Evening Star Newspaper, February 8, 1925, Page 60

S . N THE. SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. ., FEBRUARY 8, 1925—PART o . STANDARD S URGED FOR LICENSE TAGS Federal Investigation Holds This Is Necessary to Pro- mote Safety. : Standardization of license plates as to nu- merals, location, illumination, etc., being advocated by Ray M. chief of the division of simplified practice of the Department of Com- merce. An exhaustive study of the license plate and its importance as a all automobile size, color, is Hudson, safety factor has been made by the division, and copies of the report sent to motor vehicle administrators, police chiefs, traffic and other authorities, as well as to motor clubs, automotive manufacturers and organizations in- terested in greater safety on streets and highways. Law-breakers will detected by the use of standard li- cense plates, it was explained, and any factor that will contribute to the detection of traffic violators will tend to make streets safer for pedestrians and other motorists. “It is obvious,” explained Mr. Hud- son, “that as the importance of the license number is accentuated or em- phasized, it will have a definite effect be more easily Much discontent comes to owners !through the mental habit which causes them to belleve that som thing different in a ear would be something better. Diets for Car Drivers. What effect has food upon the effi- ciency of the automobile driver? That is one of the nmew subjects that may come in for a lot of con- sideration once it becomes evident to the general public that there is a definite cause of every accident and of every act of prevention as well. A number of fatalities officially laid to “heart trouble” have been nothing more or less than faulty | digestion, aggravated perhaps by a carelessly consumed plece of apple ple. A driver who is uncomfortably cold or warm cannot possibly give enough | of his attention to the matter of driv- ing safely, and the relation of his diet to his driving is at once appar- ent. Defective vision Is cited as a chief cause of accidents, but just what per- centage of such defective vision is the, result of momentary dizziness caused from eating indigestible food? A driver has to consider the posi- tion in which he sits when operating his car and the jouncing effect of the and make allowances accordingly when he dines preparatory to driv- ing. It makes a difference whether The Sunday Motorist An Abridged Magazine for Car Owners EDITED BY WILLIAM ULLMAN ists with a fit, because the standard of stopping two-wheel brake out- and brake officlency is. now higher. One motorist seems to be able to tell when his brakes are from 10 to 20 per cent below normal, where- as his brakes had to be In rath- er poor condition when there were but two of them before he noticed the difference. Ninety per cent of the people who operate two-wheel-brake cars do not know or care whether braking is equalized all the time or not, but the service stations are filled with exacting owners making sure that their four-wheel brakes are right up to the mark. Good enough! There could be no better contribution to safety. Watch Yo;r fiew Shoes. John Jones had just put on a new Dair of shoes and felt very consclous of the fact. Stepping into his car and breezing away, however, he com- menced to feel consclous of a new zip In the motor, a new burst of power that he had never observed before. Bt he failed to connect his fect with the feat displayed by the motor. He did not realize that the new, stiff sole of his right shoe was merely caustng. him to apply gas through the accelerator a little more roughly. With his old shoes he could feel the accelerator more easily and handled the gas more gingerly as a consequence. on many would-be reckless drivers.|YOU burn a stogie after your dinner,| Then when he was running along a When it becomes easier to get the|OT the road £ trifle faster than he should have been number and there is less possibility | Fasily digestible, nutritious f00ds| going he found it necessary to jam of error, many a chance-taker will|are essentigl for the driver. The|on the brakes. Here the new shoes drive more sanely.” temperature of this food should be in | got him into trouble. His right foot s |accordance with the weather. slipped off the brake pedal and = Jammed down on the accelerator in- License plates, Mr. Hudson points | Staka out, range in dimensions from § to| Now You Have It. Shoes play a certain part in driving 20 inches long, and from 4 to 6 inches | (Anxwers to Last Week's Questions.) | comfort and safety, and like other wide, with punchings varying for The term “serve” with reference | “small matters” are often the differ- the slots provided. The$ offer no uni- [to brake systems for cars describ ence between winning and losing. formity in the s spacing of dig! ¢ of the numbers, the 