1930-10-22 — Page 2

P

Motor-Cycles to Solve Traffle

Problam?

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1930-

MOTOR NOTES.

£100 dars Nearly Here,

Garages that Fleece Motorista. The long-awaited £100 car as- A correspondent in The Light Car sumes definite shape and gives pro-and Cycle-car suggests that one of mise of materializing not as the the greatest bugbears of motoring Overwrites "Focus" in The Light Car result of anything startling, but in is the manner in which some way is abowing a distinct leaning to-

side garages "sting" their custom- He continues: It in curtainly

cra

Sir Alliott Verdon-Roe, the founder of the Avro aerojilane Ton- corn, hit a nail squarely on the head when he remarked the other week in the columns of Motor Curling that the motor-cycle offers

solution to the growing problem "of traffic congestion. The civilized Now-Car-Accessory.-

world enn either build new roads Three weeks ago I fitted one of at enormous expense or use more those neat little width ́indicators motor-cycles. The latter acena the to the near-side wing of my car, more! simple alternative. 107,000 baby cars have been sold in and Cycle-car, and since then I the States, the stronghold of the have entirely lost cont of the folk the natural development of baby big cur. The American public eer-many of them entire strangers-cars, says The Light Car and Opcle-high time something was done to tainly seems to have grasped the who have asked me what it is for car. In years gone by an optimistic protect motorists from this form of great idea of the small motor. Will I can truthfully say that no gadget public awaited its advent much as highway robbery, I am perfectly it go a step farther and take to I have ever added has caused such | they would have looked forward to willing to admit that garages, aIG the motor-cycle wholesale, just to wide-rprend curiosity. Folk have the hoped for <appearance of some. not all bad (in fact, the good un ease its traffic problems, which are run aftor me as I sat at the wheel, new star in the firmament. Yet the doubtedly exceed the bad), but the simply terrific in the big cities. It whilst inquisite urchins have be signs of to-day are all-significant; trouble is that a driver cannot tell would not be surprising if some come a positive nuisance. For all prices are falling nearer and nearer Vother from which until he has thing of that sort actually happen that, I would not be without this to the £100 mark, and the value had a job done and then, it is ton for money offered exceeds anything late, for there is no redress except ed. If and when it does, Britain simple but useful little ascessory,

It enables one to park to an inch- should be able to get something of and in a boon when reversing in imagined by the most optimistic by rofusing to pay and taking the her own back,

tight corners.

dreamer. Four-wheel brakes, chro; matter to court-a procedure that mium plating, electric lighting and is far from ideal from every point starting, large-section tyres and so of view. Where are those unpre

MICHELIN

FOR RELIABILITY AND DURABILITY

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A. GOEKE & CO.

China Building, 4th Floor.

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DEPOT: FIAT GARAGE, 67, DES VOEUX RD., CENTRAL.

1

The WISE

SOCONY

GASOLINE

BIRD

picks

SOCONY GASOLINE

France Lakes the "Bables,"

It is interesting to see, remarks The Light far, and Oyele-car, that a large section of the French public

wards baby cars. This will ve very! evident at the forthcoming Paris Salon, which opens a fortnight be fore our Olympia Show. It appears that many French motorists who hitherto would have nothing but cars of semi-sporting type of about 1,100 c.e. edpacity, are now craving for economy, comfort and reliability, and manufacturers have been quick to realize the need. Doubtless, the introduction of the Rosengart-the French edition of the Austin Seven

caused the pendulum to swing was the first influence which across, and this is all the more in- teresting when we remember that at first the Rosengart was regarded with open amusement. Jobs the Police Evade.

