Evening Star Newspaper, February 23, 1930, Page 53

In the Motor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. recent order of Maj. Henry G. Pratt, superin- tendent of the Metropolitan police, to the effect that more courtesy is to be employed in the future by members of his force, is to be commended. Unfortunately the National Cap- {tal has not received the reputa- tion of possessing minions of the law who excel in this line. The average citizen is deserving of far better treatment than he often receives. Politeness goes a long way in impelling respect for law. Treatment Unwarranted. It is not right for the violator of some minor traffic ordinance to be treated like a criminal, even at the time a ticket is being handed out or an arrest made. Perhaps at times it is a little dif- ficult for a policeman to be suave and gentle toward some flippant and conceited youth. But often the brusqueness and bulldog methods of the officer of the law are directed to an elderly person or a member of the feminine per- suasion. Age and the fairer sex should not be the recipients of any spe- cial privilege, per se, but common decency and respect is due all. Abusive treatment is never neces- sary, and the order of Maj. Pratt should be fully enforced. In Maj. Pratt’s order is the con- structive suggestion that a warn- ing often can be given for petty or minor infringements of the traffic regulations. This plan is left to the judgment of the in- dividual policeman, and naturally could not be carried out in every incident. that in the past warnings or friendly advice is given nearly al- ways by the same group. The other group, a much larger one, only gives out tickets and sum- monses to court. Another Evil Described. There is another evil that fre- quently occurs which likewise should be remedied. It is the practice of serving warrants in traffic cases, where carelessly or wilfully, as the case may be, the person to whom a ticket has been given does not visit one of the precincts and deposit collateral. Maybe “a friend” is fixing the matter up. And so, in the course of time, the policeman who is making the complaint has a war- rant issued at Police Court. U to now, well and good. Sucl things have to happen, dislike them as we will. But now what has been neces- sary becomes unnecessary, or at least is frequently the case. There is no need for hurry, and the per- son can be gotten in touch with in many ways, all of which with some consideration. If a motor- ist knows there is a warrant out for him, he or she is not going to “forget” any longer, Instead of phoning, -either at home or the office, the policeman in many instances will swoop down upon the dwelling and in- form the inhabitant that he must come with him. The policeman invariably will draw himself up *in all the majesty he can sum- mon and deal with the suppliant as if he was the most hardened criminal on earth. The regula- tions require that collateral to appear in court must be put up by the defendant himself, and so alongside of his “captor” he must leave his home and set out for the station house. The policeman may allow “his man” to proceed a short time later, but this seldom occurs. Often the policeman will have a second policeman with him, to add a bit more splendor to the scene. Trouble Avoidable. Of course, all this may be avoid- | ed by strict compliance with the law. But few motorists do not slip up now and then. Then, again, every charge brought forth is not always proved in court. Mistakes are made. It is human to err. But, after all, policemen and even motorists are human. Speaking of mistakes,- a real one, or, in this particular instance two real ones, were reported the other day. It cannot be classed as exceptional. One day during the real Winter weather, with its attendant snow- fall all around, a motorist far up- town, late in the afternoon, park- ed abreast for a few minutes to save his wife from plowing through drifts that bedecked It is strange, however, | most of the curbline. It was in front of a grocery store. Well, the inevitable happened. A policeman came up and no ex- | cuses could prevent the writing |of a ticket. The next day the motorist was talking about the affair to another policeman whom he knew. This policeman knew the other policeman well and said {he would see him about it all. | Time drifted on, and ail seemed | well. One night, however, two | policemen came to the man's home with a warrant. The war- rant called for overtime parking. No one seemed to know about that. Although not guilty of over- time parking, the man was ubliged |to go to the precinct staticn and | put up $5. According to th® ser- | geant there he might have been | charged with anything. But there |was no redress except at the courts. It was too little to argue inore about. The man was guilt;' of parking abreast, and not guilty of | overtime parking, but the cha.ges | called for the same fines. | So he forfeited his collate al, land then imagined that peace and quiet would be restored. It was |for two days. The next morning ilt 6:30 o'clock, to be exact, an- | other policeman came to his door with the same warrant. He was from another precinct. Luckily enough, he accepted the man’s (word that the matter had been | taken care of and was sorry that |his precinct had not been in- formed. If he had been like his predecessor, the man probably would have been forced to go to | the station house and put up col- lateral again. But was there any reason for a call at 6:30 in the morning? Anent Thomas Circle. Director of Traffic William H. Harland is satisfied with the traffic lights at Thomas Circle. Increasing the timing to a cycle of 80 seconds will take care of all traffic, he believes. Through a defect in the timing device the cycle slipped down to 70 the other day, but this condition will be permanently remedied. In aiding the situation Mr. Harland calls upon motorists to proceed to the next cross-walk when the green goes off. At present, he states, the cars are being stopped where they are, and thus congestion is caused. The_traffic light on M street near Wisconsin avenue, recently placed in operation, has not elim- inated all the congestion in front of the fire engine house. Motor- ists drive up to the traffic light and stop when it turns red, and cause the entrance to be block- aded, almost as badly as before the light was installed. There are three white lines on the other side of the entrance at which the motorists are supposed to stop, but many of them do not do this. It seems that the situation would be improved if the signal was placed on the west side of the en- trance instead of the east. Near future traffic light de- velopments call for the intersec- tion at New Hampshire and Georgia avenues, and around the Capitol grounds. Congress has given everybody else so many things, it is fitting that this time the membership themselves should be the recip- ients. Only if they do not like the ilghts they do not have to have em. Virginia Auto Regulations. The action of the Virginia State Legislature in failing to pass the bill making driving permits neces- sary in the Old Dominion, already passed by the Senate, is to be re- gretted. The reason given, that “it is presumed that the drivers of the State are capable,” appears to be a poor excuse. A substitute bill presented last week, with every likelihood of passing, increases the maximum speed law of the State from 35 miles an hour to 45. This bill con- tains also the safety responsibility |feature contained in the former measure. 1t is to be hoped that the Lefls— Ilature will finally adopt a law |that will require the issuance of driving permits which cannot be obtained until a strict examina- tion is passed by each applicant. Such a law will go a long way. in reducing accidents and give the authorities an additional check- up on the motorists. Motorists of the National Cap- ital have been interested in the passing of the bill, as well as for- ward-looking Virginians. Pennsylvania Builds Motorist and Bump-consuming balloon tires and shock absorbers do not constitute an excuse for building wavy or uneven finely devised mechanism, comfort and Jow xehicle operating costs still are de- pendent upon the smoothness of the road surface. Recognition of this is given by prac- tically all State highway departments in the placement of hard-surfaced pavements. Samuel Eckels, chief engi- neer of the Pennsylvania Department of Highways, recently announced Penn- sylvania’s noteworthy achievement in bullding 276 miles of “excellent” con- crete rural roads—pavement on which MOTOR DON'TS DON'T MISTREAT YOUR ¢ BATTERY THE BATTERY 1S THE "HEART “ OF YOUR CAR. "EST AND FILL IT WITH DISTILLED WATER EVERY: TWO WEEKS Roads to Ease Cut Costs of Upkeep the motorist cannot detect any per- | ceptible vibration. | The Pennsylvania demand for the i grading “excellent” is that the “rough- ometer,” a wheeled device that meas- | ures all tiny ridges and valleys in the pavement, surface, shall not show more than 25 accumulated inches of rough- ness per mile. Pennsylvania’s grand average on the 352 miles of new pave- ment tested in 1929 was 19.5 inches, which means that some miles were al- | most perfectly smooth. “More important than the pleasurable | sensation of riding over a smooth road is the fact that smooth roads cut down | operation costs for the motorist.” as- | serts Mr. Eckels. “It cuts down the bounces which are transmitted to the road in impact, and impact is the chief enemy of roads. When we eliminate or lessen impact we prolong the life of the road. Everyl saves money.” Cities particularly have been lax in installing smooth pavements, but even- tually recognition of the virtues of | smooth roadways will not only save tie municipality mzmez, but wil | traffic congestion ugh the spread- : ing out of the street traffic burden. 