Evening Star Newspaper, January 6, 1924, Page 54

110 Motor Association False- Sentiment Over Fatalities Thinks Money Used to Bu Head Attacks ild Monuments to Victims Should Go for Constructive Efforts to Eliminate Accidents. recting monuments to the mem- y of children killed by motoF ears 28 a means of preventing automobile and pedestrian fatalities was assailed vesterday by Fred H. Caley, executive searotary of the ional Motorists' Assoctation, as representing -. “the most fanatical safety plan conceived within recent years." “Any city that sanotions the erec- tlon and dedication of such a monu- ment is backsliding on accident-pre- vention work,” declared Mr. Caley, “if the fatality rate is so alarming the cost of the memorial should be in- vested in removing tangible causes of fatalities, educating the police to stop e ging motorists to hurry at crossings, keeping children off the street and lighting the streets. These monuments, if th truth were mitted, are memorials to the & ity displayed in accident p This statement from the N. M. A, believed to be the result of a tend- ency to Instill fe into the hes of motorlsts instead of removing the cause of fatalitics, culminating in the | recent dedication a memorial mon- ument to sacrificed child life in St | Louls. ours Effect on Morale. The N. M. A. Mr. Caley says, has consistently pointed out that the mo- rale of the automobile driver is seri- ously affected through the playing of dirges and the painting of motor | transportation ¢s a death-dealing in- | strument. The ciation, which em- Braces more than 350 automobile clubs throughout the country, charges the r h plans with .a and of inadvertent risy that as to dereat the ose of acei- arevention, “Th. 3vsomobil country ure perfectly well aware of the necessity for preserving the lives of children, or the lives of any one else,” Mr. Caley said. “What the driver wants is a little co-operation from the authoritics and the general pub- lic, “And you can’t get that chanting requiem airs. 1t requires better laws, better traffic control, brake inspec- Lion, proper care of cars, better street lighting, genuine police protection for children and pedestrians, educs tion in safety. Unfit Policemen. »stigation of this mattér brought to light the fact that hun- dreds of police officers arged “with the responsibility for lives of thou- ands of school children were merely part-time serving the bal- ance of their time as school janitors. Often they were not fitted for so Seri- | us 4 task & confu- | ion, wh wide va- ANNUAL AUTO SHOW AT | NEW YORK ECLIPSING | ALL RECORDS THIS YEAR (Continued from & drivers of the ur | | | { note former home bile show. national motor industrics are closely leading figures of « will be in New York find much of interest products of the other. No Renl Sensation. shows of the past have been marked by the introduction of rad- feal innovations in mechanical and body design—in fact, nearly changes in the construct ting of the motor car reserved by manufacturers for sreat annual event. Peculiarly enough, the current display, while it marks the introduction to au ‘..,...mv.v‘ show patrons of two fea t are likely to exercise an effect on motor cars in ge not be credited with produc sensafion our-wheel brakes and balloon tires are the two mechanical innovations that stand out among the features | of the big armory. They are mnew, | 80 far as the show is concerned, but | both were brought out months ago. Amang the initiated, at least, the ef- | foct of four-wheel brakes is well-un- | derstood, though the constructional features shown at the armory differ | widely enough on various cars to make a close study of the enti principle well worth the motorist's time. . The surprising featurs of the four- | wheel brake situation is the rapidity | with which it is being adopted. Almost an experiment up to last mid eummer, as far as the general public | was concerned, this form of braking is shown on 'a surprisingly large number of cars in the national show. As a corollary, the makers who do not consider the time ripe.for the adoption of brakes all around have vaid special attention to rear wheel and transmissfon braking and are offering more dependable means of stopping thelr cavs than ever before. It has invariably been the case in | the automotive industry that the ap- | pearance of a new method of treat- ing an important requirement has been followed by an era of improve- ment in the earlier forms. This is the case in the matter of brakes at the present time; it was equally the case years ago, when the introdu tion ‘of the eo-called ‘“nolseless slesve-valve motor was almost in- that Grand Central Pal the of the national autom: show Tied, h. all of this we. in the whom will newest Many | thing | will be | arivers | pltes, are fat-lookinz th | stretches of highway; riety of casualties. Behind this one could not possibly detect any clear- cut_conception