Evening Star Newspaper, August 7, 1927, Page 51

OTORING BY WILLIA, M ULLMAN, The rapidity with which the four wheels are traveling has a great deal to do with the efficiency of four-wheel brakes. OTORDOM'S progress in the ways of better cars, hetter repair service, better high- wavs and improved traffic regulation is weil known. There is. however, one phase of motoring that is almost as old as the motor car iteelf, the progress of which is heir looked upon by many car owners with increasing skepticism That is public garaging There is not much doubt ahout the improvement in the physical structure of the great automobile storage plants, with their fine cleva- tor and ramp systems, their efficient equipment for washing and greasing cars and the like, but, motorists ask | in increasing number, is the service one gets improved? Is the «tored with greater care <o that fenders, running hoards, bumpers and even bodies themselves are mnot marred, dented and scratched? Ts the car washed and polished with that degree of pericction that has heen made necessary by the super- latively fine finish its manufacturer has provided> Is the excel’nt oil- ing and greasing equipment 1 od to reach every vital part of the mecha- nism thoroughly. and. the same time, with the necatness with which it may he used? In short, i< the man whao owns a motor car_in_which he takes the greatest of pride able to find stor- age quarters where it will receive the attention it deserves, the service he de < and for which he is more than willing to pay > " % &k of motoriste sis question with a No.” Others, seem- | trate, if only because | they acrimoninus, declare that may be done, at the same | time admitting that it is a task that requires considerable patience, and, as one big figure in the automohile industry declares, “lots of experience —maost of it had Analysis of the compla against scores of public garages—and there are complaints against those that ap- pear to be the hest as well as the worst—reveals that the ‘thing mo- torists most resent is the careless- ness with which their ¢ handled. Touri.ts who patronize the | hest of hotels and who garage their cars in establishments recommended, operated. by the hos- h they stav, are par- ticularly bitter in their prote. on this ccore. And even the city mo- torict who stores his car in the neigh- | borhood garage is not far hehind in the harshness of his complaint in | many hundreds of cases. Here is an illustration of the lat- ter individuals point of view : The man had a fine car, vividly fin- | ished. He wanted it always to ap- prar at it< hest, glistening and un- marred. Cost was no object; the| scrvice was what he wanted. So he | <tored his car in one of the fin Inoking and most expensive establi ments in the city in which he lived. Within two m-nths the car took on the appearance of age and disrepute that can come only from dented fenders. broken running hoard edges, nickel shatter=d and hroken on the front humper and one of the bumper- ettes on the rear and the glossy. black finish scratched and streaked as a result of the dirty, gritty rag used by attendants in cleaning it. Perhaps this case is an extreme and does not represent the fate of the average individual who stores his car in this type of establishment, hut it does chow the extent to which | carelessness will go and, as its victim says. the need for a right-about-face | on the part of the public garage. * ok X X Thousands cvery- where answer chort, emphatic ingly it Explaining the condition, one mo- tor car owner, who has had wide and often unfavorable experience with public garages, asserts: | “Such establishments lose sight of the cardinal fact that their patronage | comes from individuals who want | their cars kept in perfect appearance. 1f owners were not d)scriminatlng’ and proud of their cars, they would | not mind leaving them in the street.| and the public garage would have much less to do. My experience in- cludes that at home and en tour, and | although the latter has heen the worse, the former has not been up to expectation at all times. | “A great many of the cars so ga- | raged are good cars, expensive ma- | chines. But theyv will not stand being | bumped against other machines, pil- | lars and walls. They are finely fin-| iched, but dirty and gritty rags used | in cleaning soon will mar the finish. Now, these establichments have the facilities that would permit them to give the finest service. \Whdt they lack, apparently, “is careful, intelli- gent staffs to man these facilities.” This point of view is typical among those who condemn many practices of the public garage. emplo in several cases investigated known to be great, variously are ex- coriated as “careless,” “smart-alecks,” “Qip” and “playful” The charge that they joy-ride in patrons’ cars is heard less and less, but that they harm them by carelessness in putting them The | away and in waching still i an active | subject in motordom. In addition, owners have found that “experi- mente” conducted by the employes of the garage have resulted in