DEC~M BER 9TH 190'. >.
THE AUTOCAR B Journal publisbeb in tbe interests of tbe mecbanicalll? propelleb roab carriage.
EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER.
No. 529. VoL. XV.] SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9TH, r905. [PRICE 3D.
TffE AUTOCAR.
(Published Weekly. )
Registered as a newspaper for transmilision in the United Kingdom.
Entered as second-class matter at the New York (N.Y. ) Post Office.
EDITORIAL OFFICE :
COVENTRY.
PUBLISHING OFFICES :
20, TUDOR STREET, LONDON, E .C., ENGLAND.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
N0TE'i: THK COMING ELF.CTION-APPEALS: THEIR RESULT ANO
COST
747-748
SOME COSTS OF RUNNING ...
749-750
THE BREWER STORM APRON (illustrated)
750
THROUGH THE BALKANS ON A MOTOR CAR. By Robert L. Jefferson ,
F .R.G.S.(illustratedJ ... ... . .. ... ... ... ... 751 -754 POLICE, MOTORISTS, AND THE PUBLIC • .• ... 754 ON THE ROAD. By 01Ven John . . . 755 THE I~ H.P. ARROL·JOHNSTON CAR (illustrated) 756-759 PRIZES FOR DE DIETRICH DRIVERS ELEMENTARY LESSONS ON MOTOR CARS CONTINENTAL NOTES AND News ... THE DUST AT OLYMPIA ELECTRICAL NOTES FROM THE SHOWS .• • RA~ING RULES FOR SPORT ..•
... 759 760-762 763-764
764 ... 765 ... 766
CORRESPONDENCE : THE S MALL CAR IN THE MOUNTAINS-HO~TILITY
TO THE HAPPY-DUST AT OLVMPIA-CAR DESIGN AND DusT-lNCONSIDERAT~ DRIVING-OPINIONS SUMJ.fARISED-JOHANNESBURG TO CAPETOWN BY MOTOR CAR-THE IDIOC Y OF IGNORANCESPRING WHEELS-THE TOURIST TROPHY RULES-ALL-BRITISH CARS-NUMBER OF CYLINDERS-JUSTICES' CLERKS AND MOTORISTS FINES ToP GEAR RUNS-PNEUMATIC', V. SOLIDS-REMEDY FOR FREEZING UP OF CARBURETTER- FINES AND CosTS-SUMl-!ARY OP CORRESPONDENCE 767-771 UsRFUL HINTS AND TIPS (illus trated). By Lieut. Windham, R.N. 772 SOME INTERESTING CAR BODY WORK (illu stcated) 773 THE HAMILTON FILM RADIATOR (illustrated ) 773 SOME QUERIES AND REPLIES 774 f°LASHl!:S 775-777 Curs DoINGS ... 778 MORALS FROM OLYMPIA 779 THE BRITISH EMPIRE MOTOR TRADES ALI:.IANCE, ANNUAL DINNER 780 A HANDY H.P. CALCULATOR (illu strateJ1 780
"THE AUTOCAR " SUBSCRIPTION RATES: British I sles, 16s• b,,.d (thin p~per c<l ition), 22s. Sd . per annum.
I
Notes. The Coming Election. The happenings of the last few days have made 1t perfectly plain that the general e lection is at hand. We have no intenti on of discussing the politi cal situa tion in any way, a.s ,,v-e maintain that politi cs are en tirely outside the province of The Aittocar. On the other hand, we urge with all the fo rce we can command that no automobilist should lend his car to any parlia mentary candidate who is not a friend of the motor car movement. If he is opposed to automobilism in .any way he should not be allo,wed the advantage of ca rs at the election. Motorists are admittedly in the minority, and they must deal wi t h the matter in an intelligent way. There is nothing more true than the statement to t he effect that he who is not ,rith us is against us. and there must be no hal f-hea rted action on the part of automobilists. T o ascertain if a candidate is one in whose service a motor shou ld be lent it is only necessary to ask him the fo ll owing questions, whirh have been fr amed by the Motor U ni on. and we believe have the full apprnval of the Automobile Club. They are as fo ll ows :
(1.) When the Motor Car Act of 1903 comes before Parliament for renewal, will you vote for :
(a . ) The abolition of all artificial speed limits, as such limits are calculatea to relieve drivers of their responsibility to drive at all times and under all con ditions with caution and consideration?
(b.) An amendment providing that the endorsement of licenses shall be confined to seriou s offences, and be within the discretion of the magistrates? (2.) Will you support a mea.sure requiring the universal lightina of all Yehicles after dark, so that they show .~ white light in the direction in which they are travelling. and a r ed light in the contrary direction ?
(3.) Will you support the Highways Bill introduced in to the House of Commons by the Hon. A. Stanley, which proposes to give effect to th e principal recommendations of the Department.a,\ Committee on Highways ? We do not recommend the putting of questions :: and 3 , becau e, important though they are, they are not to be menti oned in the same breath beside the Yita i matter of the law concerning the motor ca r. We want at first to as ure our freedom, and. aboYe all, to be certain that no furthe r rest rictions sha ll be placed upon the use of motor ca rs in this co un try . This is so vital a maHer that we consider it entire ly a mistake to bring any other is ues before candid a tes at the present t ime. Both the universal ligh ting and proper central contro l of the great main roads are most de-
irable, but they a re as nothing when considered by the side of the questio n of motor legislati on. They simply mean th e improvement of existing conditions, whereas short-sighted motor legislation may mean that further restrictions wi 11 be imposed upon the use of the rnads as th ey are. Our first concern should be to assure ourselves that no backward step ·, to be tak e n.
In conclusion, we should say that whil e we counsel th e dropping of qu estions 2 and 3 in most cases, we are enti re ly in sympathy with them, and when a candidate is known to be absolute\\· sound on the motor question there is no reason why the two lesser items should not be brought to his not ice and be answered by him . but it must be borne in mind that there are many candi dates who, will require a very great dea l of persuasio;1 before they will agree with the two vital questions contain ed in the first main query. Provided motorists are absolutely firm and unanimous in their action there is no question that the next Parliament, whatever its pc liti cal constitution may be. will be one which ha s gi"en its word not to, Y0te against automobilism. We ~h ould add that we think the quest ions should be presented to the candidate in written form, and that he should answer them in writing on the same form , b ecause experience has shown that pre-election promises
