MOTOR NOTES.
THE BRITISH MOTOR "SENTINELS" IN THE
INDUSTRY.
HANDICAPPED BY THE HORSE-POWER TAX.
KHYBER.
In the spring of 1929 the section of the Khyber Railway between Landikotal at the top of the pass
THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1929.
SIR H. SEGRAVE'S
ESCAPE..
LIFE IMPERILLED FOR LEMON SQUASH.
THRILLING RACE,
960 b.p. engine for the race, dis covered that they were thirsty Lemon squash was brought for them, the engine was stopped, and Sir Henry and the mechanic settled down to enjoy a long, cool drink, when suddenly gustural Teutonic voice roared" at them from the judge's box through a megaphone.
Bang! went the starting gun, and the German boat sped away alone. Sir Henry looked after her regretfully and decided to give up the race. Not so. however, Mr. Scott Paine, the Miss Eng and de- signer.
there was plenty of time for her to Sir Henry get across the course, saw her just a time, swerved dan- gerously, and missed her by the narrowest of margins, Not more thin ve yards separated"the boats from collision and their occupants Sir Henry from certain death. passed the winning post a quarter of a lip ahead of his rival, having taken ten minutes less than the German boat.
Sir Henry won ali five of his
championship trophy;
BY AUTO TO FUJI.
MOTORING ACTIVITY IN
JAPAN.
This is a small-car country, (says/und Laudikhana, which is on the cast Major Sir Henry Segrave his splutter and a roar made for the going the Miss England roared out heate, and thus won the German foreigners are climbing Mount Fuj
Afghan frontier, a distance of six It miles, was closed for repairs to
a writer in a Home paper). became in the early post-war | tunnels. years under pressure from three
During the period of the closure sources. Our makers bad to re-es-it was tecessary to transport ter the home market and bad to 2,300,000 bricks, 500 tons of cement compete with imported cars, mostly and 2,000 tons of sand from from America, which during the Landikotal to Landikhana, where war had had the market to them two tunnels were being rebuilt and selves. Price, therefore, was a vital extended.
factor. Post-war
years also The usual methoils of transport brought i much wider home in the Khyber Pass are bullock market, consisting of people of excart, donkey or came, and the panded but not large means-the eartage of such large quantities of class we still know to-day as the materials by these methods would small-car class. With them pur; have resulted in grent delay to the chase price was a vital factor, and repairs to the tunnels. Quite by this emphasised the need for pro- ctance, however, it was found that ducing a cheap car. But with the
a transport contractor of Peshawar coming of the horse-power tax rua- had a fleet of "Super Sentinel" ring costs became a primary factor steam waggons lying idle. These and parchase price took second
were originally purchased for the place. There is still evidence of Peshawar Kabul run, but for vari- this in the fact that the recent inous reasons their use was discon troduction of the tax on petrol,tinued. The contractor was ap- without any modification of the li-ranched with regard to the car ceave duty, has slowed down purge of the building material by chases and has consequently slowed his Sentinels. A rate was agreed down production.
In the result our production is upon, and three waggons were im- more of small cars, and of those inmediately put into commission.
As the local tribesman claim the right to take on any work in their territory themselves, it was neces
Of Mary
to approach the Political Department; therefore after some discussion a local Malik er Head- man was nominated for the con-
the lower ranges of the medium- power class than of any other kind. There are to-day some 900,000 ears registered in Great Britain. these the popular 12h.p. is easily the first, and up to recently it was the caly clare numbering aver 100.000 To-day it represents tract, which he sub-let to the owner per cent of the whole. The next of the waggons, naturally retaining a comfortable commission for him-
most numerous are the 11h.p. typif
miles.
Their performance is all the more remarkable since the road rises 00 f in four miles, with a ruling gradient of 1 in 13, with many sharp bends of 30 ft. radius.
the 9-h.p.. and the very popular These three waggons have now Sevens, which mostly are of 5-hp, been running for over six months are steadily creeping up until 'short and have given excellent service, ly they look like taking second working six days a week with ac place. But taking the whole rangecasional stops for overhauls. At all of ears from 7-hp, up to 30-h.ptimes they have each fearried a full the small and medium types are the load of seven tons, and invariably Jest numerous Definitely, then, have done at least three retur we are a small-car country, and the bulk of the production of three traps of 36 miles a day. In the large firms, sometimes known as the summer owing to longer days this Biz Thre-Austin, Morris, and was increased to four trips or 43 Singer, whose comhined output is variously stated at 05 to 75 per cent of the total production of our own manufacturers-is of these types. The point is of importance because motor-buying tends to categories, A man huys certainly within a price limit, but Srst and foremost with an eye to upkeep and running costs, and it is here. it cannot be too Frequently emphasised. that the present horse-power tax has a de Anite and a decisive influence. Sc much so that it is possible to buy a British car of international reputa tion. of a model seven or more years old that has still years of useful life in it, for actually less than the annual tax it has to bear. It is this horse-power tax that is keeping the British market a small car market; that is, broadly, re- stricting production to small cars because of the demand of the market. The industry itself has declared this again and again.
The ease with which the 'Supers" arc manœuvred and controlled on the steep grades and round the sharp bends has astonished every- body and has earned for them the nickname of the Baby Austins."