mal- adjusted carburetors, variously crip- pled ignition syctems and other me- chanical faulte | As a result the thought is grow- ing that the time i< ripe for genuine progress in the garaging field, prog- that in step with that re- corded in other phases of motordom Various suggestions are offered. They | include a demand for— More permanent staffs composed of older. more substantial men More thorough supervision of every ngle department, with particular at- who store the ployes who op- tention to the driver cars and to those en erate the wash racks Complete elimination of the tip- ping system, which is declared to be “a2 form of bribery to get an em- ploye of the establishment to give the kind of careful service that the garage itself should give.” * ok k o Establishments that meet all these specifications are in operation, and the pattern having been cut, there is | increasing insistence that it be ad- hered to generally. Rates charged by garages vary just as the charges of hotels and restaurants differ, but it is charged the standards of service hetween the lowest and highest priced garages vary far less than be- tween the hotel with the low rates and the one that is most expensive, car | | through are | | specifying that this must be done when within 500 and 600 feet, respec- | tively, | the ravs must be so directed as not | | new viewpoint in the matter of dis- | removed, although |the opening of the highway, however, | Richmond | been opened 10 years ago Waching- of rhe“ among whom the turnover, is ! | In the restaurant field, for instance, | one may humor one's choice from {the “hash-house” to the first-class | cafe. In the garage field, however, | there appear to he entirely too many “hash-houses,” and the motor car lowner who wants smart, efficient, first-class service scemingly is not {catered to. | Many declare that what is needed is a higher type of establishment, | where the fastidious car owner who | is willing to pay can garage his car | {and have it turned back to him spick-and-span i appearance, clean |inside and out, water in the radiator, | air in the tires and all instructions in | regard to gas and oil carried out re- ligiously. * \s to tourists, there is a growing feeling among them that their “for- cign” license plate identifies them to the garage man as individuals who “won't he back, anyhow,” with the result that their cars get as little consideration as possible With complaints of this character | being heard on all sides, it is obvious that the garage that can prove itself | to be thoroughly cfficient in every | respect is on the eve of reaping a financial harvest. Certainly there | must be hundreds of cases where | <ervice can be improved with respect to local and tourist trade. Progress is profit to the garage man, as to every other merchandiser. ok ox X Spotlights having come back into general vogue, motor car owners who are planning tours that carry them | several States should ac- quaint themselves with the regula-| tions applying 1o this type of auxil-| iary lamp. In this connection it may | he said that all States permit the use | of such lights, although in the case | of five very definite restrictions are | imposed. New Jersey has the most rigorous limitation on spotlights, for under its | motor vehicle regulations these de- vices may he used only for the pur- | pose of reading foad signs and street | addresses | Virginia imposes the restriction | | that all such lights are prohibited unAL less they are designed so as to pre- vent glare. This _ regulation, of | course, is met hy virtually all <pot- | lights, and if the lenx itself is not sufficient for the spurpose of over- coming blinding rays, it is possible 5o to focus the light that it will come within the law. New Mexico, South Carolina and Texas require that spotlights be ex- | tinguished when approaching other vehicles, the laws of the first two | | | | | : 5l the oncoming car. No| specified in the Texas of distance is regulation. | _Many other States have regula- | tions applying to spotlights. but. in | the main, they concern the fact that | to prove dangerous to other highway users. Thus, the motorist planning | a tour may regard himself as within the law if he uses his spotlight with a reasonable degree of discretion, ex- cept in the five States mentioned | which have their special require- | ments regarding such illumination ! devices. | oo How good roads hring an entirely | tances could not be displaved to bet- ter advantage than has been brought forth with the opening of the Rich- | mond-Washington highway. Balti- | more for vears has been considered | | 2 jaunt so short that it might be to one of the suburbe, and vice versa. | Richmond was thought by most Washington motorists as a spot far | : it is only 110 miles away by the new road. With suddenly hecomes just around the corner. Had that road ton-Richmond trips now probably would be quite as frequent as Wash- ington-Baltimore and \Washington- Philadelphia jumps. Just a close-at- hand illustration of what good roads really mean. * k¥ o