Evening Star Newspaper, February 1, 1925, Page 66

10 WARNS OF ADVERSE LAWS ON MOTORING President of A. A. A. Fore- sees Enactment of Much Unnecessary Legislation. of undesirable the That motoring tion has become outstanding automobile problem 1925, is the belief of Thomas P. Henry, president of the American Automobile Association. In Mr. Henry's opinion there will be more legislation during the present vear that will need to be killed rather than enacted Conditions, he says, have reached a Ppoint where it is easier to put through n adverse motor law than a helpful and with the motorist carrying about as much taxation burden as he is able to shoulder, failure to defeat a number of questionable bills now pending or about to be introduced will ba a serious handicap to the further progress of motoring and motor transportation. With 45 State legislatures conven- ing this vear, the A. A. A, legislative bhoard i issuing war, through o filiated motor ¢ Adverse Laws Imminent. Ace to a recent A. A. A. bul- wtion will be swamped with tor laws unless the motor- t recognizes the problem and takes prope to combat it Referr » the bills that have come 1o ttention of the A. A. A egisls board, .President Henry motorists 700 af- ing to ganization's 1bs. dverse me steps the a “Most of the legislation ab proposed to ways and means of extracting more money from the motor owner who is already pay- more than he realizes. If he is taxed, it is probable that he will not be able to such additional in- Vestment in car equipment as to in- him proper return on his invest- nent in motor transportation “Automobile taxation is alr in excess of what is ut to be relates make ady far d for vehicle othe! ighway motor and expenses bearing artment State and Federa upon 1 r traffi Only half the money paid to the Government by motori as automobile excise taxes into roads, yvet everybody, people who are not tax- ed at benefits from the roads. Accident Prevention n Problem. vention of aceidents will doubt- tinue to be an outstanding but prevention of legislation xceed it. One reason for nuch of the legislation upon the Nation is of a aggravates the safety Tes » may this is that to burst ture that “Many of bills carry dangerous reckl walking or industrial irresponsibility of these bills would indemnify anybody who happened to be injured by an automobile regardless of who was to blame whether there were witne: Of course, the motor would be obliged 1 premium.” egislative board’s bulletin hits a number of plans for increasing oper- ators' license fees,a source of revenue which it has become one of the handiest ways of gouging the car owner. ““The high cost of operators’ licenses,” Mr. Henry declares, “is the outstanding admission of the average legislator's desire to mulct the man with a car. There is no expense attached to the issuing of an operator's license other than a slip of paper and cost of a few minutes of a clerk’s time. Operators’ fees are simply a check upon the pe ple who operate cars, and the cost should be nominal the compulsory features tha insurance are quite as driving, Jjay- alone car pay says Becoming a Regular Tax. “That it is growing to be a regular tax rather than a nominal charge i demonstrated, not merely by the re quirements of a number of States at present, but by the agitation in cer- tain circles for further increases. A tax on the operation privilege is limited only by what the motoring public will stand fc and because the motori public has stood for the nominal va- riety the idea seems to be that $5 can be had from each driver as easily as $1 or $2 = nciall speaking, jcan car owners are moto 1 The manufacturers have imit in offering exceptional values in new cars at exceptionally low prices. But operating costs are mounting. If motor vehicle taxes continue to in- crease, motoring may be badly crippled, for thousands of persons who now mo- tor, and who support business in gen- eral as a consequence, will be obliged to cut down. They cannot burn the candle at both ends “It is far more adverse bill bill Bills ests ar many Amer- ing on thin gone the to kill an than pass a favorable nated by special inter- invariat vored by being carrled along on the intimate legis- lative machinery so neeessary to enact- ent. Bills originated by car owners, however, seldom receive even the st port of those such bills would benefit. “Politics is playing far too great a part in the field of car owner taxation, and it is politics that we are fighting difficult of | said to have good reason for | any | is rot selfis No. 83—“Diagnosing Knocks.” Smith had worried for quite some time over an annoying knock in the motor, but when I next met him he was plainly puzsled, for he had been getting diagnoses from varlous me- | chanics and found that they all dif- fered. “One tells me it's a loose connect- ing rod bearing. Another says the cylinders are out of round. A third | repairer declares a loose piston pin.” | Smith complained. “How am 1 to | know what to belleve?” | “Get all the opinions on the subject | that you can and then use your own | judgment as which dlagnosis Sounds miost plausible,” 1 suggested “The idea’s all right,” he agreed, “but I'm not a mechanic.” “You don't have to be a mechanic to diagnose knocks,” T said, remind- ing him that many automobile me- chanics do not clearly understand the principles of the gas engine, though they may be skiliful with tools. You wouldn’t have to know much about an engine to prove that the diagnosis