Evening Star Newspaper, December 7, 1930, Page 64

In the Motor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. automobile industry is staking its all, or at least very nearly its all, on the coming motor car til‘l'xo‘;vm More than ever before are the de- tails of the approaching exhibits being carefully made. Everything ble is being done to stir up terest and enthusiasm. More than 100 exhibitors of ac- cessories, parts, sundries and shop equipment will show their latest products at the 31st annual Na- tional Automobile Show in Grand Central Palace, New York, Janu- ary 3 to 10. The great majority | of these also will exhibit a few| weeks later at the Chicago show,| which will be held from January | 24 to 31. Combined with 54 makes | of complete passenger cars, com- | a ercial vehicles and taxicab mod- | els, the aggregation will be most | complete and representative of the industry. Interest in Accessories. Considering that the accessory, parts and tire industry has a| wholesale value of more than| $2,081,000,000 annually, it is obvi- ous that an expesition of acces- sories and parts alone is of na- tional interest. When the latest complete cars are combined with such an exhibition, the result is perhaps the greatest annual in-| dustrial exposition on the calen- dar. | There are more than 117,000 dealers and 4,000 wholesalers in| the United States who sell cars,| trucks and equipment. Naturally, | the competition is keen in every Jocality. To keep business moving, and to meet com,etition, dealers must handle modern products, which explains why so many thousands of them make annual trips to the New York or Chicago show. Pausing for a moment to give a thought to the fact that dozens of | industries produce raw and fin-| ished materials which enter into| automobile manufacture, the ab- | solute necessity of the shows is| apparent. A large percentage of people attend the national expo- sitions in order to study the possi- bilities of contributing to and sell- ing goods or services to the auto- motive industry. *~ However, each season new cars are purchased by the thousand to| replace obsolete models. This is| not so much a matter of fashion and keeping up with the mode as| the idea of greater economy. Cars| of the current season cost much less to run than the cars of yes- terday, both in fuel and repairs. Many Brand-New Exhibits. Reports of representatives of the management of the National Automobile Shows, who have been making trips to various automo- bile and accessory factories, indi- cate that there is much more which is brand new for 1931 in the way of refinements and acces- sories than the average motorist might believe. The consensus is that seldom has any national show produced as much in the way of actually new accessories as the forthcoming exhibitions romise. JOf particular interest to the fact that these for the@most part, additis and not mere decorations. For example, the radiator grilles —these beautifully chromium- plated screens—not only enhance the appearance of the cars in their new rakish lines, but serve a useful purpose as well in afford- ing very real protection to expen- sive radiators. Several manufac- turers will display grilles suitable for any make of car, and at least one manufacturer has gone so far as to match and to fit them to the | headlamp lenses as well, thus af-| fording headlamp protection. Another entirely new accessory | with a strictly utilitarian value is| what is known as a “fender| guide.” This is a slender rod.| chromium-plated and topped| either with a small chromium ball or brilliant red and green lenses, for attachment to the crest of the front fenders, as an indication to the driver that his fenders are clear of other vehicles in con- gested traffic. ‘Twin electric signals are rapidly taking the place of the single horns that have served in the ast. Any number of makers | ave brought out matched horns, and here again utility 15[ the prime consideration, because the matched tone is less offensive but ever so much more effective, particularly in traffic. Compressed air operated signals, such as have become familiar on big busses, now are available for use on private cars as well. One maker has brought out a vacuum-operated ;l(nal of the type which is just as| latant «s its air-operated broth- ers, but ¢onsiderably less compli- cated. Headlamp Bulbs Larger. ‘Thanks to the adoption of new headlight legislation by nearly all | States, headlamp bulbs may be larger. Heretofore 21 candle- power has been the limit, but the mew lamps are of 32 candlepower, though readily interchangeable with the present types—and they give