Evening Star Newspaper, March 28, 1926, Page 66

PROGRESS IS SEEN INTRAFFIC SAFETY -— 10 Per Cent Increase in Acci- dents Held to Be Challenge to All Citizens. increase in is a chal- is . Graham, nning and| ittee of the National Au-| of Commerce, in That the 10 per cent motor fatalities during 1 lenge to every Amer the declaration of { ures, ct that vehicle registrations | increased 12.7 per cent while fatal-| ities increased 10 per cent is no palli tive,” Mr. Graham asserts. “The are two encouraging factors, howeve s that three great States and | ies have shown that they are| meeting this situation. The other is| that each vear we have incr complete and prompt records which to check performance. At no| time in the past has there been such a volume eports able from | tr John Sm John Smith is a chara No. 143—Rules of the Head. It always had been difficult for Smith to be himself. Doubtless much of this was due to his willingness to believe that he knew little about auto " mobiles und that the way of the more experienced motorist was something to conjure with. But time went on, he began to develop some ideas of his own and apply them, regardless of what others did or did not do. There are some of his neighbors today who think that he is a bit “queer” as a car owner and driver. I am not one of them. Smith is being himself, J think, in a way that is bound to give him the edge on the others, Most experienced car all new tires on the wheel, sferring the weaker one to the front. This has been the custom for years, and during his early experience mith followed the style. Then one day he pondered upon the situation and realized how foolhardy the whole procedure was: putting the weakest tires on the wheels with which the car is steered. What If one of these weak ners in- 83 per cent of the communities after the close of the year | Progress Is Seen. | itself shows the increas.| approach to the es promise that the e handled with increas- ““This ingly m points out that newspaper publicity { the important factors in > in New Y It b con structive | " one the were names revoked or | whose 1 = pended | ses Given. Automobile Chamber s made an intensive the matter of motor accidents The Nation of Commerce study ¢ causes are as follows: Str State law, including reve tlon of licenses of careless dri Co-oper: i with St authoriti Vigorous ways. icient enforcement of law neering progress in road con- struction and street traffic control. Newspaper aid in publishing lists of license revocations, AVOID RAIN BLOTCHES. policing of State high- Car Bodies Should Be Dusted When Curtains Are Used. the larl; When used r be » dust rurtains re being any length of time e e body occastonally where they overiap it, otherwise the | irtains will leave marks on the and other parts where they touch. Don't be misled on the prices of paint jobs in off seasons. As a rule, the guality of paint job is in direct proportion to the cost, but in slack geasons painters will ofttimes do the work at prices which may be | mistaken for cheap work. el Safeguard Against Theft. If it becomes necessary to leave Joose articles in the open car at least see that they are placed on the ton- neau floor and over to the side furth- est from the curb. Things that are out of the passerby’s reach are not so | why tires blew out at high speed? A Matter of Caution. Another thing caused Smith to use his own judgment. He is now driving a car with balloon tires and four-wheel brakes. They are good br too, which means that the wheels never lock and the tires never slide. Be- cause the car Is exceptionally well balanced the rear tires do not wear out quicker than those In front. Asa ter of fact, the greatest tread wear s on the right front tire, due to the actlon of the steering In keeping the car up op the crown of the road. But even this type of wear is vanish ing with the coming of the level, smooth road. Smith can take weak front tires off and put them on the rear, knowing that they will run just as long there. The only reason he makes a change is to be sure he has his newest and strongest tires on the front. He doesn't want a front-wheel blowout, or even a front-wheel punc- ture, at high speed. So, Smith Is “queer” in the eyes of his neighbors. But they, too, will be queer some day. They, too, will stop having crankcase flushed out with kerosene. They may think Smith is a bit odd when he uses 50 cents worth of good engine oil for the flushing job, but they will learn that a gallon of kero- sene at half the price can bring no end of engine repairs. Kerosene gets into the oil leads, into the hollow crankkshaft, into the timing gear com- partment and Into the oil pump. A lot of it stays there to dilute the fresh oil. It Isn't Queer at All Smith is so “queer” that he has been known to rafse the hood when stop- ping by the roadside on a cold day just one might ventilate the engine on corching day in Midsummer. Asked he did this, he explained that one had to be more careful of having a | the engine get too hot in Winter than in Summer, so far as the hood goes. In his experience, nothing is worge for the finish on the hood than being overheated inside and frozen on the outside. He tries to even up the tem- peratures on the two sides. No one ever catches Smith filllng radiator to the brim because he knows that is the surest way of having the water become agitated