5, mor the position and location of state initials or of the year of issue. These varlations, &s well as those of color schemes and material used, make an additional cost to the States, which must buy nearly 20,000.000 plates to care for the registrations. The State name, numerals and year | of issue, Mr. Hudson suggests, could well be developed into a series of | code assignments in which there would be eliminated the cumbersome numbers necessitated in some States. “The increasing number of ‘hit-an: cases,” Mf. Hudson explains, imperative easier and more identification of oftending e-witnesses at rr in their testimony rapid motorists. are prone to With 49 different systems of mark- ing, what chance has the man in the street to become so expert that| he can immediately identify the issu- ing State?” - Standard Location Favored. Mr. Hudson's recommendations pro- vide for the rotation of color combi- nations so that neighboring States would not have license plates nearly altke in color. By the use of letter and numbers no car would bear a plate having more than five symbols. Standard location of front and rea license plates is favored. Improved Visibility for traffic officers, better protection for motorists and greater attention by manufacturers to ade- illumination for “night-visibi ¥, it is explained, would follow the adoption of such a standard location. Safety in this respect, it s indicated may vet call for front-plate illumina i “Thers is no question,” states the report in concluding, “that the detec. tion of traffio rule breakers become: easier as the need for such detection decreases. Therefore, so far as the standardization of the license plate and its correlated features con- tributes to making ldentificdtion quicker and more accurate, it con- tributes to safety. Since safety today is the paramount issue in motor traffic, plate standardization should be thoroughly considered with gard to its value in that direction. MOTOR CARAVAN COMING. Line of Trucks From Seattle Soon Due in Washington. A unique motor truck which started near Seattle, Wa expected to arrive soon in the tional Capital. The caravan carries 22 musically talented orphans, who give concerts on the way. H. M. Draper heads the enterprise. A school teacher, who gives regu- lar instruction to the orphans, and a matron, who cares for them, form part of the staff. After Wintering in Florida, Mr. Draper expects to take the party to Eurobe and to tour other parts of the world. TRUNDEL B;D IDEA POSSIBLE. These inventive geniuses whose chief occupation at present is the of- fering of wild schemes whereby traf- c congestion can be minimized by firldglng crossings, elevating side- walks, etc., have missed a good bet. By making motor trucks higher and passenger cars lower they could easily upset the law that two bodies eannot occupy the same space at the same time days. ins wit! best | re- | Watch Your attery! Give your battery careful attention these every two weeks. This may save you the price of a new battery. Whether your battery is a Willard or not,come |the method of relying upon the car’ |own momentum for the force nec |sary to actuate the brakes. The de- |vice may be something simiar to a |clutch which the driver brings into engagement with the propeller shaft by operating a lever or pedal, or it| may be a part of each brake shoe. In the latter plan the brakes tend to ap- | Iy themselves after the driver has| operated them to a certain point One-piece axle housings with less than the usual bulge at the differen- tial are known as the “banjo” type. Usually the differential cover plate arge engugh so that, when removed, | the differential and ring gear can be removed as a unit 3. Add water to the battery only when you can arrange to drive the | car directly after. The generator should-charge the battery a little in srder to start chemical action and convert the distilled water into elec- | trolyte. The engine should be warm before adding the water, so that in re-cranking it as little current as possible is used. A battery will often | deliver more current when it is'near- dry than when it has just been filled up with water. Lessons From Accidents. There were four girls and three I men in the car at the time of the accident. The roadway was extreme- | ly slippery, and it was raining. The | | car was traveling about 35 when the | | driver attempted to swing around the | car ahead only to discover that he jammed against telegraph pole. “There You are” said a wiseacre | in commenting about it to a small | group of witnesses. | ur-wheel brakes and bailoon tire; He might have gone even further |and added, ir-cleaner, straight- eight motor, aluminum pistons and | disc wheels.” His explanation of the accident would have been just as ac- curate Can’t you just picture what really happened? Can’t you see that ecrazy driver jamming on his