Evening Star Newspaper, December 29, 1929, Page 59

T is being predicted that in the near future speed laws will be abandoned by the authorities in the various States as un- necessary. Should this prediction come to pass, and it seems llkelf'. it will not mean that a vehicle can be driven without any re- striction in regard to its speed everywhere and at all times. It will mean that the driver shall have his car under control and the rate be reasonable. In other words, speed laws and limits will give way to regulations prohibiting reckless driving. Ten or even 5 miles an hour may be reckless in certain sections of the scity at certain times, This idea has been expounded by the local courts. It does seem foolish for a- mo- torist to be arrested for driving a few miles over the prescribed limit it his driving is not dangerous. More foolish is it that if convicted three times for such an infringe- ment on the regulations here, he may be jailed and have his license to drive revoked. After all, is there any one who does not speed up a little bit over the limit during the week, if at the time the blue uniform of a po- liceman is not apparent? Very few, if any. Therefore, if every one was detected it would not be long before there would be no au- tomobiles orernlng on the streets of our cities, for every one’s license would be revoked or sus- pended. End Appears on Way. ‘The cities will be the last places to abolish speed laws, in all prob- ability, but the day appears to be on the way. Recognition of the fact that speed is possible with safety has recently n given by 17 States which have raised their speed limits. Four States have gone so far as not to place any definite limit on speed other than a rate which is not unreasonable and improper. Other States also have adopted this method. Further, in most States speeds in excess of the limit specified do not call for ent if it can be shown at the greater speed was*safe under the circumstances. From the mechanical stand- Emth:mlt all cars are capable of avel at fairly high rates of speed with safety. However, speed with safety also dependent upon highway facilities. This is particularly true in and near met- ropolitan areas, where most mo- toring is done. Here speed with safety is dependent upon the pro- wision of wide, smooth pavements and elevated grade separations. This Saturday the big automo- bile show opens in New York. At Grand Central Palace King Auto will preside for one week. Forty- six makes of passenger cars will be on display, two of them being of foreign vintage, the remaining American. Two makes of taxi- cabs will stand by with unclick- l!}g meters, and 125 accessory ex- hibits will be revealed. ~ From advanced reports ema- nating from Detroit, Indianapolis, Buffalo and other automobile manufacturing centers, show visi- tors may be prepared to see some striking designs far surpassing any previous attempts at making cars beautiful. Regardless of what the manufacturers may announce as to mechanical improvements, the fact remains that from a sales glnt of view they plan to rely on e appeal to the eye. Will Have Interest. All indications go to prove that the show will have its annual in- terest and that visitors will once again break attendance records. The pilgrimage of members of the Washington Automotive Trade Association will be made next Sunday. Treks by other local en- thusiasts will be taken through the week. In view of present traffic con- estion almost everywhere in the %nited States, a forecast made 25 years ago regarding the future of the automobile is a bit humorous in spots. The interesting prog- nostication was found in the ar- chives of the Automobile Club of SoutHern California. The funniest part is the proph- ecy thdt the automobile “is the key to the prablem of overcon- gested traffic in our city streets. Not only would the space now oc- cupied by horses be saved and the streets be made sanitary, but the motor truck would draw the load In the Motor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. in half the time, thus more than doubling the width of the streets.” Although the prophet missed it badly regarding the motor vehicle reducing the overcongested traf- fic, he hit it off pretty well when he said “it will free the horse from the burden of drudgery.” Since many children of today only see the best friend of man when the animal is all be-rib- boned and be-spangled for horse shows, it seems evident that the horse has been relieved of the drudgery of a quarter of a cen- tury ago. Within Reach of Workers. Another part of the prophecy that came true was: “Through standardization cars will be built within the reach of workingmen. The latter may then live in the country amid the trees, the flow- ers and the birds.” It also was stated that the automobile was becoming “invaluable to the phy- sician, the fireman and every class DOWN THE ROAD—Recollections. NEW YEAR’S EVE AS YOU REMEMBER IT-- 7 to whom it is important to travel rapidly.” A The traffic signal lights at Georgia and New Hampshire ave- nues are still up, but out. The