about four times as much road illumination. Changing body styles which have accounted for spare tires moving off the backs of bodies into wells| in the fenders have been responsi- ble for the appearance of & num- MOTOR DON'TS ber of new types of trunks in leather, imitation leather and metal. Some of them are cleverly designed so that they may be opened out in a WIK to triple their normal capacity when added car- rying space is needed, on camping trips, for example. Trunk racks now are chromium-plated, of course, and the trunks themselves have taken on chromium fittings to match. Rear view mirrors are now fitted with clocks of either the one or eight day variety; a new type of dome light for sedans not now equipped is entirely in- dependent of the wiring system on the car; does not attach to it at all. Instead, it carries a couple of tiny dry ceils right in the lamp case; hence it is quickly and easily installed with a screwdriver. Fen- der flaps are fairly common and are recognized for the good work they do in preventing mud and water being splashed all over a car. The new ones are made of flexible rubber moulded into a de- sign that harmonizes- with the shape of the fenders, and their method of attachment has been perfected to the point where they will stay put, once they are ap- plied. One thing is certain—depres- sion or no depression—the manu- facturers of cars and accessories have gone forging right ahead with new ideas in construction for 1931, both in general car design and in equipment. The recent wholesale trade show of the Motor and Equipment Association, and the National Standard Parts As- sociation, held in Cleveland two weeks ago, revealed the general opinion of the trade; namely, that the worst had passed, and the attitude of makers and job- bers was optimistic and in sharp contrast to the mid-Summer gloom. It was reported that ap- | proximately 600 jobbers attending the show were unanimous in look- ing forward to and planning for steady improvement in business for 1931. Among these were some whose business has been increas- ing since last August, and some whose October and November sales actually exceeded those of one year ago. Business Improvement Aid. “Business would get better much sooner if a lot of people would get over the notion that there is to be some sort of a complete change in methods of merchandising com- modities.” ‘This assertion was made by Wil- liam O'Neil, tire company presi- dent, when he addressed the Na- tional Tire Dealers’ Association at its annual convention in Chicago. “Radical changes do not come suddenly in merchandising, al- thou?h they often do evolve rap- idly in the production of manu- factured goods and in the inven- tion and perfection of machin- ery,” Mr. O'Netl said. . “While new inventions and new improvements have come rapidly in the develo{)ment of radio, for instance, yet trading remains one of the oldest of arts. “When times are easy, produc- tion men naturally come to the head of manufacturing concerns, for, at such times, it is sell and the problem is om ore efficient production. = A= “One of the troubles with busi- ness today is that production men, having evolved new production methods successfully, have gone into the merchandising field and have attempted to bring about similar changes in a field in which are not trained. the; "‘{‘hls has resulted in the fac- (00! tory-owned tire store and in chain store and mail order house mer- chandising. “They do not seem to have learned that the most efficient worker is a ‘piece-worker, not a day-worker. The independent tire dealer is a piece-worker; the manager of a chain store, a mail order outlet or a factory-owned store is a day-worker. “You can get day-workers, at low wages, to merchandise articles of small value and they can do that satisfactorily. However, when it comes to a matter of re- tailing an article that costs more than $5, a higher type of sales- manship is required. “The man who is capable of that type of salesmanship is not long content to be a day-worker. He wants to be in business for himself, where he can capitalize on his ability in the largest dc- gree. “That is why the independent tire-dealer will be the ultimate distributor of tires. That is why experience has proved that hard- fare merchants, wholesale drug and grocery concerns and similar outlets cannot merchandise tires successfully, and that is why tire merchandising through chain stores, mail order houses and fac- tory-owned stores will not suc- ceed.” PO RESPONSIBILITY LAW OUTSTANDING ISSUE Nation-Wide Interest Evidenced Points to Early Adoption by Legislatures. With 44 Legislatures scheduled