MOTOR AND CYCLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 129, 24 October 1914, Page 7

MOTOR AND CYCLE.

During the late Balkan war mnoior vehicles wei'o liy the (Jreek araiiy. At the outbreak of the war some sixty cans belonging t 0 Creek subjects were seized and allotted to various generals and their stall" officers. A great mistake, however, was made in neparatiiK' I'ho owners from their cars, with the lesult 'that within a fori one-third of ihe vehicles had been placed out of (omniission by the m;,simi:i.igciiieiii of iuiidleur drivers.

U. Jjoitlut, Hie premier motor-car driver of France, and winner of the Classic Grand Rri/, motor-car race of 11112 and lilia, placed his services at the disposal of Lieneral Joll'rc, the Cv-i----mandcr-iii-Chief of t'lie French Army, fcinco t'lio beginning- of hostilities lie has driven the Fi'ench general over one thousand miles.

Germany is said to have had many spies associated with the motor industry Jii Britain. The di'velo.pmciu of motoring Jia.s furnished a nuiguilieeik cloak for .the .purpose, of obtaining a!] muinoi oi valuable information as to roads, dw position of residence, and so forth. The Morning Post states that when in a southern couniy, some .time, ago, the authorities- gave notice that they were üboui to take a census of motor-cars, it Mas found that the morning after these notices were issued men' called am fathered all the necessary par.iculars; ;.e-i the officials tuenteelves did not come till soave time after, when they were considerably astonished t 0 learn tfliat the information required had hcen given to unauthorised persons 'previously. The Wairarapa Automobile Association has passed" a series of resolutions requesting members and other motorists to 'boycott cars and accessories manufactured by German firms. 'J'hu growth of Germanic trade with. New Zealand is shown in the expansion of the imports In (h 0 year I'JK) .New Zealau<l looked to their motor manufacturers j' or un \y i."i«u2, in '('he next year ;he imports soared. They rose to fIS,OUO, a steady increase was kept up duTiii:' lilt;!, wJun imports rose to 'l.i the year winch has e:ul,d the iinpo' is from out friend this enemy ru-hYd up with a .hound. They more ihan dnub.ed tin .figures of .I'Jie- previous var and the cumniercial balance rose'bv nun ami leaps till it kicked Lhe heau'i at t,\,mi, an outcome of lhe. iiicre.iul.ile trade, which must have been singulany pleasing to a nation whioh was anxious to store up ammunition ;lo hurl at the thick-h; ailed English. Now the German profits are coming homo to us wrapped up, not in credit accounts, but in (hurtling death and shrieking shell. The ilcet of arrotor .transports leaving for Europe with .the Australian Expeditionary Forces is now nearly complete nnu* ready tor shipment.. One. hundred and thirty-two minor waggons have been purchased in lhe Commonwealth by the Federal Government. .Six of the vehicles have been fitted \m as complete travelling repair shops. (Each of these weighs about seven tons, .".lid has cost the Federal Government approximately £f>ooo apiece. All of lliimi have collapsible sides, which may tie raised on metal uprights, so tlia-t in case of need the ordinary floor space can be at least trebled.' Practicallv every machine and tool necessary for repair work is carried. There are lathes, drills, milling machines—all electrically driven by a dynamo deriving its energy from the propelling engine—and there i& a forge in each as well. An immense number of spare pans will be carried with the column, but even serious breakages will not cause- permanent disablement with the complete faeilitiesi so near at hand.

Tile repair shops have already bora submitted to praolioal tests, awl have worked sati'sfaetorilv. Over a week ago I ho. chief of the geno'ral staff (Oolouo! 1-ogge) watched a trial in which the r - | air wagons were run over r:>nyi: .mound, and the machines were nude ri-adv and sot In work in s\nls an iuoiodi'bly &-liori' space of tits<• ■ .::hat li.' v.us :t<;rti!ably snr|iriscvl. afterward,* oxpiossing his opinion that they were not iiki'ly to sutler liy caisparison with the best abroad.

Colonel l.egge, when recently on the Continent, inspected the most up-to-date military equipment, and his ideas have been incorporated in those latest additions to the Commonwealth defence giar. Two of the cars are adapted for use as armed convoys, and on service they will have hidden machine guns. One can picture these great workshops, hastening full speed to the scene o! a smash. It may be a small break or a large one, but there is everything provided to effect repairs. One workshop, scon ready for use, was me.-.m.id on n !i"> horse-power Cummer lorry. .Standing in the upon, it looked m.ieh like a motor caravan, and a very substantial one at that. Windows could I>„> Hcia on each si.b. an.! what on sirsi glance, seemed a chimney was on lop of tin; carved roof, which was nevon fivl above alio lloor of the vehieln. A oliis-.T iiisp.ee: ion showed it to be lilted Tke the other transport waggons, us far as the driving seals were concerned, th< n when three soldiers dashed forward, r.rtl commenced to undo bells and udj.is' telescope legs, the true signhkauiv oi ,lhc machine was revelled. ' It'wawonderfu'ly complete in all its details i.ml unique in tlie anna's ri' Australian niilitarv organisation. -Willi an ordi r.ary floor space of 12ft .bv lift, when in motion, now, whoa, stationary, IV side* let down to form a tititiporar'. flcor gave four feet extra all round The. windows in the shies now became windows in a roof, which gave light when the khaki waterproof sheeting was let down, enc'osing tllne whole shop. There one stood in the midst of a mas'* <>!' hammer.* and mechanical appliances. Here was. an anvil and a bench., a hand forge with a strong blower, all cleUvhfchle (for us» in the opm air when licecssiu■-,); thcr ; , emery wheels, drills, giar wheels, a .iii'ling machine an I n (,'n. lathe. Ovejhead -was the crankshaft with Hire wheels placed along i' with leather belts attached. The shaft was driven, from the, motor of the omriuo iliy a. simple e\tens : on of (he machineiT. There was a dynamo developing 220 vol « in a comer, and an electric drill with, a long cable attached, so that the drill might be worked soirte distance from the car. The whole shop v.-a„ lit by oJeetrio. light, held in an aluminium coated ouji which, by a patent device, was attachable, to tlie root and hold secure while the workshop wmk in motion. No detail was forgotten and one descended bv sti(pn from the. ir:ar of the vehicle. In a few mmuVs iflr wholo shop was cleared up, though it is stated that certain work will bo aiblo to be. carried on while the vehicle is ra motion. A foreman is to -be placed in oXiTfl-e uf each, lorrv. He will huve tlie 'rank of 'staff rergoan'. His stall will consist of s ; x trimmvrs and fitters .two blnotemitlw, two wheelers and uho electrician.