director of traffic has recom- mended that Rock Creek Church road be made a one-way street east. This matter is up before the Public Utllities Commission, as it means the re-routing of a bus line. The icy streets of last week brought forth only a few acci- dents. The reason was that al- most every one was driving care- fully. What a pity it is that the driving public cannot drive that way all the time, whether the streets are icy or not. Speaking of pities, is it not one also that the White House fire did not destroy the gateposts that block the street between the Ex- ecutive Mansion and the State, War and Navy Building? The Automotive Daily News takes up the billboard question recently in an editorial. Its opin- ion ,as follows, is of interest: Billboard Editorial. “It is very generally agreed that billboard advertising does not add mnyl:hlgil to the beauties of na- ture. at is certainly the mild- est way of putting the matter that ultra-conservatism can de- vise. In many cases display ad- vertising is an eyesore and a de- filement of rural scenes that ought to uplift the minds of even careless tourists. Such a conserv- ative and careful organization as the National Automobile Cham- ber of Commerce has recently ut- tered a protest against this form of publicity in locations where it interferes with the traveler’s en- joyment of natural beauty. “Billboard advertising has a le- gitimate place in the publicity scheme of things. There are many locations where it may be used without offense. There are stretches of dreary locality where a few cheerful billboards are a positive relief, but just as cer- tainly there are other scenes where this form of advertising is an abomination. “It has been suggested that we ‘pass a law’ against all billboards. Leaving out the technical ques- tion of whether any law could be passed within constitutional lim- its forbidding the erection of sign- boards, we do not believe that a legal ukase is the best way of handling the matter. We would scarcely favor even that panacea of universal virtue, a constitu- tional amendment. “The Froblem of saving or, rather, of restoring the unmatch- ed beauty of our American coun- tryside is one of educating and arousing public opinion. Don’t think that the billboard advertis- ing people are wholly selfish. Many of them have shown a com- mendable willingness to co-oper- ate in moving signs that made dangerous highway situations. Let public opinion express itself in unmistakable terms and the billboard erectors and the compa- nies which use them will join the movement to make this form of outdoor publicity inoffensive. “Automobile merchants can be of tremendous help in this truly worthy campaign through their local dealer associations and their connection with civic bodies. As the class most nearly affected by defilement of natural beauty, it 1s their duty to lead the revolt against these conditions.” AUTOMOBILES IN U. S. REACH HIGH LEVEL Number Now Registered Exceeds Total in Entire World Four Years Ago. ‘There are more automobiles in the United States today than there were in the entire world four years ago. In 1925 the registered automobiles in the world numbered 24,473,620, whereas there are 24,483,124 registered motor cars in the Uni according to a bulletin issued in Ch! cago by the American Research Founda- “Of the 31,778,203 automobiles in the world this year, the United States has 24,493,124, or 77 per cent, leaving the rest of the world with only 7,285,079,” says the bulletin. “Universal use of the automobile in United States has caused automo- «=ve experts to make a special study of motors and motor efficlency. The re- search laboratories of the large refining nies have given particular atten- tion to the problems of proper lubrica- tion. “From the exhaustive study made, three elementary rules stand out as fundamental knowledge for every Amer- ican motorist. Pirst, is that the aver- car requires a light oil for the first 2,000 miles of ordinary travel and then to heavier oil. The second a & still heavier oil at 12,000 the third rule stipulates that new piston rings are required miles. One function of lubri- 10 ‘seal’ the piston clearance motor and as this clearance naturally increases by wear there comes a tim e in the life of practically every motor when a heavier bodied oil is | n o accomplish this ‘sealing’ Protect Valves. If you drive over slushy or unpaved ..Toads it is especially important to pro- tect every valve with a dust cap. Other- ‘wise the valve e';'fi and the of Mg vaive stem will be damaged, Tax Raise Cited. thteen States raised their gasoline n?gnm this year, according to George E. Keneipp, manager of the District of Columbia Division of the American Automobile Association. They were: Colorado, Filorida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Ne- braska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, ~ Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Wash- ington and Wyoming. Sectional Registrations. ‘The East North Central States have 25 per cent of the motor vehicle regis- trations, while the Middle Atlantic States rank next with 22 per cent. China Auto Ownership. ‘There are 17,000 people to every car in China as compared to 6.980 in Rus- sia, according to the District of Co- lumbia Division of the American Auto- mobile Association. A HEAVY FINE WILL BE THE!PENALTY "FO DRIVING ON, A" PERMIT 'wmcn_usf:xnub}: e e e e e e R e i = WASTE WOOD USED FOR MOTOR FUEL ““Gasogen” Device Is Product Aftermath of War and Poverty. By the Assoclated Press. SAN FRANCISCO.