Evening Star Newspaper, December 19, 1926, Page 82

SUNDAY STAR. DECEMBER 1¢ WASHINGTON. D. C. —ByBECK | 90.000 MOTORISTS FACING LOSS OF THEIR PERMITS NEXT YEAR MOTORING BY "H.I,IAVM ULLMA"V.’ :Failurc to RCHCW O p erators ¥ Card.’ ‘ May Mean Such Congestion That Serious Situation Will Arise. Speedometers may lie, but you can't convince His Honor that . the one on the cop’s motor cycle does. / G / ‘ ITH the national automo-|torist who will but recall his ex- i 1927 but a|perience when the brakes on his and the |carlier cars were not working so Every motorist has noticed motordom is enioving the {that when linings are wet it re- apportumity 1o take stock |quires longer application of the stands. The pres- |hrakes to stop the car. Under such with exceptional | circumstances, the longer the brakes enthusiasm. ran into a negligible lare on the more the linings are wave of pessimism, shot into mid- | hcated and the better they grip the Summer madness and is ending "Pfdm""' y with an optimistic note. It is agreed | Think of this in the lightyof the generally that it has been an amaz- | greater number of revolutfons a ing motor vear, but all are asking:|smaller wheel must make to cover a “What of 192777 given distance. After a driver starts Much can be learned. however. by | to apply his brakes, the greater is a hrief curvey of the experiences of | the number of revolutions the as well as in former vears.|smalier wheel makes. This means hile shows of weeks away closeted in con- fwell. | Fifty or sixty thousand Washing-| Parmits numbered from 1 tn 56,000 ts are likely to he deprived | Were called in for renewal hefora Da mber 1, with the remainder dus for {ssue in groups befors May 1. In other words, a_scheduls proportionad ) the foree of clerks availahle was worked out by trafMe officials and re qiired the co-operation of permit holders to be satisfactory in its results Instead of applying At the rate of 000 a day for the new cards, motor are seeking them only in num averaging 300 a day. At this e It takes hut simple arithme to figure that of the 160,000 permits to be renswed there will be & large number that can't he handled with in the next six months, leven if the number applicants increases few Shdastcy ton mot of next Summer | When the touring season is at ita| height and the lure of the highways | strongest, this number may he| | forced to forego their enjfoyment be. causa they played the part of the pro crastinator for nearly a‘year District trafic authorities have heen | urging motorists of the National Cap ital for many weeks now to renew | their permits, which hecome invalid | on July 3 next They have heen invit Ing them and preesing them and con their operators’ permits ference, annual and see where it ent vear opeaed | is b this year Not everything that dicted has come true Why? One analysis thase who seck to dr shows 1t has been pre- is because aw conclusions or make predictions fail to consider the underlying Thic is exceptionally trends of progress. well illustrated in the matter of installment buying, severely oi prominence, so men upheld by men of foresight. | automobile predicted that the condemned by many vigorously It was s0 dustry would crash on the rocks of overextended credit arguments were adv port of this few considered the Many excellent anced in sup- belief. but apparently fact that the automobile now is available to every man or woman who is willing to in- | work. Of course. credit has undergone adjustment. What piece of mecha- nism can operate perfectly without a bit of tinkcring on the part of its operator? The new vear will start with the industry and the business men.of the country sold on the im- portance of credit buying of motor transportation, and all because 1926 has taught another lesson, * koo Truly, 1926 has been a great in- structor. It has demonstrated that no matter how solidly entrenched the so-called 'standard makes of cars ' are, nor how successful they are, it is possible in any year to bring out a new car that will break all first- year production records. The current year has demonstrated that so long as the automobile keeps ultramodern and offers the public something it wants, the prospective glut of the used-car market cannot hold back production. It has demonstrated that there is no outstanding preference for any size of car, any number of cylinders, any type of body, any color scheme; any type of engine or any price class. It has revealed that a bad motor year does not have to follow a good one, that-the unforgiveable sin in manufacturing is cutting corners on ‘quality and that companies, ably managed, can stage come-backs. One of the most important things it has demonstrated is that despite all trends, movements, opinions and legislation, the matters of parking, traffic and safety are moving slowly, but surely, in definite directions— and toward progress. The increasing use of the motor bus in cities is speeding up traffic because motor busses, unlike street cars, can work without excessive blocking of traffic. America is mov- * ing out from the congested centers so that people can use their cars and live; and business is moving out, too. This is not going to leave es- sential downtown business hirfih and dry. Rather it will hasten the de- velopment of adequate arteries of downtown motor travel with