Evening Star Newspaper, June 8, 1930, Page 53

wHE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, JUNE 8, 1930—PART FOUR.’ 7 UNIQUE AUTOMOBILE ATTRACTS INTEREST Car Without Spark Plugs, Carbure. tor or Magneto Hailed as Impor- tant Future Utility, —BY JAMES W. BROOKS. (Sketches by Calvin A. Fader.) (Title registeved U. G Patent Office.) PUBLIC GARAGES - SEEN FOR PARKING Education of Motorists Held Necessary to Relieve Traffic Congestion. AMERICAN HISTORY BY MOTOR— By the Associated Press. DETROIT —An automobile motof without spark plugs, carburetor or mage« neto at one of the national automobile shows attracted considerable attention. Its inventor predicted it would some day provide the power plant for busses, trucks and tractors, While there has been much experi- mentation with Diesel type motors in the United States, and one engineer already has constructed one for use in airplanes, Europe has really made more progress in the development of engines powered by fuel other than gasoline, In Europe, excepting in Russia or Rumania, there is little or no ofl and all gasoline must be imported—at a cost twice as much as in Amerie: Motivated perhaps by reasons of economy, European engineers have de- voted mdre time and effort to the de- velopment of Diesel type motors and synthetic fuels. Then there is the “gazogene” systems. At the recent Salon de L'Automobile no fewer than five firms had exhibits of cars powered BY H. CLIFFORD BROKAW, Automobile Technical Adviser. The motorist has two problems in | eonnection w.th parking an automobile. One is to find a place big enough to park in; the other is the ability to park skillfully in whatever space may be available. This latter problem has been dealt with before. The former problem of securing adequate space for parking is increasingly of interest to automobile drivers. This increase in interest grows out of the decrease in space available, especially in urban centers. For instance, in New York City, a recent investigation showed that there is parking space for only 4 per cent of the idle automobiles in Manhattan. ‘The Police Department in this city laid out 35 designated parking areas which WI}EN we me. lo;l'hc Travels George Washington as we todo fater; this logr?’abm at mmtm land will be one of the scenes en route. This was his headquarters in service under Braddock in. his early twenties @Ancrican Hisrwav Eoucationss Bureau e T — % 2 e e HIS plain structure in Frederick . built in [799,was once the home of Roger Brooke Taney, Atforney General of Maryland,, Atlorney General of the United States, Secretary of the Treasury and Chief Justice of the US. Supreme CGourt. Now a memorial to Justice Taney and his wife,a sister of Francis Scott-Key. 2 ‘;9‘? 7 N the dd desk on which Chief Justice Tanz penned ‘the V| S farfions Dred Scolt OR motorists who yearn decision,, a document which hastened. the Civil War, visitors fo the Taney fo get away from ‘the ¢rowded lanes of life, the qluu:t little by-roads of Maryland are recommended above all others. Fome and Museum will be asked to register. Justice Taney inaugurated seven Presidents of the United States and their portraits line the walls. The open entrance to the right leads to awine cellar of a-hundred years aga provide space where 1298 automobiles can park for a maximum of two hours. ‘The ~ investigation ~disclosed, however, that in the middle of the day there are more than 35,000 cars standing idle in the streets. Naturally, many of these cars represent some obstruction to traffic. Situation Is Typical, ‘While this situation may be unusual- ly critical, it is typical of a sort of condition which is found in all sections of the United States. It represents a matter _which motorists _themselves must take an interest in if they are going to be able to continue to operate their automobiles with the satisfaction they have a right to expect. In New York City it is declared that traffic delays and congestion, due to a con- siderable extent to the lack of parking space, cost the city $1,000,000 a day, and $2,000,000,000 a year is set down as a conservative estimate of what these delays and congestion cost the Nation for a year. In the metropolis, by way of reliev- ing such conditions, some of the pro- posals for traffic reform suggest that all parking in the streets of the busi- ness section be prohibited. This sort of procedure has been undertaken in Chicago Loop district. Another sug- gestion is that there be constructed garages and municipal parking places in place of street parking. Another suggestion has to do with abolition of the practice by trucks of backing into a curb for loading and unloading. In other words, requiring trucks to prac- tice side loading and unloading. Most Jogical appears to be the possibility of development of garages for parking and municipal parking places. In some cities it is, proposed to destroy the buildings on old city blocks in order to_make parking spaces. ‘There appears to be a sort of natural reaction on the part of motorists to