— Running auto- mobiles on gas generated from wood is giving a California lumber company what is equivalent to free motor fuel for some of its trucks. It is being tried out by other indus- trial organizations following demonstra- tions before United States Army officers of the invention of two brothers of Al- sace, ce. neration attachment, appli- The gas cable to all motors that are operated by the ignition of vaporized gasoline, is termed ‘Gasogen.” It is & product of the was ath in a part of Europe fterm so impoverished that the cost of gasoline had moome burdensome. ‘Will Produce Device. Although not expectant that wood or “solid” fuel will supplant gasoline as an automotive power to any consider- able extent, Col. Jean P. Imbert, one of the co-inventors, who has brought the device to America for production in this State, belleves that it will meet an economic need in flelds where fuel bills for rough trucking are a considerable tem. At the San Prancisco Presidio, the at- tachment applied to a Liberty motor hauled 38 tons. Operated on wood costing up to $6 T cord, compared to use of gasoline at 0 cents a gallon, the latter cost of 1 cent per ton mile was found to be cut to % cent per ton mile. Savings Pay Drivers. In industrial services such as lumber- ing or cane sugar, where semi-waste products can be had for burning, the savings in fuel costs are enough to pay the wages of truck drivers, Col. Imbert declares. ‘The burner, five feet tall and two square, is attached at the side of the truck. The fire is started with char- coal and fanned by a blower which must be revolved by hand three to five minutes to establish the generation and circulation of the gas, after which the process is automatic. ‘To offset this disadvantage, carbur- etors and gasoline tanks have been pre- served on the machines at the Pre- sidio. The start is made on gasoline the engine has run a few minutes, In the burner, all of the gases de- rived from the destructive distillation of wood are generated but the non-con- densible gases are burned. Outweighs Gasoline. The others pass through four clari- flers and filters, running crosswise of the machine under the chassis, and the impurities are removed and washed out in water condensed from the steam. From the clarifiers the gases go to the engine and are ignited by spark in the same manner as gasoline. The weight of the fuel is two and a half to three times that of gasoline. Refueling is necessary every five hours, The attachment is applicable to air- plane engines, but the added weight would materially reduce the cruising radius of a plane. For aeronautic uses the only ad- vantage, Col. Imbert says, would be the reduction of fire hazard in an imper- fect landing and the providing of a source of power in remote sections of the world, such as the Arctic regions, where gasoline must be transported | long distances. NEW GAS ENGINE CLAIMS BALANCE Movement in Opposite Directions of | Two Pistons in Same Cylinder Is Principle, By the Associated Pres JREDLANDS, Calif.—A new type of gasoline engine for commercial use, claimed by its inventor to remain in perfect balance at any speed, has been developed here by H. A. Johnson. The principle is the movement in op- posite directions of two pistons in the | same cylinder. The gyroscopic action of the pistons and opposite whirling | flywheels, Johnson says, with the angu- larity of the connecting rods, keeps the engine in balance and eliminates vi- bration, which is one of the problems of installing commercial engines far.1 machinery. The experimental engine has devel- oped five and six horsepower with 1,400 and 2,100 revolutions a minute, respec- tively, under test. It weighs 250 pounds. This weight can be reduced 100 pounds in_refinement, the inventor believes. { Friction caused by the additional - ton, Johnson pointed out, is more made up in em.mothu“% ‘moving en, m-emm construction the weight could be reduced to fl engines. device m~.’{ glll!“-'l'b and the switch in power is made after to THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., DECEMBER 29. 