Evening Star Newspaper, February 22, 1931, Page 46

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, " In the Motor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. N important step has been undertaken by various groups of citizens in the lerfl&)ry surrounding the National Cuyltal to unify for the purpose of formulating safe and sane traffic regulations, with the question of uniformity uppermost in mind. These groups are now organized into the Interfederation Confer- ence, representing civic organiza- tions of the Washington metro- olitan area, including the Civic g’edetafion of Arlington County, Va.; the Federation of Citi- zens’ Assoclations of the District of Columbia and the Civic Federa- tion of Montgomery County, Md. ‘W. B. Armstrong is the secretary- treasurer. Function of Conference. It is the function of the Inter- federation Conference to provide the basis for concerted action among the representative civic organizations of the District of Columbia and nearby sections of Maryland and Virginia in all mat- ters of common interest concern- ing the National Capital and its environs and to promote a better understanding among these or- ganizations. In accordance with the articles of the Interfederation Conference agreement many subjects of mu- tual interest have been acted on by the conference, based on the declared views of the member bodies and with subsequent rati- fication thereby of the Arlington County, Va.; District of Co- lumbla and Montgomery County, Md, civic federations. This has resulted in the establishment of a definite position, representing the maturely considered views of the civic organizations in this region, on a number of important matters of public interest, as shown by a codification of such resolutions. Because of the general nature and the constant recurrent appli- cation of the principles involved in these subjects, the Interfedera- tion Conference undertook the preparation of concise statements of facts and arguments in support of the positions taken. The conference’s position on the following subject was taken in March, 1929, after its introduc- tion by the Montgomery County Civic Federation. The present report was adopted recently by the conference. The Interfederation Conference and the three member federations, including 150 citizens’ associations, chambers of commerce and incor- porated towns or taxing areas within the Greater gWashington metropolitan region, are on record in favor of uniformity in traffic laws, municipal ordinances and regulations. robably every citizen of the United States will agree as to the importance of uniformity in these matters. The difficulty arises in carrying out this desire for uni- formity. Traffic laws and regula- tions have developed simultan- eously and in somewhat different form in the various States and localities. Motor vehicle operators and others, including the public authorities responsible for the ex- ecution of the law, have in some rllcea become attached to par- icular provisiong of their own laws or regulatioms and are loath to give them up. Many of these particular provisions have been tested out in courts, and there is sometimes a feeling that this is a controlling reason against change. It is evident, however, that some local yielding here and there to meet the consensus of views as to the most desirable provisions for Nation-wide adoption is essential if progress toward the much-de- | W2 sired uniformity is to be made. Have Joined Forces. To facilitate such progress rep- resentatives of nearly all the Btates, civic and business organi- zations and others concerned have joined forces in the National Con- ference on Street and Highway Safety, under chairmanship of the Secretary of Commerce. Following extended studies of the best prac- tices in all parts of the country, they have agreed upon a compre- hensive program to serve as a basis for motor vehicle legislation and regulation, including a uni- form vehicle code for State enact- ment prepared in 1925-6, a model municipal traffic ordinance pre- pared in 1927-8 and a manual on street trafiic signs, signals and markings prepared in 1927-1929. Fortunately there has been enough experience in States and com- munities which have abandoned their old motor vehicle laws, or- dinances and other traffic meas- ures in favor of the national standards, so that the remaining States and communities may with assurance be urged to follow the same course. Based on this ex- perience these standards were in 1929-30 thoroughly reviewed, re- vised in certain particulars and approved by the third National Conference on Street and High- way Safety in May, 1930. Th have also been indorsed by t National Conference of Commis- sioners on Uniform State Laws and the American Bar Asscciation ‘The final texts of these national uniform standards are now avail- able. This_movement for uniformity in trafic laws and regulations is not confined to the United States. It extends throughout North and South America. In October, 1930, 18 countries, members of the Pan- American Union, signed a diplo- matic convention on regulation of highway traffic embodying the major features of the uniform vehicle code and entirely in har- mony therewith, thus taking a long step ferward in