ut their automobiles in public garages or parking. If such a movement is to succeed there must surely be a large amount of educational work done to impress upon automobile owners the value of such a practice. Most likely this unfavorable reaction to using pub- lic garages grows out of the frequent handling of these cars in the garages by incompetent employes. Motorists also have lost various things out of their cars, but the same result might obtain if cars were left parked in the streets. There is the idea of a greater fire risk which, however, is not serious. Garages Meeting Objections. To overcome some of these difficul- ties gagages are making improvements, some going so far as to make possible the parking of cars by electricity, so that the owner can lock his machine and take the key away with him. An- other prejudice against the use of pub- lic garages is the expense involved. Even though it may be worth more than the small fee charged for parking in a garage, motorists often have the feeling that they are saving that much by parking in the street. However, the avoidance of such a fee is not always in the interest of economy. It s certainly worth something to know that an automobile is under cover and recelving & certain amount of care and protection. This prejudice against pay- ing might be overcome by the com- munities themselves constructing large garages for parking, which would be free to the public, and having the ga- rages supported by public funds. Municipalities that might not be able to secure the public's consent to use large amounts of money on garages for parking could much more cheaply provide outdoor parking spaces by utilizing vacant lots wherever they might be found. At present such lots are often used for parking purposes by private concerns, with fairly large charges for their services and probably not as good or no better management than might be provided by a munici- pality. It would be no great burden to taxpayers for the city to acquire land in certain sections of the city away from the crowded business dis- trict, which could be used for parking, or, at any rate, to lease unused land and put it to work Mr. Brokaw will be glad to write on any subject pertaining to the automo- bile that a reader may request. AMERICANS CATE TO FOREIGN WHIMS Cars Not Painted Green in Persia and Arabia—Color Is Sacred. Green is not used in the color scheme of automobiles in Persia and Arabia, as ! 1t is considered sacred, and dark red or maroon is reserved in Japan for mem- bers of the imperial family, according to the foreign travel division of the American Automobile Association. 1t is pointed out that although color #chemes are a matter of personal pref- erence In the United States, they are taken more seriously in some foreign countries and are considered of great importance in many nations. | Basing its statement on facts gathered by foreign attaches of the Department of Commerce and its own representa- | tives abroad, the national motoring body said that the American car predom- inates throughout the world. due to the fact that builders have anticipated the whims of all peoples. The agency said: “In hot, moist countries leather up- holstery is desirable as it is considered cooler ‘and fabric deteriorates rapi “In several countries, notably Gi Britain, its dominions and colonies, the yule of the road is to the left and the preference is always for right-hand drive | cars “The road clearance of American cars 4s satisfactory in most foreign coun- tries, but in” hilly countries or those where road construction is not so far advanced, the low clearance is not favored. “As the metric system is used in many countries, the speedometer vegisters in kilometers. “Closed cars continue to gain in pop- wiarity, but in tropical countries the open model is still favored. “Bright colors are generally received most_favorably and plated trimmings give the cars added attraction.” Expensive Fine. From the Wheel. Madge—8o you were up before a sterner traffic Judfi than usual? Yes, 1 had to smile utm three times before he dismisseqy eharge. ! Hood, an eminent architect, recently COURT 1S WEIGHING JURY O DRIVERS D. C. Motorist Appeals Case on Recklessness Charge Decided by Judge. Is & motorist charged with “reckless driving” legally entitled to a jury trial? | This question, of interest to every | Washington motorist, is to be definitely | settled by the United States Supreme Court, | Thomas J. Keefe, general manager of | the American Motorists’ Association, declares: “It is an admitted and proven fact that a defendant-motorist invari- ably can get a more sympathetic hear- ing if he be tried by a jury, rather than by a judge.” A case arose here in the District where & motorist was charged, con- victed and sentenced to 30 days in jail for reckless driving. He demanded a trial before a jury, which was refused. On appeal, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals reversed the Police Court decision and held that a mo- torist charged with “reckless