'SIGNS BIND STREET CARS. | Trolleys Must Observe All Stop Devices, Is Ruling. | Special Dispatch to The Star. | BALTIMORE, February 22.—Trolley cars are bound by the requirements of | the boulevard stop law as well as all | other vehicles, Attorney General Thomas H. Robinson ruled this week in an opinion furnished E. Austin Baughman, | commissioner of motor vehicles. The ruling was requested by Mr. Baughman because controversy had arisen on. several occasions, especially in Western Maryland. He announced | that henceforth street cars will be re- quired to come to & &fop before lcroutnl or entering high: as boulevards, 11 lessen | b ted move whatever covering you -have the radiaf THE SUNDAY -8 FIRST | CAR TAR, WASHINGTON, D." C. FEBRUARY 23, G S—S BEFORE AND AFTER BUYING. I DOWN THE ROAD—Recollections. —By FRANK BECK AUTOISTS FORESEE HIGH-COST GASOLINE Association Charges Hard- ship Is Imposed in Tariff Bill Now Before Congress. OpEumon to the proposal of the petroleum industry for a 50 per cent ad valorem duty on in new tariff measure now being consid- ered by Congress was voiced here this week by the American Motorists’ As- sociation. “The imposition of such a tariff duty ean mean but one thing to the millions of motorists of the country, who annu- ally use upward of 14,000,000,000 gal- lons of gasoline, or more than 80 per cent of the total gasoline production,” declared Thomas J. Keefe, general man- ager of the A. M. A, Producers’ Theory Outlined. “The theory under which the pro- ducers are a Congress to write into the new tariff act a duty of almost 100 per cent on crude petroleum and 50 per cent ad valorem duty on gaso- line is that they need this protection to avert extermination at the hands of foreign oil intertsts, according to testi- mony given before the House ways and means committee by tie spokesman for the petroleum ucers. “The absurdity of this assertion is apparent when viewed in the light of the fact that the gasoline imports an- nually are approximately but 2 per cent of the total production in the United States,” Keefe declared. “The A. M. A. also takes issue with the testimony given the committee to the effect that an oll tariff would not raise the price of gasoline to consumers, but would raise only the price of crude oil received by the producers.” Cited as Mere “Promise.” ‘The statement continues: “The promise of the producers to ‘keep faith’ with the consumer and not increase the price of gasoline if Con- gress will give them the protective tariff, at the most, is only a promise and would not be binding upon a single producer. The motoring public can have no guarantee that the- price of gaoline will not be increased. An an- alysis of all protective tariffs shows that e protection either tends to increase the price of the commodity protected or stifles natural competition and pre- vents a decrease in prices. “Export figures for 1929 show that the petroleum industry exported more than seven times as much gasoline as it imported. Imports during the year constituted but 2.4 per cent of the total gasoline production. In 1928 imports were less than 2 per cent of the pro- duction. In view of these figures it is difficult to share the petroleum indus- {ry’s fear that they face extermination because of its bugaboo foreign competi- tion, which amounts to but approxi- mnuly 2 per cent of the total produc- tion,” the A. M. A. statement concludes. S S TIGHTER REGULATIONS OF TOLL BRIDGES AIMED Bill by Representative Denison Would Give States Voice Be- fore Approval by U. 8. Stringent reguiations would be thrown around toll bridge franchises granted by Congress, under a bill introduced by Representative E. E. Denison, Repub- lican, Illinois, in which it is proposed to give State authorities a voice in in- quiries preliminary to final approval. This statement was issued today by national headquarters of the American Automobile Association, which has con- sistently advocated that adequate safe- guards of the public interest be in- cll'llghzd ln“sm!l'll franchises, e national motoring body pointed out that the Denison bill wouyid assure an inquiry into proposed bridges, pre- vent overcapitalization and provide for ev:ntu:ll recapture for public use with- ou 3 The A. A. A. said that hearings before the House committee on interstate and foreign commerce, which are anticipated in the near future, are expected to set the wheels in motion for beneficial legislation governing future private toll ridges. RADIATOR CARE. Boiling Alcohol Often Mistaken for Frozen System. It alcohol is your anti-freeze solu- tion, here is a tip. Do not cover the radiator while the motor is running, T've seen lots of fellows driving about with blankets over their radiators and their cars 1-{'““‘ off steam like a loco- motive. ey were under the impres- sion that the circulation