brakes as he swung back into line, causing the rear of the car to sway? Can't you see him ing the steering wheel around too far in the other direction when he felt the car skidding? Can't you picture him losing head com- | pletely when he found that he had done the wrong thing from start to finish? It was bad steering, not stopping. Point to Remember. Merely attaching the skid chains will not compensate for unequal brake adjustments. This is some- times resorted to by the driver who finds that one brake band operates more effectively than the other. Tire chains will give each wheel better traction, but the variation in rear wheel deceleration remains constant unless the brakes are attended to. Brake Standard Higher. Four-wheel brakes are serving to direct more attention to the matter of the use of brakes, if nothing else. | Half the complaints one hears about four-wheel brakes would not have I been considered by the same motor- It needs f; ent ction and filling water. Drive in | different engines. Did You Know— That it is advisable and frequently necessary to turn down the bolts in a definite order after replacing a cyl- inder head? The order varies for If you cannot as- certain the particular order for your car then at least tighten all the bolts evenly just as you would do in tight- ening rim lugs. That on some engines the cylinder head gasket should be put into place without treating it in any way? Shellac on a gasket for one make of engine, for instance, will cause a leak instead of preventing it. For some makes it is best to shellac on one side of the gasket only." Where it is Impossible to obtain a new gasket, white lead is sometimes used to.help prevent leaks. That it is better to carry the spare tire with the valve stem up top in- stead of at the bottom? When in the latter position water during a heavy rain eollects in the rim and leaks | through to the inner tube, where it cannot do any possible good. What's the Answer 1. Why is the wire from the posi- tive pole of the battery to'the start- er-button switch, and thence to tha | | starter-motor, always the largest and heavie insulated wiring on the car? high” attained in shifting through actual meshing of gears in | the transmission? could not make it. Back into line | What part does 2 universal joint he went, stepping on his brakes ag |PI2Y in the design of an automobile he did so. Instantly the rear of his | Chass r Swung to the l1eft. Next it was| (Think these over during the week swinging to the right. And a mo- |2nd 100k for the answers in this ment later the car was oft the road, [C0lUmn next Sunday. You may be upside down and Wrong-) (Copyright, 1925.) SPARE GAS IN COLD. Way Shown to Avoid Flooding En- gine at Starting. Much of the difficulty in cranking cold motors is the result of not know- ing when the engine is being flooded with raw gas. - The driver keeps right on choking the carburetor in the belief that the engine needs all gasoline spray and no air, and he naturally makes matters worse every minute. But there is a way to tell when you're flooding the engine, and with- out leaving the driving compartment. If the engine does not show the slightest sign of activity, keep on using the choker and cranking. But if it starts, then stalls, and you are fore skiddi A caus, ; : e Seoiw Rus Ticn Touscd Wy | Uit uaing lhia clioker sally. fih 1hine tires -and unequalized brakes in mo- | !0 d0 I8 to push the choker all the tordom. way in and continue to crank. If the engine does not start then, wait a few minutes, try cranking with the choker all the way in and if rothing happens, pull it all the way out in the conventional way. You're then getting a fresh start and are back where you started. POINTERS ON PARKING. Whenever possible park the car facing downhill. In event of battery or starter trouble the engine can then be cranked by coasting in gear. Sometimes there's a reason why parking spaces are abundant on cer- tain streets. Better consider it. A. A, A. Establishes New Headquarters For Greater Needs Now Takes Space in Mills Building Vacated by Commerce Chamber. Because of its constantly expanding actlvity and_the consequent demand for more office space, the American Automobile Assoclation has estab- lished new headquarters,in the Mills Buflding, Seventeenth street and Pennsylvania avenue, occupying rooms formerly held by the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. Needs of the organization had long since outgrown the facilities of Its former home on Sixteenth street. Since the amalgamation of the Na- tional Motorlsts Assoclation with the A. A. A. a year ago, the association has doubled in membership, it was sald, bringing the total number of members to 700,000. It ha% clubs and branches in 650 cities in the United States, and 96 per cent of all motor- ing clubs In this country are directly affillated with it. Among