Evening Star Newspaper, December 13, 1931, Page 63

In the MotorVV_Vorld BY G. ADAM IMILAR to war methods, the automobile dealer armies are preparing for the big drive. The cbjective in this peace- time big push is sales, and every plan that will lead ultimately to victory is being laid out. Each dealer knows that there are many trenches to stage, many prisoners to capture, before this accom- plishment can be achieved. In this case the trenches are the waves of depression that de- scend upon various s2ctions of the country from time to time, and the prisoners in question are the prospective buyers. Headed by Mighty Leaders. However, the automobile indus- try is composed of mighty leaders and they are the heads of a pow- erful organization, and, with the finely constructed new models as shock troo 1ccess is hoped for. Dealer meetings, the so-called pep meetings to siimulate the membership to renewed efforts, are being held throughout the Nation. A few of the new cars are rivately displayed as a further mpetus. Factory men are con- ducting many of these meetings and are exalting the men onward One factory man in Washington last week declared that hard times and trousle was a part of life, and ghat the solving ¢! problams and the surmounting of difficulties brought forth stronger men and better things It is certainly true that the 1931 and the 1932 car, born in vexsome period, represents the finest prod- uct of its kind ever built Plans for the automobile show here, commencing the last of next month, are well under way. Mon- day night’s meeting of the Wash- ington Automotive Trade Associa- tion saw the final drawing for ?aces et the Auditorium, and pre- ictions were made that the com- ing event would be the greatest exhibition ever staged. Washing- ton automobile business is good. Interesting New York Plans. At a meeting of the Show Com- mittee of the thirty-second Na- tional Automobile Shows, which was held at National Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquar- ters last week, a number of in-| teresting plans for the New York exposition, January 9 to 16, were formulated. Some of these are applicable to the Chicago event as well, January 30 to February 6. Reports from various car and ac- cessory manufacturers who plan to exhibit reveal extraordinary trade interest in the numerous new features this season. S. A. Miles, manager of the shows, stated that the majority of car exhibitors declare they will not make their 1932 announcements | until show time. While several! announcements of new cars were | made recently, this policy will not | be general “There seems to be no end of new stuff for 1932!” emphatically dezlare those who have been privi-v lezed to peep behind the scenes at factories in Detroit and other | ronufacturing cities. As one of th2 technical experts on this committee remarked: “There are rumerous ‘reasons for these marked advances. With engine spceds steadily climbing until 3,000 revolutions per minute is quite, common, engineering achievement has had to keep pace with this demand for greater efficiency The more widespread adoption of down-draft carburetors has helped a lot, as have better balancing and lubrication. Counterweights now are cast on nearly all crank- shafts to smooth out torque, and lubrication has been extended to include even the valve stems. An- other factor which has promoted efficiency is the adoption of vacuum-controlled spark advance, which is one of the newer de- | velopments. Through this me- | dium, the spark is automatically | retarded just the right amount | when the car is accelerated under wide-open throttle and advanced when normal speed is reached. “Thin wall bearings are another contribution to modernity. The bearings themselves remain the same size as before, and thinner walls not only permit larg Journals, but promote more inti- mate contact between the bore and the bearing back—both fea- tures which prolong bearing life | | Easier Operating Seen. One of the interesting points which will be observed about the cars to be displayed at the 1932 automobile shows will be the ef- forts made to make driving an easier job. Not only are the con- trol systems much simpler as re- gards gear shifting and braking, but those things about car opera- tion which the driver cannot see such as proper mixture control, heat regulation and spark ad- vances will be taken care of auto- matically so that the human ele- ment is eliminated It is reported that one manu- facturer has gone so far as to make it impossible to drive with the choke closed. How done is not s to best information the choie is thrown out of cperatior cally as soon as the engine picks up. This will eliminate those cars which pour out clouds of black 817 as they sputter ing their cyclinders with carbon and the air with a malodorous exhaust DON'T DRIVE WITH ALL WINDOWS _TIGHTLY CLOSED! Keep one winpow oF YOUR CAR PARTLY OPEN WHEN THE ENGINE 1S RUNNING. THERE |5 ALWAYS DANGER FROM MONOXIDE | and thoroughly modern cap orna- | Page, jr, member of the Street | has been subject to much adverse S HOWARD. The increased use of thermo- static control to regulate the heat applied to the carburetor system will be one of the features which makes cars pleasanter to drive Show visitors will see a number of frost shields to be attached in- side the windshield. These are for the prevention