and syphon out the overflow pipe. Nor does Smith switch on the ignition until he has given the engine a few turns with the starter. He knows that a certain amount of gas spray should be sent THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. O, MARCH 28, ith and His Car YEAR'SAUTO THEHS} BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL ter whom every motorist sirould welcome. He is not selfish; 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 20,000,000 or more members of the motor clon. | into the eylinders before igniting it, fand_ by not wasting the Ignition al (he start, he does not divert good current from the starter-motor which needs all the amperage the Laltery can supply to provide a smappy spin of the engine shaft. ighbors never see Smith register- atisfaction when he has made the Instead, he always is displeased. He knows that the most efficient braking system is' the one that holds the wheels just short of the locking point, and he is never satisfied until he succeeds in at least approximating the ideal. Making Safety Safe. Even when Smith uses chains as an extra safeguard when the streets are slippery, one never sees him driving any faster than he would were he running without such protection, In other words, safety devices to him are safe only when he is conducting himself and his car, as he would if without such protection. Most drivers step on the gas the moment they add some protective device. ‘Thus, the device is given more work than it can do. For instance, if a safety appliance will provide security up to a speed of 25 miles an hour and the driver in- sists upon running 35 there is a mar- gin of excess danger amounting to 10 miles an hour, The situation is the same as If the driver were running 10 miles an hour without any safety device. Smith has worked out all these angles himself. He is thinking. Con- sequently he is driving better. ing wheels lock. Next week, No. 144—Speeding the Stop. (Copyright, 1926.) RULE FOR NARROW ROAD. Advice for Turning Autos in Mud and Snow. ‘Whether in Winter or Summer, the safest rule for turning on any narrow road or street where the shoulders or gutters are llkely to be fllled with snow or mud is to keep the rear wheels in the center of the thorough- fare, steering the front wheels off the road where necessary. So long as the rear wheels have traction the front ones can be pulled out. Any observ- ing motorist has noticed that stranded cars invarlably .are found with the rear wheels, or one of them, off the road. CHALLENGES CHICAGO. Baltimore Claims Priority in Sys- tem for Traffic Fines. Baltimore is challenging Chicago's priority {n the inauguration of a sys- tem whereby motorists may walve trial for minor violations of the traffic laws and pay their fines on the spot. According to police of the Monumental City, this plan was used there five years ago. . Drive Slow on Gravel Road. A gravel or loose stone road is not an ald to quick stopping. A greater margin of safety should always be allowed on such a road. This means driving slower if unfamiliar with the territory and keeping a safer dlstance behind the car ah REACH HIGH MARK Dealers’ Association Reports Figures Obtained for 1925 in 28 Key Cities. Mass abduction of automotive ve- hicles in 1925 was maintained upon a ratio comparable to increased produc- tion, figures compiled by the National Automobile Dealers’ Assoclation for 28 key cities show. The assoclation has kept statistics on these citles for the past eight years. In 1925, 77,174 motor vehicle thefts were reported, against 57,331 in the previous year and 27,446 in 1918, According to a statement by the dealers’ association, while more cars are stolen in these cities yearly than are recovered, there has been a steady betterment in police efficiency, as the number of recoveries has risen stead- ily since 1921. In 1925 there was re- covered 86 per cent of the number of cars stolen in these centers as com- pared with 83 per cent in 1924 and 79 per cent in 1318. Figures for Eight Years. The recapitulation of the figures for the 28 citles for the last eight years s as follows: 709 710 2 o7 4 1 4 8- 4748 3 66,420 . Cities covered In the report are:New York, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Portland, Den- ver, San Francisco, St. Louls, Seattle, Indlanapolis, Boston, Salt Lake City, Oakland, Omaha, Columbus, Cincin- nati, Oklahoma y, Albany, Buffalo, Newport, R. I.; York, Pa.; Richmond, ya.; Dayton, Ohlo; Lowell, Mass., and Evansville, Ind. Record of Recoveries. The recovery record is an indica- tion of improved police effectiveness, according to C. A. Vane, general man- ager of the dealer association, and to the valuable help given by certificate of title laws. Nearly all the larger cit- fes of the country now have automo- bile theft squads, composed of men who specialize in the detection and pursuit of automobile thieves. They have developed a comprehen- slve system of identification of the professional automobile thieves who generally work along certain recog- nized lines, and have thus been able to effect recoveries of cars months after they have disappeared and often hundreds of miles from the point from which they were stolen. Title Laws Great Ald. The certificate of title laws have been of great help to the police de- partments because such laws enabled the interchange of information {n