A short stretch of highway in the District which is being made increas- ingly dangerous by a heavv concen- tration of traffic and not a little reck- less speeding is Bradley lane hetween Connecticut and Wisconsin avenues. Particularly at certain hours of the evening is this street especially haz- ardous to negotiate. Then blinding headlights, a long line of cars, broken now and then by some thoughtless motorist seeking to pass his fellows for no good reason at all, and the | narrow road, combins to make the {drive one fraught with real danger unless exceptional care is exercised. | Rigid enforcement of the regulations | on Bradiey lane is absolutely essen. | tial in the interest of safety. | ok ok % _Every cloud has a silver lining, and, | similarly, every silver lining is hiding {a dark cloud somewhere. TFor inc | stance, Connecticut avenue is heing {paved from Calvert street north to | Cathedral avenue. It long has needed | it. and motorists are happy to wit- | | ness the improvement in the making, | | Thousande of cars use thic street | daily, and now these streams of traffic | are ‘being diverted through Woodley | | place. just one block east of Con. | | | necticut avenue. The result already is to be seen in growing ruts here [and there in the hitherto impeccable | | surface of Woodley place. It begins | to look as though when Connecticut |avenue is completed. repairs on the splendid detour will be in order. * ook i An improvement which is rather emphatically needed, and one which | | would meet with the approval of every motorist in Washington, would | be the widening of the road which | cuts through the center of the Zoo! park. This thoroughfare, in addi. ! tion to carrving a lot of what might | be called park traffic, also moves a| very considerable amount of traffic | 8oing across town. Although this | road is closed after dark, the volume | “a( traffic with which it is burdened! | throughout the day and on Sundays| i\\ ould amply justify a widening pro- | | gram. | Modernize 01} Engines, | An old engine can be modernized somewhat by drilling holes through | the base of the valve compartment so { that oil from the crankcase will splash | through there and lubricate the valves more effectively. The work, of course, thould be done oniy after the crank- cate has bheen removed to prevent filings from getting into the oiling eystem. Z i) | premote interchangeability and elimi- | activities also are designed to facili- | Tex., if experiments now being con- | | white or THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., A[’Gt’ST 7. 1927—PART 8.~ STAR TOURIST BLAZES EASTERN SHORE BOULEVARD TRAIL. — WILMINGTON The Sundap Star's MOTOR TOURS The delightful tour of approximately 400 miles sketched above leads the motorist over a route that Starting over the Defense Highway to Annapolis, the motorist there crosses th The route goes eastward from Claiborne over hard-surfaced roadway to Berlin, where it joins the famous Dupont From Berlin the tourist has before him more than a hundred-mile ride over the land and Delaware. ing Eastern Shore section of Maryland. Highway. broad, smooth Dupont Highw return is through Havre de G Arrows, A side trip may be made to Ocean City, Md., a seaside vesort. The route may be followed to include Wilmington, or one may turn off at Farnhurst and go over to Marshallton. re to Baltimore and back over the Baltimore Boulevard. They may be reached over good roads from the Dupont Highway. Canada Extends Period of Permits For U.S.Motorists Motorists from the United Sta‘es hercafter will be privileged to re- main in the Dominion of Canada £0 days instead of 30 dave, which formerly was the period for which a permit was issued. The-change also provides for a 30-day_extension after the expira- tion of the initial period. Word of the new ruling was re. ceived recently at national head- quarters of the American Automo- bile Association from the Canadian Automobile Association. The lat- ter organization conducted the ne- gotiations which led the Canadian government to authorize a length- ened stay for motorists from this countr . CONTINUE PROMOTION OF STANDARDIZATION Automotive Engineers Reannounce Policy for Interchangeability of Parts and Units. | | Standardization of specifications to | nate unnecessary variety of parts and units will continue to he the policy of the standardization activities of the Society of Automotive Engineers, it was announced at the recent annual meeting of the organization. These tate production and maintenance, pro- mote uniform methods of testinz, es- tahlish nomenclature and standardize performance and operation tests, as | well as set up standards for the pro- | motion of safety. Provision has heen made +o0 that the policy of standardization of specifica tions will not interfere with individ- uality of design, construction, per- formance or operation, according to the standardization policy committee, It also is provided that specifications <hall not be standardized unless a suf- ficlent desire for standards on a sug- gested subject is