f'i--1 E A UTOCAR B Journal publisbel > in tbe interests of tbe mecbanicall\? propellel > roal > carriage.

EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER.

No. 709. VoL XXII.J SATURDAY, MAY 22ND, 1909.

[PRICE 3D.

The Autocar.

(Published W eekly. )

Registered as a Newspaper for transmission in the United Kingdom. Entered as second-class matter in t he New York (N.Y.) Post Office.

Three Editions every Friday ,

The THREEP ENNY EDITION, printed on Art paper. The P ENNY EDITION, printed upon thinner paper. The FOREIGN EDITION, price 3d., printed on thin paper for transmission abroad.

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CONTENTS.

NOTES

USEFUL HI NTS AND TIPS ( I LLUST RATED)

P A GE. .

. . 7 II- 7 I 2

7IJ

ALONG T H E NORTH-\VEST FRONTIER OF INDIA

A SIMPLE T YRE PUMP-DA:\tAGE TO R OAD SURFACES

HARSH TREATME~T OF M OTORISTS IN LIVERrOOL. .

7 14

7 15

716

D ETA CHABLE \ \!H EELS ANO F RONT BRAKES-THE PRECURSOR OF

THE 'J;ORPEDO Boov • .

A SPEED LIMIT CoN rROL DEv1cE ( I LL U<;TR ATED) . •

717

7 r 8

RACE M EET ING AT SALTBURN A ERONAUTI CS THE CALTHORPE GRAND PRIX V O ITURETTE {ILL USTRATED) TH E VOITURETTE GRAND PRIX RACE-ON THE R OAD A N EXPLOSION R ECOIL ENGINE (ILLUSTRATED) s~, ALL CAR TALK • . THE MINERVA KNIGHT ENGIN E (ILLUSTRATED) M o'TOR UNIO:-i NOTES • • THE MEASURE MENT OF BROOKLANDS TRACK. H o w TO A VOI D LONDON {[LLUSTRATED) ·CORREC::PON DENCE • . FLASHES ( ILL USTRATED) • . C LUB DOINGS QUERIES AND REPLI ES .•

720 72 1 722 723 7:q. 725 726 727 728 . . 731-734

737 -741 7-12 · 743

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Notes. A Warning and an Example. We have freq uently referred to the harm which has been done to th e motor movement by the lack of a common policy among the motoring organisations on matters of general importance, suc h as t axation and legislation. Ind eed, we have said so much about thi s subject of late that we almost fear wearying our readers by returning to it. Howeve r, its importance must be our excuse, and there is no doubt that its vita l importance was not recognised by the great bulk of motorists till the Budget proposals were disclose d the otp.er day, but we are now receiving numbers of letters couched in unmistakable terms, and many correspondents h ave expressed their determination to relinquish membership of the particular organisation to which they belong unless it shows itself willing to sink its individuality and to make common cause with the othe r leading organisations and adopt a_ common attitude on matters of vital importance, particularly on the subject of taxation. Indeed, th~re is no doubt that if efforts are not made to work rn concert upon the question of taxation the leading or~anis_ations will be faced with a large number of resignations from old and val ued members at the end of the current year.

\V e know there are many difficulties in th e way of a general underst anding, but they are not insuperab~e, and we cannot help thinking th at, as the semor organisation and, as it we re, the parent of all oti:er motoring bodies in this country, the Royal Automobile Club should t ake the first step. We are not suggesting the impracticable . In other words, we do not suggest th at the R.A.C., the !-.'1.U ., and the A.A. should be combined as one great society, though that is unquestionably th e ideal solution of the difficulty, but what we do suggest is that these bodies should decide on a common poli cy, and approach t he Chance ll or of the Exchequer and the other P arliamentary authorities as one united body, making precisely simila r req uests and suggestions, an? offering an eq~ally firm opposition ~o the proposed mcrease ~f t~xation. It is always difficult to take steps of this krnd, and , as we have already said, they should come from the R.A.C. , as, on account of its position and its traditions, it could make th em without any loss of dignity, 1rhether its advances were met or rejected . Indeed, it would ga in in dignity, and wou_ld be heightened_ in th e esteem of a ll motorists for takrng so statesmanlike an actio n. The task would unquestionably require to be carri ed out most diplomatica ll y, but the Club has successfully undertaken more difficult office s in the past, a nd we are fully convi nced now that the se riousness of the position is so generally realised throughout th e motoring world that the other motoring o rganisations would meet its advances fairl y and with an honest desire to sink all differences and with willingness to make certain sacrifices.

It is quite obvious in this matter some sacrifices will have to be made on all sides, particularly by the R.A.C. and the M.U. Their policie s are not identical at the moment, but by a littl e give and t ake on both sides something very near to the ideals of both could be arri ved at, and there a re no insuperable difficu lties in appointing a specia l committee composed of members of the chief orga ni sations which could meet and settle upon a single policy which would be acceptable to all. Indeed, a policy which was not quite th e best so long as all had the same policy would be better than a number of different policies, though one of th em might be absolute ly sound. The vital requirement of the moment is unity of purpose and action. Without it only more or less contradictory, and therefore unconvincing, arguments against taxation are o ffe red to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. This common policy would in no wav a ffect the individual action of the bodies concerned . If thought well, they could a ll approach the Ch ancellor of th e Exchequer independ en tl y, but with identical requests, not, as we have