international standardization of traffic regula- tion. Considering the local situation as affecting the territory covered by the Interfederation Conference, we are concerned, in the first in- stance, with the laws and regula- tions of the District of Columbia and the States of Maryland and Virginia. In a wider sense we are also concerned with the laws of all the other States whose motorists visit this territory, but partcularly | with those of the nearby States of Pennsylvania, Delaware, the Caro- linas, Ohio and West Virginia. Considering the principal phases of uniform trafic regulation the following situation is found: 1 the North Atlantic States, Al the District of Columbia, and, to a | cod: considerable extent, the State of Virginia, have systems of registra- tion and administration of the motor vehicle laws in harmony with that contemplated by the uniform motor vehicle registration act (act I of the uniform vehicle code). The other nearby States, the Carolinas, Ohio and West Vir- ginia, like most of the rest of the country, deal with registration largely as a tax licensing matter and do not have as effective sys- tems of administration of the motor vehicle laws as prevail in the North Atlantic States. One important change recently included in act I of the code is in section 20, which, as now revised, accords complete reciprocity to commercial vehicles as well as passenger cars, subject, however, to a provision requiring, in effect, that a commercial vehicle must be registered in the State where it principally cperates. Certificate of title or anti-theft laws closely. paralleling the uni- form motor vehicle anti-theft act (act II of the uniform vehicle code) are in effect in Pennsyl- vania, Delaware, Maryland, Vir- ginia and North Carolina. The District of Columbia has no such law, and, as a consequence, regis- tration is so easy that the situa- tion has become notorious. South Carolina had a certificate of title law, but it was so defective and so inadequate 1n operation as to be of little value. For the country as a whole about half the States have certificate of title laws. Effective in New England. Drivers’ license laws in harmony with the uniform motor vehicle operators’ and chauffeurs’ license act (act III of the uniform vehicle code) are in effect in all of the New England States except Maine, and in the Middle Atlantic States from New York to Maryland and the District of Columbia, inclusive. These States have shown average savings of 25 to 30 per cent in automobile fatalities, following thé adoption of the license law, as compared with the rates of in- crease in fatalities in the rest of the country and their own previ- ous records. In Maryland, which shows a somewhat less favorable record than the average of the licensing States, the license law is generally in harmony with that of the code, but does not provide for periodic renewal of licenses, which the code authorizes to be done in the discretion of the State motor vehicle department not oftener than once in three years (except in States using the licens- ing system for revenue purposes and requiring annual renewal). Virginia, the Carolinas, Ohio or West Virginia, or the other States to the West and South fexceFt California and Arizona), while in some instances licensing chauf- feurs, do not as yet have license laws covering all operators and providing for examinaticn of all new operators. A few States, such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Ore- gon, have license laws without mandatory examination, but these States show little, if any, better records than those of the non- licensing States. Recent informa- tion shows that the Legislatures of at least 18 States now without the drivers’ license law including mandatory examination will ae- tively consider such legislation at their next sessiops. In regard to the rules of the road, motor vehicle equipment re- quirements and other regulations governing vehicle operation, Penn- sylvania in 1927, and Delaware in 1929, did away with their old motor vehicle laws and substituted ?rnctlcally the exact terms of all our acts of the Uniform Vehicle Code_including act IV (Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on High- s). Virginia in 1926 adopted a law based on the preliminary draft of that act. North Caro- lina in 1927 adopted practically the complete acts I, II and IV of the code. Maryland and the Dis- trict of Columbia have made some changes in their rules of the road and other vehicle operation re- uirements bringing them into closer conformity with the Uniform Code, but they still differ from act IV of the code in a number of important respects. The Mar; land law, particularly, is incom- plete and much different in form and more difficult to understand than the Uniform Code. Modifications Adopted. For States which have already adopted act IV of the code it should be noted that the National | Conference cn Street and High- | way Safety in May, 1930, adopted | certain modifications of that act | including (1) incorporation in the |code of numerous provisions previ- | ously carried in the Model Munici- pal Traffic Ordinance as has been done by State law in New York, New Jersey and Wisconsin; (2) revision of the speed regulations |to place greater