1929—PART FOUR. l" 4; . .'Ag (T {Coprright 1929 by Frank 1L —BY FRANK BECK /e | PP o o Beck Trade Mari RE U S Pat Of) ARGUMENTS AGAINST PURCHASE OF AUTO ARE DECLARED WEAK Reasons of Persons Without Cars Claiming They Are Better Off Answered With Enumeration of Benefits. BY H. CLIFFORD BROKAW, Automobile Technical Adviser. There are many reasons frequently aired for the benefit of prospective buy- ers of automobiles as to why life can- not be complete without owning such a vehicle. Less often does one undertake to figure out the reasons why one should not own an automobile. It might be well to give this subject some con- sideration, especially at this time of year when 50 many people are thinking about the various new models and con- sidering buying one or more of them. One reason which might be given for not owning an automobile is that this tends to exclusiveness, In other words, when one becomes an owner of an au- tomoblle nowadays one is doing what almost everybody else is doing or has done. One joins the crowd. To be among those few who do not own cars is to stand out in one's community as an unusual personality. ‘The second reason which might be given for not owning an automobile is that such people can frequently save a considerable amount of money, at any rate a sum representing the cost and upkeep of a car, by always riding in an automobile that belongs to somebody else. While tirs kind of an automobile program also may have ts which are not especlally enjoyable, it does, so some people claim, enable people not owning automobiles to get what amounts to taxi service free of charge. Another reason sometimes set forth for not owning an automobile is that one can always employ a taxi to take one from one place to another at less expense than is involved in owning and keeping a private car. This point might have more weight if one could always be sure of securing a taxi when one is needed. ~As it actually works out, it appears to be most difficult to secure a taxi when such a vehicle is most to be desired, as, for instance, on rainy days. Experience also seems to bear out the fact that those who think they will de-~ pend on taxis do not really do so. Con- sequently, they miss much of the en- joyment ' which comes from riding through the open country during differ- ent seasons of the year and visiting many points of interest which represent an_ideal way to spend leisure hours. ‘When 1t comes to taking long tours, it would appear that one really needs own an automobile to get the great- est possible profit and enjoyment out of such outings. There are, however, those who claim that hitch-hiking is a much more thrilling and satisfactory method of touring the country. They say that the uncertainty of travel from one day to the next adds to the ro- mance of the experience and that the meeting of different people from time to time brings them into contact with interesting personalities with whom otherwise they would never have be- come acquainted. ‘There are some who maintain that the presence of so many automobiles on our American thways is tending to make the inhabitants of the United States a race of soft and flabby people. Some go so far as to assert that legs on human beings are likely 10 atrophy and become extinct through lack of use, that people cannot walk any more, or think they cannot, to the next door neighbor. They must get into a car and ride everywhere that they wish to go. These critics picture walking as a lost art and good health thus interfered with. Others have little difficulty in proving many health advantages grow- ing out of motoring and legs still appear to be in evidence. Another reason sometimes set forth as to why it is a fallacy to own an auto- mobile is the time taken to look after it. They point out the necessity of hav- ing to keep the radiator full of water, also the battery. They speak of the at- tention which should be given to clean- ing a car, keeping it supplied with ol and gasoline and the like. They forget that the owner of an automobile comes to have & real affection for the car and that all the little attentions he glves it from time to time in time spent in a very enjoyable fashion. It appears difficult to make out a good case for not owning an automobile. Most of the arguments turn out to be fallacious or weak. And most people have found evidently that the argu- ments have little weight, for they belong to families that own and enjoy own- ing automobiles. i FEES MAY BE CHARGED FOR FREAK NUMBERS Maryland Automobile Commis- sioner Finds Opportunity for Profit to State in Demand. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, December 24—Auto- mobile Commissioner E. Austin Baugh- man is considering making extra money for the State by charging a special fee to Maryland motorists anxious to choose their own license tag numbers. Ever since Baughman announced that the 1930 license plates were ready he has been besieged by motorists re- questing special or freak numbers. So heavy was this demand that orders were issued that outside of Gov. Ritchie, who receives No. 30000 every year, no one was to get specially selected tags. These orders, however, were not taken serious- ly by drivers, with the result that offi- cials of Baughman's office continue to receive demands. Some States, Baughman said, charged & fee for special numbers, the amount. being regulated by the numbers that the motorist requests. The fee idea, he sald, consequently was not his own. It is belleved that a fee would make motorists less anxious to secure special numbers, BURNING WOOD GAS RUNS i CLARIFIERS IN