of fogged glass when all windows are closed. They are electrically heated, drawing| their energy from the car t and fit so tightly to the clas a dead air pocket is formed, mak- ing fogging from the inside im- possible. The heat prevents for- mation of ice o1 the outside. An- other similar device consists of what looks like a miniature head- lamp, only it is not a lamp at al but a generator of red rays most invisible, that melt ice snow very quickly and right through the glass. It is attached inside, runs from the car bat and keeps a large area of windshield clear in spite weather the of Improved Lights. With laws in force or imminent in a number of States, reflex lights assume new importance and appear in several new styles They fasten at the back, near the tail lamp, require no electrical connection whatever, and reflect back at the driver of an overtak- ing car the beams from his own lamps. The trick has been to make the prisms or configurations scientificaly accurate s> that maximum reflecting power may be obtained. In this feature the new ones are far ahead of the older styles. Another lighting improvement designed to increase road safety is a new lamp bulb in which there is incorporated a tiny metal shield. This controls and directs the light beams in such a way that approaching drivers cannot ossibly be blinded, even though amps are not dimmed. It is done without reducing the road light obtained Metal tire covers, which last year became prominent and pop- ular because of their beauty and protection, appear in a new style that is distinguished by a built-in lock, which not only makes the| cover theftproof, but simplifies| application and removal and al- lows enough adjustment so that tread wear or underinflation can be compensated for. Of course, it comes in all colors and in chrom- ium plate Utility and Beauty. Combining genuine utility and | real beauty, the famous radiator cam thermometer that a few years ago appeared on almost every car on the roads is back with us, although one would never guess it to be what it is. To every one but the driver of the car it appears as an unusually attractive ment; it is only to the driver that the thermometer is visible For more mechanically inclined motorists there is news in the fact special sets of libricating guns have appeared. Engineers say that each part of a car has its special oiling requirements and that one lubricant cannot be used indiscriminately for all. The new| guns make several Kinds of lubri- cant instantly available for their special uses. Also there is a new type of clamp that takes all work out of the removal and replace- ment of tires on the new drop center rims that are so popular on the smaller cars and some of the bigger ones, too. And not by any means last is a recently perfected silencer that takes every bit of clatter out of overhead valve gear. It is intended for use on cars that are, say, a year old, and that have developed noise due to natural wear. | “Lighting for horse-drawn ve- hicles is one of the features of the uniform vehicle code that will add much to the safety and pleasure of night driving,” comments R. P Traffic Committee, National Auto- mobile Chamber of Commerce. “Night driving, like night air, criticism. There has either been too much light—coming from the other fellows’ head lamps—or else not enough light on other vehicles on the road. Uniform Code Aid. “By the terms of this proposed uniform vehicle code it is proposed that all vehicles other than those enumerated—and in this class fall the horse-drawn vehicles—shall carry a white light visible from the front and a red light visible from the rear. “A great many accidents have occurred by reason of motor ve- hicles striking other objects on the road when blinded by ap- proaching headlights or when wagons, delivery carts and buggies were obscured by rain or dark- ness. “In some of the larger cities the operators of bakery carts, milk delivery wagons, ftruck garden farmers and other have increased the visibility of their vehicles by the addition of reflecting devices similar to those you see at curves and other dangerous spots on the road. The headlights of a vehicle pick up the reflector oftentimes before the lamp is seen, as the latter is frequently dirty or the jarring of the wagon puts out the light. ~Several Philadelphia bak- ing companies, for example, use a type of reflector in addition to their lights, and say that the cost is more than offset by the saving in accidents to their vehicles.” Aid in Snow Travel. | statement by Ezra Brainerd THE SUNDAY S TAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., DECEMBER. 13, 1931—PART FOUR. % DOWN THE ROAD—Recollections. CAUGHT IN A H IN THIS SNOW STORM OSSLESS CARRIAGE P YE MUST BE NEARLY FROzE! COME RIGHT ON IN___*YER WELCOME TO OUR SPARE ROOM , STRANGER ,BUT DONT YE DARE MENTION MONEY. WHILE VYER THAWIN' OUT ILL BASOLINE USAGE HELD UNAEFEETEDMemal Hisiisbine ol st s Consumption Not Hit by: Depression, Says A. R. ‘ B. A. Head. | In the face of the customary increase in motor vehicle registration each year, the consumption of gascline shows a marked increase in the first half of 1931, as compared with the first half of 1930, according to W. R. Smith, president of the American Road Build- ers’ Association. 