to convene early in 1931, enactment of the safety-responsibility law for the!t! control of the reckless and irresponsible driver, now in effect in 12 States, will be the outstanding national issue from the standpoint of motoring legislation. In making this announcement today the American Automobile Association, which s ed the safety-responsibil- the law in its newly revised form disclose Nation-wide interest and that it would be introduced in whole or in part in gl;: it ll.:‘t:“eflm for the lumbla. the States where it is planned to push the Among definitely tion the following: HAND SIGNALS SHOULD NOT BE CARELESSLY GIVEN - THE DRIVER New Jersey, New and the provinces | maki Canada, THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTO! D. C, DECEMBER 7, 1930—PART FOUR. DOWN THE ROAD-Recollections. —By FRANK BECK N N N AN S . A NN S="AUTOMOBILES — ROAD COMPLETION MOVEMENT BEGUN Unemployment Prime Factor Back of Highway Program, Keefe States. ‘The greatest concerted movement the United States has ever seen for the rapid completion of the country's high- way system was begun here this week with the reconvening short session of Congress, which will expire March 4. “Unemployment is the prime motive | power back of the highway program,” declares Thomas J. Keefe, general manager of the American Motorists’ Association, in a summary reviewing the Pederal Government’s activities to | speed up highway construction and | thus aid the unemployed. $162,000,000 Available. “There is available at the present time $162,000,000 of Federal funds for highway construction. The States, to take advantage of sum, must match the Federal Govergment dollar for dollar. This makes a ble, with- t any additional legislation, a sum $324,000,000. “In addition to this sum, President Hoover's Emergency Commitiee on Em- ployment will recommend to Congress that the 1932-3 PFederal aid appropria- tions ef $250,000,000 already authorized, but not yet appropriated, be made available at once. This sum, when matched dollar for dollar by the States, added to the $324,000,000 now avi ble, will mean a grand total of $8; ,000,” the A. M. A. points out. “The total approved Federal-aid sys- tem comprises 193,049 miles. Of this sum only 84,012 miles have been com- pleted during the 12 years since the inauguration of the Federal-ald pro- gram. Construction at the presant time is progressing at the rate of 8,000 miles per year, which would mean 10 to 12 years to complete. Registration Increasing. “Automobile registrations are increas- ing proportionately faster than highway construction is progressing. The Na- tion needs the highways and more than 3,500,000 unemployed need work, according to Department of Commerce figures. Certainly the speeding up of road construction is manifestly better than a dole for the unemployed,” de- clares the A. M. A. in support of fa- vorable congressional action to make the 1932-3 highway funds available at once. ¢ .scial Dispatch to The -;""l'hn B ETROIT, December 6.— ofoluwmobfle manufacturing for 1931 | holds forth the definite prospect of a 4,000,000-car year. i ‘This is the belief of well informed ex- ecutives who have analyzed the outlook for the next 12 months. TI::; l;l:.kr"lo;"; rd to 1931 as & “recove X t‘): business cycle which made 1929 the peak year of all time. Then came the { reaetion, which has marked up 1930 as | P37 the future stability of the auto- | mobile business there seems to be no question, It is exemplified by the fact ! that America, at the end of 1929, had | O% \ ! the staggering total of 26,634.210 auto- ! motive vehicles registered and in oper- Iauon. with 32,000,000 persons qual to_drive them. i This gives it the status of the world's greatest industry in the value of its production alone, with parts manufac- ture and Nation-wide service operations subjoined. It is conceded that our total of registrations of motor cars must un- dergo a further progressive increase for his year, despite the fact that produc- tion is likely to recede from the peak level of 5,621,655 vehicles, established in 1929, to approximately 3,500,000 or less. The recovery for next year, with forecasts pointing to a half million gein in output and projected volume of 4,000,000 units, according to the ob- servers, will mean more low-priced cars than ever before. The belief is that 3,000,000 of them will be built in_the four and six cylinder classes, of which Ford and Chevrolet are the leading ucers, leaving & remainder of 1- ,000 to be dl%fid between the mid- dle-priced and top-priced divisions. the This development is regarded as logical eonsequence of “more- car-for-less-money” Wd by the bullders of the low-| cars dur- ing the last five years. h!hnrflcd the factors that mean added value to the great American family, with its bargain-hunting instinct stimulated by a limited purse, have steadily forced values ur and g;lnn down. The cars that cost least have in volume at the expemse of the higher-priced last year low- | bea pri NATION'S ECONOMIC WELFARE DEPENDENT UPON UNIFORMITY Business Men and Business Interests in Position to Make Unique Contribution, Says A. A. A. President. BY THOMAS P. HENRY, President American Automobile Association. NOTE.