WHICH IMPURITIES ARE REMOVED AND GASES FILTERED, To RESIDUE |} ENGINE. OUTLETS MOTORISTS LAUD- DOWELL ROAD BILL Federal Appropriation of An- nual Sum to State High- ways Commended. Action of the House committee on roads, which favorably reported the Dowell bill providing $125,000,000 per year for the next three years for Fed- eral aid, was commended this week by the American Motorists’ Association, pointing out that passage of the meas- ure would mean speeding up, by at least 50 per cent, the Federal-aid program of the United States. The committee's vote on the $50,000,000 increase was unanimous. “At the present rate of highway con- struction lgproxlml'ely 8,0 iles per year is added to the Feder: id sys- tem,” the A. M. A. statement points out. “The increase will mean for the next three years a total of 12,000 miles an- nually can be completed toward the Government's 187,753-mile program of Federal-aid highways,” ‘The views of the 48 State highway commissioners, on the question of in- creased Federal ald, was presented to the committee in a brief filed by Thom- ;; .!‘ Keefe, general manager of the A. As the result of a questionpaire sent to each of the State highway commis- sloners, it was found that in the opin- ion of 35 of the 48 highway commis- sloners increased annual appropriatibns for Federal ald were necessary if high- way construction is to keep abreast of sutomobile registrations. Replies from 13 States indicated that the State high- way officlals did not favor increased Federal ald. In the opinion of the majority of those favoring increased Federal aid, thelr conclusions were that $125,000,000 annually should be appropriated by the Federal Government. Replies from five commissioners placed the minimum at $150,000,000 needed annually for the next three years. Favorable action by the House on the committee’s bill will be taken within the next two weeks, it is predicted by the assoclation, pointing out that no op- position to the measure was voiced dur~ ing the committee hearings. Nation's Highway Bill. The Nation is now spending more than $2,000,000,000 & year for the con- struction and maintenance of straets and highways, while the Federal Gov- ernment is only contributing $75,000,000 annually to this program, which is the very basis of national prosperity, ac- cording to the District of Columbia Di- vision "of the American Automobile Association, Being Particular. From the Wheel. Dealer—Here are our latest stream line cars. Dainty Mald—I want one for along the Mississippl. TRUCKS [M 5 ANY MOTOR SURPRISES DUE IN FORTHCOMING AUTO SHOWS |Complete New Lines and Innovations and 12 and 16 Cylinder Engines to Be Features. BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. Though the national automobile show | in New York will be a revelation to lhei motor car enthusiast, it will require the complete editions of exhibits through- out the country during the first few months of the new year to bring to light the entire assortment of surprises in | store for the 1930 buyer. Leaders in automotive circles are working inten- sively to bring to completion their plans | for the new year, but some of these are | S0 ambitious that it will be impossible | for everything to reach the automotive | show window when the curtain rises in | Manhattan on the new season. Twelve and sixteen cylinder engines, superchargers, more special transmis- sions, additional eight-cylinder cars, “baby” automobiles and American-built foreign makes are among the high lights of the new season, according to present plans. Invariably at this t| of year the automotive air is permeated with sensational rumors, many of which re- main that and nothing more. This year it is different. Every one of the innovations is expected to come true. ‘The forthcoming production of a 16- cylinder car already has been announc- ed. It is being offered in support of the V-type engine and to meet the demand for luxury mctors. Straight 12 Prospects. It is the general understanding in the motor wopld that when the 16- cylinder product appears the concurrent announcement of a straight-12 will ma- terialize. Already a car carrying the Iatter type motor has been in service for some months in New York. ‘The supercharger already is standard | equipment on one of the leading high- grade makes of cars, although the num- ber of such cars offered the public will | be limited in accordance with the ability of buyers to utilize this new feature to best advantage. Thousands of motor- ists. however, will not become familiar with this development in super-power until they study the chassis at the va- | rious automobile shows in New York and throughout the country. Two strictly “baby” types of car are Jon the way. while the American version of an English car of the smaller type will be in production before long. One of these midget creations hes made its appearance around New York and will be seen at some of the sideshows which annually hold forth while the big show is in process at the Grand Central Pal- ace. The other is not yet in produc- tion but will be manufactured