Evening Star Newspaper, May 31, 1931, Page 50

In the Mo tor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. - not the only alarming con- dition in the automotive industry. Thefts of motor vehicles, also ever-mounting, cause not only grief to the owners and insurance companies, but prove tremendous aids to gangsteis. Convinced, after a study of the Am‘ouomur. fatalities are trend of ‘recent ciime, that use of | stolen automobiles has facilitated the operations of the gangster and enormously increased the diffcul- ties in effecting his capture, the National Crime Commission re- quested a committee of cltizen: peculiarly conversant with the situation to study and repoit what practical steps could be taken to efficiently combat motor vehicle thefts and frauds. Committee Is Named. This committce, not to be con- fused with the so-called Wicker- gham Committee, compriscs J. Weston Allen, chairman; F. Trubee Davison, tre2surer; S8am A. Lew- isohn, finance chairman; Newton D. Baker, Richard Washburn Child, Mrs. Richard Derby, Col. William J. Donovan, Gen. James A. Drain, Hugh Frayne, Oscar Hel- lam, Frank O. Lowden, Dean Justin Miller, Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Chester H. Rowell. In making public the report of this committee, Mr. Allen, who succeeded Mr. Baker as chairman of the National Crime Commission, made the following explanatory comment: ; “The advent of the automobile as a means of transportation fur- nished a new and attractive field for the criminal, because of the high value of the automobile, the | ease with which it could be stolen in the absence of the owner and the fact that the car itself pro- vided the means for a rapid get-| away. Also fraudulent schemes were devised for the sale and pur- chase of automobiles, and all kinds of frauds were practiced, with losses to legitimate business and to the unwary purchasers running into the millions. “The National Crime Commis- sion, recognizing the extent of the evil, appointed a Special Commit- tee which included those who were, by years of experience in automo- bile finance and insurance, espe- cially qualified to study the prob- lem, and who were directly con- cerned in finding the best means of preventing the continuance of | the vast losses to the automobile industry and to the public. Uniform Laws Needed. “The report of this Special Com- mittee on automobile thefts and frauds emphasizes the imperative need of uniform provision by the several States for the proper regis- tration of all automobiles for pur- poses of identification. Such means of identification is a prerequisite of prompt and concerted action by local, State and Federal officers’in the detection of thefts and the recovery of the stolen property. “In making public the report of this Special Committee the com- mission wishes to put emphasis upon the value of such action on the part of the States to provide proper means of identification as an essential to effective Federal 2id in the prosecution of those engaged in automobile thefts and frauds in interstate traffic. “The Federal statute known as the ‘Drzr act,” during the 10 years since it was enacted, has carried too large a burden in the prosecu- tion of automobile thieves and the recovery of stolen cars. This burden has been augmented by the lack of adequate means of identi- fication of automobiles, which has enabled the thieves more easily to remove the cars to other States. ‘The responsibility for prosecution in automobile theft cases should rest primarily in the State in ‘which the theft is committed, and the States which have been lag- gard in assuming their share of responsibility should not, by fail- ure to pass appropriate legislation, continue to avoid the obligation to protect their citizens from theft and fraud by providing effective means for the identification of cars stolen and the prompt arrest of the offenders.” Data Incomplete. ‘The Special Committee reviewed the number of thefts and frauds in cities and by States, but when computed in the aggregate the data were so incomplete as to justify few conclusions. It was apparent, however, that condi- tions, whether improved or aggra. vated in 2ny community, were not. snecessarily the sequence of the method used to combat the situa- tion. ExPeflence, good or bad, scemed all but accidental. Local efforts to control the number of frauds and thefts appeared wholly inadequate. Concerted action by all States held out the only means ;‘x‘ remedying the existing situa- on. Attention was invited at this period of its study to an anti-theft act adopted as a model uniform law in 1925 by the National Con- ference on Stireet and Highway