conven- | ience in stopping before any edifice wmnd provision for parking via stor- sge. 1 m Shan 2 Freq that parking picture, because to a nmodate evers wi'l * oK ok Who can review 1926 without ap- preciating that traffic control is be- roming automatic, with the human elemeént submerged to a point where there is less and less misplaced in- wividualism at intersections. Where the convenience of the whole is de- endent upor the complete co-opera- jon of its every unit there is no <ountenancing individualism, for a t!::h of wills is an annoyance to all treet users. Also the year has demonstrated new the fallacy of over-regulation. "Be the predictions for the coming }vear what they will, the laws of tuman behavior tell us that when fthe pendulum has swung its full Hength in one direction it will go just as far in the opposite direction. The safety situation, as analyzed 4y those who believe that natural J2ws mold 21l these matters and who can point to 1926 as evidence of it, js following the lines of social evo- Jution. The public has not as yet veached the point where it is con- vinced that to survive is to be care- ful This is a conviction reserved for 2 growing generation. as is well il ted hy the frequent observa- 4 voung child will manifest ¢ intelligence crossing the street middle-aged man or woman ntly the theory ic advanced pass out of the there no room body. and mo ill not spend the money re- iowntown storage. No prophet will hazard any h prediction for the coming year, [ ws that the Nation, as e world, is stepping on to greater intelligence in the problem of finding a stapping place for its automobiles. What of 19272" era of answer to that lies in the an- | swer to “What of 1926” and the years hefore? The laws of human be- havior and of, evolution are the best de to the immediate future in < hiledom. Motordom is going shead: not bhack. It modern world and follows its gen- 1f you tions t want to test at and he showtime. made be tween match them again<t the hroad and more re- liable oheervations on human bhe will * 1as shopping at 10t be a bad 1dea of overtime it< height, it might to e the price arking. i . * x % x In turning to smaller wheels, car manufacturers have given the mo- torist greater safety. This fact, however, is not as widely appre- ciated as it should he The contribution of the smaller is part of the |N the numeronc | {that the brake drums will pass each | point on the friction surface of the !bands a greater number of times. The effect on the linings and the efficiency of the brake is such as to make the car stop in a shorter distance than the old machine which was equipped with the large wheels. 1t has been estimated that the saving in stopping distance averages 10 per cent. Just another contribution by the car manufacturers to safety that hasn’t been widely realized. 4 * ok ok % Should brakes be closed or ex- posed? Some years ago a leading manu- facturer took the initiative in mak- | ing brakes very much exposed. The argument was that, with an open type of brake, anything in the way of grease, dirt or water that got in could get out with little trouble. Inclosed brakes, on the contrary, could not rid themselves of grease that might work out of wheel be ings or axles. ime, however, is changing the situation. Inclosed brakes now are held more efficient than exposed brakes, because the chances of in- ternal accumulation of foreign mat- ter are far less than the chances of external interferences. Drivers with external brakes, either of the two or four wheel type, note that rain, snow, ice, dirt, mud, tar and pebbles all interfere with brake action and that almost any ride involves a brush against these hazards. The inclosed brake is not bothered by anything on this order. It fails, or is less effective, only when laboring against i placed” grease. This happens once in a blue moon ‘on any well con- structed and sensibly operated car. * ok ok X Man surely is a creature of habit and custom. Driving along the highway the other day, a seasoned motorist noticed that the car ap- proaching had no front license plate. For an instant he thought to inform the driver of his misfortune, but on second glance he noticed that the man was a tourist. Passing, the car showed that it was registered in a Southern State where only a rear late is required. Yet that car ooked actually unfinished in the front. It simply lacked something to which most motorists have be- come accustomed. * ok k% Why do motorists call the thing that helps lift up the car a “jack”? Elbert Hubbard, in his “Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great,” explains that since the days of Shakespeare any machine or ap- paratus for lifting has been called a “jack.” “The jack was the bearer of bundles,” he says, “a lifter, a puller, a worker. Any coarse bit of mecha- nism was called a jack, and is yet.” (Copyright. 