at Mus- catine, Towa. According to present plans, this latter job is to be an 1,100-pound, 80-inch wheelbase prcposition with a 40-inch tread. Its engine will be a special mo- tor developed by one of the leading en- gine builders and. while rated 18 horse- power, will provide enough energy for a speed of 75 miles per hour. One of the unique features of the proposed car is the plan to provide right-hand drive for the commercial delivery model. Car to Make Return. A car once famous on the American roads and highly regarded by all who | ever had any acquaintance with it h; scheduled for a return engagement, but not in time to make the earlier shows. It will carrv an eight-cvlinder moto™. | The financial shake-up during the Fail | has discouraged the announcement cf a flock of entirelv new m~kes of cors. hut the public need not be disappointed, for In a pinch a woman can explain her traffic mistakes by saying she has just had the car washed and can't do a thing with it. A woman of several years' experience in piloting an automobile has just en- countered what she aptly terms ‘“dou- ble-cause troub! At her service sta- tion they found pitted breaker points which could cause the engine to miss. They corrected this condition, but when the engine continued to behave the same way, they also found that the fuel line needed cleaning. The trouble had two distinct causes. ‘When the men folk go shopping for a used car, better remind them that ap- pearance is not everything. I saw this demonstrated when a friend tried out a “slightly used” custom job from New York. The mlchm%looked like a mil- lion dollars, about the only visible evi- dence of use being a little fragrance of face powder from one of the vanity cases. The demonstration, however, re vealed the car to be as loose as a well used taxi. The true story of it was that the ac- tress who owned the car had enjoyed only a few spins around Manhattan. Her chauffeur, however, had taken a couple of night trips to Montreal. Being less mechanically inclined than men, women have been tempted (o fuss with the car in the garage after the engine has been started, but a little more interest in the car's mechanism would, nevertheless, serve as a still more effective safeguard against being gassed by carbon monoxid. She showid know that having the breaker points kept in condition speeds the start and decreases the danger. If more drivers could be on the out- side looking on, instead of on the in- side looking for trouble, there would be fewer difficulties in Winter motoring. I have in mind the situation where a woman will coniinue to allow the rear wheels to spin around in the snow in- stead of getting out and slipping some- thing under the wheels to give them traction. A wheel that spins not only digs deeper into the snow, but polishes the surface until there is no chance for traction. Are you just learning to drive, and do you feel inclined to look down on the floor to be sure of your positions of the gears? Car makers once took the.fig- ures off the floor so drivers would get over this habit, but some cars with four-speed gear sets now revive the cus- tom. The way to break the habit is to mark the positions on the top of the shift handle. One driver pasted on small paper numbers, learned the positions quickly and meanwhile avoided taking her eyes entirely off the road ahead. After & woman has mastered the es- sential process of manipulating a car she is certain to speculate as to the exact function of the spark control. It becomes a source of considerable inter- est to her to know just what happens when she-retards or advances it. ‘The spark is one of the most compli- cted things about & car, yet one of its most simplified. This paradox is ex- plained by the fact that it is a matter of timing, and timing always involves the difficult business of accuracy. In each cylinder of an engine the spark must occur not later than the time each piston reaches the top of its when the tice the spar] it is this dzl’mr: of advancement that produces such wide differences in performance. When you adjust the position of the spark control you simply produce a § Col. Jean P. Imbert of France (inset) and his brother from burning wood in Th ‘was tested on the truck shown, .-lu-'ru‘;a-u through fillers snd.clorifiecsfothoengina. . =~ " 0 P RADIATORS-FREEZEPROOF | See Model A i Damaged Radiators Made New WITTSTATTS RADIATOR, BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. such announcements seldom materialize. Where, for instance, is the Mayfair, the Frontenac, the Balboa and other cars that were announced some time ago? It is considered ver{ unlikely that the new straight eight with rotary- valve action, announced as the offering of a Detroit millionaire whose name is carrfed on the radiator of one of the best sellers, will appear. A new front-drive car, however, will make its appearance, bringing the total of American-made cars of this type to three. The newest one will be more popularly priced than the others and should, accordingly, interest in this t);r’ the front-drive devel