on have fallen naturally into place | tentious establishments which gavá on cars.costing for the season from personal attention, employed con- points out that it has men on duty The Royal Automobil» Club £122 108. upwards, whilst for the scientious mechanies who really at a very large number of import. first time in history a four-pred knew their jobs and charged a fair ast traffic points, but that there gear-box has been incorporated in price for work well done? Now-a-continual demand for more patrol, the design of a light car costing no days these prospering little busit is all wrong, comments The to do work of this kind. Surely more than £130; Let is not be for-nessen seem largely to have dis- Light Car and Cyclecar, that pri- gotten, too, that for £87 10%. one appeared, and ona mostly finds | vate enterprise should be expected, can buy to day a family model either super-efficient (in theory) cssentially national problem is or even asked, to shoulder such an three-wheeler of world-wide re- service stations, where the charges sorting, out our traffic tangles, nown. Verily, the development of are ruinous, or tip-thed garages, Surely, too, it is rather scandal. small cars will constitute the most where the charges are right but the cheerfully seek to escape their res ous that local authorities should

romantic pages in the chronicles of work very definitely wrong. We ponsibilitica-and, maybe, even motoring.

want the small but efficient garage.”

from the consequences of their own lack of Foroaight-by calling upon eur motoring organizations to as sist them. If it were not for the facts that Great Britain is years! | behind the United States in the | development and adoption of me. chanical traffic controllers and ex- cross-roads designs which afford in

that motorista should provide their look with tolerance upon proposals own point-duty men. But when wo are asked to take over the clear dety of the police or to furnish inen who will make safe pointe that are dangerous only because they have been improperly designed, there is a great temptation, to sug- erst that our generosity is being

fairly imposed upon.

To-day's Wide Field for Commercial World's Motor-cycling Speed

Vahicles.

The uses of the commercial motor

Record,

AUSTIN MOTORS.

'

0 PER CENT. DIVIDEND,

A dividend of 60 per cent. (actual), less tax, on the Ordinary shares of the Austin Motor Com pany, Ltd., for the seven months to July 31, was decided on at a meet- ing of the directors held at the works near Birmingham last month. The gross amount represented by this dividend is £90,000.

The paymont of the dividend is subject to the passing of resolutions which will be submitted to the shareholders.

Dividends on other shares will be recommended as follows:-

Seven per cent, per annum en Seven por Cent. Preference shares for one month to July 31, less tax ( gross amount of £1,458).

WOMEN TAXICAB DRIVERS NEXT?

GIRLS TRAINING FOR LICENCES.

It is probable that Birmingham will Boon have women taxicab drivers.

The manager of a Midland school of motor-driving stated that he is at present training poor girls who have expressed their intcation of applying for taxicab drivers? licences in Birmingham, as soon as they are proficient drivers.

There is no reason," he said, "why girls should not make as good and oven better taxicab drivers. than men,

There appears, how- ever, to be some doubt in the minds of the authoritica whether women are eligible to hold a licence.

"This point, however, will soOD be put to the test."

A weather-beaton old Birmingham taxicab driver, when told of the

proposed itwasion of women, sniffed audibly.

"Let 'em," he said, "By the time a girl has lifted five or six trunks on the roof of the cab, por- Six per cent. per annum on the¦haps a perambulator, a scooter, and mouth to July 31, free of tax (gross miles for two shillings and a two- "B" Preference shares for one

two bags, and has driven three amount £6,452).

penny tip, she will begin to wish she had taken to deep-sca diving."

Twenty per cent, per annum on the Preferred Ordinary shares for Reven months to July 31, less tax (gross amount £97,600).

The gross amounts of all divi- the British Empire except the Bri- dends total £195.410.

tish Isles themselves.

British motor-car manufacturers are said to realize they cannot hope ENDURABLE CAR WANTED. to compete in their export trade on

MANUFACTURERS WORKING ON PERFECT VEHICLE.

1

British motor-car manufacturers,

price basis alone with the mass pro- duction methods of the Alnerican manufacturera. But what they do. believe is that if they can produce trouble proof car with a compara-

Once again the world's motor are infinite in their variety, Bays cycle speed record is in German The Commercial Motor. It is hands. doubtful if any of those who first course, subject to F.1.C.M. con envisaged the application of the rmation. During the Ingolstadtrinsic safety, it would be easy to motor-car to serve the ends of trade record meeting held recently Herr and industry ever in his most Henne, riding a German B.M.W. optimistic moments conceived ane-motor-cycle covered a kilometre at tenth of the number of the ways in 137.0862 m. p.h., and thus J. S. which it is now employed. It is certain that none of us to-day can forsen the limit of its utility. That

