Evening Star Newspaper, October 26, 1930, Page 57

In the Motor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. T is to be hoped that the trafic committee’s report favoring a gasoline tax of 4 cents a gallon for the District of Columbia will be turned down. Such an added burden upon the motorists is both discrimination and unfair —particularly so when there is no sound reason given for such an increase. Washington cannot be compared with the neighboring States whose present gasoline taxes are higher than here. Their systems of road- ways far surpass those in the Dis- trict. If through political con- nivance their rates were raised to 10 cents a gallon would any one suggest that the rates here should be raised to a corresponding level, Just to balance? Increased Taxes Unwarranted. It is true that in Washington there is to be found governmental | exemptions to this tax and be- | cause of which the city loses a| large revenue, but it cannot seem | right to the clear minded that the &lying residents should be forced pay more. And besides it ap- pears that the yearly amount meets all sufficient needs. Just because a tax is not felt at the time, because it is paid in such small amounts and because it is one of the easiest taxes to collect, can be no legitimate excuse for its levy. And 2lthough the tax is paid in small amounts the total: are sure to be felt in time b the family budget. A 4-cent ta: per gallon is an approximate tax | of 25 per cent, which certainly is | a high rate on a commodity that is not a luxury, but a necessity. The 2-cent-per-gallon tax should not be increased. Pressed For Honors. ‘Washington has a strong rival for first honors on the low fatality list. Indeed, the rival, Boston, Mass,, is so strong that according to the last report of the Census Bureau is tied with the National Capital with 13.4- per cent on the| rate of per 100,000 population. A small rise in Washington's percentage figures is caused by the figures obtained through| the 1930 census. The population | estimate of Washington on which former figures were based was higher than what was actually found to be the case. The in- creased death rate since August appears to be higher than hereto- fore, but the actual death rate has not increased. Traffic fatalities claimed four in September, 1930, against two in September, 1929. But for the year 1930, including September, the Na- tional Capital has had 46 traffic deaths, against 62 for the first nine months of 1929. For the 52-week period ending October 4 the Census Bureau lists the following 20 cities: Record of 20 Cities. Washington, 13.4; Boston, 13.4; Baltimore, 14.1; Minneapolis, 16.4; St. Louis, 17.4; Milwaukee, 17.9; San Francisco, 18.3; New Orleans, 18.6; Philadelphia, 18.9; New York, 9; Kansas City, 19.8; Detroit, Chicago, 23.1; Pittsburgh, .5; Indianapolis, 26.6; Los An- geles, 26.7; Buffalo, 27.3; Newark, 273; Cleveland, 28.1, and Cincin- nati, 28.7. Thus it may be seen that the “bad city,” Cleveland, which has had the worst record of the 20 ]ar%est cities, has gotten a little better and allowed the booby prize to go to its Ohio sister, Cincinnati. ‘These cities listed above all have a population of 350,000 or more. In this regard there may be cities with better or worse records, but not belonging to the above classi- fication. Loading Zones. A complexing task is at present facing the director of traffic. He is engaged in the reallotment of shipping entrances, or loading zones, as he prefers to call them. It is his purpose to place them along the curb where the most loading and unloading is done.| For the heaviest shipper, he de- | sires to give the most room. In times gone by he has granted | the request of many merchants to | have signs erected in front of their stores. He gives the permit and the merchants pay the ex- pense for their erection. Now new stores have located on the various sitating changes. It seems that all the merchants, or at least & great number of them, want desig- nated places set forth for thel stores. If all their requests were complied with, there would be in many instances no room for any other parking. Some require a large space, other not. The large stores with large spaces would en- | croach upon their neighbors who have paid for having signs erected previously. Mr. Harland has quite a problem before him. peaking of these zones, it is not permissible for owners @f private cars to park in them even if they desire to purchase from that par- ticular store. The management might acquiesce, but the police de- partment will not, and a parking ticket can be expected. The other day a man parked in one of these zones to get his lunch. A ticket was handed him. | With a smart lawyer—the word alec might be added after the word smart—the defendant took his case into court. Through his attorney he explained that he had parked for the purpose of loading up. Strange enough there was no laughter, and after the tant pause the defendant paid his