Safety. Inasmuch as uniformity in action by the States appeared essential if the number of thefts and frauds was to be reduced, the committee considered the history and experience of this model law. ‘The effective working of the law, resulting. in its subsequent enact- ment by nearly one-half of the States, and the means employed under the law to discourage thefts and frauds has led the committee MOTOR DON'TS DONT NEGLECT THE COOLING SYSTEM R~ e e WITH HOT WEATHER DRIVING COMING ON, 1T 1S BEST TO CHECK UP NOW AND SAFEGUARD AGAINST SERIOUS TROUBLE LATER ON.SEE THAT THE PAN BELT 1S TIGHT ENOUGH,AND MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO LEAKS IN THE RADIATOR AND WATER PUMP. AND IMPROPER TIMING CAUSES OVERHEATING WAVE A GOOD MECHANIC INSPECT THAT. to endeavor to secure its uniform adoption throughout the country. Stolen car losses for the calendar year of 1929 exceeded $24,000,000 on insured. cars alone. The total losses may be estimated when it is reflected that insured cars con- | stitute about ones-third of the Itotal number of cars registered in the United States. These fig- | ures are based on the actual ex- | perience of automobile theft nsurers and represent the losses of the motor vehicle public be- |cause of the theft hazard. These | theft losses are the net losses and |do not acccunt for the insurer’s expense of doing business, which ! must be paid by those who insute | against theft. The loss of $24,000,- 000 on thefts alone, however, docs represent a hazard of the mosi serious proportions. |~ The seriousness of the automo- bile theft hazard is also indicated | by the records of the United States Attorney General. Since 1919, when the Federal (Dyer) act mak- |ing it a felony to transport a stolen car across the Slate line was enacted, the value of stolen cars recovered has amouated to $18,- 711,432.02. For the year ending June 30, 1930, the value of stolen sars recovered amounted to $1,869,- 535.83. The convictions in one year (1930) numbered 2,452. When the of the 48 States are added to these Feceral convictions, together with the thefts never prosecuted, there is presented for consideration a |crime of major importance. Frauds Increasing. motor vehicle thefts is the fraud practiced upon innocent pur- chasers of stolen cars. No figures on the losses suffered by these purchasers of stolen cars, later recovered by owners, are available, the chief of an auto theft squad in one of our largest cities that two out of every three recovered cars are taken from the possession of persons claiming to be innocent purchasers, the amount of losses annually must be very great. Another form of fraud rapidly increasing is the wrongful con- version or embezzlement of cars sold on the deferred payment plan. Inasmuch as more than one-half of the new cars now being sold are purchased on the deferred | payment plan, the number of cars exposed to this loss annually is large, and the National Association of Finance Companies reports that the practice of gaining possession of a car by making the smallest initial payment possible therecon and then disappearing, with ap- parently the intention originally to convert the car, is growing very rapidly. Neither the national motor vehicle theft act nor the laws of some six or more of the States make the wrongful conver- sion of a motor vehicle a crime. ‘The amount in losses suffered be- cause of wrongfully converted cars has not been compiled, but this fraud, together with the fraud practiced upon innocent pur- chasers of stolen cars, presents a problem similar to and second only to that of the theft of motor vehicles. The report brings out many truths. It is to be hoped that some good may be accomplished by this study. The Washington Automotive Trade Association will meet to- morrow night at 8:30 o'clock, at the Racquet Club. A motion pic- ture, “The Magic Circle,” a film dealing with automobiles, will be shown. During the first four months of 1931 there were 1,003,901 motor vehicles sold, according to figures just released by the Bureau of Census. This number falls con- sldeubli{ short of the 1,444,047 cars sold during the first four months of the preceding year. However, a steady picking up month-by-month of this year is shown. April factory sales of auto- mobiles in the United States, con- sisted of 335,708 vehicles, of which 285,028 were passenger cars, 50,015 trucks, and 665 taxicabs, as com- pared with 276,405 vehicles in March, 1931; 444,024 vehicles in ?9’:2‘;1' 1930, and 621,910 in April, BILLBOARD ACTION COMMENCES JUNE 1 Maryland Takes Preliminary Steps to Enforce Recent Mezasure. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, May 30.