responsibility { upon the driver, (3) improvement (ot the right-of-way rule at inter- sections and the provisions re- garding passing to conform to the |best modern practice, and (4) reccdification to give a better order of presentation in harmony with the Model Municipal Traffic | Ordinance. The Model Ordinance, which supplements the Uniform Vehicle Code to meet the requirements of cities and towns, has been widely adopted in different parts of the country, but not by any of the communities in this immediate territory. | The same may be said of the Manual on Street Traffic Signs, | Signals and Markings, except that | the District of Columbia has to | a considerable extent followed the | standards lald down in the | manual. | In view of the situation above |outlined and in the interest of Nation-wide uniformity, the Inter- federation Conference strongly urges upon the public authorities of the jurisdictions concerned that they examine their existing laws and ordinances, and their systems of signs, signals and markings and “hat they take steps to bring them |as promptly and as completely as | possible into accord with the national standards. Desires of Conference. In particular, the conference urges: The District of Columbia to adopt the certificate of title act and to bring its rules of the road into- harmony with the uniform e; Virginia to adopt the drivers’ license law and to revise its rules FEBRUARY 22, 1931—PART FOUR. DOWN THE ROAD—Recollections. —By FRANK BECK THE SMART ALEC! I'LL SPEAK TO HIS MOTHER ABOUT HIM, ————. Za 77 s Y IR K 3 >3 A YOUNG BLADE ON HIS BICYCLE RACER BETTER BUDGETING URGED FOR ROADS Officials Prepare to Keep Highway Money at Work. In order to successfully carry out the mandate of the people in the great en- terprise of road-building State highway officials are turning their attention more closely than ever to the proper budgeting of highway expenditures. This they conceive to be the first and most essential step toward keeping the road dollar at work where it logically be- longs. First, the necessary capital for high- way construction and, second, the best and most effective and far-reaching use of that capital, according to a bulletin issued by the American Association of State Highway Officials, is the goal set for the new period upon which road builders are now entering. At the recent annual meeting of State highway officials at Pittsburgh, the bul- letin states, the matter of proper bud- geting of highway expenditures was taken up as one of the important sub- jects for consideration and definite ac- ton. Defined as Total Amount. A highway budget, it was agreed, should be defined as the total annual amount available for expenditures in each State for highway purposes and should be adjusted to meet the annual requirements of maintenance and con- struction contemplated. Further, all road improvements should be made on a basis of present and probable early future earning capacity. No public works should be measured by immediate financial return, though this should be & major consideration in the selection of the character of improvement. The wide variance in the present status of highway development in the several States, members of the associa- tion agreed, prevents the adoption of uniform policies for securing the funds necessary for the annual budget. Gen- erally speaking, however, these princi- ples may be zet forth as follows: “States in the initial stage of high- way development should issue bonds to defer that portion of the annual charge for construction which would overbur- den_ either the property or the road user. “States where original construction programs are well under way can, in the main, finance normal new construc- tion from current funds, utilizing bond issue funds to defer the cost of special projects. “States where original construction is largely completed are concerned chiefly with maintenance and reconstruction and should depend on current funds, save in cases of emergency. Various Principles. “State highway bond issues should be serial in form and should mature over a period of not exceeding 30 years. “Highway bonds issued by a political subdivision of a State should be serial in form and should mature over a pe- riod not exceeding 20 years. “Serial maturities should be arranged 50 that the annual requirements of principal and interest will be as nearly uniform as practicable. “Sound financing requires that the retirement of State bonds, as well as the interest thereon, be provided for from the receipts of motor vehicle license fees and gasoline taxes, but the full taxing power of the State should be authorized to guarantee the principal and interest, not only as a provision in case of failure of these special levies, but also to secure a lower rate of inte est from the purchasers of the bonds. revised principles of highway adminis- tration and finance and may be taken as a safe guide for such work as may come up in the various States. z - No Property Tax in 21 States. Twenty-one States do not levy gen- eral property taxes or make appropria- tions for State highways, and accord- | ingly there is no rail contribution in these States for this purpose, of the road act up-to-date to conform with the uniform code; Maryland to recodify its