fine and the fee of his lawyer. He gnbably was lucky not to have een cited for contempt of court. Road Widening Needed. The nced of wide highways throughout the land is becoming more and more apparent every day. While these highways will be hailed by the speeders, they will prove a source of delight to the motorist who is unable to pass a slowiy moving car because of the traffic congestion and the narrow- ness of the roadways. With the completion of such highways, which are becoming & necessity, Sundays and days of rages and football games will not *fln the pleasure of driving. Recently a story was published in this paper of a plan to make an express or high-speed route between here and New York. It is to be hoped that plans for that work will soon be undertaken. While broad highways encourage speeding, such roads make travel safer, and that is a great need of today. Wider roads, elimination of grade crossings, well banked turns and leveling of dangerous hills will greatly reduce accidents. Some time ago all that was neces- sary about a highway was its length. That necessity now has given away to width. Maryland has initiated the idea in, this section of the country and is contemplating further plans along this line. The State must soon give serious consideration to the need for ex- press highways, according to H. M. Lucius, secretary of the Auto- mobile Club of Maryland. By the establishment of express highways, accomodating four lanes of traffic, accidents could be reduced congiderably, he said. “Our State Roads Commission is very wisely carrying out -this idea on the boulevard between Baltimore and Washington,” the Automobile Club official ‘Here four lanes of traffic are pro- vided for, as also on a portion of Charles street. “The very obvious ineffective- ness of a three-lane road is evi- denced on the Annapolis boule- vard. Here congestlon is so great that the third lane is of practi- cally no value. “Economy in road construction, however, would seem in most in- stances to call for the widening of present main thoroughfaresto the four-lane standard rather than the construction of additional roads, except, of course, where portions of such roads have al- ready been constructed. “Motorists should bear in mind that on these four-lane roads the extreme right lane is intended for the r moving line of traffic, while the one just inside of this lane is to be used only for passing vehicles ahead. “In the interest of safety there | is no step more important at this state of road building than the concerted effort to have a com- plete chain of four-lane traffic roads throughout our State.” Motorists will be glad to learn the new bridge over the Monocaey river near Frederick, Md., is now business streets of the city, neces- open to traffic. Influence of Sport Ca Manufacturer S LONDON, October 25.—The Interna- tional Motor Show, which recently opened here, indicates clearly that the sport car as a type has greatly influ-| enced the British coach builder. | Many of the former designs, such as| the landaulet, once a great favorite, have practically disappeared, and, gen. erally speaking, the automobiles on dis-| m show much more modern lines.| trend for brighter colors continues, | and the exhibit is full of examples of | attractive color schcmes. Mcre con- trasting shades are seen than in the ch ope: short time 1its in giving the British on a brighter However, rend toward bl and somber colors is in evidence here also, and as & matter of fact about 28 per cent of the cars show these hues. Those fin- jshed in black constitute the largest single group. Blues remain leading I vorites. the most popular are browns, greens, maroons, grays, yellows and reds. Bright and luminous medium shades are DONT STRUGGLE WITH CoLp OiL AND GREASE'! o & Now 1S THE TIME To PREPARE Your CAR FOR WINTER DRIVING SYART USING A THINNER MdToR OIL AND LIGHTER GEAR LUBRICAN! DON'T WAIT UNTIL COLD WEATHER! SEYS IN IMPROPER LUBRICATION MAY CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE ' Next after blacks and blues,| r on British een at London Show characteristic of the greens, blues and reds on display. e Highly painted cars show a substan- tial increase, and at the same the fabric finished bodies which were formerly such a great favorite in Eng- land show :.:‘ur decresse as com. year. Leather and lacquered fabrics are the leading materials for upholstery, representing no less than 68 per cent of the total. Next in importance comes broadcloth, with 17 per cent of the total. It is used chiefly on the more pensive cars. Fancy cloth, which s popular as an upholstery fabric on the Continent, does not seem to have registered as weil in England, and rep- resents only 7 per cent of the total, and this mostly on foreign cars. Bed- |ford cloth and pile materials represent |5 and 3 per cent, respectively. | New things in upholstery consist of fancy fabrics, mostly in rayon, which are being displayed on high-class cars. ‘The most striking