THE MOTOR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 261, 14 April 1915, Page 2

THE MOTOR.

NEWS AND NOTES. The grout work our naval and military air services are rendering in the war lias boon fully appreciated by the general public—indeed, their appreciation has, it is to be feared, reached a point where their expectations of what our flying officers can do is, perhaps, somewhat greater than ia desirable. A circular recently issued by the Aerial Club states:—"ln view of the great utility of the work of the flying services, evidence of which has been repeatedly given in the official despatches of the Commander-in-Chief,' the skilful and daring flights into enemy country, and the protection afforded by the continuous patrolling of onr coast by aircraft, it is confidently expected that the British public will welcome the opportunity of showing their appreciation by subscribing promptly and liberally to the fund." Mr. J. E. Clifford, representative of the General Motors Export Company, of New York, is in Wellington at present on a colonial tour, which has far ineluded Australia and the South Island of Now Zealand. While in the Commonwealth he drove over the Sydney - Melbourne Road in time which constitutes the best yet on record. He has also toured Tasmania by car and part of the South Island. He intends to take a trip to New Plymouth, then back to Palmerston and through to Auckland, via Napier, before leaving the Dominion. According to Mr. Clifford, the motor industry was seriously affected by the war at the start, and several of (lie weaker concerns went under in America as in the Old Country, but since then there ha 3 been a revival, and the larger firms are manufacturing almost up to high-water mark. The future, he. thinks, is. to the bigger companies manufacturing on a large scale, and the next few years will see many changes in the direction of the survival of the fittest and the elimination of the small and weak concern. The six cylinder car, he thinks, will pass as a fashion and will be succeeded by the eightcylinder, while the four will continue. American development is towards the high-efficiency, smaller long-stroke engine and a lighter body with useless weight cut down to the limit. The light car and cycle-car are not yet a practical success in America for all purposes. They are all very well for the salesman riding about town or the business man going to and from his business, but for the rough road outside the purview of the cities and towns they are not satisfactory, fienerally, the American car is conforming in appearance with the European model, and experience shows that the demand is for a lighter riding far without the excessive horse-power of the earlier American type. Incidentally, Mr. Clifford mentioned that the prices of American cars would havo been materially reduced this season had it not been for the great rise, in freights and the addition of war risks.