re- gard to motor and serfal numbers when a car is offered for licensing after it has been stolen. Stolen car records are widely exchanged by State registration officials, and when such car appears for record or when a car appears with defaced identification marks, police are promptly notified. o Back Out From Garage. It's better to put the car away in the garage at night in such a position that it backs out the driveway in the morning rather than heads out. It's easter for the engine to.drive the car in reverse, as this is the lowest gear ratlo, And the engine needs all the help you can give it when it's cold. 2 1o EESERE 1926—PART 3. Marking Valve Heads Will Insure Their Replacement in Proper Holes No need to fear getting the valves mixed up when taking them out. Lightly punch dots on the head of each valve to correspond with the re. spective number of the valve. Read- ing from radiator back, the fourth valve in line should have four dot marks. Five should indicate valve No. 5. Unless all new valves are to be inserted it is necessary, or at least advisable, to place them correctly This plan solves the problem. It the head of an exhaust valve has a reddish appearance, it indicates that the valve has been part way open during the running of the en- gine. The burning gases have played around it and overheated it. Use a new valve, and be sure that the tap- pet adjustment shows sufficient clear- nery flour and kerosene make the best abrasive compound for use in grinding in the valves. Put a little of it at a Ume around the valve seat. Only a little. Too much may mean getting abrasive into the valve guldes where wear means leakage and loss of power at low speed. MOTORISTS NOW DICTATE PRICES OF AUTOMOBILE (Continued from Sixth Page.) live prospects for new cars. Again, production goes up and prices come down. . While it is likely that there will be ups and downs In prices because the cost of raw materials is high at pres- ent, there is no reason why car prices should not be lower in the near fu- ture, with the trend downward, as long as production grows through the pub- ligfs keen interest in the new models, The prices of raw materials should follow those of the cars, Instead of vice versa. If automobile production is unusually high, manufacture of glass, steel, copper and everything clse that goes into a car must be stimulated automatically. The great steel plants of the country will be ex- panding to an even broader quantity production basis, which invariably means lower prices. There are the exceptions, such as rubber, but the economists are con- sidering the general picture. Recently & number of the high-grade manufac- turers have gone on a quantity basis— a trend that further tends to lower prices by removing the temptation to break up the production scheme through the purchase of cars that are fictitiously exclusive. The singular financial structure of the automobile industry is another INSPECTION IS YOUR PROTECTION Back of the growing preference for The ocar illustrated here fe the De Luxe Sedan, priced at $1115, at Lansing. factor aiding the buyer in fixing his own price. National _Automobile Chamber of Commerce figures show but 11.7 per cent of the capital of this enormous industry is borrowed. In 459 companies engaged in other indus- tries, borrowed capital represents 24.6 of the total. The stockholders’ equity in the auto- moblle industry is 88.3 per cent. large percentage of these stockholders, moreover, are car owners. Many of them know that they benefit directly through their own' progressiveness in purchasing new cars just as often as new cars offer advantages commensu- rate with the increased investment. With the automobile industry financed by the general public, rather than by greedy, short-sighted money lenders, everything is in favor of even larger quality production of popular cars. Clearly, prices are up to the motor- ist. The moment he fails to see the advantages of keeping abreast of the conveniences, comforts and safety of newer cars production will fall and prices will mount. (Copyright, 1026.) 0il Leak Explained. That ofl leak around the flywheel may be nothing but an accumulation of dirt at the end of the engine pan. | Water and ofl which have dripped from the engine get dammed up in- stead of running off to the road, and the fiywheel in dipping into it s 3 the liquid compound all around under the floorboards, Where flywheels are entirely encased, of course, this does not apply. hes | ! too much for the battery. NEW JERSEY WILL WIDEN | ROAD TO ATLANTIC CITY| Eleven-mile of White Horse Pike to Be Improved, Section Beginning April 1. Thousands of Washington motorists driving to Atlantic City each season will recelve with interest the word that widening of the White Horse pike between the Camden County line and Absecon, N. J., on the ll-mile section between Hammonton and Egg | Harbor, will begin April 1. An- nouncement to this effect is made by W. R. Sloan, State highway engi His office makes it known thal April 1 no openings for gas or water mains will be allowed in the pike for five years. It is the plan of the high- way commission to add 11 feet on each side of the pike and to keep one side open while work is progressing | on the other. The work will tuke two Summers, it is estimated ACT OF CARELESS DRIVER Making Car Skid By Improvident Use of Gas. Making a car