Evening Star Newspaper, March 14, 1926, Page 79

AUTO WRITES NEW HISTORY CHAPTER President of Motor Company Cites Great Effect on Nation’s Life. The automoblle is writing a new chapter In the history of the United Btates which, broadly speaking, is Iittle more than the story of the de- wvelopment of its transportation. This is the statement of H. M. Jewett, president of the Paige-Detroit Motor Co., who adds that ‘“‘since the beginning of the century transporta- tlon has become individualized and the motor car has brought about as reat & change in America as the com- pletion of the great transcontinental rvailroads brought in the previous cen- tury. One frequently hears the assertion that America is the greatest user of automobiles because its people are so rosperous. I do not agree with this. My view is that the American people are prosperous because they are the gsreatest users of the automobile. I know of many instances that exempli- fy this fact. Kept Great Areas Open. “It was not many years ago that great areas of land of rich agricul- tural possibilities were in danger of abandonment, not because the people of these rural districts really desired 1o live in the larger towns and cities, but because of economic necessity- ghey could not make these lands pay, fertile as they were. The reason was, of course, lack of transportation. “Automobiles have saved these great growing areas from abandon- ment, because they have made it profitable to operate the farms. Good roads followed the automobile. and made available to the farmer trans- portation better suited to his needs than even the best of railroad facil- fties. Today, the farmer, living in a section covered with fine highways and using the automobile for trans. portation, is immeasurably better sit- uated than he ever dreamed of being 25 years axg He can get his produce to the markets more cheaply than ever; his produce arrives in better condition and brings better prices; he can get his supplies quickly and eco- nom y, even if he is miles from a railroad. ‘And besldes all this, the automobile has opened up a new soclal life for ‘ming countries. The farmer wife and children no longer are isolated, for the motor car has placed within their easy reach the ad- vantages offered by the towns and cities. In short, the automobile has been the means of accomplishing the “back to the farm” migration. The farmer today is virtually a suburban resident, and is envied by many city folk. Helps City Workers. “But the city people themselves have gained greatly through the motor car. “Consider the skilled worker. Be- fore he had an automobile, he had to live near his factory, and that often meant living in tenements or in un- attractive, even unhealthful, dwelling houses. In seeking his employment, he was limited to jobs existing within a short radius from his home. “‘After the skilled worker became a car owner, his lot improved. Now he lives where he chooses—in the modern homes that have sprung up far from the old tenement districts, far from the smoke and noises of the city. In- stead of paying rent on a mean dwell- ing, he is paying instaliments on his modern house and its suburban lot. And instead of being restricted in his employment to the factory or shop nearest his home, he is independent. Now he can pick and choose his job— and obtain work where he can get the best wages, where the conditions are most healthful, and where the best possibilities exist for his advance- ment. “I have given the farmer and the skilled worker as two examples of the motor car's effect in making this ®&reat country a still better place to ltve in. There are countless others similarly affected—from the child who is carried safely and comfortably to the rural school in the school bus every morning, to the city business man who now can reach the outlying country club in time for his daily round of golf. ““Those who have seen the 1926 auto. mobile shows will realize that even better things are coming from the automobile. As the cars improve in power. in ease and handling, in com- fort and economy, so will their use be extended. “‘Soon there will be few who can afford to be without a car, and car manufacturers are striving to make it_possible for every one who will ben. efit through car ownership to acquire one reasonably and operate it eco- nomically.” RAISE THE INDICATOR. Test to Show Whether Auto Oil Is Exhausted. If the oil level is belng read on 2 very cold morning it sometimes happens that the indicator will show “empty” when there is really plenty of oil. The cork float happens to be stuck at the bottom of the case, and the oil has congealed so overnight that the float can't rise of fits own accord. Just raise the indicator, and if it doesn't drop back to its oflg‘ln&l position there is sufficient oil. EFFORTLESS POWER NEW A Demonstration WIIl Convince You 1605 14th St. N.W. Pot. 1673 Ebonite made purposely as the correct lubricant for the transmission and rear axle gears of your motor car or truck. At_ dealers in five and service ~stations from eans. the Checkerboard pump only. ANSMISSIONS ¢ BAYERSON OIL WORKS ! THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON THE SUNDAY MOTORIST An Abridged Magasine for Car Owners. EBITED BY WILLIAM ULLMAN There's many s car with an accu- rate speedometer that at 50 miles an hour can pass other cars doing 60 and 70—on the dashboard. Progress Must March On. Recent publication of a photograph depicting