about the loose connecting rod bear- ing was wrong. You know that the function of a connecting rod is to link its piston with the respective crank of the engine shaft. If the bearing which joins the of the rod to the crank will knock regularly speeds.” “But | trouble,” knock T miles an ferent spee ing altogether. Loose Bearing “Eliminated.” “Then that eliminates the loose bearing theory altogether. As for the cylinders being out of round or worn, you know that can't be the case, | because your motor has plenty of power and is very economical on gas and oil. A worn cylinder always | wastes fuel and oil.” That theory being off the list we proceeded to consider the possibility of a loose piston pin. This I prompt- Iv outlawed by reminding him that this type of trouble would also be characterized by regularity and that it would be of a light, sharp nature.” “How is the average car owner to make such a decision when he doesn't n know what a piston pin is?” Smith asked “A hasty inspection of the diagram of your engine in the instruction book will show you that the piston pins join the upper ends of the connect- ing rods to the pistons,” I explained “But you would not even have to know this. If one mechanic you con- sult diagnoses the trouble as a loose ton pin you ought to ask each one of the other mechanics if this could be the case. In telling you why the other mechanic guessed wrong they will be unconsciously ex- plaining to you the function and general characteristics of the piston pin. In this way you not only find out how much each mechanic knows but also how much he doesn’t know —which is important. By obtalning a number of opinfons you can run them through a sort of clearing house and come close to hitting the trouble on the head. “The cons it all is loose and at that isn't the nature Smith explained hear begins at hour and yaries sometimes of the “The bout with dif- disappea ensus of opinion will be that the knock you hear in the mo- tor is mneither heavy enough to be | bearing trouble nor light enough to be a worn piston pin. The logical thing to do then is to look for some trouble with the pistons, since they are the only other movable parts in the cylinders which are capable of making such a pronounced noise. Your valves and the tappets, pu: rods and other valve mechanism will frequently produce odd noises, but they will be light and will fluctuate when we lind up against some absurd | plece of proposed legislation which we tell ourselves cannot possibly attract | support. Adverse motor laws in the form of taxation schemes are always thought out by those who know that they can count upon the support of others who would relish the new source of revenue. “The average motorist has no con- ception of the many special interests that picture him as the easy mark of all times, the party who can always be counted upon to dig into his pockets to make up a State deficit. A. A. A. clubs are making every effort to bring this fact to the attention of the motor- ist through acting as a clearing house for information ~regarding proposed laws for 1925. Members of automobile clubs can, therefore, assist not only in curbing undesirable local legistation but such legislation In other States as well. “Prevention of legislation has become the big automobile problem of the year. More bills will need to be Killed in 1925 than enacted.” A Quality Car STUDEBAKER At a Quality Price New Battery Prices Fords, Chevrolets, Etc. *13.95 Nash, Buick, Studebaker $17.50 DODGE $19.90 Potomac Battery Co. 1236 12th St. N.W. Distributors for Prest-C-Lite and Columbia Batteries and American Bosch Products Phone Main 8134 lower end | | cuss this probability h | THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, John Smith and His Car BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. Tohn Smith is a character whom every motorist should welcome. He ; rather he is a motoring martyr, a chap willing and glad to have exploited, in an interesting way, his experiences for the benefit of the other 10,000,000 or more members of the motor clan. considerably according to the tem- perature and adjustment. If your tappets keep you in doubt adjust them before you try to look else- where for the trouble. They will probably need it anyway. Cemshatt Bushing May Be Loose. “Your trouble may possibly be a loose camshaft bushing, but as this is not such a common source of trou- ble the thing to do is to inquire at your service station whether they have much trouble with camshafts. “If they advise that they seldom find trouble at this point, except with very old cars, you might as well cross this possibility off your list and de- clde that you have a piston slap.” “You mean that a piston slaps in its cylinders because it's loose?” Smith asked, “Seems to me that if it were loose it would slap all the time. “It doesn’t have to be loose in order to slap,” I corrected this common im- pression. “If its connecting rod is bent or twisted and if it is not in proper alignmént with it§ rod it will hammer against the side of its cylin- der at certain speeds and under cer- tain conditions, even if it fits tight. The resulting knock will be exactly the sort you describe.” “This sounds more reasonable than anythiug I have heard,” Smith agreed . “Then,” 1 added, “you ought to dis with each of the mechanics you have consulted, study- ing their arguments pro and con. Without touching a tool you can di- agnose the trouble and be sure youre right about it Next