driving” is entitled to a jury trial. The Govern- ment appealed to the United States | Supreme Court. Offense Is Held “Peity.” The theory of the Government fs that “reckless driving” is only a petty offense and for that reason does not come under the constitutional prohibi- tion of the sixth amendment, guaran- teeing to every person a speedy, public and impartial jury trial. “Should the United States Supreme Court hold that ‘reckless driving’ is & | petty offense, then hundreds of thou- sands of motorists annually will be de- prived of jury trials,” Manager Keefe points out. “In the District last year approximately 2,000 motorists _were charged with this offense. The question is of utmost concern to Washington motorists because of the tendencles in | Maryland and Virginia of many ‘road- | side courts’ and ‘fning squires’ to be | prosecutor, judge and jury, usually with | disastrous results to the motorists. “One of the earliest cases, under which the United States Supreme Court was called upon to pass upon the ques- tion of & defendant’s right to & jury trial was in 1866. The court em- phatically declared: * * * ‘If ideas can be expressed in words, and lan- | guage has any meaning, the right of trial by jury, one of the most valuable in a free country, is preserved to every one accused of a crime.’ A Vague Term. “Reckless driving is a vague and in- definite term and one difficult to d ‘What might be considered reck- less driving by one officer or one judge, might not be considered reckless driv- ing by another, or by a jury. The de- cision of the United States Supreme Court settling the question is of in- terest and importance to every motor- 15t,” the A. M. A. manager declares, Motorists and others desiring a brief of the decision, when rendered, may ob- tain it by request from the legal de- partment of the A. M. A. headquarters. LITTLE-KNOWN MINERAL IS VITAL TO CAR OWNER Andalusite, Found in California Mountains, Is Important in Spark Plug Industry, Andalusite, & little-known mineral, which plays an important part in the making of the spark plug, vital in the | automotive and aviation comes mainly from the high altitudes of | the Inyo Mountains of California, where it is transported In sacks by | burros down & steep trail four and one- half miles long to the valley, 6,000 feet below, says the United States Bureau of Mines, Department of Commerce. The minerals andalusite, kyanite and sillimanite differ in physical properties but have the same chemical composi- tion. Although all three of these sili- cates of alumina are employed in indus- try. they are often referred to indis- criminately as “sillimanite.” Another mineral that is closely related to this group is dumortierite, Prehistoric implements made of com- pact sillimanite are found in Western Europe and have a certain resemblance to jade implements, but the mineral was named in honor of Benjamin 8illi~ man, the elder, who was born in 1779, states Alice V. Petar, in & report just industries, | yearly incomes by Early Motorists Provided for Mule Power When Stuck ‘The archives of the War De- partment have revealed an inter- esting phase of automotive trans- portation, dealing with the days when whipsockets and attach- ments for shafts of horses were among the gadgets of the auto- mobile, according ‘o the Amer- ican Automobile Association. A newspaper of September 28, 1899, announced: “Three auto- mobiles have been purchased by the War Department for the use of officers. Each is equipped so that mules may be hitched to it, should it refuse to ru CENTRAL HIGHWAYS. OFTEN NEGLECTED | Half of U. S. Road Money De- clared Spent for Local Traffic. Although nearly every State in the Union has a highly efficient State high- way department, nearly half of all road money is spent through counties and townships for the improvement of local roads, according to E. E. Duffy, high- way educational writer. Two things are indicated by this sit- uation. Strictly local or farm-to-mar- ket roads are getting their share, or more than their share, of financial attention, and local _communities, charged with the expenditure of two- thirds of a billion dollars annually, should protect their citizens by guiding themselves by the activities of the more efficient State highway departments. Much Money Poorly Spent. No one would care to estimate how much money is poorly spent through local road-building agencies. Counties and townships of limited resources can- not provide themselves with either the best equipment or men. Their road funds, so they say, must be spread over too many miles of highways to permit of permanent construction. Here is where one of the great prob- fems in local road building enters. Oftentimes circumstances or politics prevent those in charge of road build- ing from coneentrating money on one or two important local roads, but rather compel the spreading out of the income over all the roads in the community, re- gardless of their importance. In the township and county, as in the State, the most used roads should