skid by fmprovident use of the gas I8 one of the common features of careless driving. Some of the most serious accidents follow as a direct result of applying too much power when traction is poor, many cars overturn when the spinning rear wheels suddenly dig themselves out of ruts and swing the rear end around before the driver knows what's hap pening. MAY EXHAUST BATTERY. Easy Throttle Movement Advised When Car Is Cold. If the car has been standing out in the cold for a long perlod and the battery is not overly strong it is best not to open the throttle too wide at The wider the throttle, the gasoline and air enter the e and the more vapor e is for the pistons to compress. This excessive compression, plus the natu- | duige in ral stiffness of the ergine, may prove OUR RIGID Oldsmobile, stands performance. of that performance, stands quality. Back of that quality, stands a manu- facturing policy that does not tolerate the slightest variation from accuracy. One inspector to every seven workers, is the ratio in the Oldsmobile factory. Every material is tested to the highest standards, every measurement verified with the greatest precision, every driving demand anticipated and provided for. The firm foundation upon which the growing confidence in Oldsmobile has been built, is just this strict observance of care and accuracy in every detail, by every man at every bench and lathe and drill You can depend upon a car built like that. You can recognize the difference the moment you take the wheel. more you drive the Oldsmobile, the more you will appreciate these exact- ing standards. For they guard that fine performance steadily, as months and miles roll by. SEDAN 1025 f.0.b. Lansing plus tax MINIMUM SPEED IN MARYLAND ASKED State Highway Engineer Opposes Maximum Limit, ‘to Keep Traffic on Move. Baltimore appes a Feeling in speed limits volced by Washington Mackall, chairman State Roads Commission an address before th in the Monumental City. the highway transporta will break down unie “ridie lous” maximum speed limit is done away with and a minimum limitation mposed. Mr. Mackall asserted must be more moving of fewer stops. Lack of adeq lation has been the sot motorists’ bles, he that a standardized op tor vehicles must be broug! just as many other things are stand ardized, to insure the best results The commissioner said that speed signs are ignored by virtually all motorists, many of whom drive at 15 miles or 50 miles an hour with out belng unsafe or recklsss. But he showed, when the mighway is crowded and some one ags the ne” the situation is doubly danger. ous, because those who do not wish to lag have a_vight to try to pass ahead. Mr. Mackall suggested that the minimum speed limit should be solution In keeping traffic flowing con- tinually at an speed. concerning tha 1 of motorists, N of the Maryland declared in stary Club He satd on system there Pity the Motorist, Too. One shouldn't give all one's pity the poor traffic cop who stands out ir the wind, the rain and the cold wher the facts are known. It's a case of pitying, too, the poor motorist who has to stand for the inefficient traffic management which police must in when working under suck handicaps. Some day city o will see the advantage in providing comforts for those who are charged with such important duties. Back The the athlete in perfect condi- tion needs to make the most of evelg‘oppormnity to relax, how much more important these mo- ments are to the rest of us! Checkupthe numberof hoursyou spendin yourcar. Theyshould be priceless intervals of refreshing rest. Butarethey? Do these hours actually rest and restore your energies or do now exhaust you? Do you ride tensed and strained or comfortably relaxed? In the Stabilated car, you do not hold yourself braced against any fear of sudden thrust o jolt. You soon learn that with their pro- ional control of any rebound orce, Stabilators can be trusted to prevent any sudden jostle or vicious toss. ently, you sit back, relax and rest. WATSON STABILATOR COMPANY OF WASHINGTON, Inc. Distributors 1724 Kalorama Road (Just Of I6th St.) ELAXATION between rounds is vitally necessary to relieve heavy strain on both nerve and muscle. One minute of relaxa- tion is winning fuel for three minutes of smashing effort. It makes possible continued speed and etamina where tautness or tenseness would bring quick fatigue. It is both muscle rest and perve rest, two essential things. Ability to relax between rounds has helped to keep Harry Greb, Middleweight Champion, a ring marvel for fourteen yearsthrough more than 400 stormy battles. s Delivered Prices Effective March 29th De Luxe Roadster, $1060.00 Touring, $960.00 Coach, $103£.00 Coupe, $1010.00 Sedan, $1115.00 De Luxe Touring, $1065.00 De Luxe Coach, $1130.00 De Luxe Coupe, $1080.00 De Luke Sedan, $1205.00 Government Tax Reduction of 2% Allowed to All Oldsmobile Purchasers from February 27th to March 28th, Inclusive - OLDS MOTOR WORKS Division of General Motors Washington Branch, 1625 L St. N.W., Main 4287 DEALERS Wisconsin Motor Co. 1063 Wise. Ave. West 1333 SrABii TORS David 8. Hendrick 1012 14th St. N.W. Main 100 OLDSMOBI n h b 9 = s SR, Get in touch with your near- E . N.W. Frani est Stabilator Dealer -or your own car dealer. Hewill onstrate right on your own car this new ability to ride relaxed. A:l:‘e outstanding G..M. NORRIS H. D. JEFFREY Col. 7484