The matter is still, of ecodingly tardy in its adaption of working hand-in-hand with expert tivoly low gasoline and oil consump

Wright's record of 137.32 m.p.h. set up at Arpajon-a few weeks ago has not stool for long. As was the chse

a motor vehicle, should be used to in 1928, Henne's machine was n 750 carry materials for the making or c.c. model and his achievement is remaking of a road is easy to un- therefore all the more remarkable. derstand; that it should be utilized The question in very naturally being to murke those materials en route asked: "What will he do our of or Retnally to dig up the surface of these days with a 1,000 «.c. motor 1" the old rond as a preliminary to The situation is certainly not Jack- its repair is quite another story.ing in, piquancy, "History will no Yet the one purpose is as much a doubt repeat itself," says Votor commonplace as the other-to-day. | Cycling, "Oar, Arpajon success That what new use the commercial was not sufficiently decisive. It has motor will be put to-morrow none been reversed at Ingolstadt,' and of us can with certainty forecast. although we could have wished that We can be sure, however, that British machines would have de- there will be surprises in store. One tended the record on that occasion thing at least: the tradema, or we have high hopes that they will manufacturer who has in view some recover the title in the very near use to which he thinks he might put futuro. We await news from the the commercial vehicle need have neighbourhood of Cork, whilst it no qualms about putting the pro- also seems likely that another at- position before any of our makers tempt on the record will be made of such vehicles. It is very likely on an English mount at Ingol- that he will find them quite abic, stadt."

to meet his requirements, no mutter London Trame Signs and Symbols. how unusual these may be.

In London to-day at many places Commercial Vehicles too Noisy. the ronds are becoming a moénié Excessive noise is one of the of lines, arrows, admonitions and greatest evils of modern life, trying other symbole indicative of some both the nerves and temper of even

precautionary action to be taken by the hardiest amongst us, says The drivers and pedestrians, remarks Commercial Autor. Much of the The Motor. Often at the same noise is necessarily unavoitable, but places there are also the usual vertical standard signs which a a considerable proportion could

driver has to observe and obey, lu easily be reduced in volumine. Many of the sounds can, unfortu-

one place in London-Hyde Park Corner-there are, in addition, nately, be traced directly to rund

|10-mile limit signs, & veritable transport; and in the interests of every branch of this important in anomaly when all the efforts of the dustry, designers, fleet managers constables are directed at speeding and drivers should do all in their PP the traffic which is released. power to alleviate the situation. Thus, a motor vehicle driver has to Vehicles of modern construction observe, so far as he is able, signs produce at first very little noise in bove, below and around him. He bus also to look out for and themacives, but unlços care be exer- obey the signals of traffic-directing bised in their maintenance it may policemen and drivers of other develop, whilst the lond is often yehicles and also to anticipate and 'prepare for other vehicles and also an important source. The biggest to anticipate and prepare for the olenders, however, are the aged, often erratic movements of pode solid-tyred vehicles, which are often strians It is hardly a inatter for wonder that even a driver well ne very little more than “ runners." customed to all this cometimes A prime factor in the development misses a sign er misinterprets of noise is the running of unionded signal at a time when his whole vehicles at excessive specds. The attention has to be concentrated apon the great degree of uncertain Commercial Motor urges upon all movement with which he is sur concerned not to await further ac

founded. It is not surprising that A driver, finding himself for the tion by the police, but to endeavour first time in such vortices as some by every means to alleviate this London traffle centres present, ex nuisance, which is caused not only periences difficulty in interpreting other users of the tones, but to occasionally makes BOMB misstate tha around rad, other, jjups, and

the public in general.

which may prove to be serious,"

15

metallurgists are

exerting their

an automobile that will never wear utmost efforts this year to produce

out.

tion and can guarantee that car to last three or even four times 35

will have a powerful selling point long as the American product, they

in competing for business against American dealers in the Dominions and other of the world's export markets.

If they succeed it will be the basis of Great Britain's attack in. 1831 on the almost stranglehold grip Belief that such hope is not alto now held by American automobile gother groundless, according to technical writers on automotive sub- manufacturers on every corner ofjects, is found in two recent British

(Continued on next Column.) metallurgical discoveries.

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