—The following is sent throush the Nationsl Conference on Street an Hishway Safety, and refates to the nee for uniformity in State laws and munici- al ordinances for supervision and regy- ation ef motor vehicle traffic. and poin out Josses and waste incident to diver- gencies in these provisions. Business men and business interests of the States, cities and towns are in & position just now to make a unique con- tribution to the economic well-being of this country. I refer to the removal of the existing diverg-ncies and differences in the motor vehicle laws and ordi- nances. The uniform motor vehicle code and the model municipal traffic crdinance, which have bcen developed by the National Conference on Street and Highway Safety at Washington for the promotion of safe and efficlent high- way transportation, have been before the country now for some time. Im- portant features of this code are in operation in a number of States, but there is still a wide and wasteful diver- gence in the laws and regulations of different States by which motor vehicle traffic is regulated and controlled, Legislative Sessions Soon Due. ‘This Winter and next Spring the Legislatures of 44 States will convene in session, and each of them will have ac- cess to the uniform code and model ordinance as a pattern for uniform legislation and control of travel and traffic on the streets and hl%h‘ltyl. ‘The condition that exists now through con- fusion in traffic laws and control is & challenge to the attention of these Legislatures, and it should have the consideration of the business men and business interests of this Nation. ‘The estimated loss and waste arising from congestion and from confusion in- cident to the diversity of motor vehicle laws and regulations has been estimated at $2,000,000,000 a year. Favorable ac- tion by the Legislatures on the uniform code as & whole will assist materially in strengthening the economic structure, and the national prosperity, by elim- inating much of this waste. ‘This gigantic levy is not falling on the automobile owner alone. It is universal in its application and cost. It represents billions of wasted transportation hours and millions of lost hours of labor. It strikes the business man and the farmer alike in the delivery of their goods and the economic marketing of their prod- ucts. This cost, aside from the acute 1931 Seen As Auto Recovery Year With Sales Totaling Four Million and $2,000 dropped from 23 per cent to 15 per cent. Passing on to the $2,000 to $3,000 class, a slight galn was re- corded, the percentage rising from 1.8 to 2.7, while the top-price range beyond $3,000 siid (rom‘l.l to 0.5 per cent of all the cars built. Encouragement for 1931 is reflected in production figures current this week. Chevrolet during November built 47,- 257 passenger and commercial cars, compared with 46,125 in the same month last year, which was the best previous November. The December schedule calls for 60,000 cars. “The November car shortage” the Chevrolet statement reads, “has result- in the December schedule being set at about 20,000 cars higher than any m’: jous December in the company's tory.” ‘The company’'s 20 plants now have 28,500 men at work. ture plans call step-up. W. S. Knudsen, president. asserts that by §) "".ho plants will be operating at ca) 3 Ford’s Lincoln division, following last :::k'u inmu‘cnnn ?l new %h.hhu n rec employes. un- dred have returned to work within the last month. The number is being in- creased at the rate of 100 a week. The factory pay rolls now total 2,290 - u’r’m‘tvl the normal five-day W in effect. A Hudson report sald that production nas been increased to more than 2,000 :;Irs & week, the largest schedule since une. Among the 1930 advances that the automobile builders have been making the Soeciety of Automotive Engineers lists refinements in body construction. to both steel and alumi- num fabrication. Electrical welding has made possible the jof of sec- tions into one complete whole and doing away with rivets, bolts and other forms of assembly. The inereasing