—Enforcement of the billboard measure, passed at the last session of the Maryland Legislature, will start June 1, says Harry D. Williar, jr., chief enginecr cf the Stave Roads ‘Commission. Steps preliminary to enforcement of the billboard act are being taken. They includ> a survey by the commission oL &ll roacside advertising aispiays in the State. The survey Is required by the bill. Its chiei purpcs: is to learn the dimensions of all rcadside signs. An- other riouirement of tne bill provides periodic inspoctions to prevent the erec- tion of unliccnsed digplays. These and other dutics that the new measure puts upon the rcads c:mm's- sion will constitute a pretty b'g_job for it, the chicf enginzer said. The act reouires a'l adveriizing firms to oot in Yc.nscs for billbcards withn a radus of | 800 fcet of any State road. The license |fce f:r ccmpanies mainiaining more | than 50 such signboards wili be $200 a yea:, The roads commission is authorized to refuse permits for any signs that would obstruct the view of motorits and js empcwered t) take down any ex- isting signs thet Inieriere h trafic. Signboards advertising anything will be taxed at the rate of half a cent for “ch square foot of suriace of displa;, |with a mintmum tax fee of § | Churches, State institutions and county | fair as:cclaticns arc cxempted under | the new law. Rural storc owners aizo {are eiempt:d and so arc those who | mainan sgos advert'sing real estate | for sale, if th> sign hanpens t» he | within 100 feet of the salable ground | or building. |” Violaticns cf the new law will be | elasced 8s misd-mearors, for which the ’oflnnders wiil be subject to a maximum fine of $100. Sounded Like a Car. A travcling salesman knocked at the farmhouse door. Mr. Appleknocker,” said he, ‘ycu really should have an atlas. Ab- rolutely indispensable in a home where the children are going to school.” “Not by a curn sight,” was the reply, “my grandfathcr walked to school; my f2ther walked to school end I walked to -chool, and by gum my kids can walk to school, too.” A convictions for auto thefts in each | Closely allied to the crime of}| but in view of the statement byl -THE SUNDAY STAR. WASHINGTON, D. C. MAY 31, 1931—PART FOUR Down the Road—RECOLLECTIONS YOUR FIRST AND HOW You FELT IN ENCLOSED CAR, IT ON YOUR MAIDEN TRIR 1930 v Tirimimw, snve . By FRANK BECK .| boat record CREATLYREDLEED Driver Remains Weakest| Part of Moving Vehicle, Says | N. A. C. C. Official. “Until the automobile industry manu- factures the robot driver, as well as the car, it will be difficult to improve ma- terially upon the safety features of | present-day automobiles,” states Paul G. Hoffman, member of the Street Trafic Committee of the National Au- tomobile Chamber of Commerce, in| commenting upon progress in the bulld- | ing of safety vehicles. | “Today the weakest part of the mov- ing vehicle is the driver. Most acci- dents happen because he falls to co- ordirate. “The recent National Conference on | Street and Highway Safety after ‘load- iing’ the vehicle with as many accidents as possible was still unable to accuse it of responsibility for more than a minor part of the automobile accidents and most of those due to lack of mainte- nance. New Safety Devices. “This year witnesses the further use of safety or non-shattering glass in closed car construction; the introduc- tion of windshield wiper equipment which enables the operator of the vehi- cle to clear the windshield of snow and ice; improved gear shifting; better steering. to mention only a few of the ! more important added safety features. | “A review of the last few years shows ! some really notable improvements that have been made in this direction. “One of the most spectacular changes in vehicle construction came with the ! {ntroduction of the four-wheel braks 1in 1921, While this was adopted by all makers over a period of years it is in- | teresting to . not2, first, that all new | cars are so equipped, and, second, that | very few of the older vehicles on the road are of the two-wheel brake type. Comfort Increased. “In 1923 the balloon tire was intro- duced, adding tremendously to riding | comfort and later to safety. In 1926 ' non-shattering or safety glass came into use and is being adopted generally for use throughout the new cars. “Many other changes were made with a view to lessening fatigue and improv- ing vision, such as more comfortable upholstery, particulariy in the driver's scat, and the use of steel corner posts to eliminate blind spots. | “Non-glering rear view mirrors and stop lights ars among the less impor- i tant accessories making for safer driving. | “Not all