1926.) RULE FOR COILED SPRING Increase Tension by Stretching Wire at Ends. To increase the tension of a coiled wire spring stretch the ends. This simple rule frequently saves discard- ing an old spring that has lost some of its tension. In particular, this rule is useful when going over the hood clamps. Here good spring-tension is essential if the hood is to be held down tightly and kept noiseless. If a clamp seems to be weak, unscrew the handle from the barrel and pull eut the spring. Stretch it. Then press it back into the harrel, fasten it and screw on the handle Did You Know— That a closer gap betwaen spark plug points is necessary if the com- pression of the engine is increased? Thus if new rings have been installed, the points may need a readjustment, whereas if the ine is old and com- pression 1s quite low, the points should be farther apart than the instructions indicate. That there is a big difference be- tween wheelbase length and overall length of care? One car with a wheel base of 127 inches is not as long as another with a wheelbase of 124 inches. Nor is wheelbase always re flected in inside hody dimensions the expert in the way a car rides. That with anti-freeze solutions in the radiator the water laval always should be 3 inches bhelow the top the overflow pipe and 4 inches yatems that do not employ a water A Fine Finish Makes a fine car—and no | finer finish is available for your antomobile than that applied by the famous IN Duco process in onr paint department. | | It Costs No More ! Maintenance Department The Washington.Cadillac Co. Rudolph Jose, Presidens 1222.28 224 St. N.W, Tel. Franklin 3900-01-02 i ® Paint and Service | AUl Makes of Cars 2 2 T T e IIITII1 I wheel tn more effective stopping readily is understandable to the mo- A EASIEST RIDING FOUND ON SIDE OF THE ROAD More Weight on Wheels Cuts Down Jolts, Exploding Popular Fallacy. Wheelbase is most readily detected by | Contrary to general belief, the easiest ride 1s not always had by sit- ting on the side of the car toward the center of the road. Many rear-seat passengers prefer this position, on the theory that the wheels toward the center of the road will have a smoother path at all times, always es- caping the deep holes or high spots along the shoulder. ‘While it is true that the wheels on the right side of the car travel a path that is not so smooth, nevertheless it has been demonstrated that passen. gers sitting on that side of the rear meat are more comfortable. The fact is easily explained: Over a large percentage of roads, especially the rough ones, the car is tilted to the right. This throws a greater amount of weight on the right wheels, robbing those on the left of some of the weight needed for good riding. On the recoil of the springs, followig A severe bump, the left side of the car is more at liberty to go up in the air, carrying its passenger with it. FRONT DRIVE CHAIN RULE. Matter of Determining If It Is Loose Comparatively Easy. ‘Whether the front-end drive chain 18 loose can be decided comparatively simply. With the engine idle grasp an exposed portion of the engine acces- sory shaft and try to turn it. A little play will be noted, and this is about right. If there is no play at ail the chain is too tight, while, on the other hand, ton much free motlon of the shaft Indicates need for tightening. ‘This rule, of course, does not apply to vars equipped with automatic chain take-up. The latter are relatively few. Most chain-timed cars need occasional inspecticn along the lines suggested. Use of Choker Unfortunately mary drivers enter tain the notion that the choker should be used until the engine is warmed up thoroughly and that its setting should remain more or lese constant during the process. However, If these same drivers would observe condf tions a little more closely, they would find that theré are many moments while the engine is being warmed up when it will operate nor- mally without using the choker choker at all. These, then, are the times when the choker should he closed to save unnecessary crankcase dilution and fouling the engine with raw gasoline. The expert always warms up the engine with periodic rather than con- stant use of the choker. However, it is important not to make the mistake of using the, device to its fullest ex- tent each time the engine shows an inclination to stall. There is no need to choke excessively, even if for only a moment or two. 8 Dupont Circle 2819 M St. N.W. e napfa DRIVE GROWS WIDESPREAD Most Cohesive Movement Among Motor- ists Noticed in Year Just Closing, American Associ That the year now drawing to a close witnessed the most widespread cohesive movement among motorists of the United States which has been recorded since the automobile became a factor in transportation s pointed out In- a statement issued yesterday by the American Automobile Assocla- alon. Membership reports coming to the national officers from the affillated clubs of the A A. A. scattered throughout the country reflect the greatest gains recorded in a single twelvemonth, the statement reveals. Many factors have served to make 1926 a vear most provocative af thought on the subject of motoripg, and this thought has been followed by increasing realization of the import- ance of united action, it is pointed out. Safefy Interest Grows. “One of the most vital of these is the tremendous interest in the sub. ject of safety,” says the statement. “Unparalleled attention has heen fo- cused on this question in every walk of life, and the leadership that motor- ing organizations have taken in the matter has served to draw tens of thousands into membership. ““This fact is one of the most inter- esting brought to light in the analysis of membership data and should suc- cessfully refute the idea that progress toward greater