use of large presses, with accurate dies, has made the form- ing of difficult contours easy and rapid. New methods of attechment and sus- , the lowering of the center ot al\‘l‘t.y mnfl; wnlb‘l‘: byNn:e hl:uhm ul ayog rames, have brought long hnr!n:ynul es, which will add to car ul As the result of intenaive noise elimination, ey LY o ot aqueaks. and fewer I problem of street and highway safety, has a direct bearing upon national efficiency and prosperity. These losses and costs especially af- fect the vast army of 26,000,000 auto- wish to look at it from thewr rtandpoint. I refer to the average man or woman who drives an automobile on the streets and roads. Motorists Total 40,000,000, Conservative estimates are that 40,- 000,000 people are engaged in motor touring each year. Every one of them is acutely conscious of the loss of time in reaching his destinaticn oseause of that surround this touring caravan. changing regulator: to-State, city-to-city and community- to-community travel is in a material measure offsetting the advantages that should come from the better highways that have been built, and from the safer and faster automobiles that are in use today. It is estimated on the basis of the :fierhnce of 1,000 motor clubs that are liated with the American Automobile Association, and mndlinz large numbers of tours each year, that every touring motorist is losing one full vacation day in the laboricus and tedious struggle of practices n State- crazy quilt of traffic regulations. This amounts for practical purposes to the loss of 40,000,000 vacation days a year, and, if figured on a basis of $5 a day for each motorist, of $200,000,000 * These figures may sound extravagant, and they are, of course, just estimates, but they serve to show the extent and severity of the handicaps that are placed upon tourists and vacationists through absence of uniformity in traffic regulation. e estimate has been made that the motorist of Washington, in gaing from his home to New York and adner- ing to Washington traffic regulations all the way, 1 incur 289 violations and minor infractions of speed restric- tions, turns at intersections. passing street cars, interpreting traffic lights and of other regulatory peculiarities, before he ses through the Hudson River vehicle tube into New York. Significance Discussed. I do not attach importance to this as an exact figure. Its significance and importance is in the fact that it illus- trates a condition that can be more or less duplicated between any two equally distant ecities in the United States, de- pending upon the number of States, cities and towns along the route. There is wide diversity in regard to speed limits. In actual practice today prima facie speed limits are prescribed in 25 States, maximum limits in 11 States, and no Jimits in rural sections of seven States. Four States prescribe that speeds shall not exceed that which will permit a stop within the assured clearance distance ahead. ‘The fourth act of the Uniform Code contains provisions embodying the best and most successful experience of all of the States in regulating speeds. By preserving indicated speeds as a guide and imposing special responsibility upon motorists in driving at higher speads, as well as special penalties for viola- tions of safe driving practices at such speeds, the provisions of this act com- bine the elements which, in the light of the experience of the States, will per- mit traffic to move rapidly under fa- vorable conditions. It is interesting to note that the States which have away with fixed speed limits entirely do not show any worse accident trends since their abolition. Standards for Motor Vehicles. ‘The three other acts of the Uniform Code, providing standards for the reg- istration of motor vehicles, certificate of title laws and fer licensing vehicle and driving test, have been put into effect in part or in whole in a number of States. Yet there exists today as much diversity in different States in respect to their provisions as is found in traffic regulations and rules of the road, Divergencies in regulation in cities and towns are even greater than in the regulatory laws of the States, and I think they also work greater hard- ship on the owners of automobiles. Under requirements that exist in towns and cities now the motorist has no way of knowing what is expected of him. He may be arrested or suffer an ever-present mental , breeds accidents; inter- ference with speedy movement, which accentuates col ion, and constant invitation and ptation to violate tions, which in turn lead to ar- rests and fines. What can be expected of uniformity in