its new activities, accord- Ing to a statement issued by the as- sociation, are; the establishment of a commercial vehicle department which will represent the motor truck and bus business of the country; safety section devoted to prombtion of meas- ures calculated to minimize the dan- ger hazard on streets and highway and a research division to promote uniformity Whroughout the United States in legislation and ordinances affecting the motor vehicle. The association also announced that it has added to the personnel of its varfous departments to handle ade- | quately the constantly increasing membership. WOMAN GIVEN CREDIT FOR AUTO’S NEW COM- | FORT AND DRIVING EASE (Continued from xth Page.) they wlill have many occasions to make adjustments and repairs them- selves? Men aren’'t always golng to be on deck to help women, because women are going to motor farther, and into sections of the country where assistance of any kind will be vare. When this happens do you think | that women are going to stand for inaccessible parts? A man will ruin a new suit of | clothes if it is necessary to get under | the car, but a woman won't stand for | | such contortions regardless of how | she is dressed. And. bear in mind | | this is not =0 much because she isn't accustomed to this sort of thing, but | primarily because she knows it isn't | necessary. It's like the story of the sick hus- band who was intructed by friend wife to keep an eye open for the "se- man, while she went off to market Upon her return he presented her with a check for an electrlc ice box | and then went back to bed to recover| from an hour's watch at the kitchen | door for the iceman, who never did | come. “You shouldn’t put up with | the nuisance of buying fce,” he told her, “because it isn't necessary.” Annoyance Unnecessa | That's just the situation with most of our car annovances; they aren't | necessary. So why put up with them? It was when wives first started to drive and hear squeaks and want the screwdriver to tighten things up that modern Eve said, “For goodness sake, Adam, do we both have to get out of | the car every time one or the other | of us needs the tool kit?* | The manufacturers promptly an- |swered the question by providing a compartment in the side pocket for the tools. We women have had so many improvements to suggest that a lot of things have passed unnoticed, but when we get around to it you'll see some decided changes in the ap- pearance of the back of the front seat. Here is the logical place for the small package compartment under lock and key. 2 Balloon tires are not going to escape the influence of women. One of the big questions now is whether the: super-tires will be too heavy for women to change, because it is a matter of recent history that the de- mountable steel wheel was soon re- vised to carry demountable rims as an ald to more convenient and less burdensome tire changing. - If the advantages of - the balloon tires are so great, despite an increase in weight, then you may be sure that an easier way of changing tires will be deviged—some scheme whereby the car can jack itself and a method of raising and lowerlng the spare tire or wheel from the carrier. Some of these developments are already seem, e Ty eenm: Two Cars in One— STUDEBAKER Duplex Phaeio_r_l_ True AUTbMOBILE value can only be truly judged by not apparent in the the car. Value the things that are casual inspection of The chassis, the engine, the springs, ‘all the mechanical parts of the car have a most important hearing on . its value. Willard to us. You can rely on our judgment; in bat- tery problems. Was}fington-Battery Company ‘1621-23 L Street N.W. Main 180 Willard RADIO Batteries Willard AUTOMOBILE Batteries FARM LIGHTING Batteries i11aT We invite your careful inspection of the Buick because we feel that the more you learn about Buick, and the more searching the inquiries you make, the more -you - will be value. convinced of Buick . . STANLEY H. HORNER -1015 14th St. Main 5296 but the difference is that women will|streets,” she says. “More playgrounds!" hasten the general adoption of such labor saving devices. Just as man has discovered that woman's endeavors need not be S0 burdensome, so is woman discovering that motoring can be made easler if a Mttle pressure is brought to bear upon those who will use their wits when they are forced to. Turning Made Easfer. For years man motorists endured the annoyance of making an ordeal of turning around on a narrow strent. Then came the woman motorist, who found this process so complicated as to be dangerous. Cars were improved in this respect almost as by magic with the result tWat the turning radius on practically every make of car represents a stride that makes for increased safety, easier parking and less traffic congestion. This improvement was offered ostensibly for the ladies, but the folks who are singing the loudest praises are none other than the manufac- turers themselves. Men have worried about problems of motoring so the remedy wouldn't be recognized even If they found it. There is such & thing as getting so near a subject that you can’t see it. This is pre- clsel the situation with men and motors. Add woman to the combinav tlon, however, and Adam promptly | finds something to divert his atten- tion. It is then that he gets a new view of the problem, the woman's angle, and finds the solution. 