example of these is |in tapestry, showing & floral design in ‘vnnegaud colors. | “The motor show has attracted a great | deal of attention, but the number of cars exhibited is 10 per cent less than st vear, due principally, it is said, to | smaller 'participation or non-partici- pation of scveral European manufac- turers. CHECK TIRE CHAINS Rudolph Jese Gives Advice for | Arduous Months Ahead. Now is an excellent time for the mo- torist to look over his tire chain equip- ment and be sure that it is ready give plenty of service during the ardu- ous months which lie just ahead. ‘This advice is given by Rudolph Jose, veteran automobile dealer, who points out that chains are indispensable to the | motorist who wants to use his car in full safety throughout the Winter season. “Not only should the motorist most certainly have chains, but he should | have chains that are in good condi- | tion,” Mr. Jose says. “Attempting | ‘get by’ with a chain on one rear wheel |or with a pair of worn-out chains, 1s um&ll& worse than having none st all. Now the time to be sure that this equipment is ready for instant use.” ume fPASSING CARS ON CURVES -|SOURCE OF GREAT DANGER THE SUNDAY [ON, D. €., OCTOBER 26, 1930 DOWN THE ROAD—Recollections. —By FRANK BECK KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN.. ecowe=EYES ON WHE GEAR: HANDLE.. NOW... DEPRESS THE CLUTCH... ET TREND OF MODERN ROAD WORK SHOWN American Builders’ Associa- tion Completes Survey of Highway Costs. The trend of modern road building in the paths of America’s pioneers is graphically shown in a survey of re- ional highway expenditures completed g}' the American Road Builders’ Asso- ciation. With road systems well on their way ! toward completion in the originally set- ,tled Eastern States, it is pointed out that highway expen while on the increase throughout the Nation, reach their highest peak in the Middle Western States, most of which have the largest program of expendi- tures in history. Forcefully Brought Out. ‘This is forcefully brought out by the fact that about 55 per cent of the esti- mated State and county highway ex- penditures in the Nation lies in States within a 500-mile radius of St. Louls. | Approximately $888,000,000 is being 8ald. | spent in this area, while about $713,- 000,000 is used elsewhere. show estimated expenditures of more than $25,000,000, while 10 States within the prescribed radius have programs in- volving more than twice that amount for this year. Pennsylvania leads the list with an estimate of $170,000,000. New York is next with $145,000,000. the West program. Central West Improves. In the past few years the Central Western region has followed somewhat slowly the road building lead set by the Eastern States, but this year's activi- Coast with an $80,000,000 ti.. prove that the people in those areas are no longer to be satisfied with any- thing short of completed systems of pri- mary and secondary roads. The in- creases in highway expenditures are con- tributed to largely by the aroused in- terest in improvement of county roads by State and local authorities. County funds, as well as those of the State highway departments, are benefit- ting by the increasing revenues from gas taxes and motor vehicle registra- tion and by the decidedly lowered cost of construction. The better types of nance costs, thus releasing more of the budget for new construction. St. Louis Well Chosen. It is most fitting that St. Louis, the hub of highway construction activity, has been chosen by the American Road Builders’ Association for its twenty- eighth annual convention and road show, January 12 to 16, 1931. Here the enthusiasm set in motion by President | Hoover in his plea for increased high-| way construction, and which has met with hearty co-operation of State, city and county authorities, will be concen- trated in the meeting of all the various | branches of the vast highway industry. | e Practice Should Not Be Undertaken at Bends of the Road, Dis- tributor Warns. Passing another car on a curve is a prolific source of some of the most serious accidents, and vet it is a prac- tice that continues to threaten the safety of motordom, points out Oscar Coolican, local automobile distributor. One never should go past another car unless there is absolutely clear vision ahead, declares Mr. Coolican. However, he says, the willingness to take & risk is so ingrained in some drivers that they constantly disregard their better judgment. “If the question were asked of any motorist at random, ‘Is it safe to pass on a curve?’ there is no doubt that it would be answered with an emphatic negative,” Mr. Coolican asserts. “But | judging ' from the conduct of some| drivers there is & mental reservation which they make for themselves, and what they really mean to say is that they would try anything if they thought they could get away with it “It is difficult to believe that there is any driver who does not know he should wait until he can see ahead for a safe distance before pulling out of line on the mhndy. But the fact re- mains that it i dope every day snd teo rrequenu':{ with w;'te resul only conclusion possible 18 motorist who passes on & curve disre- gards what he knows to be right and gambles his life on & chance that another car is not sppro-chlx':g. “There are some curves on high- way on which passing can be done with comparative safety. Where the road winds through a flat country or is so wide that it will accommodate four lanes of traffic, passing is not in- herently dangerous. But it is a bad practice at best, for there is the pos- sibility of running off the road or, in very :xélw trafiic, of hlv;‘r,x:honz's év:ry blocked, even on a broad Way. - tainly, the best rule is to stay in line While traversing & curve,” ditures for 1930, | Only seven States outside this Arenl roads now being built and the improved | equipment have also decreased mainte- | lts. The | tion 150 hmied o Milady’s No wonder the traffic officer glares at you when you pass him at night. Think how you glare at him. Members of a certain bridge club | always wonder why it is one of their gTroup manages to get away so quickly in her car when the game is over and the prizes have been distributed, Here's how she does it: 8he gets out the ignition key while walking to the car. |key in the lock she pulls out the choke |and steps on the starter button. This starts the engine sucking gas spray into the cylinders. Then she presses the | clutch pedal to the floor, shifts to low and switches on the ignitipn. The in- | stant the engine fires she is set to go b | gently letting up the clutch pedal while feeding gas. | trying to shift to low after getting the | enginé started. When you are going to take & driving test be sure the car's tank is fllled with the gasoline that works best in it. This may not be the best gasoline from a standpoint of analysis. Some gas may | be too volatile for your engine, with the | result that it may stall during some of the maneuvers. Some women wisely consult the companies that sold them the cars. tr | celerator pedal spring being too strong. | On the highway when you are traveling | | fast it s necessary to press well down |on the pedal, and if a strong spring has to be worked again in this process too much muscular effort will be re- Of the outside States California leads | TUired: Sometimes, however, & little extra work in driving 15 one way of avoiding the sort of fatigue that comes with in- activity. On a long trip where there is little to do but keep the car on the road and hold down the accelerator a lot of poisons store up in the body and cause fatigue. They may even produce sleep, with its Y fatal results. ‘The lady who isn't especially d in mechanical knowledge would 1&‘:”” know how fast a Central American re- guhlu: i3 traveling at 10 revolutions per our. | Along about this time of year don't be alarmed if the oil-pressure gauge acts BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. While inserting the | Her friends frequently lose time just | It your right leg cramps on & long | ip the trouble may be due to the ac-| -PART FOUR. Motoring | strangely. It will show an unusually | high reading when you start out and | then drop down toward the middle of | the day or after you have been running for 10 or 15 miles. This just reflects | the more congealed nature of the ol | | when starting during the Fall weather. | ‘The best place to acquire the knack of being able to control the car to a fraction of an inch is to handle it your- self in a public garage. I learned to | drive trying to put my car away in a | tight space, even though I had made | a fine bluff at the job for months before. Believe it or not, a woman can get better Tesults from her car if she will | | give a little thought to the matter of | suction, which is an_important factor in _the engine’s operation, It is through suction, for instance, that the engine is fed gas. When you crank the engine you start the pistons pumping up and down. This creates suction in the piping from the carbu- Iretor to the engine. Air has to reach the cylinders through this sucking proc- ess, and it is in being drawn through the carburetor that it carries gasoline spray with it. This suction through the carburetor | increases as the engine speeds up. You may wonder, therefore, why it is that the vacuum-operated windshield wiper | slows down when you speed up on a hill, accelerate suddenly or climb a hill slowly with the throttle wide open. | This s explained by the fact that the suction to operate the wiper is drawn from the intake piping (technically called manifold) above the throttle, With the throttle open the suction naturally is diverted from the small pipe leading to the wiper. This affects the vacuum-tank system the same way, but by using oversize tanks there is no chance of the system | running dry. Suction, as you will real- ze, makes the carburetor function. Naturally you