traffic administration and tion? that enactment of the No one need indulge in the State and of muniet- assumption mobile owners in this country, and I| the conflicting rules and regulations | The necessity of conforming to ever- | making his way through the Nation's | operators by mandatory examination | PIAD: AUTOMOBILE TAX INCREASE SHOWN Committee Appointed by A. A. A, to Study Various Levies. A preliminary estimate of motor vehicle taxes for 1930 made public by the American Automobile Association today shows that on the average the car owners will pay approximately 14 per cent more this year than they pald in 1929, Coincident with the issuance of this statement the A. A. A. announced that Thomas P. Henry of Detroit, its presi- dent, had sppointed a national com- mittee to study every type of motor vehicle levy and to develop a formula to assure equitable taxation for the car owners, Commitiee Personnel. ‘The personnel of the committee is as follows: Col. Sidney D. Waldon, Detroit, Mich., chairman; C. C. Cl , Port- land, Oreg.; Dan Moody, Houston, Tex.; C. W. Roberts, Greensi ngton, D. C., Francisco, Call Mr. Henry cited three reasons which he declared made it imperative that the entire motor tax structure and the practices and tendencies inherent in it, should be subject to a comprehensive examination at this time. Pirst, the wholly disproportionate rise in motor taxes from year to year as com) ‘-’nd Percy E. Towne, San with other forms of taxation; the evi- dence of efforts at wholesale diversion of the tax to other than road purposes; and third, the probability that the excuse of “hard times” will lead many of the 44 State Legislatures meeting early in 1931 to make further raids on '.h;t car owners. Mr. Henry said, in part: Preliminary Estimate Cited. “Our preliminary estimate for this year shows that the motorist on the average will pay $33 in motor taxes 1930 as compared to $28.56 in 1929, Under 16 different forms the taxes on the car owners are being constantly pyramided. In the 10-year period 1921-1930 motor vehicle levies from gas taxes and license fees have increased 509.6 per cent, as compared with an increase of 159 per cent in motor vehicle registration and 150.3 per cent in expenditures for highways. Twé Notable Precedents. “The motorists are now confronted with a new situation which may well open the way for wholesale diversion to general purposes of State and local administration of levies placed on them as a class. Two notable precedents were established in the November elections in | g New Jersey and in rouisiana. In the former State bond issues totaling $17,- 000,000 were authorized for public insti- tutions and inland waterways, to be re- tired from gas tax collections. In Louis- iana the gax tax was raised 1 cent per anuw in order to provide funds for levelopment. The automobile is not as yet a sea-going vehicle! “While I shall not anticipate the ac- tion of our National Committee, I per- sonally feel it is imperative that the law authorizing the gas tax in every State shoulu specifically and categori- cally declare that every cent contributed by the car owners must be used for road construction and maintenance, which would include the much overdue high- way beautification. For every State to do this will in some instances require one | constitutional amendments. Favor Missouri Plan. “The constant increases and the fear| road of further raids on their packetbooks by the sessions of the Legisla- throug] amendment passed in 1928, to the pres- ent raie for & period of 10 years® te lems and toward eliminating the endous economic losses that are in- el%nl to them today. hazard in congested areas that is recog- nized as a fruitful cause of accidents. It would facilitate the movement of ear. It would make possible more ex- Lnnve use of automobiles in cities and increase ad itions. fAnally, it would convert what is veritable maelstrom of flows ot | ANNOYANCE OF DEAD BATTERY - OFTEN FOUND DUE TO NEGLECT Absentmindedness of Auto Owner Likely to Cause More Trouble in Winter Than in BY H. CLIFFORD BROKAW, Automobile Technical Adviser. In the best of automobile families batteries are sometimes a source of no little annoyance. Going into the garage to get one's car to meet an important engagement, catch a train, take one’s week end guest for a drive through the open country, or what not, and finding the battery dead—this is practically a universal experience at some time or other in the life of a motorist. Nor is the battery usually to blame in such a case. Most likely the blame can be placed on the absentmindedness of the human factor, the owner. Most likely