Week—New Parts Save Money. (Copyright, 19825.) DECIDED TREND IS NOTED TOWARD “INDIVIDUAL” CAR ued from Eighth Page.) (Con technical men on the floor throughout the week in order to explain all the new mechanical and body features thoroughly to those who look into their purchases carefully. “Many of the service stations undergone considerable improvement during the past year, and a trip through some of these will be a fea- ture of the Individual shows not pos- sible at Convention Hall last week “Service has come to be the impor- tant feature of automobile retailing, and the careful buyer naturally profits by an opportunity to step back into the service department and have a glimpse of his future owner- ship with the car he is interesied in Some Models in Demand. “Some of the newer models which are in great demand can frequently be seen In the service stations. Be- ing ordered for immediate delivery upon arrival, some of the models can- not be sent to the showroom even for a temporary display. The only way to see the cars that are in such demand, therefore, is to look them over while they are being prepared for delivery. “This refers particularly to some of the coaches, sport sedans and fancy roadsters which are just com- ing into production and which seem to have attracted considerable at- tention at the show. It will be some time before these models will be ar- riving in sufficlent numbers to per- mit dealers to display them regu- larly in the showrooms, and for this reason it is advisable to take ad- vantage of the shows to- be held throughout the week at the dealers’ individual places of business.” have A lamp has been patented whose shade revolves and tells the time. BEING TOO CONFIDENT CAUSES ACCIDENTS Driver May Be Having Faith in His Judgment Based on ‘Wrong Conception. Too much emphasis on confidence in driving is an underlying cause of a large percentage of automobile accidents and collisions, in the opin- ion of C. R. Hough, local Marmon dealer. In most instances, he says, it is a case of confidence in one’s ignorance of fundamentals of safety and skill- ful handling of the car. According to Mr. Hough, the prob- lem is one of careless psychology the driver emphasizing the necessity of having faith in what he is doing without stopping to question the virtue of the act itself or the cor- rectness of the information he is guided by “I see it demonstrated in the mat- ter of skidding he points out “A driver will worry for fear of losing control of the car on slippery streets, only to be told by son one that the ay to prevent skidding is to believe that it isn't going to happen. A sort of blind faith takes hold of the driver. He believe: But he forgets to be- lieve in facts. “He keeps on doing the make for skidding and sooner or later his_belfef gi way to the stern| reality of a bad spill. He has ample confidence, but Is to have confi- dence in the right thing fuch of this is due to too much free advice on the value of psychology in _the operation of a car. It would be” bett: in the long run if more drivers had less confidence and more knowledge of what produces acci- dents. “The driver who fears that he doesn’'t know the whole story usually stands a better chance of avolding tro le than the one who thinks that merely thinking he's safe will do the trick.” AVOIDING SKIDDING CAR. Try at all times in Winte when the streets are slippery to the left it are several cars the cars skid to the right to be between such a and the curb there chance of escape things that driving to keep where driving there abreast. Due to the crowding of average streets most If you happen skidding very car little Automotive Briefs The regular monthly meeting the Washington Automotive Trade Association, which ordinarily is held the first Monday in the month, has been postponed until February 9 President Paul B. Lum has announced. of The topic for discussion at the next meeting of the Washington Auto- motive Trade Association will be “Use and Abuse of Automobiles.” Alex G. Cruikshank, who has been manager of the District of Columbia division of the American Automobile Association during the past two vears, has been appointed assistant general manager of the American Automobile Assoclation. Mr. Cruik- shank succeeds John R. Hope, who has gone to Richmond to take charge of the automobile club in that eity. A. J. Montgomery, well known | Washington newspaper man, has been added to the editorial and public in- formation staff of the American | Automobile A ociation. Mr. Mont- gomery will also engage in research work in behalf of the enlarged a tivities of the A. A. A. since its con- solidation with the N. M. | Dodge Brothers’ new Canadian plant | at Toronto, Ontario, scheduled to begin operations this month. Th plant, which will supply both | Dominion and foreign trade, repre- sents an investment of $1,750,000. D. C, Work Your Clutch Till Last Minute, Right Way to Stop Where do you keep the gas throttle when you drive through traffic? If you are in the habit of using the hand throttle now and again Mstead of the accelerator you are also likely to forget to shut it all the way off when you are using the accelerator. The danger in this is that in event of a quick stop vour brakes will be rendered Jess effective because of the fact that the engine is pulling the car ahead Instead of helping it to stop, for the proper way to stop—as you may know—is to keep the clutch en- gaged until the last minute. L JAY-WALKING BANNED BY LOS ANGELES