be improved first. If at all possible, they should be hard-surfaced, for this gives year-round service with a negligible upkeep cost. These main local rcads, perhaps leading into the chief markets, serve the most traffic, the logical aim of any well planned program. Then after they have been improved, attention can be directed to feeder roads. Road Districts Have Helped. For the most part, the larger the road- building agency the greater the effi- clency and the better the value re- ceived by taxpayers. In some instances counties have grouped themselves in road districts. By concentrating their funds on the most traveled roads through the larger road body, they have, at no greater cost, speeded up construction and laid more hard-sur- faced pavements. Cameron County, Tex.; Vermillion and Champaign Counties, Ill.; Kent County, Md., and many others have dis- covered that the road problem will re- main & problem so long as temporary road surfaces are permitted. These counties have capitalized on their issuing bonds well within their resources. Pavements were built at once with this bond issue money and now, instead of putting money into mud holes and ruts, they are retiring bonds, ‘They're surprised that the rest of the world isn't doing the same, for they have found it cheaper and more satistactory. TOWN TURNED AROUND Van Horn, Tex., Readjusts Self for Highways. VAN HORN, Tex., (4).—Because of the increasing use of highways for traf. fic this town is being turned aroun | When Van Horn was bullt, the princ} business section was along a railwa, Now three trans-Texas highways form & junction here and the business section published by the Bureau of Mines. will face the highways, !Architect Cites Gre That Is Now Facing Auto Designer ‘Thoughts that automobile designers may advisedly mull over for & long time were expressed by Raymond M. t the Detroit section body dovision meel ing of the Society of Automotive En= gineers, when he said: “Your cars are marvelous looking machines that 50 years from now you will find in the museums exactly as you find armor, rugs, furniture and everything else; they are real works of art, and it is because of sincerity of attack that you have arrived with such a result, because you have gone con- sciously at the building of a fine auto- mobile, and unconsciously this spirit of beauty has arrived in them. “The real path of beauty is the path of utility, . , . The art of automobile design 1s one of the highest arts in the world . . . because you have tackled your problems so sincerely and so simply. . ., . You have unconsciously developed & marvelous car from the point of view of utility, and beauty has come along with it. . . . “You will find that in making sacn: fices to the mistress of beauty we wind up with overdressed, vugar, sort of at Problem | frowsy old frump. , . . The danger is [ :'mu he automobile is going to be over- on | Mr. Hood's warning is timely in this day of extremes and mass follow-the- vogue tendency, when the bizarre, the grotesque, the striking s vegarded as ‘modern” and the art of the past is considered passe. True art is a matter of proportion and relation of lines, of harmony of colors and proportion of color values, and of suitabllity of de- sign to the utility of an article. For- tunately the designs that are most suitable as regards utllity, efficiency and comfort are most artistic. Esthetic taste varies from period to period because of mass psychology, but remains constant over the centuries. ‘The “horseless carriage” design of 30 years ago was inappropriate to & me- chanically pl‘ugolle vehicle of 10 time horse speed, hence the ridiculous_ap- pearance of those early vehicles, Pan- hard forgot horse-drawn vehicles, started with a clean aheet and produced the ar- rangement of parts, each best for its has beeome almeost uni- versal today. Out of this arrangement has developed the practical, comfortable, fast and handseme motor car of today. PRECAUTION URGED FOR TOUR SEASON Grade Crossings Offer Usual Death Snares to Drivers Who Are Careless. With the advent of the touring sea- son railroad grade crossings loom as a serious threat to highway safety, and | there will be the usual number of fatal | | motorists exercise every precaution, ac- | cording to the safety department of the American Automobile Association. states. There are a total of 210,874 unprotected grade crossings throughout the country, one to every 14 miles of the Nation's 3,000,000 miles of highways of all types. Last year it was estimated that 44,000,000 people in the United States and Canada took vacation motor trips. This year the number will be even greater. For the benefit of motorists the A. A. A. safety division issued the following suggestions on approaching railroad crossings: Don’t trust to signals and signs at grade crossings unless there is a watch- man present. Don't approach a rallroad grade crossing at other than an extremely low rate of speed. Don't blow your horn or carry on a conversation that is liable to drown out the