a parade of automobliles 25 years ago offers food for thought, for it carries an important message for those who are of the opinion that the automobile is about as perfect as it can be made. In this photograph of the crude self-propelled buggles of the early century there are shown several horse-drawn wagong. They are 1901 models, vet the streets today are dot- ted with wagons of practically the same appearance. In all these years the wagon has stood still, while the automobile has been advanced at such a rate that last year's model always has looked antiquated. One wonders what would have been the situation had improvement in wagons been as intensive as that in motor vehicles. An outstanding hazard of driving behind a horse was that he might run away, and yet the mere addition of a powerful set of real brakes would have covered that point. Inclosed wagons and car- riages could have been popularized just as closed cars have been. There was nothing about the idea of the self-propelled vehicle that made it any more susceptible to improve- ment. If the automobile stands still there is every reason to suppose the aero- plane or some more advanced mode of transportation will so far surpass it as to leave it far behind in the race of getting about. Foresighted auto- mobile manufacturers are awake to the situation, and are doing everything in their power to keep the automobile changing radically from year to year. One of them, for instance, is stressing the advantage of having a car so con- structed that if it tips over the occu- pants will not be crushed or trapped in. Another car maker has cut down wind resistance to a point where a speed of 90 miles an hour is promised. This is a direct challenge to the aero- plane, which now is offering owners speeds of 100 miles an hour and over. As They Might Say Now. “Look forward with care or you will lp%k back with tears.”—Spanish prov- erb. “You cannot have the top without the chassis.”"—Ruskin. “Let us do what ‘mands.”—Racine. “He noblest lives and noblest drives who makes and keeps his self-made laws."—Racine. Did You Know That— It requires an average of six horse. power for a poppet valve engine to operate its own valves? Where four valves per cylinder are used the power required is practically doubled, but the increase in valves also increases the power of the engine. Springs can be over-lubricated? For maximum riding qualities friction be- tween spring leaves should not be re- duced beyond a certain value, which must be determined for the specific car and body type. ‘The springs should be tested for condition at least once a year by try- ing the car with the shock absorbers or spring control devices disconnected. Three Traffic Tricks. Ordinarily it does not pay to get behind a street car on the theory that the law de- £ ] § ¥ g is ?E like good-jooking hardware—the fine design and beautiful finish, They like the soft, deep luz- urious cushions that are rest- g ':Lnd relaxing to body and ‘They like the 4-wheel brakes— which mean instant, but shioned, They like ite economy in operation—as well as the sttractive purchasing price. And finally they like the Rickenbacker because it {e the best all around motor car value on the market today. Bring your wife in and let us show both of you! one will be able to get ahead of the car that has stopped beside the street car. But if the driver is going to make a right turn this plan can followed successfully. The turn neces- sarily will be slow, holding back the machines behind. The street car and the car behind it can get away in the meantime. Many drivers have a tendency to follow certain safety suggestions so religiously that they fall to sense t| value of exceptions to the rule. It is bad policy, for instance, to wait at an intersection with the car in low gear and the clutch held out. If the foot slips the car may leap ahead and in- jure a pedestrian. But this precau- tion is not necessary when the car is headed uphill. Should the clutch be engaged accidentally under such cir- cumstances the engine would stall. Beginners, or drivers inclined to be nervous when on unfamiliar ground, should remember to stay in second gear In congested areas. On level ground no harm will be done to the engine or clutch by starting in second. Second gear provides excellent accele- ration and good braking as well. This reserves the driver's attentlon for steering. Shackles Need Silencing. In looking for chassis squeaks the spring shackles are habitually over- looked even by experienced motorists. Every attention is paid to lubrication of the spring bolts, but the shackles themselves are neglected. This is par- ticularly true where a shackle con. nects with the frame of the car, espe- clally at the rear ends of the front springs and at the front ends of the rear ones. A mixture of kerosene and light oll at ch points will prove beneficial, even 1if the shackle or spring bolts are packed with grease. The shackles at such points get more of a longitudinal movement than the perpendicular kind. That is why the squeak cannot be located by jumping up’and down on the car while it is in the garage. The springs have to be in motion in such a way as to make the shackles move backward and for- ward before the squeak begins. ‘What's the Answer. 1. What {s meant by the term “blow-by"'? 2. How is pressure built up in the crankcase? 3. What is the actual gain in stop- ping a car while traveling 30 miles an hour if the driver saves a second in stepping on the brakes? 