motor vehicle laws and, for the matters covered therein, to adopt the pro- visions of the Uniform Vehicle Code, including authorization of calling in all operators’ licenses not oftener than once in three years in the discretion of the | Motor Vehicle Department; ‘The local authorities of all three jurisdictions to put into effect the Model Municipal Traffic Ordinance and the standardized street traffic signs, signals and markings. It is further recommended the member federations and their constituent bodies that they take action to further the accomplish- ments of the above purposes. Much needed good can be ac- complished by this body, and its success is sincerely wuged. » ‘The above statements constitute the | to (Sometimes it pays The statement of Gov. Pranklin D. Roosevelt of New York to the effect that_the safety responsibility law of the Empire State is proving & success is expected by officials of the American Automobile Association to have fa reaching influence on more than a dozen State Legisiatures that are now considering the enactment of similar legislation. Obtaining Practical Results. “The law is not only working out well, but it is getting very definite and prac- tical results,” Gov. Roosevelt said. The Governor expressed his view in course of an address he delivered this month at & luncheon in New York City, in connection with the bestowal of an award by the New York Automobile Club to a citizen who had helped to secure the arrest and conviction of & “hit-and-run” driver. After stressing the importance of safety education in the schools, the school boy patrol, and relentless prose- cution of the hit-and-run driver, Gov. Roosevelt took up the question of safety responsibility law and said: “Much importance attaches to the campaign going on all over the United responsibility legislation.’ New York Ploneer. “The State of New York was, I think, the pioneer in adopting this legislation. I am told by Commissioner Hartnett of the Motor Vehicle Bureau of the State of New York that the law is not only working out well, but that it is getting very definite practical results; in other words, that it is carrying out the gen- eral thought of those who sponsor it, that we would eventually eliminate the judgment proof owner or operator from our roads.” Commenting on Gov. Roosevelt's state- Milady’s A woman driver does not have to be & whiz at bridge to make a grand slam. In trying to pull away from an ice- covered gutter where her car was parked, a woman of & few months’ ex- perience sccidentally left the hand- brake partly set. The machine got away in good order, whereas other drivers were reporting all manner of difficulty at the same place. What hap- pened was that the hand-brakes were not quite equalized, one of them hold- ing the wheel that would otherwise have started to spin. Don't admit liability for an accident even though you think you are in the wrong. When I sald I was going to pass this thought along to woman mo- torists, & cynic observed I was wasting my ink as the world has yet to pro- duce & woman who thought she was in the wrong. I countered with the story of a woman who admitted liability and who was refused ald from her insurers because under the law, which she did nn;l clearly understand, she was not liable. When driving In the slush, don't wait for a splattering all over your new en- semble to learn the valus of keeping jthe left window up and the right one down. It's cold enough waiting for a service man to come around to change a flat | tire without prolonging the agony by overlooking any preparations you can make for him. One thing you can do while waiting is to place the car where he can do the work more conveniently. You can also unlock the spare and place the car so that the valve stem of the flat tire is up top. Most women e not been drivin, cars long enough to know that one of | the most important things to remem- ber when completing a turn on & slip- | pery road o street is 1o avoid straight- | ening out the wheels too suddenly. It certanly is a woman's age. Now lone of the accessory companies is ad- vertising a shock absorver *‘with beauty.” | It this keeps up, we may expect to hear |of smart looking valves and modish | pistons. It is said of & certain woman who has | driven car successfully for years that |she always gives the impression of be- |ing uneasy at the wheel. This may or |may not b: unfortunate. Surely the | confidence of passengers is an any driver, but the nervousness noted may simply be proof of constant exer- |cise of vigilance. Some people keep it |to themselves; others "advertise it. advertise. A woman who took the trouble to look over her instruction book learned that the cooling system of her car was of the thermo-syphon type. That aft- ernoon at bridge she asked several other ex| 'nced woman drivers what sort of system this could be. One of them, girl, cleared up the mystery States today for what is called “safety | GOV. ROOSEVELT'S PRAISE OF SAFETY LAW HELPFUL A. A. A. Officials Hold It Will Have a Far-Reaching Effect on Convening Legislatures. ment, Owen B. Augspurger, chairman of the A. A. A. Safety Responsibility Com- mittee, who presided at the function, declared today that the views of the New York executive were shared by