cannot increase this suc- | tion without getting the engine running faster, which explains why you can't |start ‘right off without running the starter motor. Because of what I said above, it is a good idea to let the vacuum-type wiper Tun on s rainy day even if the rain isn't coming down fast enough to ob- scure vision. Alr passing through the wiper'into the engine leans out the mix- ture and will make the engine run & ' little more efficiently. Safety Measures for Regulations designed to insure the safest conditions possible in the trans- portation of explosives in motor ve- | hicles have been drawn up by the | United States Bureau of Mines, De- partment of Commerce, for the gul ance of its own employes. The bureau is constantly engaged in the testing and field study of explosives used in mining, and many of its employes are frequentdy obliged to transport explo- sives by motor. These regulations have been published in Information Circular ela&m %J M. 2::'% n soor el , and J. M. on, !unfzmm miner, in the hope that they may be of value to others whose duties require the movement of explosives by sutomoblle. “When used im hauling explosives the vehicle must be placarded ‘High Explosives—Dangerous’ and it must conform with any other regulations, laws or ordinances of the Interstatc Commerce Commission and of the States, municipalit through which it is to pass” the b reau’s instructions set forth. “Before explosives are loaded into a vehicle the body of the vehicle should | be thoroughly swept. Suggestions Listed. “Vehicles must always be kept In first-class repair. “Boxes of explosives must be so ar- and stayed in the body of the vehicles that they cannot shift during transportation, “The containers of explosives must be protected from exposure to the sun’s rays, rain, snow, etc. They should rest upon and be covered by & canvas or tarpaulin. Preferably they should be placed and locked in a large covered box or compartment: the inside sur- faces should be wholly of wood. The box or compartment must be located as far as possible from the engine and effectively insulated from it and from all sources of electricity. The engine exhgust must be pointed downward “No detonators or electric de should be hauled with explosives, cept when to make s demonstra- i to fire & blast: or in the collec- tion of field ssmples, and then the detonators or electric detonstors must be placed in such a receptacle and at 50 remote a distnce from explosives in the vehicle that the explosion of the detonators, or electric detonators, could not induce the explosion of the explosives through the intervening bar- ricades. In order to prevent any ac- cumulation of stalic electrical charges on the truck a metallic chain suffi- ciently long 50 that at least four inches of its end will drag upon the ground should be attached to the rear end of the truck, or motor vehicle. “No metallic obhtfl, such as tools or heavy masses should same vehicle with ex- Explosives Listed by Bureau of NIines'j and communities | Transporting plosives, or with detonators, or electric detonators. “No vehicle containing explosives shall be left until the motor has been stopped and the brakes set. Safe prac- tice requires that there should alway: be & guard on a vehicle containing ex- plosives. “During haulage of explosives avoid |as much as possible congested thorough- | | fares, places where crowds are assem- bled, street car tracks and dangerous crossings.” Information Circular 6330 also con: tains rules for transporting explosives, | as recommended by the Institute of | Makers' of Explosives, and standard specifications for trucks hauling ex- plosives, prepared by one of the large powder manufacturing companies. The report also recounts a number of re- cent accidents and gives recommenda- tions as to how such accidents might be avoided. Coples of Information Circular 6330, | “Some Hazards of Transporting Ex- | plosives in Automobile Trucks,” may | be obtained from the United States | Bureau of Mines, Department of Com- merce, Washington, D. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, October 25.—At the peak of the most ambitious construc- tion program in its history, the Mary- land State Roads Commission is now employing, directly or indirectly, more than 5,000 laborers, according to Harry D. Wiiliar, jr, chief engineer of the commission. Although the bulk of the concrete | construction work will be stopped on | October 15 or thereabouts, due to| weather conditions, every effort will be | made to continue the employment of | as many of these laborers as possible | through the Winter months, Mr. Wil- | lar said. | DEAD STORAGE | © Automobiles Like Fine Farniture Require Good PASSENGERS HELD NOT RESPONSIBLE Supreme Court Places Colli- sion Liability on Driver, Says A. M. A, Contributory negligence is a question of fact and not of law. ‘This in substance is the decision of the United States Supreme Court, re- fusing to review two automobile