sound of an approaching train. Don’t shift gears while on the tracks. If it is an upgrade, change before start- accidents and untold suffering unless | ing uphill and cross the tracks in low | or_intermediate. Don't take the chance of running out of gas on railroad tracks. In 1929 there were 5,046 grade-cross- ing accidents, with a death toll of 2,165 and 6,218 persons injured, the A. A. A. Don't forget that a traip travels on a fixed path and cannot swerve. Don't forget to always stop before crossing the tracks if the approach is around a curve that is liable to shut off the view of an approaching train. Don’ trust your memory as to train schedules. Don't forget that there may be a sec- ond section, or if double tracks, a train | coming . from the opposite direction of the one that has just passed. —_— POLICE CARRY FIRST AID Michigan State Troopers Equipped With Kits for Autoists. LANSING, Mich,, (#).—Motorists' fear of cops at automobile accidents has been swept aside in Michigan, where the | State trooper in & new capacity is a welcomed spectator. Oscar G. Olander, commissioner of | public safety, has equipped the State's| entire fleet of police cars and motor | cycles with first-aid kits. Troopers AreE given special training in the emergency | Sullys Hill. Persons desiring to fish in | medical treatment at the police school GOVERNMENT ALLOWS LICENSELESS FISHING| Permits Required in National Parks Only When State Shares Control With U. 8. There are no permits required for fishing in the national parks under full control of the Government and seekers of the finny tribe are allowed to enjoy the sport without charge. ‘The National Park Service, however, | has advised that State fishing licenses are required in those States where ex- clusive control has not been.ceded to the Government. In these, the States collect a fee for a license, | ‘The national motoring body says that the parks in which State fishing licenses must be taken out are Yosemite, Se- quoia, Lassen Volcanic, Gen. Grant, Grand Canyon, Acadia, Grand Teton, Wind Cave, Zion, Bryce Canyon and these parks must make arrangements at East Lansing. Now that Greatest of all, you have the prideand satisfaction of ownership expressed in these letters—typical of thousands. «“In ten years I have owned thirty automobiles, from $1,000 to $6,000. My Essex Challenger does all that any of them did. It is roomy and comfortable. The motor is a wonder. In 7000 miles I have not spent a for State licenses. // i i w /’//ur{///ulfl‘/rll‘rm/ Why buy a lesser car? The ESSEX Challenger is a SUPER-SIX Essex costs so little more—and yet it is a big car, with big car comforts and advantages. You ride with ease and plenty of lounging room. You have the security of the biggest, finest car. cent for service.” by Diesel or semi-Diesel engines. The “gazogene” systems have been in use abroad for some time. They burn wood, coke, coal and almost anything else that will burn, clean the resultant gas and supply it to an ordinary gaso- line motor. The motor, however, usual- ly is larger, for the power produced by the “gazogene” system is slightly less than that from gasoline. The systems, applied mainly to trucks, are not very popular with pro- fessional chauffeurs, because they are dirtier and considerably more trouble to handle than gasoline systems, Gasoline Prices Vary. Gasoline prices throughout the sorld vary from 21.2 cents per gallon in the United States to 64.8 cents per gallon | in Bolivia, according to the District of Columbia division of the American Au- tomobile Association. Authorized Service Harrison Radiators Creel Brothers '1811 14thSLN.W. Decatur 4220 Your First Choice Car Costs so Little More.. Forget “list prices” and get the facts. Get the actual costs —trade-in, financing and extras considered. You will be astonished at how little, if anything, more it costs for the outstanding advantages of the Essex Challenger. “I used to own a light car that did pretty well in tire, oil and fuel econ- omy. But when I escaped frequent outlay for repairs or adjustments, 1 considered myself lucky. Since own- ing my Essex I have learned repair expense is not a matter of luck. With its wonderful performance, it is — truly the greatest value among cars.” Come examine and ride in the New Essex Challenger. See how little more it costs. Then no lesser car can satisfy. "4 35 £ o. b. Detreoit, Factory For the Coupe —Seven other models just as attractively priced. Wide calor choice at no extra cost. LAMBERT-HUDSON MOTORS CO. Corner 14th and R Streets N.W. MeDevil 2017 14th 8t Mator Co. It Waldert Wormenton, et tt_Motor NW. -Eases Co Co. Tel. Col. 3247 Warner Motor Oou It n Maryland City Motars Co., Hyattaville = Saunders Motor Co. 3206 M St. N,W. DISTRIBUTORS—PHONE DECATUR 2070 METROPOLITAN DEALERS Weat 0144 1496 W st N.E. Associate Dealers Midway Garage, rel ml'lllv. Station, Schultze’s Motor Co. Tel. Lincoln 6268 Service Station—24th and Coast-In Nichels Ave, and § St. Ine, te Co. Praraey Eering M Sts. N.W. uuu? S.E. Tel, Line. 5393