JANUARY I3TH, 1906.
THE AUTOCAR B :Journal publisbet > tn tbe interests of tbc mecbnntcall'Q propelle~ roa~ carriage.
EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER.
No. 534. VoL. XVI. SATURDAY, JANUARY I3TH, 1906.
[PRICE 3D.
Tlf E A UTOCAR_.
(Published Weekly.)
ReJ• stered as a newspaper for transmisdon 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
NOTES: MOTOR CARS AT THK ELECTION-DAZZLING LIGHTS USEFUL HINTS AND TIPS: O N ELECTRICAL MATTERS THE R ICHARD-BRASIER CARS OF 1906 (illustrated) ... C HRISTMAS AT L AND'S ENO (illustrated) . • • • GEAR-DRIVEN CARS-CONFIRMATION OF THE lNVALIDITY
RENAULT PATENT (illustrated) F LYING: A RECORD OF AERIAL NAVJG.\TIO~ . . . CONTINENTAL NOTES AND News {illustrated) .. . FROM N rcE NoR rHWARDS (illustrat, d1 ... I NCOMPETENT INSTRUCTORS
OccASIONAL Goss1P. By " The Autocrat 1 ;
PAGE ... 35-36
37 . . . 38-39 . .. 40-41 OP T HE
... 42-43 . .. 44 -4 6 . .. 47-4 . .. 49-50
50
51
THE WELLER LIGHT ENGAGE GEAR (i ,lustfated) ... • • . .. . ... 52 CORRESPONUE!iCF.: A WARNING TRIANGLt;_POLICE STOP WATCHES-
To LAY DusT-PUMP v. N ATURAL C1R~\icATION-PRICES OF MOTORS I N NEW ZEALAND- AN ALL-BRITISH. SHOW- RACING FOR THE htPR0VEMENT OF CARS- FUEL ALLOWANCE IN TOURl"'T T ROPHY RACE-SPRING \ V HEELS - CANDIDAT Ei:- AT THE ELECTION-SIX V, FOUR·CYLlNDER C ARS-F RENCH AN D BRITISH CARS-SUMMARY OF CORRESPONDENCE • • • . . . 53-56 A RENEWABLE T YRE TREAD (illustrated} THE 2 0 H.P. BRITISH-BUILT T ALBOT C AR THE:: RENAULT P ATENT IN FRANCE THE QUADRANT CROSS-ROLL~R GEAR .. . ELEMENTARY LESSONS ON MOTOR C ARS (continuedJ DETAILS OF CARS AT THE S HOWS THE CRYSTAL P ALACE SHOW THE MIDDLETON H us TRIAL Sm,tE QUERIES AND REPLIES FLASHES ... MOTOR CAR R ADIATORS OR COOL!tRS
57 58 58 58 59 60 60 60 ... 61-62 . .. 63-64
CLUB DOINGS: CLUB FIXTURES- NORTHAMPTONSHIRE A.C.-MOTOR
YACHT CLUB
•
THE 5,000 MILES HUMBER TRIAL
66
66
" THE AUTOCAR " SUBSCRfP'rION RATES. British Isles, 16s. Abroad (thin paper editioil) , 22s. 8d. per annum.
1Yf!es. Motor Cars at the Election. From the correspondence we have recei,·ed upon the subject, as well as fr om direct enquiries which we ha1·e made in many districts, we fin d that the majori ty of motorists who aie proposing to use their ca r at the General Election have taken steps to satisfy them selves as to the attitude of their candidates before pro mising to place cars at their disposal. One or two lists have been published of candidates who are heheYed to be favourably inclined towards automobilism. :-! any of the names can be verifi'"ed at sight as those of well known motorists, but ire do not think these lists, how ever carefully compiled, should be taken as a guide.
It does not necessarily foll ow that because a candidate is a men,ber of the Automobile Club, or owns a motor car, that he will be fully cognisant of the position o.f affairs . He may be a motorist in his individual capacity, but an anti-motorist, or something very nearly approaching to it, in his parliamentary capacity. This attitude is inconsistent, not to say ridiculous, but it is one which is often adopted in other walks o.f life than those which converge on Westminster.
As our readers know perfectly well , we urge them to abso·lutely satisfy themselves on the spot about their QWn candidates before they place cars at their ser1·ice; otherwise, they may find out, when it is too late, that they have been helping a man who will turn against them in the H ouse of Commons. In thus satisfying themselves there is no need to make themselves obnoxious. They have merely, when approa hed by a candidate or his agent with a request to lend their cars, to produce for the candidate's signature the form which we published a fortnight since, unless, of course, they are personally acquainted with the vie1rs of the candidate on the subject. They must not assume that their man is all right because someone who hao compiled a list believes him to be so; nor, as we have shown, should they take the matter for granted even though they know he owns a motor car.
A candidate who is sow1d on the question will hal'e no objection whatever to stating his views, and if he is not sound, the motor should be sent to some other constituency, where it can be used in the interests of a man who will not turn against il should he have the power to do so later. Already it has been made clear that at least one candidate who has driYen about an agricultural district in a motor car is telling hi con tituents that he does not like cars, and he knows they do not, but he merely uses one fo r the convenience of hi electoral campaign. This gentleman has been franker than some of the candidates, whom it is too readily assumed a.re friends of automobilism.
An instance of a candidate who seeks to pacify friends and foes alike is brought to our notice from the Kingsto n division of Surrey. Here Mr. G. Cave declines to commit himself either way, and would fain sit upon the fence. In response to a request fo r a statement of his views he says, " It is rather too bad ot your motorist friends to ask me to pledge myself to the particular amendments of the Act recommended by The Autocar. [See supplement to T he Autocar, December 30th, 1905.J The Motor Commissioners' recommendations may be quite different, and yet may satisfy all reasofiable men. Is it not enough to say that I am not an 'anti-motorist,' that I dislike the law as it stands, and that (whether elected or not) I should be glad to see it amended so as to satisfy the careful motorist without endangering the public ? ''
This is a.II very well, but it is delightfully vague. Candidates should be pressed fo r a more definite pronow1cement, and any vagueness should be interpreted at its true ,·alue. The motor question is not now one to be toyed with, and candidates must express their serious convictions in regard to it.