colli= sion cases of importance to Washing- ton motorists, involving the question as to whether or not it is the duty of a passenger in an automobile to warn the operator of impending danger. The de- fendants in each case sought to avold | liability on the theory that there was an absolute duty on the passenger to warn_the automobile operator of ap- proaching danger. The court, as & matter of law, finds no such duty. A review of the two cases, involving the same question, was refused by the| Supreme Court, thus in effect confirm- ing decisions rendered in the Circuit Courts of Appeal, according to the American motorists’ Association, report- ing the court’s decision. “As the question stands now, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals holds that & passenger is permitted the op- tion of warning the driver or remaining silent, while the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals—a court of equally high au- thority—holds that it is a question of fact for the jury,” it is explained by ‘Thomas J. Keefe, general manager of the A. M. A. “Actlon of the United States Supreme Court in refusing to review the two cases in effect means that it is for the jury to say in every case whether or not the passenger actu- ally is guilty of contributory negligence in not warning the driver.” SAFETY CAMPAIGNS SET FOR MARYLAND DEALERS Three Save-a-Life Meetings Sched- uled in Various Sections of Btate. Spectal Dispatch to The Star BALTIMORE, October life campaign meetings for au- le dealers will be held in various sections of Maryland next week. One of the meetings is scheduled in Balti- more Monday at the headquarters of the Automobile Club of Maryland. The other meetings will be held Tuesday at Trinity Protestant Episco- pal Church, Upper Marlboro, and Wednesday at the Y. M. C. A. audito- rium at Hagerstown. ‘The gatherings, under the direction of the Automobile Trade Association of Maryland, were called at the sug- gestion of Auto Commissioner Baugh- | man to acquaint dealers appointed as| inspectors with what was expected of them during the coming campaign. The speakers at the meetings will be Baughman, John J. Hall and John E.| Raine. ‘The save-a-life compaign will begin November 1 and continue throughout | the month. All owners of autos in| Mnryl.edng mmmveflgk cars ex- amined during period. n was emphatic in, declaring g tags be granted to any owner who fails to have his car inspected. ‘The inspecton wiill consist of a thor- ough examination of brakes, headlights, steering wheels and windshield wipers. A Pedestrian’s Widow. From the American Motorist. The neighbors were coming from the funeral. “I'm sorry for Kate,” sympathized one. “Ill tell you it's a tough thing to be left a widow with two children.” “It is,” agreed a second. “But then, what could she expect? She knew he was & pedestrian when she married him.” home e Southeastern Road| The Southeastern States are spending $170,000,000 for road construction and maintenance this year. | garage, but a well kept, attractive-look- 25.—Three | AUTO DESERVES PROTECTION OF A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER Properly Constructed Garage Will Elimi~ nate Many Troubles Both to Man and Car. BY H. CLIFFORD BROKAW, Automobile Technical Adviser. Give the automobile a decent home. This is one good rule for th> motor ca owner. An _ automobile deser t ctlon of a substantial she 1t | is that kind of a member of the family. | Another good rule has to do with the habits of the owner when in his garage. Keep the garage in order. There are & | number of troubles which will be | avolded If a garage is well ordered and it the owner understands how best to proceed when working on his car in the garage. An automobile 13 not infrequently the most expensive and most indispen- sible single possession of the family. It can equal the grand piano in the | living room in cost, and perhaps to glve much more pleasure. such a vital part of the | American family, it de:erves, certainly | [not a sjovenly, undersized, unsightly | ing, adequately fireproof home. Construction Important. Unless & garage is properly construct~ ed it can be s menace to life and prop- erty. The floor of it should be non- combustible, and if a grue 18 built-in or semi-detached to the family house, | extra precautions are necessary. To mention a few: It should have un- pierced partitions and ceiling that will meet the one-hour fire tesi; the out- | side and inside wall or walls should b: re ed to a single doorway, pro- tected by some swinging self-closing docr. When a garage is located be- | neath a dwelling, all outside doors and | windows with their frames and sash | should be of standard fireproof con- struction. ~ Several materials are ac- ceptable for garage construction, such as brick, hollow tile, concrete block or gypsum block and reinforced concrete. any persons who much prefer hav- ing a bullt-in garage feel that they gain possibilities for their grounds around the