safety is retarded by callousness to the issue on the part of the motorist. Out of all the thought on the subject of traffic mis- haps the motorist has emerged with a black eye. Very naturally he re. No single agency is more active in the promotion of safety than the American Automobile Association and its aMliated clubs. Membership in it is tantamount to a sincere effort to ation Announces. | contribute toward a reduction of traf fic accidents, and thousands of motor- ists are joining local clubs because: they are anxious to efface a scar that has heen imposed unfairly on motor- dom."” Car owners' participation in safety campaigns is not traceable to a_ desire to protect their own interest, but di. rectly to a purpose to facllitate any welllald effort to eliminate careless- ness on the part of both driver and pedestrian, the statement points out. Compulsory Insurance Fought. The stand of the American Automo- hile Assoclation against compulsory insurance is another factor that has appealed to the thoughtful motorist, it is argued The thinking motorist is in accord with the A. A. A. belief that compul- sory insurance mever will solve the problem of highway safety,” the atate- ment continyes. ‘““He does not think that a guarantee of financial responsi bility in the case of an injury or death will make the chances of injury or death less remote. To the contrary, he believes that passing the responsi- bility to an insurance company will result in further carelessness. “Like the A. A. A., he is not againat insurance. As a matter of fact, in- surance is one of the features of club membership that appeals to the aver- age car owner. He objects to compul- sory protection on the ground of an unfavorable transfer of responsibility."” Interest in mare good roads, more equitable taxes, fairness in legislation and dozens of other subjects has served to bring an increasingly large number into the membership of clubs, the statement concludes, but these are less important factors at present as in- Aucements to membership than inter- est in safety. . Locking Ignition No Bar to Auto Thief, Mechanic’s Act Provés to Car Owner He had left his car in a repair shop for some important work, but had made the mistake of going away leay tng it locked. 3 “They will have trouble moving the car about,” he reasoned. “I had better g0 back and unlock it." * Five minutes later, he was in the shop again. A mechanic was casually driving his car, apparently quite un concerned over the fact that the ignition had been locked with just ax much certginty as when the owner left it that way in the street, confident it was thiefproof. Of course, the owner knew it was possible to juggle the wires around under the hood In guch a way as to circumvent the ignition switch, but AN HONEST DEAL There is basis for real pride in the fact that customers seldom ask us to guarantee our Used Cars. It indicates that our efforts to build up public confidence were well directed. Our reputation is ample assurance of honest deals and honest values. SEMMES MOTOR COMPANY RAPHAEL SEMMES, President 613 G St. N.W, 1707 14th St. N.W. 1424 Florida Ave. N.E. Main 6660—Night Phone, Main 1943 Aus'&n CAR IS ONLY AS DEPENDABLE AS THE DEALER WHO SELLS IT how had the mechanic quickly? “I just ran a wire from the horn | to the coil” the latter explained. done it =o A\ % = Punctures Blowouts Road Delays Spares to Carry Tire Upkeep Cost . Figure out for yourself what tire service like that would save you. Then come in or call us. Phone for demonstration Lambert Trublpruf Tire Co., Inc. | en Phone North 6548 2203 Fourteenth 8% B ENGLISH AUTO ENGINE STIRS INTEREST IN U. S. New Argyll Type, With Single- Sleeve Valve, Attracts Ameri- can Automotive Engineers. Engineers are manifesting keen in- terest in the detalls of a new automo- bile engine of the Englith Argyll type. which will be exhibited for the first time at the New York automobile show. As described hy W. A. Frederick, t engineer of %he Continental Mo tors Corporation, this new engine dis- penses with poppet-type valves as used in most engines and substitutes a single-sieeve valve. By means of especially designed operating mechanism the single sleeves are caused to reciprocate up and down and also to have a rotary motion around the cylinders, Other mechanical features are detachable cylinder heads, cone-shaped combus- tion chambers, size and shape of the intake and exhaust ports, and the material, design and timing of the sleeve valves. The sliding valves, with worm-drive operating mechanism, make the en- gine silent in operation and tend to eliminate many engine troubles that arise from poppet valves, valve springs, push rods and cam shafts. What’s the Answer? 1. Should a spring ever compress enough to allow the frame to bump the axle? 2. Why do the brakes sometimes ap- ply themselves when going downhill over rough paving? 3. What causes occasional firing on the outside of, a spark plug in cold weather? . 