4. What is the standard tread, or ground contact width, of the average automobile? . 5. Why is it common practice to use @ heavy wire for the current connec- tion between battery and starter- motor? (Think these over during the week and look for the answers in this de- partment next Sunday. You may be wrong!) e (Copyrixht. 1028.) ey Inspect the electrical cables on your car. Many automobile fires are started by defective ones. { i 1 i'i'mi % i i { Nevmssasuw ’ b4 f i ; i ‘? i i T { | The De Neane Motor Company WILDER M. (MIKE) DE NEANE, President and General Manager 1507 14th St. NW. Rick A * CAR Main 520 enbacker WOATHY ¢ OF * ITS « NAME LABORATORY TEST MADE FOR DRIVERS Chicago Psychologist’s Plan Found Successful by Taxi- cab Companies. A new and promising set of drivers’ tests which reproduce traffic condi- tlons of city streets by means of ap- paratus in a laboratory has been de- vised and s being used by taxicab companies in seven cities as a means of selecting drivers. The tests, which are the work of Dr. A. J. Snow of Northwestern Uni- versity, are not finally perfected, but a preliminary report of them appears in a forthcoming Issue of the Journal of Appliad Psychology, because, the author says, “of the popular and mis- leading publicity that has appeared in newspapers and magazines,” and be- cause of the insistent demand of the automoblle {ndustry to know the facts about them, The tests are sald to be equally suited to selection of pilots for any transportation vehicle—street car, electric line, steam or electric railway and passenger or frelght motor car. They are being used by different taxi- cab companies in Chicago, Cleveland. Pittsburgh. South Bend, Toledo, Oma- ha and Loulsville. The method of picking drivers is lllustrated by Dr. Snow's test of “per- ception of space and motion.” Two toy automobiles, whose motion is con- trolled by a system of pulleys and welghts, are mounted on a board 20 feet long. A fixed scale of numbers 18 marked 8 inches apart along tracks on the board. The prospective taxi pllot stands facing the apparatus, 15 feet away. The vehicles are moved at different speeds in various direc- tions, according to eight different pre. arranged combinations. The driver is asked at a given signal to indicate at what point the two cars will pass or \\\“ | T style Chandler makes its greatest appeal, and finds its warmest friends, among people who live and move in an atmosphere of culture— people who appreciate good architecture, D. 0, MARCH 14, 1926—PART 3 THE OLD MECHANIC SAYS: Sometimes I think it would be alers were cautioned not to use it, so good idea to cross out that word “‘service” on, my shingle and substute “cleaning,” because I could make money savin’ money for car owners by offerin’ the advantages “of a “cleanin’ station."” I've never yet had an owner order me to drop the crankcase and clean it out. It's a job every one over- looks, and that's why I think it's a necessity. I've fitted new pistons to many a’motor that never would have worn 8o quickly had the crankcase been treated to a little cleanin’. Dirt and sediment in the engine ofl form a regular sludge or muck. When the crankcase is drained off this sludge remains inside the case, only to mix with the fresh ofl when the engine is runnin’. In the days when engines were drained and flushed with kerosene a lot of this dirt was carried off, but kerosene as a flush has its disadvantages. Own. now they don’t flush the crankcase at all. At least once a year the case should be thoroughly washed out with kero- sene and hot water. Any sediment on the inside of the engine base also should be removed. This applies even to cars that are equipped with air cleaners, because dirt can enter the engine by other ways than through the carburetor. Dirt gets in through the oil filler pipe“and breather tube. Gasoline, in burnin’, leaves ashes which we call carbol It collects in the cylinders, but some of it blows by the rings Into the crankcase. Even the engine oil has ingredients that add to the sludge. After a while the engine is being lubricated by an abrasive, and then it’s on the way to a service station for repairs, There would be a lot of money saved if there were a few cleanin’ stations at handy places. overtake one another. The experi- menter records the error between the driver’s estimate and the actual point of passing, and also the rapidity of his responses, his speed of learning and constancy of attention. “The theory underlying this test,” Dr. Snow explains, “is that the subject who is unable, with any degree of ac- curacy or promptness. to make the necessary judgment suffers from a vis- ual defect, which makes him an unde- sirable candidate for a pilot of any transportation vehicle. It should be understood, of course, that for each test a learning period has been estab. lished. In this period the instructions are explained until the applicant can demonstrate to us an understanding of them.” . Another test measures the emotional stability of a driver during an emer- gency by requiring him to throw/cer- tain switches at certain signals, at the same time that he receives a slight electric shock. Recklessness is tested by having him guide a small metal pencil through miniature traffic lanes on a board. The lanes vary in width and length and have sharp turns and curves. Elec- trical apparatus attached to the board shows the driver's