of the imporiance of getting at the real cause of the trou- ble. “What are we to think of & ecity that puts a lot of Boy Scouts out on the streets to undertake so serious a task as the direction of traflic? What are we to think of the city that per- mits its traflic ofliicers to encourage high speed at crossings and to intimi- date drivers who slow down as a safeguard against striking a pedes- trian just because that pedestrian is not supposed to have the right of way? What are we to think of th clty that keeps its strects in semi- darkness, necessitating the use of headlights with their consequent | blinding “There is too much on this accident question and enough action. But action that or nates from loose thinking than none at all. bile driver is asked to pray that he won't run over a child while ise is arranged so not that call a halt. Need Uniform Laws “Small children cannot Le educated [rather than to luxury. hd | of taxicabs occupy a section of courts out for automobiles, a cannot be expected to give their complete attention to the mat- ter of safe driving so long lack of uniformity in laws and traflic Tegulations Is permitted to confuse tuem. People who drive automobiles and who know the conditions see to it tha thei dren keep off streets Other rents will have to do accordingly. And where tenement conditions exist, it is the duty of the Police department to reroute traffic s0 that ¥ an occasional «wehicle on @ necessary mission v to operate where children are g, “There is no . It leads to hypocrisy and fanaticism of the most unfortunate sort. An estimate of the deaths in the United es during the first ten months of to look 1 loose thinking | e | community When the automo- | What every- | he |type of work nore likely to it is tme to | fair i | | the ; Just THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON Buick Co. President Sees Excellent Year For Motor Dedlers “The well being -bf the automotive industry has usually paced general conditions of a like nature, and I believe this will be the case in 1924, says H. H. Bassett, president of the Bulck Motor Company. The many factors upon which the fullest prosperity Is contingent seem to be working out In a manner that warrants us to thoroughly belleve that 1924 will yield bountiful re- wards. We are backing our confidence in the new year by preparations look- ing to an even larger production than our record-breaking® output of more than 200,000 in 1923, the children to school in bad weather. In the larger cities the number of taxfcabs has increasc enormously in recent vears. New York alone makes use of between 15,000 and 20,000. hey have actually become the most puzzling factor in the problem of traflic congestion. Chicago, Boston, Philadelhpia, St. Louis and all the other great centers of population bave the same problem to wrestle with, The increasing utilization of the passenger car, which is the taxicab actually is, has made possible and necessary the de- signing of cars ‘especlally for this They must be sturdy, speedy. short in the wheel pase to enable them to get arouna auickly in thick traffic, and thei: fittings ruu fo the severely practical Seven maker to themselves ¢ attractec in the armory, ana a great deal of atten- on, There is no longer any doubt that the standard ty of ‘can, in the United States, at least, 15 the closea model. To go further, the most popular type is the sedan, if the show openied may be taken as dis- closing tendencies. The coupe, which year by year becomes more roomy. ! uppears to run second in favor. There 1T be permitted | play- | ignoring the facts, | | o! | s 23 places the figure at 1.325000, of |4 way, the outgrowth of the desire are any number of coupes in the show in which four passengers can be seated comfortably. Sedan Mowt Popular. sedan, however, because it makes an appeal as the ideal type of vehicle for the man who drives his own car, has been subjected to a process of intensive development. and sily the most popular. It is, in The which but 16,000 are sald to be due to | ts retain the capacity and the roomi- motor vehicle traffic clearly that there are many greater causes of death. But do we Witness the dedication of monuments to the memory of those who are Vi tims of Bright's disease or tube culosis? s the contrary we find scientists, societles and the public investing Their thought. energy and resources into the removal of the causes of such disease. The same attitude must be taken toward the automobile situa tion, and the National Motorists Assoclation has the assurance of its affiliated clubs that the progressive clubs, motorists and officials are working along these lines. stantly followed by improvements that rendered the tappet valve nearly as qulet and kept it in the position of pre-eminence that it still occuples. Use of Balloon Tires. Balloon tires are shown as equip- ment on a few of the 1924 models in the big armory. Balloon tires off