equipment problems are solved, however, for we still have with us the question of headlight glare. The automotive industry has been co- operating with the Bureau of Standards for s>veral years in studies of headlight- ing and the endeavor to find ways and means of eliminating glare. Consider- able progress has bzen made in the im- provement of headlights, which, with morc regular adjustment requirements now insisted on in many States is un- doubtadly helping- to cut down the number of eaccidents resulting from headlight glare. Inadequate Maintenance. ‘ “Lastly, it should be borne in mind that many of the accidents charged to the vehicle ariss from inadequate maintenance. Vigorous steps are being taken in some 11 Statzs by wav of an- nual vehicle inspection. In at leact one ‘Sla!r’xunh nnhtln'&:auon is a pre- requisite to registration. ?‘Such an lg'lsuect?on checks on the cf=ctiveness of all equpment. Further, concludss Mr. Hoffmas “it 1s leading in many cascs to a strong public de- mand for the removal of me ‘junk’ car fzom th> road to a reserved berth on the scrap heap.” 'LOUISIANA GETS DOWN | TO SERIOUS ROAD WORK Boasting Only 60 Miles a Few Years Ago, State Plans | 3,000. Four years ago Louisiana didn't ha’ much to oiser in the way of 1ural roads—milcage and little else. At the close of 1927 that State had but_60 miles of hard-surfaced pavements. But that was the start of onc of the most amczing highway-buiiding programs of all history, amazing in its>!f and ama: ing in consideration of the size of the | | t>sk as compared with the State's re-| i sources and population. | In 2 handful of years Louisiana has evolved @ plan that will bring that| State a total of 3,000 miles of hard- surfaced roads—-the job is one-fourth done and the way is clear for finish- ing it in short order. Louisians, has let 1,507 miles of con- | crets pavement to centract and half of this has been compleied. = Already this ycar contracts have been awarded for the construction of 760 miles and awards are pending on an additional 180 miless ” |ENGINEERS STREfCHING USE AEC"]ENI HAZARI]S | OF RUBBER IN MODERN CAR Twelve Specialized Types Employed for| 450 Applications in Models Carrying 60 Pounds Exclusive of Tires. Tt's a big bounce from steel to rub- ber, but ‘the automobile is revealing surprizing knack in being able to turn the trick. Never before has rubber been used so extensively in cars, nor its increase in use so rapid. Having utilized rubber in many “im possible” places, engineers are specu- lating as to just how far they can stretch it. No limit appears in sight, unless it be the risk of too much flexibility. Debut by Tire Route. Rubber made its debus on the auto- | mobile via the tire route and has kept in the limelight to a degree where it is a big feature of engine, clutch and chassis design. A recent count on one of the populsr makes of cars showed that 450 pleces of rubber were used in | its construction. Exclusive of tires, some of the popular cars are offering as much as 60 pounds of rubber, as against 15 pounds just a few years ago. Rubber fittings not commonly known | are fabricated body shims, sponge rub- ber for srm rests and ventilator seals, boo's for universal joint connections and electrical units. Hard rubber has become the big factor in steering whesls, while some of the finest qual- ity floor material now has rubber backing. Not Only for Ease. Contrary to popular belief, use of rubber in’the automgbile has not been entirely for the purpose of providing ease, as might be suspected by reason cf its now widespread use ss a shackle material. ts resistance to wear has been a big factor. Another feature is rubber's simplicity. These points are well illustrated in the case of shackles, where the freedom from service and elimination of lubricating outweigh the shock-absorption feature. Rubber steering wheels are no more comfortable to handle than any other, but,. combined with metal that will bend without breaking, the driver is afforded the speclal safety feature of greater security in event of a collision. Rubber parts in mechanical units of the car lessen the possibility of wear on other parts by cushioning shocks. Rubber running board coverings are used for their wearing qualities. Two other advantages—vibration ab- sorption and insulation against heat and cold—are not suspected by the motorist who 1s shown this feature when he goes car shopping. ‘Having made such inroads on the au- tomobile, the question as to how much | farther ruer will stretch in transform- |ing the automobile is currently dis- cussed among automotive <ngineers. | Already th=re is conflict over the point |as to just