house, which they other- wise would not have; that they save money in the erection of the garage; that it is considerably more convenient, and that it actually costs less to house a car that way than if it were in a separate structure. A bullt-in garage does not have to detract from the dis- tinction or attractiveness of a home. Sometimes it adds to the appearance of a house, and certainly that added space of ground in the back, or side yard can very desirable. ‘Worth While Knowledge. ‘When working on one's car in the garage, there are a few things worth while knowing about. A considerable number of accldents occur in garages from gasoline explosions, etc., which virtually always could be avoided. The | following resume of e accident garag hazards might be valuable resdifig matter. Caution against matches, cigarettes and other flames near gasoline or oil- soaked clothing, may seem to be needs less. but it is nevertheless necessary. The engine should not run longer than necessary when in the garage because carbon monoxide is contained in the exhaust gas, and unless garage is fairly weil ventilated may cause headaches, discomfort and even death. Portable electric lights are generally used in working op a car, and care should be taken to guard against elec- tric shock and fires resulting from elec= tric caus's. It is advisable to use vapor-proof fittings, a Keyless socket, the lamp inclosed in a vapar-proof globe and further protected with a rigid wire cage to prevent breaking. The car in general should be kept clean and free from excessive oll, espe~ clally the drip and side pans. Zxces- sive oil may do much to spread flames in case of fire. Of course, a garage should not be used as a storehouse for all kinds of 6dds and ends. It should house only such things as are neded for the car. All tools should be kept in good condi- tion, and if badly worn they should be discarded. Keep oily rags and smocks in a special place by themselves and do not spread them about here and there, Fire Extinguisher Needed. Every motor vehicle should carry & tetrachioride fire extinguisher. For garage use the best kind is probably the foam type. Water spreads a gaso- line or oil fire. A mixture of sawdust and soda as well as sand can be effectively to put out oil fire. ‘When it is necessary to jack up & car and get underneath to make repairs one's garage, make sure that the car is held seourely, especially if any wheels have been removed. If the luf)port should give way the car may fall and crush you. Do not depend too faithfully on jacks when vou plan to work under the car. Horses are much better supports and are always prefers able to ordinary boxes or blocks. Take a little extra precaution when entering or leaving vour garage of drive ing slewly. Pedesirians, chilren, other drivers and cars may not be looking for you as you back out or turn into your garage. In building a garage it well to consider having sufficient space for two cars rather than only one, Perhaps you have but one now. is always the possibility that the family will own two cars. Then there is . the matter to consider of shelter for the cars of friends that may be visiting you and remaining over night. Shrew motorists who have learned from experience that the Autumn is the most logical season for buying & new car are among the many now look- ing over the latest models, with a view to immediate purchase, it is pointed out by observers who go beyond cold statistics to an analysis of who's who in buying. The value seekers are re- ported to be particularly active. In the Spring a young man's fancy may turn wp:rflrklln[ new automobiles, but in the 1, records show, the cool, |calm and collected shoppers concen- trate on the selection and purchase of | even newer and invariably better cars. Depreciation Lessened. Model depreciation, that intangible | yet most painful item of cost to the automobilist, is greatly lessened through the purchase of new models while they are new. B8ince the early part of July new versions of popular makes have been coming on the market. This year's Fall buyer enjoys additional advantages in lower prices, easier terms and greatly improved cars. Manufacturers have had_more opportunity to fashion their latest models expertly and greater care has been taken in their assembling. A greater tendency toward purchas- ing automobiles from a businesslike standpoint is expected to contribute to the quota of Fall sales this year. Peo- ple who learned that the melon crop was not a dependable source of income have stopped, looked and listened to reason, with the result that they now recognize the absurdity of paying for a lot of depreciation on a car which, while technically new, is outmoded by a newly released model. Some economists believed that a sur- prisingly large amount of sales reduc- tion auring the first six months of the | years is a direct result of the more provident motorist’s decision to await | the Fall editions of cars before