he or someone who last used the car forgot to turn the ignition key. in the meantime the battery's power has been gradually ebbing away until there is not enough vitality left to operate the self-starter. This is more likely to happen in Winter than in Summer, Nothing Happened. ‘The other day a friend of mine went to teke his car out, sat down in the driver's seat and put his foot on the starter pedal expecting to get the usual satisfactory results. But nothing havpened. Repeated pressure on the self-starter pedal luced no_ action. He concluded that the ignition key had been left on and the battery power had been drained off. On inspecting the matter, however, he found that it was full of vita'ity. At the same time he discovered that the battery cable, which connected directly to the bat- tery, had been corroding until it had finally extended its wa: th th by | action. connection and will probably have no moA': thb{fin of the e year 1t is well consider the relations of cold weather to the automobile battery. In the first place, the automoblle battery is called upon during the Winter months for much more work than during the warmer weather. The days are shorter, the engine starter works harder in cold weather, requiring more Julce. Purthermore, = batterles will freeze in extreme cold temperature if not fully charged. The thing to do is to have the battery examined and be sure that it is fully charged. Safeguard Against Corroding. Another matter to consider is the battery terminals, referred to above, to see if the corroding process nm’,on. It is possible for the lights, the horn and the ignition to be functioning well and the self-starter working not at all. The battery terminals are either roded or poorly fitted in such cases cor- | be Summe T. allowing insufficient current for start- ing the motor. In other words, it takes a very much larger amount of current to start the engine than it does for ;penun. the lights or blowing the orn, In order to eomg‘leu & job in avold- ing corrosion, which occurs by the elec~ troiyte or acld in the battery acting upon the lead terminals, these termi- nals should be scraj until they are of a light lead finish. They should be washed with ammonia or by some other alkali solution, which will neutralize the acid that may be causing the cor- rosion. Be sure that none of this solu- tion gets into the battery and stops its action. The motorist should be sure that these terminals make a contact for the full area of their surfaces. A fi*m and full contact i3 required to supply the amount of current needed to start the motor. The final attention has to do with a covering of vaseline er atpar grease. Distilled Water Needed. It is somewhat commonplace to men= tion the fact that its plates have to be kept covered with an electrolyte, which in turn requires adding dh!l{led ‘water on varfous occasions. However, many motorists fail to supply this distilled water as often as needed. is the only part of this electrolyte sub- stance which evaporates, which is the reason why water has to be added ul:‘rlyA And lt! u!)l!deds to be distilled water o as not amage the battery. Beif-discharge of the battery IIIlyurby' caused by impuriti’s in the water, Such impurities may also form a coat- ing on the plates and stop the acid ‘They may also act on the - tive materials and cause them to - tegrate. When putting water into the batterles, it is well to use s glass or porcelain container rather than s metal one. The driver should be cautioned fo put into the battery jar only enough water to not quite il 'it, If there is an overflow, the str :?.h of the sub- ;tlancz is destroyed and corrosion takes nce, When taking care of the batf adding water, If it sometimes n.";’p.fl that one cell of the battery appears to need more water than the rest, this might be caused by a leak in the con- tainer. At any rate such a condition calls for inspection by a battery expert, The owner should inspect his battery once in two weeks during the Summer. During the Winter it may be necessary to have the battery taken out occae sionally and tachlr’ed if there is an excessive amount of use of the starter and of the lights. If by chance the automobile is not to be used duriny the extreme cold weather and is mn: In an unheated place the battery should taken out and kept separately in a warmer spot. The water Milady’s Motoring BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. If you don't believe all , bet~ ter not try to drive mynu h::llmd'. crossings. How to attract attention if you are stranded on the road with a balky engine may or may not bs a problem. 