great advantages. of course, making an appeal both to the manufactu &nd the car user ne may bring them to a great prominence. i The new im- their nan zs. and cause of their greater size, they can bo operated With about half thie air pressure that the ordinary tires re- quire. On the cars in the show these two innovations ti discerned other changes In design, but they are not such as wouid be quickly detected even by those who are familiar with constructional de- tailm They relate largely to the lightening of parts that are affected hy the inclusion of the new brakes tires. The nodern automobile is much a unit nowadays that a ange in one part affects the whole to @ greater or lesser degree. Doth the frame and body are certain to react to the emplovinent of these in- novations, but that, too. will be a case of gradual development It was conceded a vear ago that the designers of motor car bodles had about reached thelr limit in the di- rection of combining graceful lines with utility and comfort. It was generally agread also that the manu- facturers could hardly go further in the way of adding to the completencss of appointments and fittings, both in- side and out. The cars designed for 1924, as dis- closed at the armory, show no ma- terial changes from those of a year ago. The changes that may be noted tires, embodying era can be €0 |relate rather to the improvement of cortain makes than to any striking fmprovement over what could be con- sidered the complete car of twelve months back. The fundamental fea- tures of body design appear for the present to be established and ac; cepted. Bodies are hung as low as 1§ consistent with safety on _poor the straight Iine effect is aimed at on all cars and achleved on most of them. Taxicabs Have Place. The present show is the first na- tional affair at which taxicabs have been considered important enough as a_type to enjoy the distinction of a place in the sun. No angle of pas- senger transportation has made such sweeping strides in recent vears. Not s0 long ago “taxis” were considered a luxury for extravagent city folk, Today they are an important part of the transportation facilities of nearly all towns and villages—used for shopping, for church and for getting | | remains i from'10 This indicates |ress of the open touring car, with far | the comfort, warmth and cleanlin 5 of the closed car. The show closes a surprising range of prices in medans—from $195 to $6,500—an- other indication of their widespread production @nd the favor in which they are held by the public. The acme of Inxury in motor cars natural with the lordly lImousines and cabriolets,. of which there are many models at the armory. In some of these there has been absolute disregard of ex- in procuring the finest qual- of upholstery. the most heavily plated knobs, catches, ete. the heaviest plate glass, and springs that react to the slightest Inequality in the road. The more expensive models for 1924 have a greater appeal to those who can afford them than the similar cars of any previous vear. The hours of the automobile show dally, beginning tomorrow, will be @.m. to 10:30 p.m.. and it will run until next Saturday night Set Apart Days. usual, each day of has been dedicated to visitors certain sections of special types. Tomorrow, in deference to the new loeation, will be Bronx day; Tuesday, All Boroughs day; Wednes- day. Army and Navy dayw-a particu- r compliment to the regiment whose headquarters are belng used for the show: Thursday, Society day, and Friday, Suburban day. Except for those who used their own cars in reaching the armory, the majority of the first day's visitors utilized the subwa) to “wet to the show. Those who traveled from the West Side found the Bronx Park ex- presses with n change at Mott ave- nue to a Jerome avenue express the simplest way. Many combined a trip on the 6th or 9th avenue “L* with a change on the common platform at 167th street to the Jerome avenue line. From the East Side the ride requires no change. Owing to business changes two of the makes of cars originally sched- uled to be shown were not in place. The makes of cdrs on display are as follow: American, Anderson. * Apperson, Auburn, Barley, Bulck, Cadillac, Case, Chalmers, Chandler, Chevrolet, Cleve. land, Cole, Columbia, Davis, Dodge, Dort, du Pont, Durant, Elcar, Elgin, Essex, Flint, Franklin, Gardner, Gray, IL C. S., Haynes, Hudson, Hupp, Jewett, Jordan, Kissel, Lafayette, Lexington, Lincoln. Locomobile, Me- Farlan, Max#vell, Moon, Marmon, Nash, Oakland, Oldsmobile, Overland, Pack- ard, Paige, Pecrless, Plerce-Arrow, Premier, R. & V., Reo, Rickenbacker Roamer, Star, Stearns, Stephens, Studebaker, Stuts, Templar, Velle, Westcott, Wills Sainte Claire, Willys- Knight. Makes of taxicabs—Checker, Dodge, Premier. Rauch & Lang, Reo, Roamer and Yeliow Cab. As £how from the auto TRY HEAVY P, For those motorists who have dif- ficulty in regulating the flow of air