signing on the dotted lines. This past Summer | more than ever before manufacturers took cognizance of the superiority of Fall buying through discounting their new cars of series about to be super- seded. Many equally shrewd buyers who were not interested in possessing the very latest model, provided they did not have to pay for excessive depreciation, came Into possession of new cars during the Summer. Not all cars are released in new ver- sion in the Fall. and those who are in- terested in particular makes are wisely following the plan of taking into ac- count their own specialized buying, but the general policy of the industry is to start releasing new models from July 1 straight through to the following Jan- uary national sutomobile shows. Any urchase made in this period nets the uyer an advantage in lessened model depreciation, not considering the pleas- finudvfldshpnmmuuury Double Gains Claimed. ‘Those who use pencil and paper in the purchasing process, instead of re- sorting to their emotions, also find that | because they have used the old car over | the Summer months they have made a double gain. The old car in many in- stances proved to have been far more serviceable than anticipated. It gave & lot of additional mileage without suffer- ing a collapse. If it needed a few new tires these were obtainable at rock bot- tom prices. What service it required ‘was administered efficiently and inex: pensively by well-equipped service sta. tions, addition, the owner has found that he has saved several months’' use of his new car of which he is just now taking delivery. B It is true that an old car traded in 'SHREWD MOTORISTS BELIEVE FALL IS BEST BUYING SEASON much By way of an allowance as it would have in the Spring or early Sum- mer. With allowances necessal scalded down to a point where the transaction is more nearly sound for both customer and dealer, however, the additional reduction for a Fall purchase is not likely to be directly proportional to the saving in model depreciation on the new car. In some cases the new models are even lower in price than their predecessors. ‘The business angle to the Fall pur- chace is widened by reason of mechani- cal advantages in buying new cars when the season turns cooler. At this season of the year there is less likelihood of difficulty in breaking in a new model. The new motor may run a little hotter than normal because of the tightness of its bearing, pistons and other working parts, but there will be no sudden hot spell to deal it a knock-out blow when 1t is tl(mblnr a steep mountain on the first long trip. It less likely to be rressed into premature service for & journey over country roads or for & camping or fishing trip. There are no electric storms, cloudbursts or violent winds to mark it for life. The saving in abuse from the elements is a greater factor than most motorists beliave. Good Auto Temperature. While the Autumi season is likely to bfln[k;oma temporary cold spells it is & well known fact that most new cars are better able to weather a low tempera- ture than a high one. This is due to the new battery, the clean and properly :E‘c!d breaker points and a belief on e part of the owner-driver that he must be very much more considerate of his car in colder weather. One service manager says that Fall purchased cars invariably are brought in for more frequent checking up than those sold during the Spring and Sum- mer. His explanation is twofold. He says that in addition to believing that warm weather is helpful to a car the average owner who purchases in Spring or Summer is likely to off somewhere for an extended vacation and actually neglect the car. e Winter season, which is not so far ahead, is not only one of the most difficult for the automoblle, but one during which a new, well operating car 1s most desirable. For safety’s sake, not to mention the opportunity to enjoy fuller social and business activities in the cold weather season, purchase of & new car now is highly des'rable. Because the used car buyer is now going on a closed-car basis it is not as difficult to dispose of cars in the Fall as in former years when the new car buyer's old machine was an The used car market behind the new car situat tate transact in w. (Copyright by the Russell Serviee.) Test Road Surfacing. The United States Bureau of Publie Roads will start an extensive series of tests on the relative merits of types of highway surfacing. Tests will be made on materfal uniform in thickness, thicker on the edges, made of different kinds of concrete and asphalt. Tests will also be made on materials made of varying amounts of concrete, gravel, Change no nnot be expected 40 bring as In Trade on a New Our Used Car Stock Is Very Low—We Need Your Car to Meet Demands for Good Used Cars. Northeast Motor 906 Bladensburg Road Opposite Sears, Rocbuck and Ce. YOUR CAR Is Valuable to Us We Want It NOW FORD Company, Inc. Telephone—Atlantiey 0200 Your Oil Filter Cartridge Every 10,000