1t all depends on how resourceful you are in an emergency. One woman sim- ply removes her hat to uncoyer a crop of gray hair. 1If that doesn’t play on the sympathies of passing motorists | to she dons the hat again, cocks it down over one ear and lights a cigarette. The news of the drowning of a woman and her two companions in a relatively hallow stream that parallels a weil traveled parkway is food for thought. I do not happen to know the details of the fatality, but it suggests the risk of driving with some of the e doors locked. We are all a bit care. less of this. Why handicap those who are trying to effect a rescue? Insurers are calling attention to the pilfering of some of the inside acces- pared | sories such as rear-view mirrors with clocks attached, cigarette holders, spe- cial driving pillows and the like. These are easily disposed of by thieves who find no difficulty picking them from unlocked cars. . And speaking of locking the car, it has always seemed to me that a woman especially owes it to herself to lock all the doors whenever mklnx her car at night. Perhaps she it well insured and is just irresponsible enough not to worry if it is stolen, but what of her own safety? What of the possibility that some one will hide in the tonneau mdm;uruywmmumthe e is experienced driving, It seems that a friend of hers was having trouble in cranking. Each time she stepped on the starter there was a groan and then silence. Her experi- enced friend diagnosed the situation as being the result of a stuck starter gear and volunteered to walk to the nearest garage for help, When the mechanic looked over the situation, he found that the beginner wel..s”trymx to crank with the car in When the accommodating attendant at the filling station rubs off the out- side of the windshield, ask him to clean the inside as well. Much of the glare that troubles woman drivers at night is port | due to an accumulation of dust on the inside of the glass. If coasting were legal everywhere, and if it were entirely safe to instruct drivers in running along without en- gine power, it might be considerably easier for women to master the rudi- ments of operating an automobile. In aviation, the handling of a motorless lider often serves as a valuable pre- lude to genuine flying. With the car given some momentum, in neutral, driving isn't than Jjunior's steer D the machine on the d apply the brakes to slow it If there are other vehicles in your way you either steer around them eor slow down. Like gliding in the air, you are fly concerned with ing ht be termed balance. You ht to the matter of power, e "y’fxf:"gm'“r Powesir, ntrod ', however, luce the joker. But it is my belief that .l: 30u canlearn. o Teed gus, snif vears and contrel the motor much more n"i&umur:ungflmuum ‘con! type, a good him give o little ing and braking just to get the feel of & car. There is no point in out with the confusing features of the engine and gears, even though cold logic may suggest the need of proceed- ing in an orderly fashion. Now that legalized types of automatic coasting devices are coming into use, it may he well to call attention to the need for paying a little closer attention the speedometer. This also applies where engines are quieter, by reason of carburetor intake muffiers. The quieter the car runs the more inclination there is to drive faster than you think you are The week's safety thought, for women especially, concerns the matter of al- Wi having the car in neutral when iting at a C?!!'lll. Just holding the clutch pedal down won't do. Your foot might slip off! BUS WIDTH PUZZLING Maryland Agencies in Dilemma Over Extra Three Inches. Special Dispatch to The Star, BALTIMORE, December 6 —Four State agencies are in a dilemma over a matter of 2 inches extra width of busses operating in Maryland. Moreover, the question does not offer any practical solution without a viela- tion of the law, and it is Whether officlals sworn to uphold the statutes, created by the State Legisla~ ture, at least, should wink at open of- fenses. That might not be ethical. The situation, it seems, has added to the complexities of life and disturbed the peace of mind of the public oman | commissioners, the attorney general's office, the commissioner of motor ve- hicles and the State road commissioners, AUTOMOTIVE BRIEFS | The Nolan Motor Co., authorized Ford dealers, 1109 Eightcenth street northe west, announces that Joe Judge, cap= tain of the Washington base bail team, has joined the sales force. Where to Motor Lafayette Tea Room @ 108 W. Patrick St. Fraderich, M. e R R Mrs. K’s Toll House Tavern Automobiles Like Fine Fi Require Good ‘ TRO L [AREHOUSE E N