system was frozen. But as a matter of t the steam was caused by the bolling of the alcohol. The boiling point of alcohol is 173 degrees Fahrenheit, while water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus it is apparent that a motor must oper- ate at a considerably lower temperature | when alcohol is in the radiator. Re- on tor whea the engine is warm, MILADY’S MOTORING BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. ‘When hubby gets a new siren for his car it doesn’t necessarily forecast a divorce. Adjusting the controls of the car for a more appropriate fit is not merely a matter of enjoying greater bodily com- fort in driving. as many women imagine. There also is the question of safety. If the seat is adjusted too far forward, there may be a tendency to apply the brakes so Vi as to throw the car into a skid. The adjustment of the accelerator pedal, where this is pro- vided, has much to do with the way the the | engine operates. ‘There are other things to be ad- justed when taking the wheel besides | the seat cushion, steering post or pedals. | One of the most important is the rear- | view mirror. It is surprising how many drivers go along assuming there is| nothing following them when the mirror isn’t focused for a rearward view. Cars equipped with adjustable visors to cut the high lights and glare are not as| safe as they might be if drivers took advantage of this feature. Because she plans to jump out of the car again to close the garage doors after backing out, many a woman fails to close the left front door of the car and ends up by allowing it to strike the side of the garage on the way out. If the front doors swing forward, it is apparent that the act of moving the car backward causes uncaught doors to swing open. ‘Women who take pride in their cars and who are mindful of all the little things that serve to depreciate an auto- mobile may be int:rested in the tip that calls attention to that section of the chromium-plaed rear bumper which gets the ] benefit of the ex- haust gases. Thes long exhaust pipes have a way of steeming a good deal in | either damp or ccid weather, with the result that one spot on the bumper is more or less in a constant bath of vapor. Inspection of the bumpers on many cars will show them to be rusting because of the exhaust, and will sug- gest the wisdom of rubbing the affected spot with a dry cloth when putting the car away for the night. A new convenience that seems to be especially suited to woman drivers is an_accelerator that operates through a roller device instead of a pedal. Addi- tional gas is fed to the engine by mov- ing the foot forward over the roller instead of pressing down on it. The greatest advantage lies in freedom from uneven running of the engine when the car goes over rough roads and when it is difficult to keep the foot steady. It isn't necessary for a woman to be mechanically inclined to offer a sug- gestion to the willing but perhaps ex- perience-shy youth who volunteers to try to free a sticking valve in order to make the engine run smoothly. She will help considerably by suggestin that he look for the trouble arount those valves neal the carburetor. A car, like milady’s fair hair, often reaches a point where you “can’t do a thing with it” immediately following a wash. is because wetting the brakes affects their performance fol- lowing the trip to the wash stand. ‘When all cars carried exposed brakes, drivers often found themselves unable to stop when applying the brakes just after a wash. Inclosed brakes do just the opposite, so that if streets are slip- pery the car may go into an unex- pected skid. This is because the damp- ness causes the brake lining to grab a bit, upsetting equalization temporarily and bringing about a condition that may be troublesome, if not actually hazard- ous. Why is “high” s0o much easfer to shift to than the other gears? The ques- tion is on the minds of thousands of women, even though few have actually volced their curiosity on the point. Some light may be shed on the sub- Ject when it is explained that the shift to_high is accomplished without actu- ROWE AUTO BODY CO. 57 N St. NW. Decatur 4438 Body and Fenders Straightened Tops Made and Repaired Cars Damaged in Accident Our Specialty ally bringing any additional gears into engagement at their teeth. e sliding gear, which is connected to the shaft that drives through to the rear wheels, simply fits against the main| driving gear of the transmission which | is connected to the clutch and engine. These gears have “dogs,” or protru- sions, on their sides, so that them together sidewise makes them en- gage and operate as one. All the other combinations are ob- tained through actual end-wise engage- | ment of the gear teeth. For a smooth | shift it is essential to have the gears operating at nearly the same rates of | speed, but when the high gear engage- | ment is desired a ter latitude is| allowable, because it is just a matter o(‘l catching the “dogs.” | One of the latest ideas in transmis- sions, incidentally, is to use these dogs for second gear as well. Any consideration of the gears leads logically to the question as to when and how a driver can avoid the necessity of using them. It perhaps does not occur to the average motorist that keeping the engine in efficient condi- | tion Jessens wear on the gears through | making it ible to run slower in| traffic and faster on hill in high gear.