LAW Pedestrian, However, Is Given Un- disputed Right of Way at Intersections. A new trafic ordinance, looking toward greater protection for the pe- destrian, was put into effect in Los Angeles last week, according to word received here. While a person on foot is forbidden to .cross the streets in the congested districts except at in- tersections, other privileges are ex- tended him, the chief one being cross- walks, where the pedestrian has the right of way over vehicular traffic. Of the totzl of 467 traflic deaths in Los Angeles County last vear, the Jargest number is attributed to so- called jay-walking. Other majo. causes include incompetent handling cars, speeding and right-of-way jon. Of the total fatalities for ar only 15 were traceable to de- fective cquipment of vehicle |EQUAL TRACTION NEEDED. Tn Winter, or and streets are wd slippery, try at all times to drive in such a way that all four wheels of the car have equal traction—that is, do not run along the road with the two right Wheels on a strip of ice or wet pave- ment while the two left ones are run- ning on the dry In event of a usually best to tion all around, traction. Unequal traction may upset vour rules for preventing a skid fo stopping one that has started DRIVER MUST KNOW OWN CAR TO OBTAIN SATISFACTORY USE (Continued from Juring any other when the roads quick stop have the same even if it's it trac- poor or Eighth Page.) repairers and drawn out nothing One motorist to th when the leads to those long that settle of the bill. teok his edr shop with the complaint that ver he started the car one of rear wheels would give a sharp but the amount recently Westinghouse Air Springs Sales and Service Sheehan’s Garage L St. Near 19th Sheehan’s Quick Service AUTO LAUNDRY L St. Near 19th N.W, Franklin 5617 CADILLAC SERVICE - Dopee BrRoOTHERS COACH Dodge Brothers Coach measures up in every detail to the high standards of its builders. Low, graceful and sturdy, it looks and per- forms the part of a true aristocrat. The interior is roomy, comfortable and inviting. The lacquer finish is exceedingly attractive in Dodge Brothers blue with body stripe of cartouche yellow. The chassis is the same on which Doagze Brothers have concentrated all their e ences and resources for a decade. Comfortable riding qualities and dependable performance are therefore obvious attributes. $1,095 f. 0. b. Detroit, $1,210 delivered SEMMES MOTOR COMPANY 8 DUPONT CIRCLE MAIN 6660 Tri- o 3. 1925—PART cracking noise. The mechanics tried out the car after he had left, but could find nothing the matter. When the owner was forced to give a dem- onstration the trouble was at once apparent. He was in the habit of let- ting in the clutch with a jerk. One of the rear wheels was loose enough to cause the tapered end of the axle to slip a little and produce the crack- ing sound whenever the power was applied. Misure of Car. This was clearly a trouble born of misuse of the car. Had the owner been unable to help any one reach a verdict in the matter the chances are that he would have been casting admiring glances at new models and figuring on getting rid of his annoy- ance. Once you have come to know your LARGEST AUTO WRECKERS IN D. C. own car- it is surprising how much you can save In time, effort and ex- pense. If the oil indicator registers extremely low and you from actual test of the crank that it is not accurate, you auto- matically save yourself the trouble of filling up with too much oil and fouling the cylinders. If the clutch starts slipping, you know what to do to stop it from leading you into trouble, and your remedy may be simple as to be merely a little change in your method of handling the car or the addition of a different grade of oil, if it happens to he a type of clutch responsive to such treat- ment. When your car is no mystery, it is a simple matter to lead it back to the straight and narrow path of good vice when it tries to stray away know ase contents a e NORTHEAST AUTO EXCHANGE GARAGE 7 oA ARS, 10 (KRS ¢ 5. €. % 60 -G 55D PARTS FOR ALL CARS, LARGEST AUTO WRECK oc 2 FOATFERY WERVICE BIATION 7 Kew Ag LBED BATITERIES % MCESSORMS, bfi!!‘ Thix iy our foree who are here to dismantle cars and give you serviee USED CARS We Alxo Carry a Full Line of All Kinds of New Accessorics Used Cars Bought, Sol NORTHEAST AUTO EXCHANGE GARAGE 60-62 H St. N.E. USED TIRES For All Makes qf Automobiles Meyer Herson, Proprietor i PRANKEIN 3383 and Exchanged or when you are forcing it aw through some oddity in your driving or some special use you put it to The owner who knows what to do to avoid certain troubles, or to prevent them, is no worse off than the man who knows he must put water in th radiator if he wants the engine t run cool. (Copyright, 1925.) WHOLESALE RIMS FOR ALL WHEELS Rundlett Rim Co. 1336 14th St. N.W. EDTARS EOUSHY S0L0 EALHAN D USED PARTS Franklin 3383 A Sound Investment Now and Always A Ford Closed Car, purchased now will be of daily use to you throughout the year. It will serve you faithfully in the worst weather—even when you would hesitate to take out a larger car. Requiring the smallest investment of any closed car, a And with the coming of warmer days, your apprecia- tion of it will increase as you learn how fully a Ford meets all your motoring needs. Fordor Sedan - - $660 Tudor Sedan - - 580 Coupe Touring Car e T - e = 520 - - %290 260 All prices f. o. b. Detroit On Open Cars Starter and Demountable Rime are $35 Extra See the Nearest , Authorized Ford Dealer