] UNE !ST, 1907.

THE AUTOCAR S 3ournal publtsbeb tn tbe interests of tbe mecbanicall~ propelleb roab carriage.

EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER.

No. 606. Vor.. XVIII. SATURDAY, J UNE IST, 1907.

[PRICE JD.

THE AUTOCAR.

(Published Weekly.)

Registered as a newspaper for transmission in the United Kingdom.

Entered as second-class matter in the New York (N.Y.; .,' >st Office.

EDITORIAL OFFICE :

COVENTRY.

PUBLISHING OFFICES :

20, TUDOR STREET, LONDON, E.C., ENGLAND.

CONTENTS.

NOTES • • U SEFUL HINTS AN D TIPS {ILLUSTRATED) • . TBE DUST PREVENTION COMPETITIO N (ILLUSTRATE D ) , • THE 40- 5 0 H .P . MARTINI CHASS IS ( ILLUSTRATED) . • THE COUNTY COUNCILS AND M OT OR CARS • • THE !RISH RELIABILITY T RIAL S (ILLUST RATED) . . TESTING A HOME-MADE FUEL THE LATE MR, ALEX. G OVA N ( [LLUSTRATED ) THE FUEL LIMIT RACES (ILLUSTRATED) • . REPORT OJI' THE T OURIST T ROPH Y RACE S • • IMPRESSIONS OF SPAIN • • CORRESPONDENCE LOCALITIES WHERE THE POi. ICE AR E A CTI VE ( I LL USTRATE D ) , • MOTOR CAR V. T RAIN (I LLUSTRATED) MONTE CARLO TO LONDON • • THE NEW R .\V . WHEEL DET ACHME NT l h , LUSTRAT IONS)

FLASH E S • •

A HELP TO C O NSIDERATE DR l V ING .. TH F. SIDDEL:F.Y 10,000 MtlES T RIAL CLUB D O IN G5 (ILL USTRATED ) CONTIN E NTAi, N OTES AN D N E WS IN THE H OUSE OF CoMM OSS • • C OMPETITORS FOR TH E " GRAPHIC" T ROPHY RACE U xOFFICIAL RuNs

P AGE

787- 7 8 · · 789 790-793 794-796 · · 797 79e-802 . . 803 .. 804 80 5- 808 8o9 • 8 16

. . 8 17 8 r 8- 82 r 822-823 824-826 . . 827 . . 827 828-8 29 , . 830 83,-832 833-834 . · 835

836 836 . , 836

• · THE AUTOCAR" SUBSCRIPTION RATES: British Isles, 16s . Abroad (thin paper edi1ion \ 22s . 8d . pe r ann um.

/ Notes. The County C ouncils and Motor Cars. Under this headin g on page 79 7 we gi,·e a report of the decisions of the Highways and Motor Ca r Committee of the County Councils ' Association conce rni ng the recommend ations of th e Roya l Commission on Motor Cars. The County Councils ' Association is a society composed of de legates from each of the count) council s in the country, and its opinion on the subject may be taken as fairl y representative of the opinion of the majority of th e county council s throughout the land. These opinions may or may not be important . This just depend s upon th e light in which th ey a re regarded by th e P a rliament a ry authorities who mav be concern ed in draftin g the new Motor Car Act.

On reference to the report it will be seen th a t th e county co un cil representatives appear to take no interest in the twenty miles p er hour speed limit, but take t he commonsense view of relyin g on speed being controlled by consideration s of the sa fety of other users of th e hig h1Y ay . This, however, is largely discounted by th e reso lu t ion which they arrived at to the effect tha t petty local authoriti es should have the power of establi. hing a twelve mil es a n hour sp eed limit without having to apply to or obtain th e sanction of the Local Government Board or any other authority . Already in its recommendations the Royal Commission has , in our opinion , gone a great deal too far in suggesting that these speed limits should be imposed by county councils, county boroughs , or borough councils without permission of the Local Government Board, but to suggest th at th ese powers should be widened so as to extend to the borough and district councils is monstrous. It would be a ll very well if the average loca l authority 1Ya s an unprejudiced authority.,.' In th at case we should not have the least objection to it , but experience has shown that without th e controlling influence of th e Local Government Board twelve miles an hour ,1·ould be imposed , in some instances vexatiously , to such an extent that in many districts such restriction s on speed would be practically continuous. When th e tim e comes this recommendation must be opposed tooth and nail.

The county councils are apparently absolutely oppo ed to the establishment of a central department for th e administration of road maintenance. They do not mind the re1·enue going to the improvement of the roads , but th ey strongly obj ect to it being a llocated by a central authority. Thi s, perhaps, is natura•l; on the pa rt of those county councils who keep their roads in p rop er orde r, and our sympathy is with them, but th ey must remember that all county counci ls do not keep th eir roads in proper order, and that this argument alon e is suffi cient to show th e desirability of establishing a central authority. There a re many other a rg uments in favour of it, but we do not propose to ta ke them up again a t this juncture.

The Financial Proposals of the Commission. Unfortunately, county counc il s accept with enthusiasm th e annual registration of motor ca rs. This is only another excuse for squeezing a littl e more out of the motorist. Then, aga in , th ey agree \\'ith th e Royal Commission as to t he des irability of la rge r identifica tion p la tes. In fac t , th ey agree \Yith a l I th e recommendation. of th e Royal Com mi sion from X. to XIV. , and reference to th ese on page 797 will refresh th e memory and show th at many of th em a re of a harass ing and a rbitra ry nature, though it is onl y fair to the County Co un c ils ' Association to say th a t it has accepted them one and a l 1.

P e rh ap s, howeve r, the most significant sign of the county council s ' attitude towards motor cars is shown in th eir resolution concerning ta xa tion. The Royal Commission suggests th at motor ca rs weighing less th an