expressed by the in- dustries affected. ¥ The setting up of specifications for 3 material, device or process is not precluded by the fact that patent or protected rights may relate to the | subject, but when a patent right is known to be involved, the subject 18 to be referred to the patent committee tor consideration and recommendation as to action. HIGHWAYS TO MATCH GREEN SURROUNDINGS Texas to Try Roads Blending With Grass and Crops, Eliminat- ing Glare. Concrete roads which will blend in with the green fields and countryside soon will greet the eye of motorists traveling through Cameron County, | ducted prove successful. | An issue of $6,000,000 of honds I'e-! cently was voted by the county lnrl concrete highways, and it is planned | 10 mix a green coloring fluid with the paving material. This will eliminate the glare resultant from the present gray roads. Experiments now heing conducted will determine the amount of coloring fluid needed as well as the cost it will entail Cameron County is located in the, extreme southern part of the Lone ! Star State and, it is believed, the color | will harmonize well with the rich semi tropical verdure and growing crops of the region which the roads will tra- verse, the promoters of the novel idea declare, From an artistic standpoint, the green colored highways also will have an appeal that is not found in llwI white or drab colored pavement, it is | asserted. | oilin e e | . | London in War on Jay-Walkers. | Always polite, London now has begun a war on jay-walkers by the use of polite signs. ‘“Please walk here" are the words on signs at c:'oulnn in crowded sections of the city, When is an automobile so old and decrepit that its use is a public haz- ard? Answers to this question probably would vary considerably among mo- torists as well as among automotive engineers and trained mechanics. One might insist upon the steering mecha. nism being in goed shape. Another might stipulate satisfactory braking equipment as essential to safety. Still other opinions probably would empha. size several items of mechanical equipment as being extremely neces- sary to the sate operation of the car. During the last few vears there has been an increasingly greater tendency on the part of State highway depart- ments to regulate the use of aged cars by law and to place it within the power of some official to order off the streets automobiles evidently unfit for driving. Pennsylvania Control. Tn the newly adopted motor vehicle code of the State of Pennsylvania there is a provision which empowers the secretary of hizhways, as head of the highw: commission, to pass upon the usability of any automebile. This provision is phrased aa follows “The secretary may suspend the registration of any motor vehicle which the secretary is determined is unsafe or unfit to he operated is not equipped as required by law." By suspension of the registration of the car the State thus makes it im possible for the owner to operate it legally. The wording of the provision is necescarily general, but in its en- forcement there must be a certain de- gree of exact interpretation upon which to base violations. To achieve this definiteness the highway depart- ment has formulated a definite policy in which is stipulated the various de- fects which may bhe considered as vendering an automobile unsafe for operation on street or highway. These mechanical shortcomings were outlined in a letter to William H. Harland, Washinzton's director of traffic, as follows 1. Unsafe if not having equipment in good condition. 2. Loose steering mechanism, per- mitting wheels to oscillate. 3. Bent or broken radius rod. 4. A motor vehicle which has heen subjected to misuse. neglect or acci- dent so as to affect its stability or reliability to an extent that it will not withstand normal strain and road braking MOTORING EXPRESSIONS DIFFERENT IN ENGLAND to British Au- toist. American motorists who travel in England must not be surprised if, upon asking an English garage man to lift the hood of their car, he starts working on the top, putting it either up or down, as the case may be. Nor | if the garageman asks the motorist how he got s0 much mud on his ben net, the hat shouldn't be taken off and inspected. It merely is a difference in expres- sion which, under circumstances, might cause some confusion. The term “hood” in England is the same as “top” in the United States, while “‘bonnet” over there goes for “hood” here, There are other differences, such as strangler for ‘choke, saloon for sedan, screen for windshield and accumulator for storage battery. — e HAWKINS _/ZG0I NASH UL MOTOR CO. Conveniently Located on Fourteenth Street 1333-37 14th St Main 5780 | | Hood Is Bonnet and Top Is Hood | { | | | afi/y7l‘yw/ Z¥ UM v73d Shelbyvill o IN EAN traverses some of the finest touring territory of Ma Claiborne Ferry and then is in the quaint and fascinat- The The approaches to Atlantic City and Cape May are indicated by |CAR’S CONDITION HELD FACTOR |Road Development IN SAFETY OF OTHER AUTOISTS In China to. Help Sales of U. S. Cars