how much rubber insulation of the engine is desirable. One col pany uses no rubber for engine mount- | ings becanuse it believes the rigidity of | the engine legs is essent'al for {reedom from shimmy at high sp:ed. The shock | | absorption advantage of rubber mount- | ing seems to be g-nerally conceded and | is “merely & matter of noting thz in- creased smoothness of cars so insulated | against engine vibration. Rubber is used in many parts not| suspected by the car owner. A large| percentage of fan belts are of this ma- terial. Many a motorist is drivi car with hydraulic brakes not apprec! | ing that rubber is usd extensively for | brake cups to seal brake cylinders. “Rubber deugh,” one of the developments, extensively usel banish squeaks in bodies. It is applied |in liquid form during the manufacturing process. Later as the body goes its way through the paint ovens th: rubber rises, expands and becomeés It is very efective as a against noise. Much is being done to develop rubber that will not b:come hard, but which will remain pliable throughout the life of the car. This has accelerated the science of rubber curing to a point where it is possible to select a type of rubber for almost every present need. Hard Rubber Used. Hard rubber, for instance, is used for steering wheels and battery ceses, whereas low cold flow rubber selected for spring shackles and engine mount- ings.” A type of rubber known as “ex- truded” is utilized in window laces and differcnt kinds of tubing. Runnirg boards and floor mats call for flat- m‘;md“nor:k. n all there are 12 general groups of rubber articles used on the autompble. excluding tires and tubes. In addition to those mention:d above there is the wrapped hose for hydraulic brakes and radiator connections, cement for mats, molded rubber for door and spring bumpers, composition rubbers used for tops, and check straps and metal-insert rubbcr for such uses as draft shields around pedal openings in the toeboard. There are quite a number of articles made of oil-resisting rubber, in addi- tion to sponge rubber and the abrasions resisting tyge, (Copyright. 1931, by the Russell Service.) FURNITURE PROFITS DEPEND ON TRUCKS Survey of Transportation Company Reveals Needs of Proper Delivery. PONTIAC, Mich., May 30 (Special).— Americans buy furniture with prompt, safe delivery taken as a matter of course. Big, attractlve trucks of furniture houses are familiar to every one, but unknown to all save furniture men themsclves, is the fact that in those trucks, in addition to furniture in proc- ess of delivery, there may be a big slice of the marchant's rightful profits, being sacrificed in the name of extra and un- necessary service. Small loads, special deliveries and cther irregular and unusuai truck serv- ice m>ke hauling costs mount and eat into the profits of the business, as silown in a Nation-wide survey of retail delivery in the furniture industry. Every angle of truck operation in the retail furniture field was investigated and findings cover in detall the reasons for trucking losses and the means of corracting them. The report is the twelfth in a series of similar studies b2ing published by one of the moior truck companies, the purpose of which is to heip make truck operation more profitable in all of the major truck-using industries. The re- ports deal with methods and nature of cquipment rather than any particular ‘make of truck. As th2 reports appear they are placed | 8t the d’sposal of truck operators in the ‘navstiies affected, for tneir study and guidance. The furniture report discloses that average delivery costs in tne retail fur- niture ficld are almost 9 per cent of the total expense cf running the business— a figure nearly equaling the item of cxecutive salar‘es and 60 per cent of the amoant ‘spent for rent. It is more than 55 per cent of the total selling ex- pense, Batteryand ;gnithn_Snuiu Delco Batteries Creel Brothers 1811 14th St. N.W, Mlt 4220 NEW ROADS DESIGNED FOR GREATER SAFETY Character and Volume of Antici- pated Trafic Must Be Determined. “New roads are designed to fi - ern traffic and lomte':imm lhl'! nt‘.:gy are free from sharp curves and wide enough to make the passing of ve- hicles easy,” asserted R. Geity Brown- ing, chairm: of the Road-Location Committee of the American Road g:!elg:rfs‘ AL’:“}‘;‘::: énd locating en- or the Nol Ool_lil.l;’nlulnn'.m arolina Highway “The public should not judge all roads by the same n-nd-rd:"some rcads are not modern. In planning modern roads the character and volume of anticipated traffic. must be de- termined by traffic surveys and predic- tlon of the future importance of the highway. “Many old