officials of other States, where impor- tant features of the safety responsibility law are in effect. “More than usual significance, said, “attaches to Gov. Roosevelt's opti- mism for the reason that the New York | safety responsibility law was closely | patterned on the A. A. A. model bil], | and embodied all of the latter's major | provisions for the eliminaticn from the | highway of the reckless and financially irresponsibile driver. Reaches Reckless Mmority. “The experience of New York has al- ready proven several of the major con- tentions of the advocates of the legisla- tion. It was intended to reach the reck- less minority. Out of New York's motor vehicle registration of 1,922,658 in 1930 only 19,000, or 1 per cent, of the car cl.wnen came under the provisions of the aw. “This contrasts sharply with the ex- perience of New Jersey, where 7 per cent of the car owners came under the law, the reason, of course, being that in the latter State the law becomes operative for violation not only of major offenses, but also for violation of a large number of petly infringements of traffic regulations. In this respect the New Jersey law departed entirely from the principle of the A. A. A. bill. “The accident record of New York for the year 1930 also affords encourage- ment, since there were 13,000 fewer ac- cidents than there were in 1920. While other factors may well have entered into this record, there is no doubt at all that it reflected the salutary influence of the safety responsibility law.” Motoring BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. by explaining that in this plan the wa- ter In the engine jackets and radiator circulates automatically instead of with the aid of & pump. of the kettle always rises toward the top as it heats,” she sald, using a surpris- ingly homely example to illustrate the idea. “All the automobile designer did to develop a thermo-syphon system was to capitalize this action of heated fluid As the engine's cylinders heat up, the water around the jackets rises and moves toward the top of the radiator. Here it 1s cooled and drops through the core‘ to the bottom, where it starts rising again.” ‘There is & certain amount of thermo- syphon action in any water cooling system, but on most cars it is assisted by the pump. ‘The foregoing session of bridge made it plain to most of the women who drive why the engine heat indicator on the instrument board always rises when the engine is switched off. The reading is taken at the top of the engine where the hottest water is found. This water gets still hotter for a time when the circulation ceases. Put this down as the week's safety hint: If you are traveling in the cen- ter lane of traffic, don't stop abruptly. The fastest traffic is in this lane and, in addition, the car may be running in street car tracks. A number of women have found themselves going into & bad slide when the tracks were wet. Having the windshield freeze usually is alarming enough to the average ‘woman to make her a pretty good pros- pect for almost any concoction designed to restore visibility. She will also lend an ear to various suggestions:- by well meaning friends. Many chemicals, in- cluding ordinary salt and alcohol, will help clear the windshield, but may seri- ously mar the finish of the cowl. Gen- erally speaking, it is better to utilize devices that heat the windshicld. OPPOSES SPEED INCREASE Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, February 21. — The maximum speed rate of 40 miles an hour on Maryland highways is plenty high enough, E. Austin Baughman, commissioner of motor vehicles, de- clared today. | He announced his opposition to the | bill introduced in the House of Dele- tes which would raise the present ximum rate of 40 miles to 45. Commissioner Baughm: the opinion that a higher maximum would Increase accidents, said: “We are issuing licenses to an aver- age of 200 new drivers daily. It is quesionable whether they can handle machines at such a pace. “Too many accidents and too many deaths now are attributable to Ifid. roads are too congested for a Umit than at present.” { . “You know how water at the bottom | sh expressing | SHOWING UP THE HORSELESS CARRIAGE. USEOF ALUMNUN ALTOINDUSTRY AD Element Playing Important Part in Building of Cars. Special Dispateh to The Star. DETROIT, February 21.—With auto- mobile manufacturing headlined as the master industry relied upon to lead other industries back to normal, one of them on which attention is centered is that of aluminum production. According to official figures, more than one-third of the aluminum produced in America goes into motor cars. 37 Per Cent Used. In the form of castings, alloys and sheet metal used for car bodies, the automobile factories utilize 37 per cent of the available aluminum supply. This is on the basis of 1929 operations; but it is safe to say that the proportion was increased during 1930. Last year numerous advances were made in car design which called for greater use of it. They consisted chiefly in the widened use of alloys as component parts of en- gines and in the fabrication of bodies, particularly those of the custom-built type. This trend culminated in several innovations for 1931 that point toward still_more novel changes in the