CYCLING AND MOTORING.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 April 1916, Page 7

CYCLING AND MOTORING.

BOOM IN MOTOR-CYCLES. According to the American motor papers there is a big boom in motorcycles in both the United States and Canada. It is further mentioned as a noteworthy feature that the increase in the number of lady motor-cyclists is remarkably large; that there are twice as many in the States as there are in England; yet there is not a drop-frame motor-cycle—a model built especially for ladies—made in America. There the ladies wear divided skirts, and are smart in appearance. According to one paper a campaign has been started to improve the appearance of male mo-tor-cyclists, and it is said that good results are already to be noted. Formerly most of the male riders used to turn out in sweaters (generally soiled), breeches and leather leggings. Now numbers are wearing smart over-alls, khaki-colored coats and light caps with a flap at the back. Although the sidecar attachment was adopted only three years ago in the States—long after it had become popular in Great Britainit is to-day almost a 3raze with the Yankees. American sidc-carists are not merely fair-weather riders. They are, in fact, quite accustomed to driving over snow, and get along very well by putting chains on the rear wheels. Electric lighting for motor-cycles lias become almost universal in America, and is regarded as a necessity with, highpriced machines. Side-carriers are being used by tradespeople there to a far greater extent than in other countries, while the U.S.A. mail department is extensively, adopting them. Also, the police use a great number of solo machines, and each member of the force in the motor-cycle branch must be able to drive at 75 m.p.h. to qualify. They are used for chasing cars that are driving at excessive speed. It is stated that one manufacturing company is putting on the market a side-car with a double telescopic axle, which can be pulled out so that the wheel gauge is increased. This model, it is said, is intended for the British overseas dominions where the roads are indifferent; it will allow of the axle being elongated sufficiently so that the wheels will run in the worn tracks. THE MOTOR ON THE FARM. That machinery is destined to play an increasingly important part in agricultural operations is now recognised by farmers the world over, and that the motor has a great future ahead of it in connection with these developments is equally to be taken for granted. Some very interesting observations on this subject were made by Mr. W. J. Mai-1 den in a paper read before the British! Farmers' Club gome weeks ago. At present, Mr. Maiden remarked, the motor was in a comparatively crude form, but valuable even at that. Even the best type of engine was by no means agreed upon, and the most useful type, had yet to be determined. So far as the motor for use in the near future was concerned *it would require wheels suitably large, broad and strong, gears big and strong, great ease in txtrning, steering and reversing, attachments suitable for the great variety of work it must be prepared to do, and engines with reserve power when new to cover the effects of wear. The adaptation of suitable implements and attachments had been almost neglected. The implement-maker and the engine-maker had not yet worked together, and this had greatly hindered the earlier adoption of the motor on the land. He did not sec why a small en-gine-driven mechanical spade should not be made to cut and turn a spit, and be I vforkable by a man crippled by the war. ' In motor harvesting there must be great developments, and he looked confidently to the time when a large portion of i our crops would be cut and threshed in one operation. A combined harvester and thresher must b e of a size suitable jto the motor power on the form. As an alternative, if it could not be done by one, the harvester must be a stripper, also designed to cut and tie the straw, and the threshing be done by a separate machine. Hay-making could be made practically mechanical. A Bmall motoi to drive the field leaders would be better than having the horses pulling a nearly-loaded waggon to do this extra work. After the war the motor would tend to the breaking-up of immense tracts of land, and undoubtedly corngrowing in the course of years would be done on a very narrow profit. It was for the British farmer to grow cvops which would save him at that time. Such crops as potatoes and beet grown for industrial purposes should take a place in the British farmer's programme. The Excise charges should be removed, so that every farmer might, by growing a small quantity of potatoes, provide himself with fuel to do the heavy work of the farm. The potatoes wasting and rotting' through disease this year could have been used, and would have provided fuel to supply the power to work a very large portion of the land. Engineers should set themselves to develop engines suitable for running on alcohol, and surely the Board of Agriculture would find ft good field of research to aid both the engineer and the farmer so

that alcohol-driven farm motors might sooner be available for U9e.

NEWS AND NOTES. The manner in winch street collisions are caused nre many, and in numerous instances collisions have occurred through traffic emerging from side sfreets on to main roads or more important thoroughfares at too fast a pace. Theoretically, all traffic from minor streets should give wav to that on the main avenue, but legally no cognisance is taken of this precept, though if it were done warning signs, instead of being placed on the main road, would be located in the side street, and thus would many accidents be avoided, while speed otherwise could foe decelerated with safety were it required with the nuinmum of danger. In some cases, naturally, it would he difficult to determine which was the more important thoroughfare, but that point being settled the rest would be easy.

A rather glaring instance of the manner in which motorists are sought to be exploited by taxation, and for the benefit of all other road ÜBers, is the proposal of the engineer of Helensville shire, a popular holiday and tourist district in Victoria. Briefly, he desires that motorists be . additionally taxed through their tyres. In a report to his council on the question of road maintenance in tourist districts, lie laments that each improvement of the road surface means "an immense increase in the motor traffic," and quotes wftere the "evil effects" of this , traffic may be seen, and deplores tliat the unticipated saving in maintenance on main roads due to their being we* surfaced will not be realised. "Further," he states, "a smooth road surface means a considerable maintenance expense to the shire, whose patrol men must be continually ftttendiiv* *« i* 1 " .It.*e&Ux.» difficult

to follow his reasoning. If "improved" roads will not stand th e greatly augmented traffic, then the surface must be ■perfected. The engineer's idea ol the equity of a tyre tax is that the improved roads will give the motorists greater tyre mileage. ,He further declares that bad driving, too sitdden changes of gears, too heavy a weight on individual tyres, and badly-balanced engines which also damage tyres, are potent factors in depreciating the road surface. It is a curious way of arguing, however; but his chief deaire is that motorists, the only class of road user already directly taxed for road construction and maintenance, should be additionally taxed to make up for the deficiencies of the road* constructed by the shire engineer.