1 know of no better illustration of this than the present alarm over the problem of the child in the street. From jurors to fathers the cry is drive slow and look out for children, but fatalities continue to increase, and the problem seems to offer no solu- tion. Woman surveys the situation from a new angle and sces the first logical | step. “Take the children oft the certain long that WHOLESALE RIMS FOR ALL WHEELS Rundlett Rim Co. In all seriousness, you can take the advice of one who is helping to|Any husband will change and improve the nature o motoring, women make a difference notice how much £ | more he friend wife ing the rig sens| drives now t thing! that knows when he isn't do- WHAT EVERY MOTORIST SHOULD KNOW The Value in Miles Per Dollar of MOTOR 25 035 % MoRE PEP-MURE POWERMORE MILES ENN R Penn Oil Company Fill the and See There's a Filling Station Near You— As Compared With the Average Gasoline Tank Today for Yourself West 166 1336 14th St. N.W. Rosslyn, Virginia Comtort, Safety Full-Size Balloons are the tires that are changing the driving habits of the nation. They take the dis- comfort out of winter driv- ing, decrease the number of “stay at homes” and increase the use of auto- mobiles the year around. These big, full-size bal- loons with added road contact, multiplied trac- tive power and far greater ability to absorb shocks, will give you a new sense of comfort and security. Firestone Balloons are Gum-Dipped—the pro- cess that gives extreme ABSHER’S GARAGE 1311 E Street S.E. AKRON AUTO SUPPLY CO. 509 7th Street S.W. BENNING SERVICE STATION 3300 Benning Road N.E. Benning and Anacostia Roads. BROOKLAND GARAGE 1000 Michigan Avenue N.E. CAPITAL RADIATOR & FENDER CO. 215 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. CORD TIRE SALES COMPANY 14th and V Streets N.W. CROSSTOWN AUTO SUPPLY CO. 1801 14th Street N.W. DUKE'’S TIRE SHOP 1207 9th Street N.W. DUPONT TIRE SHOP 2002 M Street N.W. EDWARDS MOTOR SERVICE CO. 1503 Rhode Island Avenue N flexibility with the extra strength to the carcass, which made balloon tire construction practical. The sidewalls are tough, yet pliable, flexing easily and yielding to every road inequality — riding the top instead of sinking in. You’ll get more service from your car—more mile- age from your tires—this winter and through the year. Have us equip your car now.Costislower than you realize —especially with the generous allow- ance we will make for your old tires. Look for the LIGHTNING Sign! Fr.391 full-size ALLO GUM-DIPPED € for Winter Driving © N ORDPS —-=Give you Economy HUNDLEY’S AUTO SUPPLY 3436 14th Street N.W. HARRY KATZ 514 Four-and-a-half Street S.W. M’CURDY & LIPPHARD 600 New York Avenue N.W. 4203 Ga. Ave. N.W. MIKE’S SERVICE 2203 Nichols Avenue S.E. MOBILE AUTO SUPPLY CO. 1012 H Street N.E. MUTUAL TIRE CO. 908 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. NORTHWEST GARAGE Rear 1213 13th Street N W. O’DONOGHUE BROS. 14th and Irving Sts. N.W. PLAZA AUTO SUPPLY 401 Massachusetts Avenue N.W. POTOMAC SERVICE CO. 612 H Street N.E. 14th and P Streets N.W. POTOMAC TIRE CO.. 2731 M Street N.W. REESE TIRE HOU SE SMITH’S SERVICE GARAGE 216 Warren Street N.E. SOUTHEAST AUTO SUPPLY CO. 629 Pennsylvania Avenue S.E. SPEEDWAY AUTO SUPPLY 332 14th Street S.W. TRUCK TIRE SERVICE CO. 1324 14th Street N.W. UNITED TIRE STORES 2601 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. ECONOMY AUTO SUPPLY CO. Capitol Heights, Md. COURTHOUSE SERVICE STATION. Clarendon, Va. SHEPHERD & BRO. Clarendon, Va. LEE HIGHWAY SERVICE Rosslyn, Va. MONTGOMERY GARAGE Rockville, Md. | MAKELY MOTOR CO. Falls Church, Va. STAFFORD & GRANT Silver Spring, Md. HERBERT'S TIRE REPAIR SHOP 1230 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W, NORTHEAST AUTO EXCHANGE GARAGE 60 H Street N.E. HIGHWAY AUTO SUPPLY CO. 2106 Rhode Island Avenue N.E. JOHNSON’S AUTO SUPPLY 2101 K Street N.W. AMERICAN 702 R. 1. Ave. N.W. 710 O St. N.W. SCHULTZ GARAGE 1496 H Street N.E. SECURITY AUTO SERVICE, Inc, 1ith Street and New York Avenue N.W. » FRED D. SHEPHERD 3320 M Street N.W. STAR SERVICE STATION 12th and C Sts. N.W. MINUTE SERVICE STATIONS Georgia Avenue and Upshur Streets 10th and E- Streets N.W. ’ 17th and L Streets N.W. Pennsylvania Avenue and 21st Street N Linwood and C Streets S. W, 1705 L Street N.W. Florida Avenue and 3d -S(reet N SHOULD PRODUCE THEIR OWN RUBBER . J&% il