through the core of the radiator in winter weather, the advantage of using heavy black paper over the lower half of the radiator instead of cardboard or leather is worth noting. Paper shuts off some of the draft of cold air and. therefore, prevents chilling of the intake manifold and carbureto! but, being thin, it does not keep the radiator so warm as to encourage it to boil over. When Will You Have the Tank Filied With Lightning? IGH TNING MCTeR FUEL 25t035% MoRE »EP MGHI POWES-MaRe MiLES Judge For i Yourself! Words can’t tell MOTOR FUEL is. tank and that that bills you'll t behind "lhrt.nd generated. see that you get mk':‘x%n'mmo worth while. you how gdod LIGHTNING You have to fill up the tg: mfim sense Orlfymtlh:n the PENN OIL CO. Phenes West 166, Main 6608 _l.alyl,Vl. ; D. C, JANUARY 6 The Sunday Motorist An Abridged Magazine for Car Owners. EDITED BY WILLIAM ULLMAN Anyway, the more moteorists there are the fewer pedestrians there'll be to worry about. ¥ Let Us Now Resolve— That cutting corners on car ex- Penses is as foolish as cutting corners in driving. That courtesy in driving pays, not because it is always appreciated, but because it safeguards Its originator; That it's always train time at grade crossings; That conversation and driving do not mix; ? That it is no longer possible to nflgr the alibi, “My brakes wouldn’t hold” That the main point about the Main street of any town {s the greater ad- vantages of using the less popular streets; That the next garage is the best place to have the brakes adjusted; That a weak battery can be as dan- gerous as bad brakes or a loose wheel: % That the pedestrian’'s error doesn't alter the fact that your car injured him; That the experienced driver always assumes that there is ten times as much to be learned he dy knows; as alre And, finally, that there is no better | time to put these resolutions into -urce than today. Irony Ilinutrnted. Penitentiary-made license tags for motor cars are cause for reflection. A motorist gets sent to jail for his erimes at_the wheel and the first thing he knows he is set to work making lice plates to enable hix friends to join him! The 01d Mechanic Says: Since rentin’ out a part of my shop for storage I've certainly been sur- prised at the way most of these mo- orists shut off their enginesat night. You might imagine that swilchin' off an engine was about the casfest thing about drivin’ a car, but T've repaired cars long enough to know that there ire a lot of angles to stoppin’ the en- gines and that unwcs you know ‘em there'll be trouble in store. Last night when that seven ger bus was brought in tha raced the engine like the old before switchin' off the ignition. His argument was that this caused the engine to turn over a half dozen or more revolutions of its own momen- tum after the ignition was switched off, and that the cylinders would load passen- driver up’ with gas vapor, which would stay | night and help | in the cylinders all him get a quick start in the mornin' The theory of it was fine, but T no- tice that he cranks the car just as much in the mornin’ as anybody else He doesn’t realize tliat even though the ‘engine spins over a few times while the ignition is off the valves keep on operatin’ just the.same as hough the engine were runnin’. This means that most of the unburned gas vapor goes out the exhaust, and that when the engine settles down for the night there is only one cylinder under compression. And becauss the valves do not seat tight this gas gradually leaks out. It will also leak past the rings, either as gas or as gasoline condensed becauso of the cooling of the cylinder walls. Another chap pulls out the choker an instant when shuttin’ off the igni- tion. This is even worse, because in addition to wastin' even more fuel, it | drenches the valve heads with raw gasoline. This causes the valves to stick, and also helps to thin the crankcase oil. The best way to stop the engine, trom my experience, is to switch it off while it's runnin’ slow and then switch en the ignition an instant afterwards to make sure that the gas vapor 1s pretty well burned. — Keep These in Mind. Don’t dust around the rear of the car while gasoline is being pumped in. A piece of lint from the duster, Harry | vapor | Tag or whatever yoy are using to clean the car with may drop into the tank, be sucked to the strained of the vacuum tank and there clog the line. It may be the cause of a stall when power\is most needed. The rightVrear wheel comes loose quicker than any other and should be looked at more frequently, if only to save its tire from the extra wear caused by its wobbling or runnin out of true = The right rear whee tends to puil off the axle when cor- ners are turned to the right, while the opposite effect applies to the left wneel. Right-hand turns are invariably made at higher speed than left turns. And “the Tight rear wheel frequently strikes the curb in turning. All this serves to loosen It and makes it all the more necessary for the driver (o inspect it frequently. | Two Parking Pointers. H 1t may be well to park the car well in toward the curb but not so close as to make it impossible to remove a tire in event of a puncture, Of course it js always possible to start up the car and steer away from the curb, but it's quite a job with a flat tire, especially if it's on « front wheel. Punctures, it should be remembered, invariably devedop after a car has been sl.