| Parking the car on a downgrade may | offer the opportunity of starting in| second, while selecting a different route | through traffic may save many a shift. (Copyright by the Russell Service.) WATCH LUBRICATION. | | Care of Chassis Necessitated by| Winter Driving. | Watch the lubrication of the chassis| closely during cold weather. Frost and | water which are likely to accumulate in joints will wash grease from the lubri- cated parts, and necessitate more fre- quent lubrication. If your car is in constant use, it is better to have the | grease checked every week or 10 days. If you drive but little, insepction may be | less frequent. FRANK AIRPLAN ENGINE AIR-COOLED THE ENGINE THAT HAS SENSATIONA 1930—PART FOUR. | TREES WILL LINE MARYLAND ROADS Extensive Planting Program Along Principal Highways Is Planned. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, February 22.—An ex- tensive tree-planting program along the principal highways of the State is plan- ned by the State department of forestry, according to P. W. Besley, chief forester. A concerted effort is to be made by | Mr. Besley and his assistants to obtain gre:i!:r beauty along the Maryland roads. Despite billboards, which now clut- ter the highways, forestry officials have decided the roadways will make a bet- ter appearance if lined with fine trees. Not only will the forestry department furnish and supervise the planting of the &o-dalde shade trees, but towns and cities of the State have the privi- lege of calling .on the State forester for improvement in tree planting. Mr. Besley plans to sel out tnousands of shade trees along roadsides and in the nurseries within a few weeks. ‘Trees for planting on roadside property are furnished free from the State’ nursery at the University of Maryland's College Park headquarters. “The forestry department has under- taken an educational program through- out the State, as the planting of trees along the public highways is now recog- nized as an improvement second only in importance to the building and maintaining of the highways them- selves,” Mr. Besley said. “While trees are furnished free at the College Park nursery, transportation charges must be paid by the applicant.” g The increase in farm value has been three times as great since the intro- duction of the automobile as in 60 years before. Technical Adviser BY H. CLIFFORD BROKAW, Automobile Technical Adviser. It is one thi to particular at- tention to bf:‘glnl pfi‘\’m automobile ined as to speed, oiling and the like. It is quite another thing to keep up the matter of routine in- spection and giving the automobile con- tinuous care from month to month and from year to year. It seems one doesn’t form habits of care the first thousand miles of a new automobile which carry over into keeping the car in good condition after that period of More often does it happen that, ng thousand-mile mark, the owner feels a sort of lifting of strictions and a freedom to launch forth, with an impression that no fur- ther limits are required. There is, however, a program which needs to be followed in connection with the week-in and week-out use of an automobile. It is very simple and takes a very small amount of time, but is nevertheless essential. ile rou- tine will vary somewhat with the kind of car owned, some general suggestions can be set down which various owners |can adapt to their own machines. To sort each owner is advised to consult the instruction book of the manufactur- ing concern putting out his make of automobile. Urged to Watch Gasoline Gauge. | gauge, or if no gauge, the gasoline tank, to see that it is resplenished with gaso- line as needed. run out of gasoline when using an auto- mobile. It is also necessary to watch the oil supply. | the drain; case and ling it with fresh oil when- e;er t.hz’ t.e:m:tion lndl;;lf: such a cha necessary, obably rmr’e":-w;elmy to figure on o ::l’rl‘il J“ supply after each 500 miles vel. About once a week, especially during | warm weather, it is important to check up on the battery situation, umevll& the vent caps from the three sections the storage batter to give so much attention [ the storage battery, but It shouid be | inspected every two weeks w] the car is used very much or not, During the Summer it is necessary to see to it that the radiator has in it sufficient water to carry out its cooling