roads were built to meet the requirements of horse and wagon traffic. They are often crooked, nar- row and dangerous for motor traffic,” Mr. Browning declared. ‘“The reloca- MOTOR OlIL. Good oil, as you know, is the life-blood of a motor. Poor oil is its death-warrant. Autocrat Motor Oil ranks as “Pennsyl- vania’s Best.” By its use you avoid all lu- brication troubles. "BEST OIL IN THE WORLD" GAS ‘TAX' INCREASE OPPOSED BY A.M. A Motorists Urged to Unite to Check Tendencies of Leg- islatures. Declaring that gasoline taxes in many States have aiready become an unwar- ranted burden, the American Motor- ists’ Association today issued a warn- ing that the motorists themselves must unite to check the tendencies of most State Legislatures to “kill the goose that is Jaying the golden egg.” Street Parlance. “In the pariance of the street, the motorist, from the viewpoint of the average ‘State Legislature, has become ‘duck-soup' when the question of how fo get additional revenue is raised. The very ease with which the Legisla- ture can take it from the motorists bids fair to kill the goose that is laying the golden =gg,” the A, M. A.'s state- ment declares, pointing out that at the present. time motorists are paying more than two-thirds of the Nation's high- way construction and maintenance cost. “The motorist has no objection to a Teasonable gasoiine tax, but there must be a limit,” declares Thomas J. Keefe, general manager of the association. “At the present time there is a 6-cent gasoline tax in five States. One State, by a' very small margin, has just re- Jected an 8-cent tax, and there is now ending in another State a proposed 7-cent gasoline tax, which, if passed, would mean a tax of approximately 50 per cent of tae price of gasoline, the average service station price on April 1 of this year being 13 cents per gallon, minus tax. Increages in Ten States. “Ten Legislatures during the current year have already increased their gaso- x rates. They are Arizona, Ar- kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. The average gasoline tax in these States prior to the increase was 3.5 cents per gallon. The average under the new tax is 4.7 cents per gallon. “During 1930 the gasoline tax yield paid by the motorist was $500,000,000, or approximately $1,400,000 per day. The average gasoline tax last year was 3.8 cents per gallon, or an increase of 14.6 per cent over the average gasoline tax paid by the motorist during 1929, the statement concludes. TR NEW BRUNSWICK ROADS OPEN EARLY THIS YEAR Damage to Surface of Highways by Frost Was Less Great During Last Winter. FREDERICTON, New Brunswick.— New Brunswick’s in trunk hi’hwlyl and motor roads are practically all open for traffic much earlier than usual, as the damage done to the surface of the roads by frost during the past Winter has not been t. ‘The only section of the main trunk highways not cpen for traffic is route No. 9, Fredericton to Sussex. The sec- tion of road across the Jemseg flats is still covered with water. The condition cf the highways is very good for early in the season and soft spots due to frost action are being repaired as rapidly as pcssible. Motor- ists are advised, however, to drive carefully on all highways until this maintenance work is completed and until frost conditions have abated. tion of many of these roads is a safety measure as well.as economy in It is often possible to shorten a road so much that there is a marked saving in money. Also, the saving to traffic in gasoline and time is pronounced.” You will drive longer upon AUTOCRAT than you have ever dared to drive upon any other oil, and it drains from the _erankcase with all the “look” and “feel” of an oil that has gone hardly 100 miles, e R A Beware of Substitutes Try Autocrat the next time you need oil, and judge its advantages for yourself. At the Better Dealers . l | | H MULTIPLE ENGINE TREND HELD NEXT PHASE OF AUTO PROGRESS Noted Pacific Coast Builder of Racing Cars Hopes to Regain Speed Titles for United States. Special Dispatch to The Star. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., May 30.