0ECEMH R 23RD, 1905.
THE AUTOCAR B Journal publisbeb in tbe interesto of tbe mecbnnicall\? propcllcb ronb carriage
EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER.
No. 531. VoL. XV.] SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23RD, 1905. [PRICE 3D.
THE A UTOCAR.
(Published Weekly.)
Registered as a newspaper !or transmission 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, LONDO'II, E.C., ENGLAND.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
NOTES : THE GF.NERAL ELECTION-THE TOURIST TROPHY
RACE-
S&ASnNABLE GREETINGS
.•. . ..
UsRFUL H1NT1;; AND T1Ps. By Lif'ut. Windham, R.N. THE 14 HP. 1906 STAR CAR 1il ustrated ... .. . ... THROUGH THE BALKANS ON A MoToR CAR {il!ustratPd) IMPR ► ssIONs OF THE PARTS SHow. Bv Cbarlos Jarratt THE COST OP AN ARTICLE IN II THE TIMES II • • •
To REPLACE THE GoaooN-BtrnNETT RACE
SPEEDOMETER AND LAMP TRIALS... . . . ...
. ..
SIR HECTOR'S \QNVF.RSION. AN OPERATIC MELODRAMA
AcTs. By Owen J obn ...
... ... ... ...
THE 20 H .P. RoLLs-RovcE TouRT<.T TROPHY CAR (illustrated)
815-816 ... 817 818-819 820-821
IN "'THRFE
822 823 823
823
824-827 828-831
A UNIQUE CONTACT BREAKER (illustrated .. . .. . THE MoTOR VOLUNTEER CoRPS-0RMOND-DAYTONA BEACH RACES ON THE RnAD. By Owen John .. . A PowF R INDICATOR illustrated) ... ... . .. ... ... ... . .. CORRE~POND► NCE: EXP! OSIVE MTXTURP.S-CHAUFFFURS' COM M TS·
831 83Z 833 834
SION"i RUNNING ON PARAFFIN-POPPING IN THE CARBURETTFRMAGISTRATES' CLERKS ANO MOTORISTS- BRIGHTON, HOVE, AND DrSTRJCl' AUTOMOBILE Ac;;socJATION-lNCON'-IDERAT E DRIVINGAUTOMATIC SPARK ADVANCE- ENGINE BRAKING-FUFL CONSUMPTION TESTS-lJRIVING CKRTIFJCATES ORGAN PATTP.RN PRPALS ALL-BRITISH CARs-TouRTST TROPHY Fu EL A t .LOWANCE- A WAR'lING TO OWNERS OF CARS-FRENCH CARS-MOTORISTS AND THE ELECTION-HOTELS ANO MOTORl<;TS-SUMMARY OF CoRRF.-
SPONDEr-CE
.• .
j UGGERNAUT STORIES ... ...
A MERRY CHRISTMAS LONG AGO ...
IF IT W► RE SUMMER...
815 838
839-840
84I
842
A BLIGHTED BKING ... ... ...
... 843
How TRAPS Rt- COIL ON THE POLICE • . . .• • . .. .• • ... • .• l:S43 THE MOTOR ScouT CASE THE SCENE OF THE AcnoN (illustrated) ... 843 FLASHES ... ... ... 844 -845 THE DR IFf OF DESIGN AT THE SALON . . . . .. 846 ELEMENTARY LESl;ONS ON MOTOR CAR'; (continued) 847.848 AN INTERESTING GATHERING AT LEICESTER fillustrated) 848 SOME Qu•RIRS AND REPLIES 849 CLUB DOINGS ... g50
" THE AUTOCAR " SUBSCRIPTION RATES: British Isles, I6s. Abroad (thfa paper edition), 22s. 8d. per annum.
1__ /Notes. · The General Election . The question of ll'hether the next Parliament 1s to be pro-motor or anti-motor is of paramount importance. It is already recognised by automobilists throughout the country that their cars are important electoral aids, and they will only ha\'e themseh·es to thank if these cars are used in the interests of am candidate ll'hO is not sound upon the vital question. - At the same time it appears to us that much more might be done than is at present proposed. We take it as a foregone conclusion that no motorist will be so foolish as to lend his car unless he has assured himself that the candidate should he be elected, will 1·ote for the abolition of ~II artificial speed limits, and. further. that he will take part in no action 1rhich 1rill tend to restrict the reasonable use of motor cars upon the roads. As we have pointed out before, now that cars are numbered there is no reason why they should be subjected to any other regulations than those which govern ordinary traffic, and if a candidate cannot agree to do this it is quite absurd to aid him in obtaining a seat in Parliament.
So far so good, but as it is of such paramount importance that motorists should make every effort to rid Parliament of men who are so hopelessly out of sympathy with progress that they would, if they could, not only restrict motoring, but stop it altogether, it seems desirable that something more than mere local efforts should be made. We know al ready of a number of automobilists who have expressed their deter
1mina
tion not only to lend their cars to help their own particular candidate on the clay of election, but to either drive themseh·es or send their men with their cars to constituencies outside their own. At the same time none of these expeditions are very far a.field, and ,there is no idea of assisting in more than two or three elections within a convenient distance of home.
~ow, it seems to us that if the scheme could be rroperly organised the plan 11·oulcl he for automobilists throughout the kingdom to organise themseh-es, and that all who could spare the time or the money should not only use their cars in their own elections, but, so fa r as elates ,roulcl permit, send them to distant parts of the countrv to be used in the service of those candidates who ar; sound on motor legislation. This would provide in many instances almost OYerwhelming advantages for the progressive candidate. Of course, we are well aware that the elections in many places occur upon the same dates, and that, therefore, the proposed system could only be 1rorked within certain limits, but, gi1·en organi ation, it is pe rfectly easy to carry out the plan.
We do not deceive ourselves by imagining that the work is a light one; it would necessitate particularly good organisation and 1·ery heavy clerical work because of the enormous amount of correspon<lence connected with arranging the matter systematically. At the same time the results are so important to the motor world that we commend the matter to the attention of the Automobile Club and the Motor Union. Anything which ll'e can possibly do to help in the campaign we shall be only too pleased to do, but the time between now and proposed date of the general election is so short that if success is to be assured the scheme should be und,rtaken immediately.
The Tourist Trophy Race. Only six weeks ago ire announced that the draft ru les for the Tourist Trophy Race next year had been issued by the Automobile Club, and that the particular point of interest was that, while petrol cars would be allowed one gallon of fuel for each twentyfive miles in the Isle of Man, steam cars were ,to be allowed one gallon of liquid fuel per sixteen and two-