future. They point in the general direction of lighter cars that will give added comfort and ease of handling, together with more efficient operation in the way of engine cooling and economy of upkeep. As evidence of this there are the Marmon “16,” with its extensive use of aluminum alloys in its power plant, & Ford town car delivery model with an aluminum body shell, and an all-alumi- | Pageol Motor Co. and first introduced on_the Pacific Coast. In the truck model, which made its initial appearance at an automobile show in Oakland, Calif., three weeks ago, it was stated that 985 pounds had been saved in the rear axle construc- tion and more than 1,000 pounds in the frame, with the weight of other parts reduced in proportion. European Use. Aluminum as material for cars also is under development in Europe as well as in America. At the Paris Salon de I'Automobile of 1930 the trend was own. Two models credited to Voisin and Viscaya, respectively, had bodies made of aluminum, duralumin and steel. In shape they were closely streamlined, thereby cuiting down wind resistance &t high speeds and adding to the other advantages claimed for the lighter cars built of the newer metals, Alloys, it has been said, made possible the recent performance of Capt. Mal- colm Clmgbell'.s Bluebird II at Day- tona Beach, Fla. Those alloys em- ployed in the giant speedster were mostly of nickel, chromium and molyb- denum, although nickel and aluminum were utilized for the pistons. Aided Capt. Campbell, Without them the speed of 245.13 miles per hour that Capt. Campbell achieved would not have been possible. If ordinary steels had been used the weight of the car would have been so great that no engine could have hauled it at the record-breaking rate. (Copyright, 1931. by North American News- paper Alli ] Average Gas Tax. The average gasoline tax payment per passenger car is about $14.90 (based on consumption 480 gallons per car and an average tax of 3.22 cents). The larger portion of the special vehicle tax therefore is paid by means of the levy on gasoline. The average special tax per private passenger car is there- fore $25.52. NOTHING IS GAINED BY "BAWLING OUT® THE SERVICE MEN. TRY TO DIAGNOSE YOUR DIFFICULTY, AND REGISTER YOUR COMPLAINT WITH SENSE AND COURTESY. THE RESULT WILL MORE THAN LIKELY,BE PRO! ATTENTION AND EFFICIENT WORK . num six-wheeled truck built by the|S AXLE OF 1931 AUTOMOBILE IS A DEFINITE IMPROVEMENT Important Structur e of Today's Car Vastly Different Than Make-Up of the One-Horse Shay. BY H. CLIFFORD BROKAW. Automobile Technical Adviser. The four wheels of an automobile are attached to ends of two axles. The old-fashioned buggy used to have axles and it was the function of the owner to take the four wheels of this vehicle off occasionally and put some grease on these axles. Well, the wheels of the modern automobile have to have a similar sort of attention, and it is a foolish owner who_neglects this aspect of a car's care. But the axle of the 1931 automobile is a definite improve- ment on anything found in the make- up of the old one-horse shay. Front Axle Duties. The duties of the front axle of an au- tomobile are of considerable importance. It is & function of this plece of steel to bear the weight of about 80 per cent of the engine of the car. function to be able to lessen the shocks which come from the steering appa- ratus. As a matter of fact, the front axle is sometimes required to hold up as much as 40 per cent of the entire weight of the automobile. The central position of the axle is usually lower than either end. In fact, this part of the chassis is the lowest part of an automobile, with the excep- | tion of the wheels. One reason for this is that the axle wlil come in contact with any obstruction which may be in the path of the automobile. If the ob- struction is not too large the axle will probably break or crush it. In this way the front axle becomes a protecting medius to all of the rest of the mechan- ism of the car which is placed on & level somewhat higher from the ground. If the obstacle encountered is too large and solid to crush it will serve to bring the car to a stop and in this way pro- tect the other mechanism. If the car is traveling at a high speed there is likely to be trouble and a bent or broken axle. If the car is traveling at a slow rate of speed no serious damage may be done. Steering Knuckle. ‘The steering knuckle is at the end of the axle. There is one at the end of each axle, which fits to it so as to facilitate the turning of the automo- bile. To further facilitate this turning there is the steering arm, which is con- nected to the steering knuckle. At each end of this front axle arrangement is the steering spindle. This is made of 1t is another | especially treated steel and is the axis on which the wheel revolves. Most rear axles are made in two sec- tions, with a differential between the inner ends. Consequently, the axle parts need to be supported in & strong housing with ample spacing, 80 as o keep all of the parts in line and fune- tioning. The axle is in the housing | which provides a metal covering. The differential gear is in & smaller hous- | Ing which in turn is in the axle hous- |ing. At the rear wheels the housing | is enlarged to accommodate