7,118,000,000 Gallons. “Statistics of gasoline consumption give a total of 7,118,000,000 gallons for the first half of 1931, in contrast with 6.810,000,000 gallons for the first half of 1930, an_increase of 2.3 per cent,” stated Mr. Smith. “These figures were compiled by the United States Bureau of Public Roads based on a careful survey. “In Minnesota the increased return from gasoline consumption was 8.7 per cent on gasoline taxes collected from January 1 to ober 31, 1931, accord- ing to figures compiled by the Minne- sota Highway Department. During the same period the tax collected on motor vehicles decreased !, of 1 per cent in Minnesota. Many other States show a similar record Increase in Travel, t ~ooe~rs evident from these figures that travel by motor vehicle has in- creased in spite of the depression | Whether for recreational or business use. Traffic counls in Minnesota indicate that more motor vehicles are using the highways this year than ever before. “Due to the fact that many people have put off buying new automobiles it seems evident that there will be rapid increcse in motor vehicle registra- tion when business conditions return to normal.” continued Mr. Smith, C. M. Babcock, Minnesota highway commissioner, predicts that if there fs | any curtailment of highway building, the highways will be found grossly in- adequtee for the traffic that will come upon them. Taking advantage of pre- | vailing low prices on materials, Minne- | sota Is getting more work per dollar | than ever before and at the same time | employment has been given to thou- | sands of people thit necded work. | Competition Held Exaggerated, If all the highways the United States now used by trucks in competi- tion with railroads carried all the trucks that economically could be put on them, they could handle but 15 per cent of the freight available in 1929, stated Mr. Smith ‘ This _estim. * 15 based on a recent chairman | of the Interstate Commerce Commis. sion, credited to the chief of the United States Bureau of Public Roads to the effect that pres ay capacity for truck hauling 100,000,000, 000 ton miles annu: 15 per cent of the Interstate imerce Commis- sion figures of 650,000,000,000 ton miles of freight available in 1929 ) FAIR SEX DRIVERS HELD RESPONSIBLE Women Hold Better Record Than Men for Accidents, Says AACA Although women comprise 25 per cent of all motor vehicle operators they are responsible for less than 7 per cent of accidents, according trict of Columbia division of the Aoy can Automobile Assoc: tion The statement is based on from A. A A national he; showing the percentage of o ers in the country and an accidents in which they e during 1930 “These figures,” it that for the country as cent of all operators nearly figures adquarters oman driv- analysis of Te involved | was said, “show a whole 24.3 per e women, al- ate Highway Department of 1, Acting 1o decrease automo- alties during the Winter suggests that by letting down pressuie in tires to 15 or peunds while dri on slippery roads greater gripping power will be obtained and the car will prove more effective In working itself oul of Joose snow. The Kempton Cadillac Corporation announces the appointment of W. D. Osgood as new car sales representative. | Mr. Osgood was formerly with Stanley Horner. {drivers as to f. } driving or not b though the average sections. “On the accident side 1930 records revcaled th of 1,227,817 drivers invc dents, male drivers figureg cent, or 1146781 per cent, or 81,0: drivers “Their record in fatal accidents equally as significant. Oyt "f,:”LSs‘;E‘i drivers involved in fatal accidents, 94 9 per cent, or 34671, Were male drivers, | compared 10 5.8 per ce 3 8 com per cent, or 2,135 “Whether the bet Is higher in some a study of out of a total in 934 p as compared to involving woman ter record of woman | atalities is due to better | ¢ing behind the wheel for so many miles as men on the aver- Roy C. Hayes, former n has lofl the Campbell-Es 'd Co. to be- | whole, prov age is not indicated by the Novertheloss, all factors considere) o | coxms evident that women are. o (he ng the mos —By FRANK BECK l o, Ye Qoo o |CAPITALIZING CARELESS DRIVER | OBJECT OF CONNECTICUT TESTS ing Reinstatement Reveal Novel Ap- | proach to Greater Highway Safety. Making the bad boys of the highway give up secrets of human behavior that will help all automobile drivers in the fight for sanity and safety is the latest innovation in the already unique ac- tivity of the Connecticut Motor Vehicle Department. The usual procedure has been to single out the experienced: driv- crs and to learn from them the facts about safety. Connecticut is reversing the idea by reading the minds of those drivers who have, in one way or an- other, revealed their shortcomings. Benefit of Humanity. For the first time in the history of automobiling, that small group of trou- blesome operators is to be capitalized for_the benefit of humanity in general Connecticut’s plan in this connection is even more definitely related to capi- talizing carelessness and ignorance than was suggested by the announcement of its mental tests earlier in the year. The original, and perhaps ultimate, plan is to test the mental reactions of every applicant for an operator's license, but at present Connecticut is concentrating on testing those who are applying for reinstatement or who are on probation. The Connecticut driver who has had his license revoked or suspended