cars) out of which 254 started, and 237 arrived at Edinburgh (400 miles), a remarkable instance of the reliability of present-day motors. On the return journey there were not so many starters, but 135 participants in the double journey won goM medal? Points were deducted for earjlv or la" arrival at controls en route.