‘ml(nxl:nd this should be a gentle warning to the motorist to park car in anticipation of what he may be obliged to do Before exercising your vocabulary of strong.adjectives upon discovery {of a fender seratch or a nick out of the bumper take a look at the cer | that is parked adjacent to the dam- | {agod part. If some damaged part of this other car matches the damage to your car you've unquestionably found the gulity purty. Any action | that s necessary can be taken ac-! cordingly. Commodious Comparisons. | Are you making progre the matter of caring for vour Are ou polishing the car often enough? s It wearing out too rapidly? Could { you have done better if you had fol- lowed a different course? Every consclentious car owner | wonders accordingly. Yet there is no need to be puzzled, for a commodi- ous form of comparison is always handy. When you buy a car note the particular cars of the same make, } niodel and year that are in service about town. Judge your success or | faiiure {a caring for your car by how | the other fellow's car looks. It teils the whole story at & gmnce. If his car has been more successfully cared for stop him some time and fnd out why. If vour car leads the procession and others do not inquire as to how you were able to do it worry not. That's why. Back SentAPusing. No ona likes to take a back seat, especially in motoring It has long been noted that the fa- vored members of any family were al- ways entitled to the front seat in the | can, the remainder being awarded the | c0ld breezes and the nh‘kt—nln{ sway of the back seat, Unquestionably the increasing popularity of these chum- my closed cars, in which the folks in | the back are close on the heels of | those in the front, represents a revolt | of the folks on the back seat. Then. too, thege is less and less need for the back seat. The folks who used to stand for it now buy their own gas and do their own devilment. The back seat may soon be history. ‘Worth Remembering. Don’t follow a car that is passing another machine. Nothing is more dangerous in the process of passing cars, for should the driver ahead find it necessary to take his place in line quicker than he had counted, you will be unable to get back into line and will, therefore, be trapped. If nervous about passing over a narrow bridgs when other cars are approaching, endeavor to follow in the path of another car. It is then only necessary to see that you are running directly behind him, for if he clears in | The car owner who has made it a practice to have his car has any fear that his automobile will underfoot is. at regular intervals never weather conditions. He knows give him unfail portation no matter what the weather ov: trans- or STANLEY H. HORNER Retail 1015 14th Street Rasdoloa Jous, President 1136-1140 Conmecticut Ave. Dealer Main 5296 that mmfiF:Cadflhcm with even greatér . v Frank. 3000, 3001, 3002 W. BARRETYT, Ascociate Dealer Woest 2080 ADILLA 1924—PART 3 the approaching cars and the side of the bridge, you will do llkewise. When putting the car away In a tight place In a public garage shut off the englne and step out when the car is half in its stall. With the ald of the garage attendant, push the car all the way back and block the front wheel. When you come for the car next day it will not be necessary to crawl over fenders in order to reach the driver's seat and release the emer- gency. Just kick aside the block and pull the car out. Facts and Figure ‘With the aid of modern machinery and system how many cars can an in- dividual worker make In the course of a yvear? 1In view of recent state- ments this interesting query can now be approximated sufficiently to give the motorist an idea of how easy it Is to make automoblles when brain is largely substituted for brawn. One organization should turn out 1,000,000 cars in 1924 with a” total of 135,000 employes Intereated in the manufac- ture of these cars. That means that each employe is responsible for 7.4 cars per year. Let's see, how long did it take Henry Ford to build the randfather fiivver? Views on the News. The recent collapse of an castern motor concern that started with the jdea of offering prospects more than double what their old cars were worth in exchange for new machines proves the old truism, that no one can 1gnore the common sense rules of business and still stay on, no matter how much money they have to lose But the les- son Is chiefly for those