splendidly encouraged in America through the desire of manufacturers and sportsmen to give the “puller” type car a tryout. In one small manufac- turing city nine of these cars were sold the day they were announced. New 8-Cylinder models. Eight-cylinder cars will be increased in number by the addition of several new models carrying familiar name plates. This will be in line with the general custom on the part of manufac- turers to offer customers a choice of engine type and does not necessarily indicate that the six-cylinder brand of engine has outlived its usefulness even for high-grade equipage. Unless there are seven new eight-cylinder lines of- fered by the time the curtain goes up on the 1930 exhibitions the six-cylinder cars will still lead in the number of makes carrying this type motor. At this time there are 30 makes with six-cylinder power plants, as against 24 with eights. The elimination of one or two of the makes that are in strait- ened financial circumstances at the moment would not alter the relation- ship, since these makes are offered both in six and eight cylinder version, The four makes of four-cylinder cars are expected to stand, although they will be changed both in appearance and in mechanical details. The most im- rorunz revision will be along lines of ncreasing body dimensions and lower- ing the chassis through the use of smaller wheels. If the two baby cars come into pro- duction as early as anticipated there will be an increase in the number of four- cylinder car:. The foreign car to be produced in Pennsylvania will, of course, add one to the list of sixes. The new season will be the first in the history of the automobile when stock cars will be offered with four, six, eight, twelve and sixi cylinder power plants. In price, engine type, Wheelbase, color, style and equipment the American car buyer will have the greatest latitude he has ever known. It is understood that the gas-electric passenger car will not appear at the shows, although it is creaf ider- able interest in engineering ness circles. More than anything else it typifies the industry’s struggle to per- fect a more simplified, more versatile type of transmission of power from en- gine to wheels. Topping everything at the shows will o] ent has been be the story of the new gear sets. They will be of all from h bone and internal g to four-s) spur and three-speed synchro-mesh types. ‘Truly, a motorist wiil have to survey the whole range of shows to m the tomplete picture of what's what in 1930, (Copyrisht, 1020, by the Russell Service.) MILADY’S MOTORING corresponding change in the pos'tion of the distributor head, which, in turn, causes a change in the time the spark occurs with respect to the position of the pistons on their compression stroke. With anti-knock gases, and usually with a clean engine, it is possible to run with the spark more fully advanced before encouraging the engine to knock. High compression engines which are now the vogue, however, ususlly are not adjusted for so far a spark ad- vance, but this is taken care of in the original design of the engine. All of which ought to explain to any woman why the engine knocks and then quiets down when the spark is re- "l:;ded, O}I‘:vlousil.y.rd it t;ie lw:lm soon the ignited and expanding gas tends to push the pistons backward. ‘This effect is enough to cause a sharp knock. A lot of carbon in the engine raises compression and introduces some other elements, but any heated particles of carbon that preignite the gas have the interesting habit of having the effect of spark timing that is too far advaneed. Women who revolt against the out- of-date home equipment should carry the good work to the car and insist upon having friend husband discard the old-fashioned rear-view mirror in favor of something more modern. It is now considered highly unsafe to use any mirror that shows a blind spot; that is, the mirror should give a full view behind and not cut out large sec- tions of that view by reason of the in- trusion of body posts. This is bsing accomplished both through double and panorama-type mirrors which fit in the conventional sition above the windshield, as well as )y the use of full-vision mirrors which attach to the léft front body post ex- tended out farther than usual. (Copyright by the Russell Service.) oot e Steady Speed Best. It doesn't add many miles to the day's run, and it does increase the r of driving, to speed up intermittently and pass other cars on a crowded high- way. A steady rate of travel that keeps up with the average speed of the cars on the road will bring you to your desti- nation just as soon. it A Careful Driver. From the Wheel “Hey, you,” velled the traffic cop at the amorous driver. “Why don't you \lsexholh hlfids':;' ot " “I'm afral et go |Iarhg wheel," Erlnned the irrepressible you at the wheel, Nothing is more important ‘ than thn':ul l-m«ur-. MR T Beware of Substitutes, 1f your dealer can't telephone us, and se. l’ffl vou the dealer's namie convenient. ly located to you. Bayerson Oil FENDER & BODY WORKS AR Works Columbia 5228