steadiness and Judgment at difficult points and also LW A\ 'l that goes with quality. good music, good books, good times . . . But with all its style, and all its richne: , what a striking difference there is between the new the low Chandler prices and existing prices of other fine cars! Look at the new Twenti- eth Century Sedan—a magnifi- l l | to look at the new Chandler is to know t for a mighty fine motor car. It has the registers the time in fractions of a second that it takes him to move the stylus through the points of difficulty. An individual's intelligence is no gauge of his success as a driver, Dr. Snow finds, except that very low in- telligence is a sure indication of unfit- ness. Consequently drivers are given only a simple intelligence test, to test such powers as memory, attention during distractions and common-sense reason. The taxicab applicants are also put through a rigorous physical examination. A Chicago tax! company which em- vloys 6,000 drivers has rejected 15 per cent of {ts applicants since January 1, using the new tests as a standard of fitness. The company reports that the reduction of accidents has been sub- stantial. e Two Types of Parts Important. There are two types of parts that need particular attention with refer- ence to lubrication. One is the part takes so little grease that you always forget to attend to it frequent- ly. The other is the sort of part that takes so much grease at one filling that you imagine it won't need any at- tention for another 10 years. Every car has a few of these. Watch ‘em. SEES NTO FUTURE OF SUPERCARGER Expert Predicts Development Will Modify Transmission of Auto. Will the supercharger be de ped to a point where it will bring about the long-discussed modification of the conventional transmission of the au- tomobile? C. R. Short of the research division of the CGeneral Motors Cor- poration, addressing the annual meet- ing of the Society of Automotive En- gineers, declared that if the super- charger cin be designed to give higher power at low speed it will have this result. Such a device would result in greater power and greater flexibility in the automobile, he said. The use of such a supercharger would permit the size of the engine to be reduced to that required for normal operation on level roads, with the supercharger assuring the neces- sary reserve power for hill climbing and quick acceleration. The engine could be run at maximum efficlency speed and the heat generated by the compresser, together with the pul- verizing effect of the air blast on the fuel as it enters the cylinders, would result in better mixture distri- bution with the present motor fuel and the possibility of using heavier fuels successfully. The object of supercharging, Mr. Short explained, is to inject a greater quantity of alr and fuel mixture into the engine cylinder at each filling than would normally be possible, and thereby to obtain a gredter horse- power output from the additional heat units set free during combus- tion. A pump of suitable design is provided to compress the mixture to the desired pressure and to force it into the cylinder. ‘The present most successful blower VIEW OF EXPERTS CITED. Doesn’t Pay to Flush Oiling System With Kerosene. Car owners are dually coming to realize that it doesn’t pay to flush out the oiling system with kerosene. 1In fact, experts are advising against ft. If kerosene 1s used it means that some of it will remain in the troughs and thus dilute the fresh oil that is added. A way*to obviate this and at the same time flush out the systern, is to sub- stitute a quart of fresh vii for the kerosene. [U'nless the engine is in very bad condition this will help to get out every drop of old oil--and some of the dirt which mnay have ac cumulated without the danger of diluting the fresh oil, which is later put into the engine to stay for awhile type of supercharger for racing cars is used on the Duesenberg and Miller racing engines. These devices em- body a gear-driven turbo-compresser and are based on developments by Prof. Rateau in Fran and Dr. Moss of the eneral Eleectric 0. at Me- Cook Field, Ohio, for airpianes, in which the compresser is driven by the action of the exhaust gas on a turbine. The requirements for supercharg- ing passenger automobiles vary great. ly from those for racing cars, afr- planes and heavy-oil engines. Mere intake manifold pressure without other changes will resuit only in in- crease of power at maximum speed. The problem, sald the speaker, 8 to design a supercharger that will re- sult in higher engine torque at low speed R. McReynolds & Son Sales—Service 1423-25-27 L St. N.W. Main 7228 Sales 14th and Park Road N.W. Leon S. Hurley, Mgr. Col. 2619 and all that goes withit. cent&doorSedmpficedléuthmazfdoor coach. See how far Chandler has carried modern body development. Observe the THE CHANDLER MOTOR CAR COMPANY HANDLER Tax Reduction Effective Immediately DAVID S. HENDRICK Main 100 1012 14th St. N.W. smartness of the car, its roominess—then ride. Let ten or twenty miles reveal the astonishing power of Chandler’s Pikes Peak Motor and what that power means in sheer joy of driving, What’'s more, Chandler keeps fit. It has the stamina and endurance you want in a car. And it has the great “One Shot” Lubrication System. By simply pressing a plunger with your heel, you keep the entire chassis thoroughly lubricated. And that keeps the car in the pink of running condition! CLEVELAND