Increased sales ‘of American motor cars are expected to result from the development of roads which now is going on in Southern China Hongkong, with its 234 miles of improved roads, has be- come one of the most important markets in this district for Ameri- can cars, lamps, horn, mirror, windshield wiper, muffler and tives. In the opinion of traffic officials and students of public safety work, Penn- sylvania's code not only is a step in the direction of safe driving, but the policy which has been worked out in elaboration of the code constitutes a valuable definition of the character- istics of an automobile that should not be in use. | NO Other Automobile In The World So Meets American Needs NEWCOMERS IN TOURIST LIFE OFTEN MAY LOSE THEIR WAY Many Experienced Campers Find Difficulty and Lose Valuable Roads—Some Pert Newcomers to the motor camping | world probably have given little | thought to the possibility of becoming | lost while on tour. and because of the great svstem of highways which stretches from the Atlantic to the Pa- | cific and from the Gulf well up into | Canada, many believe that it is im-| possible for any motorist. no matter | how unfamiliar with the section of | the country, to have real difficulty in | getting back to civilization However, even experienced motorists eometimes do lose their way and are forced to devote precious hours in get ting back to a spot from whence they may continue their journey pecially is this true when explor Ing new roads in those sections of the | country which are sparsely inhabited. in itself one of the greatest delights in motoring. These roads often lead to nature's beauty spots and in prac- | tically every case they will reward | the one who has been adventurous enough to risk them | In certain sections of the country there are roads used perhaps onl once a day. and sometimes even less In case of getting lost on such a by- way the novice probably will start back the way he came, soon to find himself in a worse tangle than before. It is too easy to take the wrong fork of the road when one has not watched for landmarks and does not remember that in returning the lay of the land | is reversed. Needed Equipment Cited. | When the motorist starts exploring | unknown territory he must equip him. | self with certain essentials, one of | the chief of which is some knowledze | of the out-of-doors, which will enable him to direct his car properly and | arrive at his destination without mis- hap. A number of experienced campers, hikers and motor tourists have been ilted with & _view to offering the a few rules that will obviate anger of becoming lost and make his® outings the uninterrupted delight he intended them to be. Almost in- variably, however, experienced per- | sons insist that rules alone will not do. It seeims that one must acquire a sort of knack of knowing what to do when lost, and more particularly of knowing how to keep from being lost. One _veteran camper points out that while the automobile itself offers a quick means of getting back to the main highwav, if one has strayed off the route, this advantage frequently is a disadvantage, for the tourist is | likely to lose himself with greater speed by reason of the willingness of the car to take him away from the beaten track as quickly as it will bring him back—if he knows the wa Just as it is ingdvisable ‘to run around in circles when lost in the woods alone, so is it a poor plan to try out every stray road encountered when lost with the car, according to experienced motorisf Remaining cool, calm and collected. they insist, is the first rule of the game and the basis of the knack in developing a 800d bump of location. The first thing to do when the country looks alarmingly strange and the roads are leading nowhere is to | mark clearly the place where one is lost. This is what the motor camper should do if he happeps to stray off into the woods and cannot find his way back to the camp site. The natu- | ral impulse under such circumstance: it is said, is to start driving desper. ately in some one direction. or to start Points of Comparig Wheelbase . Ty Cra; 8. A. E. Ratin, Actual Ho, Bythe Judgment of 150 Leading Automotive Engineers No other automobile in the world so meets the needs of the average American fam- ily as does the Reo Flying Cloud Sedan—if you’ll be- lieve the statements of 150 leading automotive engineers. And there is no reason why you should not believe them. For they, members of the Metropolitan Section of the Society of Automotive Engi- neers, made public their most Jzeply cherished ideas in a The “ldeal” car provide comfort, in every way. neers could do The specifications of the *Ideal” car are shown at the right. It has 6 cylinders, not 8 nor 4. It is exactly 121” long, not 116” or 126" It has an L Head Motor, of exactly the same bore and stroke as that of the Flying Cloud. recent contest for the design of an “Ideal” American car. They had nothing to sell. They did not know of the Reo Flying Cloud. They specified exactly what they were sure was best. From 150 sets of