The cost of transport by means of
these waggons was approximately one-third of that demanded by the local tribesmen for carriage by the bullock-eart, and, of course, work was carried out in very much
less time.
when needed. But this bigger out. put cannot be contemplated whilst the best demand is for the small ear. What has to be done must be done on the mass or quantity. production system. The machine- made car, as distinct from what is sometimes termed, and it is a good term, the hand-made ear, is the only one that will enable our makers to enter oversen markets 10 any volume.
the
The Tax on American Cars, · This question of category goes still farther. America ja the strongest competitor, our makers have to meet, but in all its vast production-it can turn out more
A Stranglehold on the Industry. a day than all our makers can do ia a week-there are very few cars, It is time the industry and the perhaps two makes only, which are Government-for Government mea. less than 20-h.p. Owing to thesures do interfere with the indus- working of this category factor, try's expansion-faced the situa these curs do act compete with the tion and came to one understand- bulk of British production because, ing. The industry, and motoring. once again, of that horse-power tax. must not be regarded as on Some figures may show why this luxury plane; that stage has long competition is in effect non-existent.since been passed. There are very Take the popular British car of 12 trying years ahead for the industry. h.p. The annual tax is £19, in- It is estimated that by August next aurance about a like sum Petrol, we shall have some 977,000 cars re- on a basis 1,000 miles a year, gistered in this country our rate. will cost about 18, and oil, any, of production, is some 200,000 cars 22, a total in necessary outlay of a year. On the basis of income it £40 a year. The, typical American would seem that about 1,500,000 car is of 25-h.p. The tax therefore cars will be the limit of the British is £25, insurance about the same market. That point, at the present sum. Petrol on the same mileage rate of production, will soon be basis will be about £24 and oil some reached, and production will, then a total-round figures are given depend largely upon the replace In each instance of £70, or almost ment market. What, therefore, is twice as much as the British car. needed if difficult times are to be world This is leaving out any question avoided is a wider market, of purchase price, and also any re- market. In the matter of cars, ference to depreciation, which in what is needed is a car, or types the case of British cars tends to a of car, suitable for overseas as well less percentage. Were purchase as at home, along with production prices the same or of but negligible in large quantities. To arrive, at difference, those upkeep and run- this there is urgent need to get rid ning coats would still weigh the of the present horse-power tax; at acales in favour of the British car. the best it is unfair operation as Sympathy is due to the British well as acting as a stranglehold on motor industry in that the opera the industry. A tax that was re- tion of the licence duty and now, lated to user would set up a demand in addition, the petrol tax restricts far more powerful cars than the their energies. They make some of present popular small the best cars in the world, and their market ought to be world-wide. But what they produce, "what they have to produce, is not what is re- quired overseas. They do obtain an export trade, but it is nothing like what the quality of their products deserves. Oversea conditions de mand power, simplicity of design, cooling adequate for warmer eli mates than we have, good ground clearance, because of road condi tions, and, not least, adequate service. Power, design, cooling, clearance the British maker can give. But he would do better if He could produce in bigger quanti- ties, and this would enable him to set up a service adequate for the circumstances. As it is, oversea Muvertesy zo-Australia will not look at a car spare parts for which have to be sent for frors England
type.
It
would enable manufacturers to de- velop the bigger car as they have developed the small one. They would be enabled to enter oversea markets, and once established there' an enlarged output would quickly have an effect on prices. Lower prices would further stimulate de- mand, and still lower prices would follow, as mass production has proved.
The British car has a reputation for quality. If whatever Govern ment comes into power would take. action on some such lines as here indicated, would give the industry elbow-room by removing these re strictions, an aggressive campaign in world markets could be begun with this quality as a sound founda tion Such action by the fisverd. thebe, would be of more direct help than any amount of Safeguarding.
A glass of lemon squash acarly
life, just failed to wreck his super speed boat, the Miss England, and almost caused his defeat by the German mystery boat, Farold III, thuring the recent preliminary heat for the German speed-boat cham pionships, being held, on Lake Tem- plin, near Potsdam.
It was warm, and both Sir Henry Segrave and his mechanic, who had started uo Miss England's great
Go on, Henry!" he said, when the boat had been brought in again. "Have another crack at her. You may catch her yet."
“Right-oh!” said “** Henry,” and when the engines were at last set once more, flashed part the start ing buoy, and before the Parola had completed the third lap, passed The boats were both her again. speeding away on the fourth and last lap of the race, when suddenly an agonised "OK" went up from the crowd of spectators. goad the 350
One minute, before start gun goos, Sir Begrave," said..the voice, After thirty secocus of scurrying haste the Miss England with a starting buoy where her German rival was already waiting.
Too Hasty. The Miss England's crew had, however, been too hasty.
The little auxiliary engine which is used to start the great motor had not had time enough
h. p. engine into befitting fury, and so, when Sir Henry Segrave was well out of reach of land, the engine struck work and stopped.
Mr. Bomford, the other English competitor, in his outboard motor boat, Sea Hopper, constructed at a cost of $100, won five races in the outboard class, but let the others to the German boat Hai. He is. however, sure of securing the out- board trophy on
account of, the A motor yacht skipper, seeing aggregate number of points ac- the Mes England a tiny white cumulated by tim in his previous speck in the distance. had thought i victories.
Distant Speck,
[" D.P.” Special Service.]
Tesxo, July 13, Thousands of Japanese and many.. Japan's famous sacred mountai by automobile this summer. A zow nictor service has been opened from the Asama Shrine, near Yoshida, at the base of the mountain, to Nago shi, on the lower elopes. This leaves only seven-mile climb to the top and makes the ascent much easier than ia former years,
The Fuji climbing season opened on July 1, 10 days earlier than
usual.-United Press.
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