4+ Why does this external short! of the plug tend to occur mainiy wher the engine is idling? i 5. What causes the outside of a fan heit to show wear on some cars? (Think these over during the week and look for ‘the answers in this department next Sunday. You may be wrong!) & A0 VTP W14 o 54 R AR AT WHEN BETTER | tinually jogging the coliective memory | | \ | | woula | rate | are obtaining the new cards. | such | extraordinary | of the traffic office | his | happ | permitless individuals. of motordom on the renewal question with contparatively little success. Over and above the constant urging | there now looms the probability of thousands of cre owners and others who drive cars be. ing decidedly “out of luck,” as the| saying goes, next Juiy. | Were the possibilify a vague one it | sufficiently alarming, trafc | authorities believe, but. Traffic Diree tor F'dridze declares, the likelihood of | the Joge of permits by this great num ber is extremely probable at the slow at which holders of old permits Remote’ Chance of Relief. Unless, of course, there should be special congressional action or some unexpected occurrence. but means is not likely to he forthcoming, according to present indications. “But,” some one may point out be nignly, with the air of one settling the problem in a broad flourish, “‘why not merely issue the renewal permits | just so much faster during the next &ix months, and every one will have permit and every one will be If that were possible with present facilities, traffic officials would not be verging on the point of exas- peration at the indifference and aplomb on the part of the motorists who are liable to be deprived of their permits. Extra clerical personnel has been provided for the reissue of operators’ licenses, but the appropriations for paying the salaries of this force lapse July 3. After that date new permits only can be made out by the clerks needed to handle the cards granted to new drivers. With such a limited force, authorities declare, it is going to be a physical impossibility to make headway with the vast .number of It will require more than three years, Director Eldridge asserts, to reissue the outstanding cards that probably will be invalidated next July. 160,000 Renewals Estimated. When the task of renewing permits began the total number that had been issued was 212,800, the oldest having been given out 23 years ago. It is expected that about 160,000 are held by persons who will seek renewal. Of this number there are about 100,000 still unrenewed, and only about half can he handled if motorists continue to be lax in this resp appreciably. I permits will happen? Traflc authorities say there will he two things that should spell mis aren’t renswed what | fortune for the invalid-permit holder Old Cards Not Accepted. First, the old cards no longer will he aceepted by the licanses to Grive automobiles. Conss- quently, the men caught at the wheel of a car in the act of vislat ing the traffc regulations will ha simply driving without a permit, if he has to hand the officer ona of the cards that will be out of date. That would be bad enough, hut the motorist whose permit has lapsad may say to himself, “I'll et another right away by to the traffic office and filling out an appli cation blank.” But right there is the hitch No one, no matter how long has driven a car will he granted a permit unless dhe gives a demonstra tion of his driving skill. At least that is tha ultimatum of Director Eldridge. Ask a brand-new driver how much he enjoyed that demonstration if memory is not too undependable hark back to a personal experience doing the same thing. . There are varfous types of lax permit holders, according to the traffic authorities. Chief among them are said to be those who simply con- tinue to put off the obtaining of a new card. Then there is another group of persons who seek to save the proportionate share of the $3 fee and its Interest by waliting sev- eral months. For this second group the traffic director takes Wencil in hand to show that they will save 9 cents in terest at 6 per cent if they walt six months to renew and as a result may lose their permits for many months. Of course, the director points out, these mgrsons probahly never have thought Serfously of the matter in this ligh The large majority. naturally, com- prise the “put-it-offs.” It fa this number that trafic officials are hop- ing will undergo a change of heart Incidentally, the penalty for driv- ing without a permit is a fine of not more than $300 or imprisonment. for not more than six months, or bheth police as valid going down Successful Sales Manager Wants to Change Now doing sales promotion Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. and organization work through The wholesale representa- tive of one of the largest automobile manufacturers desires to come in contact with a Washington de: who is an intelligent producer. Has had local retail experience, is college trained, age and married. He is particula aler in need of a sales manager 3 years of rly desirous of settling down in Washington, and putting his shoylder to the wheel with a progressive dealer organization. Replies Confidential. Address BOX 127—X Star Office L D UTOMOBILES ARE BUILT—BUICK WILL BUILD THEM THE FAMILIAR PHRASE AS GOOD AS - BUICK SUGGESTS THAT YOU SEE AND DRIVE THE CAR THAT OTHERS USE AS A STANDARD OF COMPARISON BEFORE YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY EMERSON & ORME BUICK DEALERS cordially invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to see and drive any model at any time to suit your , Simply telephone Franklin 3860 or stop in at 1620 M Street N.W. or 1016 Connecticut Avenue. convenience. g o v e g g