the ball bearings which run between the axle and the inner side of the housing. It is especially essential that the axles should be in line and intact. An axle that has chifted farther ahead than its correspondent on the other side, throws the front axle on its side out | and causes the steering to become difficult and increases the wear upon the tire that is being drawn sideways. Cause of Vibrations. Axles that are out of line are prone to be the cause of excessive vibratiens. Most particularly is this localized in the steering. In some instances wheels also result from bent or twisted axles. If these difficulties are present in part or whole, experienced attention should be secured. If the front and rear axle are out of line the spring clips have to | be loosened and the axle moved slightly into the correct position. If the axle is bent it must be straightened with a press. Ordinarily the only attention that will be required of the driver of a car is to see that the axle parts are properly lubricated. Although very- important, this attntion is not necessary very often. The methods of lubrication vary with the make of the car, procedure is the same. necessary to keep a sufficient supply of md heavy ofl in the axle o is generally performed by means of an ofl gun. Grease cups provide means for the lubrication of the axle roller bearings which should be kept full ef cup grease. Many motorists hardly realise that automobiles have such things as axles. This is because axles seldom give ear owners any trouble. . Mr. Brokaw will be glad to any questions which a reader of articles may have. 773 OUT OF 874 STOLEN CARS RECOVERED IN 1930 One Virginia Officer Recovers 96 Autos Taken from Owners ‘Within Year. 8pecial Dispatch to The Star. RICHMOND, Va., February 21.—Most Virginians finow that the Division of Mo- tor Vehicles collects more than one- third of all revenue which the State receives, as shown in 1930, when this division turned over to the State treas- urer more than $17,000,000, while the State’s total receipts from all sources were slightly in excess of $46,000,000. It is also generally known that the Division of Motor Vehicles collects the fuollne tax, distributes all automobile icense tags, passes upon gasoline tax refunds, and issues title certificates on all automobiles sold in Virginia, but comparatively little publicity has been given to the service which this division renders to the motorists of the State in_recovering stolen automobiles. In 1930 there were reported to the division as stolen 874 automobiles and during this same period the force of traffic officers which the Division of Motor Vehicles maintains recovered 773 cars. Estimating the value of each stolen automobile at an average of only $300, it can be readily seen that the ex- pense of maintaining 75 trafic officers at an approximate cost of $3,000 per man has been more than paid by their work in recovering stolen property alone. In this connection it is interesting to note that one officer whose only duty is to investigate cases of stolen automo- biles, recovered 96 stolen cars in 1930. | ghe This is & record which it is believed is ng:lequllzd by any other in the United es. 3 . Forty-four million barrels of cement, value about $120,000,000 are used an- wally for roads—work for 60,000 men. NATIONAL FATALITIES INCREASE 2 PER CENT American Motorists’ Association Lists Traffic Deaths for 1930. Deaths from automobile accidents in the United States during 1930 showed an increase of approximately 2 per cent, compored with 1929, according to = preliminary survey just completed by the American Motorists' Association. “The total number of fatalities in 1930 attributed to motor vehicles was 31,630, compared with 29,890 in 1929, according to the association’s figures. “Any figure of last year's fatalities at the present time is, of course, nothing more than an estimate. Census Bureau figures, however, covering actual auto- mobile deaths last year in 81 of the principal cities of the country show an increase in these cities, compared with the same cities during 1929, of 3 per cent,” it is pointed out by Thomas J. Keefe, general manager of the A. M. A. “The total automobile deaths in 1930 in the 81 cities was 8897, compared with 8,565 deaths in 1929, or a death rate of 25.5 per 100,000 lation, as against a death rate of 25 per 100,000 in :sm, which js an increase of 2 per cent. “Notwithstanding the slight increase in the total killed by automobiles last year compared with the lous year, the ratio of automobile ths to the total motor vehicle registration shows a slight decrease,” the A. M. A. survey OWS. hicago Equipped. In Chicago: “Yeah, she's s pip, all right! How d' yuh t'ink she'd look wit' a machine gun mounted trough d' windshield?” REMEMBER'! The PRICE is COACH or BUSINESS COUPE, F.O.B. Detroft It challenges the performance of any six, regardless of price. It introduces Super-Six smoothness to the lowest price class. It looks like a far more expensive car. It is bigger, wider and roomier than many cars that sell for hundredsof dollars more. Its qualityis evident in every detail of equipment and appointment. It is the Value Sen- sation in a year of sensational values.. and you get RARE RIDING COMFORT ESSEX The CHG//enqcr