function. It is an easy matter to re- and a once-a-week in- spection -will avoid the water getting too low. In the Winter, of course, some | the radiator to prevent the water from freezing. | It is a good idea to |once a week to see if ti cuts or bruises which need attention: | | Automobiles having numerous places requi: lubrication, there is provided an oiling chart the location of these various places that should be oiled occasionally. The auto- mobile owner should take this chart and carefully check the location of each of the lubricating places and these should receive grease or oil, as the case may be, whenever needed. These places should be checked up about every 1,000 S. The driver should note whether or not the generator is charging the bat- tery at a rate corresponding to the type of driving to which the car is sub- Jected. he is in doubt as to what this rate should be he should consult 4 reliable service station to find out, or the dealer who sold him the car. Once in a while it is a good idea to lve attention to door hi door locks, windshield pivots, bonnet hinge rod sockets and bonnet hooks, all of which mli need a little light machine oil from to time. About every three months it is well see if it is function perly; also easily. A pull of about 25 to 30 pounds move the radiator cap and add water | anti-freeze material must be put into | the tires | dol re are any | to check up on the clutch pedal, to | hazard his proj to check up to see if the car is rolling | tasteful obstac] CARE OF AUTO WHEN IN SERVICE ENJOINED AS REAL NECESSITY Outlines Program Which Should Be Observed by Owners in Week-in-and-Week-Out Drivind. should keep the car moving on a smooth level pavement. It is e e tant that automobiles roll is interested in as low a as possible. ‘0 check the alignment of the fron wheels is another matter which need: attention once in a while, If the auto- mobile has been bumped into or has bumped into something else, the align ment may be a little off and conse- quent useless wear on tires may be going on. Numerous Bearings Need Attention. ‘Two or three times a year, impor- if one bill , Af the car f| is mucuhnmed. it is desirable to discon- Te-| to . The front axle tie rod should be inspected for looseness twice a year or more, and any play found should be taken up. Inspect the generator and starting motor commutators and brushes. In- spect the head lamps prolper adjust- ment and all lights to see if the con- nections are tight and the lamps work- mgt. See if the front-wheel are nof secure more detailed information of this | Wires adjustment at least rterly. Be sure the storage battery p bolt is tight and that the storage battery terminals clean. The distributor head will It is necessary to watch the gasoline | ook to 1t is very confusing to | tgh! ness. URGES ELIMINATION OF HIGHWAY HAZARDS Rudolph Jose Cites Proper Main- tenance of Motor Headlights as Among Chief Duties. ‘The maintenance of mtor car head- lights in constant adjustment to obviate the discomfort and hazard resultant upon lack of focus is a duty incumbent owner. ys Ruloph Jose, veterans motor car dealer, who declares that “there can be no exceptions to this rule, since driving becomes safe only in tion to the extent to which all ous factors are eliminated.” i S e e e condition brilliancy and focus is a distinct act of unfairness, Mr. Jose believes, for in ing so one imposes on others a hard- ship he himself would be unwilling to bear. “It is safe to say that scarcely any motorist does not recognize ill-focused headlights as a definite motoring evil,” cal own unpleasant experiences which were caused by blinding glare from cars aj a street or Wl Knowing the evil, he should be the willing to correct it in his own case. “There will be found however, who rant about the glare of headlights on the cars of other drivers not seem to exist. “This is where the unfairness is stanced. The adage that what is sauce for "‘k"""‘ is sauce for the gander was en to express just such a of unfair conduct. 3 Mm is an_individual matter. tions may be passed with collective objec- tives, but the remedy for our traffic evils ultimately must from the come individual. So it is with lights. Until every . 'finn much of the possible own lamps can cause, head- will continue to be a dis- le in the of enjoy- able and safe motoring.” % light :llne LIN'S E-TYEE LLY FLOWN AN AIRPLANE The sensation of 1930 is unquestionably the brilliant new Franklin with an airplane-type engine. This amazing engine has flown an airplane—enabled Franklin to break astonishing new road records —and delivers the greatest power for cylinder capacity of all automotive powerplants. The body designs introduce new style features which definitely place Franklin in the forefront of fashion. HARRY W. BURR = Salesrooms and Service Station, 346-348 Pa. Ave. N.W. FRANK FRANKLIN MOTOR CAR CO. Metropolitan Q961