CYCLING AND MOTORING.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1916, Page 7

CYCLING AND MOTORING.

NEWS AND NOTES, All who witnessed the 200 miles cycle race held at Mortlake, Victoria, or. Easter Monday, are satisfied that this event has the makings of a contest o! equal' importance to the English 'Tourist Trophy" race, which for several years past (no "T.T." event was held this year owing to the war) has been recognised the world over as the blue riband road event of the motor-cycle world. Mortlake offers many attracions from a speedman's point of view, and, what is more, the local authorities and residents welcome the event. In connection with Easter Monday's race some sterling performances were registered, and X. H. Duckett, who finished second, on a 7-h.p. IndiaD, the 200 miles in. 3 hours 40min. 42sec, the fastest time put up in the raceThis ride beats E. B. Baker's (American) world's record for 200 miles established over the same course in February last, and being accomplished in competition is a particularly fine achievement. In addition to this world's record another was credited to H. A. Parsons, who covered 101.7 miles in 97rain. 2ssec, his average speed' being well over a mil* a minute for a/hunded miles—wonderful travelling on a circuit that has several bad corners to negotiate, and, besides that, a very heavy northerly wind had to be contended with. There seems to be every probability (says an American correspondent) that there will be a 'big increass in the price of tyres before long; anyway, the manufacturers have withdrawn all their lists, and only give quotations on a day-te-day basis. It is pointed out that all the materials used in the waking of tyres have gone up considerably in price; thus, oxide of zinc, which is used so extensively in the manufacture of white rubber, has advanced about 85 per cent., while cotton fabric c»sts almost 40 per cent, more than it did last year. Rubber has gone up steadily during the past month, the increase 'being about 20 per cent., with indications that it will continue to advance fer some time to come. The big companies seem to be buying far into the future, their buying being particularly marked whenever there is even a slight recession in prices. We think the time is opportune (says the Motor) to suggest the abolition of the. term "pleasure car." Why it lias been used at all is surprising, seeing that no motor-car has ever teen used solely as a pleasure vehicle. Every car is a titility vehicle, and as time goes on the services of motor-cars will merge more and more into the purely utilitarian, and the so-called "pleasure" side of motoring will retreat more and mart into the background. We know of men whose use of what is described as a "pleasure" car is almost entirely confined to business, and it is used only on rare occasions for what may be called recreative and healthful purposes rather than pleasure motoring. The time for regarding the motor-car as a luxury has long passed, and it is now being Made more than ever apparent that the term "pleasure car" is entirely a misnomer. In the days of gigs and deg-carts, traps, buggies, and even carriages, the terna "pleasure" was never applied to suck vehicles, and there is net the slightest reason why it should ever have been used in connection with motor-cars. Ou the other hand, there is very good ground for suggesting that the term should not now be allowed to survive. The price of petrol lias approximately doubled in the United States within the last twelve months, and the Matter has been considered of so much national importance that the United States Government recently called fer a special report from the Department of the Interior upon the subject. This repert has now been made, and it is interesting to note that, whilst it shows that both the domestic use and the export of petrol have very greatly increased, and—what is of more importance still—that "the production of the oil from which it is derived appears to have reached its maximum," the opinion is expressed that "the strong refining and transport companies are in a position to make the consumer pay high prices for their product." In ■other words, it appears all toe evident from this Government report that the time has now come when the great oil trusts hold the world.of consumers, and especially the automobile world, in the hollow of their hands, and can squeeze them to their hearts' content. It behoves all interested in the welfare of motoring, therefore, to support not only with adequate capital ett'orts to discover and open up new sources of petroleum supply in other parts of the world, hut also to leave no stone unturned to develop the production of alternative fuels, and, seeing that the American pioductioa of motor-cars- this year is estimated to exceed 1,088,000 cars, it is plain that the demand for suitable fuels all over the world must inevitably increase enormously, and it is manifest that there is room and to s.pare for any and every variety of fuels which can be employed satisfactorily in internal-com-bustion engines. If'the oil magnates apply their squeeze with too tight a hand, however, their action will'even-' tually react upon themselves, for the popularity of motoring, and especially the enormous popularity of motoring iii America, is. bound up indissolubly with the question of cheap fuel. According to an expert's estimate, the quantity of rubber required during (lfilß by the United States of America for its automobile tyres alone will amount to practically half of the world's production of last year- It Is estimated that by the end of 1916 there will be about 3,500,000 cars in use in the States, and that 75,400 tons of rubber will be needed to keep them running. It is also estimated that, apart from America, there were 714,000 cars in use in 1915, and it is computed that about 17,243 tons of rubber will be required for equipping same, which will bring the worlds demand up to nearly 89,000 tons. There is, however, little danger of the demand outstripping the supply.