—The multiple engine irend is the next for- ward phase of real W in motor car design. This is the bellef of Harry Miller, noted Pacific Coast builder of engines for racing cars and developer of front drive for use on both track and way. ere to direct final preparation of a 16-cylinder car bearing his own name for the nineteenth annual speedway race, Mr. Miller talked during intervals when he was not peering down into the vitals of the racer’s 300-horsepower en- flu and checking thousandths-of-an- ch precision in the operation of valves, timing gears and T recipro- cating parts. ‘To Wrest Speed Crown. Incidentally, he disclosed that plans are being de to take the world's crown away from Capt. Malcolm mpbell, the Britisher, in 1932 and hflfz it back to America. Attacks on both the Campbell record of 24579 miles an hour at Daytona Beac] nd on the Kaye Don power of 103.48 miles an hour on the water, are in the formation stage. “It is time,” Mr. Miller said, “that to protect our prestige as the worl!’l H.egut and most progres- sive Nation in the automotive field.” He intimated that the 300-horse- wer engine on which he was working almost certain to figure in such a , poasibly next March. For the world speed record. however, not one but two of the new engines will be utilized. With one power plant mounted in front and the other in the rear of the superspeed car that will be built, it will be a four-wheel drive job of 32 cyl- inders in all. With the aid of super- chargers, it will step the driving force up to 1,000 “horses.” This hook-up will be placed in a chassis much lighter and more efficient than anything yet produced on the same order. To reduce wind resistance, the body l‘;ll be atreamlined, following original eas. Mr. Miller appeared confident that such a high-powered unit can be cre- ated. He is to start work on it within & month. He gave reasons why it will be pos- Milady’s This ine” he lain zyllnden..nv‘uh 303 cuhtcmlnehu.d of : ton displacemsnt. deve! more Ig: rsepowet to 300 horsepower, or one every cubic inch. It weighs only 555 pounds with starter equipment and without the generator. Construction of Car. “It is built of chrome-nickel molyb- denwn, an alloy that is light and strong, with metal fatigue reduced to & minimum. made it possible for us to mount it ih the chassis of the Bill White car for which “Shorty” Cantlon was nominated as pllot on race day here. The car had only 105 inches of wheelbase. “In the qualification trial it ran so cool that you could stick a finger in the water. ‘That signifies one of the great advantages that multiple engines of 8, 12 and 16 cylinders now built are bringing to both racing cars and stock cars. It lets us cut loose on high com- pression as never before. “The compression .in the White car is 85 to 1, and it is possible to run it #s high as 12 to 1, as com) 'd with 6 to 1, which is high for existing stock-car types. With a compression ratio like that, you virtually bave dynamite under the hood for acceleration. Great Flexibility, “One can idle such a car down to 2 miles an hour and run it up to 70 miles an hour faster than it can be done by shifting any kind of gears, Whether they be four-speed or any of the new-style transmissions that have come into use. You do not need to shift at all, except when starting. “In Feavy traffic and on hills there is no difference. The flexibility can only be compared with that of a steam en- gine in which the response is instant and the opegation noiseless. “With this it will be possible to get the same mileage always with the same power. We have already tried it out in a stock-car chassis and we have got 12 miles to the gallon of fuel with ease. One hundred and twenty-five miles hour road speed will be at a driver's disposal, whether it is ever used or not.” Mr. Miller added that 250 of the new engines maybe built for use in individ- ualized sport cars when pending ar- rangements have been completed. (Copyright. 1931. by North American News- paper Alliance, Inc.) Motoring BY FREDERICK C. BUSSELL. You may get behind in your motor- ing just trying to keep up a front. Every now and again I pick up a hendy pointer from one of the observ- ing women who mnow pilot their own cars. Recently I was riding with a woman who stopped at an intersection and walted for a car just to the left of her to make a right hand tumn. “How did you know that car was going to turn right?” I asked. “There was everything to indicate its driver ‘would make & left turn.” “Everything except the size of the ¢ar and !