motorists who now drive orphan cars, and who will find a fine loss facing them when they again decide—or are forced—to make a change. It was the gift of a brand-new Jimousine that induced a sixteen-year- old idegroom to return to his new, fifty-year-old wife. Just another case of tlhie hafards of motoring. Do the financial writers mean that some of the motor car makers are thinkIng of merging—or submerging? Commentaries. She insisted that the officer was wrong in accusing her of driving | twenty-seven miles an hour, for she | hadn't been out a full hour anywa: Silence Is golden, and particularly 86 for the party who fecls tempted to argue with the traffic cop. A motor trip Is a success or a fail- ure depending on who pavs the hotel {lfe in Maryland against road accidents bills. TRAFFIC LAW IMPOTENT IN SPECIAL CASE CITED Commission Chairman in Maryland Sees No Jurisdiction Over Trucks Not Common Carriers. 1 BALTIMORE, January 5.—Apparently | there is no legal protection to the pub- caused by drivers of trucks. or other | motor vehicles who temporarily may be rendered incompetent by reason overwork. This is epecially true, it is said, In the case of hiring trucks which do not operate under .a fixed schedule | and do not act as common carriers. A case is cited of a_chauffeur of a jpotor truck who recently wax tried at Laurel on charges growing out of a col- lision. The man pleaded that he had | been on duty for so long that he was | practically asleep at the wheel and was | not responsible. The defense was un- successful. He was flned. No action was taken against his employer. “We have no jurisdiction over drivers of trucks or other cars operated for profit unless they come under the pre vislons relating to common carriers,” sald the chairman of the public service commission when this case was brought to his agtention. “Fven with common | carriers~ we have had to stretch our jurisdiction 2 lttle through the co- WINTER WISDO The lower half of the radiator is more likely to freeze than the upper for the reason that the latter is al- ways kept warmgr with the retur water from the hot cylinder block When parking the car on a cold. wirdy day face the car toward the wind. If left in the reverse position the wind will sweep up through the engino pan and cool the engine rapidly, even though the radiator is covered. When placing the robe over the hood, for good measure, as a precau- tion ‘against freezing, catch the ends | of the robe in the hood clamps. | Otherwise the wind will carry the robe off the hood and perhaps drop it on the street. Keep the grease gun on a bracket attached to the engine side of the dash. Thus, after the car has been | running, the grease will be somewhat softened so that the work- of lubri- catine the chassis will be greatly | operation of the police department and the commissloner of motor vehi “Under the decision of the courts « man not wecept all passen gers or packages offered, but hauls for certain individuals or charters his car or carries certain passengers through contract s not under the control of the public service commission. “The line between such use of a ma chine and its use as a common carrer is very shadowy, and sometimes it amounts to evasion of the law, but we cannot control the situation ®without additional legislation. The commission prepared a bill with this object and presented jt to the last legislature, bot it never saw the light of day, 5 “it_would be quite feasibia to pass a law which would prohibit drivers of commerclal trucks from being worked more than a given number of hours u day, and it would be a protection to the public if enforced. From past expe rience, though, 1 fear it would bo diffi- cult to get the leglslature to taks such action. who does Best-Built Metal Garages Immediate Delivery Reduced Prices Cash or Terms M. 7984 WASHINGTON GARAGE CONSTRUCTION CO. Continental Trust Bidg., 14th & H Inte the Studebaker Big-Six closed cars have gone, without compremise or stint, the finest de- sign, materials, workmanship and the best of Studebaker’ experience. Nothing has been left undone to make them as fine enclosed cars as can be buiit. Certainly no car performs miore brilliantly or is more reliable. None pessesses greater beauty or is more luxuriously comfortable. None is meore enjoyable to drive or easier to steer—and none is more completely equipped. To pay more is extravagance. To pay less means a sacrifice of service and comfort. 72 years’ JOSEPH McREYNOLDS Selling satisfactory tramspertation in Washington for 35 years Commercial Auto and Supply Co.—14th Street at R. JOHN R. PENDLETON, 1078 Wisconsin Ave. N. CHAS. MANGUM, @24 Pa. Ave. 8.B. CASHELL GARAGE, Rockville, Md. THIS 18 A DEALERS H. A. WEAVER, 6557 Piney Branch Hoad. BOYD MOTOR CO., Alexandrin, Va. LEE HIGHWAY GARAGE, ‘Warrenton, Va. W. SJTUDEBAKER C. T, PARIS, Quantieo, Va. EDELIN MOTOR ©O., Bryantown, Md. ANCOAST & PAXSON, Purcellville, Va. YEAR