specifications, a composite “Ideal” car was synthesized. In all major respects, in fact, it is identical with the new Reo Flying Cloud. And no othér automobile in the world even approaches the Reo Fly- has made Reo the tions would build an Be Sure.to Try One Out Yet the best the 150 engi- is almost exactly like the Reo Flying Cloud. And to specifications car for the American family, for American conditions; a car that would meet the stand- ards which Americans de- mand in the things they own. ing Cloud in its identity with the “Ideal” American car. was de- signed to give swift accelera- tion, high speed AND great power. It was engineered to exceptional to be controlled very easily, to be economical e, o H iptic §; riding Rubber Sugpriom. Shackles lioon T; Arrill, = Brake 7P*Wheels L Poor Internal, wh, 2 Hand-Externa| Drive Shate , , 'nd Lever Steer. G S e rine . o T ThreeFormardSpeedy b tion of Piston Pig which agree, Reo adds that degree of durability which longest lasting American car. 2 Tty out a Flying Cloud to- day, and you'll understand why 150 leading engineers agreed that similar specifica- “Ideal” One Snubbers A N, Since fo Cloud, they bl co o Comparison of s, . Tdeal Car g Pecifications Time in Hunting inent Suggestions. running about. as in the cast of the man who is lost while afoot. If the point where one was originally lost is not marked, one is likely to run around in circles without realizing it, thus wasting a lot of good energy to no purpose It the adventurer happens to be in his car at the time he will be wasting precious gasoline in addition to his own energy. That is one reason why it is frequently advisable to step out of the car under such circumstances and explore the situation afoot The car itself makes an excellent mark of the original point of becom- inz lost, and if some member of the party will remain with the car and sound the horn occasionally the ex- plorer will have an excellent guida in event of any difficulty in finding his way back 1o the car. No matter how lost or puzzled re- garding the way, experienced tourists advise to switch off the ignition and save the gas. Some motorists will allow their engines to idle for as much as 10 minutes at a stretch while they browse about trying to get a line on where they are. This only aggra- vates the situation and frequently serves to deafen the driver to sounds that might serve to give him a clue as_to his whereaboufs. With the engine running. for in- stance, a distant train whistle might pass unnoticed. The cackling of a hen or the familiar utterances of some other domestic animal indicates the proximity of a farm, and the rational motorist” will set out to look for it. He is likely to miss such clues alto- gether, however, if he hears nothing but the clattering of his own engine. When one {s lost with the car it is usually an easy matter to drive up to nearest high point. From there a view of the surrounding country may tead to discovery of a main highway in the distance.” Even if the way to reach it is not at ance apparent, know- ing the general direction will be a very great help. Point to Remember. It is important to remember to se- lect the wider and more traveled road whenever approaching a fork. Some- times it is not easy to choose the bet- ter traveled road from those that do not seem to he traveled at all, but in- spection of the ground generally will reveal tire marks, hoof impressions or footprints. It the motorist will make a wise choice at each fork, he soon will reach civilization. One difficulty with the automobile is that it sometimes adds to the problem by breaking down. Failing to start r, the tourist then is on his own resources and finds himself in the po- sition of a hiker who has lost his bearings. The car may have broken down in some wooded path where au- tomobiles do not pass more frequently than once a day or once a week, and he is then as badly off as the man who gazes up at the tall timber and realizes that he is lost. Here is where certain preparations are advisable. Always Carry a Compass. In the first place, one always should be equipped with a compass, although xperienced travelers agree that a compass is useless unless one has had some experience in using it. The six requisites of the hiker's or camper's equipment—ax compass matches, whistle, knife and first-aid kit—apply to all who adventure off the mair traveled lines, but in each instance it is highly important to know how t¢ use of these lifesavers. for M. The Reg MSS.AE. f - E. Number of Cylinder, &1 ""ches ‘yoe of Motoy 05" & Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Direc, Seencter, hanical esf developacme 1n industry Yes Yes Yes res. Yes Same PleceW, (Also furnigh R ;:::dd Yes Yes Mohaly = Ne No . Yes Front and rear Yes, a Yer Yes , in 0e two-sh, The REO FLYING CLOUD -— .. THE TREW MOTOR COMPANY JOSEPH B. TREW, President 1509-1511 14th St. N.W. Main 4173 Northeast Branch, 10th and H Sts. Maintenance Bldg., 1437 Irving St. N.W. (F. W. Sehnelder, Branch Manager) Salesrooms Opew Daily Until 10 P.M.~Sunday Until § P.M.