\ sparkle on its hood." re- torted milady. “Most owners of new and longer cars seem to think they have to swing a wide arc on a right turn.” I asked a New York matron why she kept her old foreign car when she could get something low and much more swanky. Day after day she drives along, looking like a diamond-studded daughter of the nobility sitting in an upper box at the opera. “Take a ride with me some after- noon,” she offered, “and I'll show you the unique advaniage I enjoy in being able to see over the other cars when James ig caught in a traffic jam. All you get is & worm's eye view.” Do a good turn for the family by not _letting the men folk attempt to wash the car with soap flakes or chips. Soap mnever should be applied directly to the body or top of the car and it is obvious that the rule cannot be fol- lowed with soap in chipped form. ‘The tone of the transmission gears usually is more pleasing in second gear if you will bear a couple of fingers on the shift lever. If you haven't already picked up a few safety lessons this week here's one to file away: Don't try to pass an- other car going downhill while a third car approaches. The Increasing mo- mentum of the car ahead—and yours— may upset your calculations. Another driving instructor has gone mad. When he commanded his pupil to stop she asked “Why?” When he ordered the car brought to a standstill by the next telegraph pole she queried “Which pole?” When he announced that he was trving to find out how quickly she could react she demanded “What for?” Things like that. One of the curious facts about motor- dom is the dearth of driving in- structors. More than 30,000.000 peo- ple have learned to drive and three times this number have still to learn. Yet instructors are so few in number it is necessary to fine comb any city to locate the topnotchers. Maybe that accounts for the popularity of the mor- tician business. Remind the man who cleans your car to keep the rear bumper as bright as possible where the exhaust gases strike its chromium finish. Chemicals and steam from the exhaust have a EA EAGL i HERE tendency to deposit a sort of rust over the bumper at this point. Tar re- mover seems to help clean it off. Sometimes the simplest things are the ones that trip us up the most fre- quently. In observing many women drive it has always seemed to me that the hand control of the throttle and the accelerator are about the least un- derstood. They feed gas, it is true; but the subject goes far beyond that. How they feed gas, in itself, is im- portant. You need not be concerned with the linkage of rods and levers to provide this remote control, but it is necessary to picture the throttle itself. This unit is located at the top of the carburetor where the gas vapor enters the manifold on the way to the cylin- ders. It works just like & damper in & stove and Is technically known as a but- terfly valve. It is never entirely closed, since there must be enough opening to provide for to idle the engine. ‘When yw“;’eu down on the accel- erator the throtfle is opened. Some- | times even if yow press all the way down you don't fully open the throttle. Because they never 'discover this some owners never get full results from their | cars. The accelerator i equipped with a return spring so that Wwhen you re- move your foot the throttle is automat- ically closed. Occasionally a little rust on its hinge will cause it to stick and give trouble. The hand control of the throttle.al- ways has to be returned to the idling position. It is, therefore, less desirable*. for ordinary driving. When you are driving in some difficult situation | where the right foot must be readyv for the ':;l:ke, however, it is the preferred control. { _When you have this picture of the gas control in mind you can appreciate how important it is to have the hand lever so adjusted that the engine does not idle too fast or too slow. The ad- jus'ment is made at the carburetor it- self and can be done by any mechanic in short order. You can always set the throttle for a little faster idling to meet any special conditions. N PACIFIC HIGHWAY MAPPED LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Nearly 3,000 miles of the proposed International Pacific highway, from the northern border of Mexico through Guatemala to San Salvador, has been surveyed and mapped, it is revealed in a preliminary report of Chief Engineer E. E. East of the Automobile Club of Southern California, who has just returned from the third trail-blazing expedition to the south. ‘The pioneers who came West in ox teams had no more difficult a job of trail blazing than the back-breaking st le through much of the Latin American countries just completed by the three cars and six men who started from Los Angeles in January of this year. 7 It’s an inboard . ..powered for 30 miles an hour with Lycoming 40 h. .p. motor... Mullins makes it the modern way, with puncture-proof metal hull, life-boat, air- chamber design, on a mass production basis. “It is safe, quiet, seaworthy, dry and stylish. To see it is to want it and display now! You buy from us....Mullins but the 'we have it on $he Lob. SALEM, Dealecs’ Inguiries Solicited STANLEY H. HORNER, Inc. 1340 Connecticut Ave. Potomac 1883 Demonstrator—Washington Airport MRODUCT OF MULLINS MANUFACTURING CORMORATION, Bast Division, SALEM, OHIO ¢