and vho later tries to regain his standing is obliged to submit to a form of quiz- zing that places him in the unusual po- sition of being an aid to the authorities in discovering the true facts behind safety. If “the Connecticut experiment be- comes general procedure, it is possible that the highway trouble-makers may find a way to repay the States for dam- age inflicted upon citizens and prop- erty. Should such a plan become na- tional, it is belleved that the prevention ol future accidents and fatalities, or cven the reduction in their number, would be some compensation for the ghastly record of the past, which, for 1930 alone, révealed 33,000 fatalities, 700,000 injuries and a property damage toll of $200,000,000 What can the trouble-maker tell the authorities which the latter do not al- ready know? What Officials Seek. ‘That is precisely what the officlals of Connecticut's Motor Vehicle Department seek to find out. They know that every driver has certain flaws mentally and these flaws are well known through years of study, but there is far less light on the “why” of these defects. What makes a driver behave as he does? Why is a driver cocksure? What is the mental process behind some act of neg- ligence? Connecticut proposes to psychoana- lvze the driver who does not think safely. He alone can give up the facts, Ask any driver with a fine record of performance just how he manages to keep out of trouble and he either ex- plains that it “comes natural” or offers a few trite safety pointers which fail to make an impression on those who need to follow them most, simply because they seem “too obyious.” The motorist who has been in trouble and who seems to be inclined to do the wrong thing in any given set of circumstances has something wrong with his thinking processes. And it's wrong thinking that produces nearly all the trouble on the road today. Let us assume that you have reached a point in your suspension period where you feel you are entitled once again to enjoy the privilege of being able to operate a car legally. Let us say that the authorities believe your case is NATIONAL STANDARD PART ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED Aid to Repairing of Automobile Seen by Local Body Recently Started. In the advancement of motor car service comes into being in Washingten and vicinity the -National Standard Parts Association. This organization, of national standing, comprises the foremost manufacturers, jobbers cf re- placement parts, tools and shop equip- ment. A maintenance division is conducted which offers complete help to garages in the way of technical repai: | inf_rmation, monthly bulletins und manuals for repair costs. At present there are more than 150 garages in the| city and nearby Maryland and Virginia membérs of the N. S. P. A A feature of the organization is that |its offers a finance plan on automo- | bile repairing. The plan otl ;hz or- crganization is largely to get the con- fidence of the motoring public, Aot cnly in Washington, but in other cities, in automobile repairing, giving real service. Not Taking Chances. | worthy of special consideration and that | | a date is set for your formal application for reinstatement. Doubtless you would [be eager to state your desire to turn over a new leaf. You might sincerely feel that you could take the wheel and never again be so careless, so lawless or s0 fgnorant as to run afoul of the law in the same or in comparable ways Let us picture you trying to state your case to the Connecticut officials. Surprise Given. Assuming that the department Iis ready to let down the bars, you are sur- prised by being handed a list of 100 questions, which you are asked to take home and work out. Some of these are personal, some seemingly irrelevant There are a few on the list that look like work for the kiddies and one or two that are knotty. You are not likely to suspect that leading psychologists and | engineers, mainly through the co-oper- | |ation of Yale University, have collab- orated on these efforts to test your mentality When you return to the Motor Ve- hicle Department you are asked to give the answers to but 20 of the questions. One of them, for example, may read, “Is it necessary to observe as much care when about to pass a private driveway as | at a public intersection?” You may give “No” as your answer, as many do. It 15 the legal reply, but people who go by an answer of this sort are not the kind of people Connecticut or any other State | wants on its highways. An acceptable enswer would be something along the | lines of the statement that while a pri- | vate driveway might not call for as | much precaution as one where it is rea sonable to expect a greater amount of traffic, you would nevertheless observe the same degree of care. Question of Interest. | One of the most interesting questions you might be asked would be to state | what, in your opinion, would be a rea- sonable average speed for driving under f a variety of conditiops listed as “open country with light traffic. ty streets | outside of business hours,” “passing a country school house when children are playing” and “passing an intersection on a city street.” State laws and city | ordinances are little aid in setting down such answers. If you think unwisely in simple situ- ations like these, how can you be ex- pected to do the right thing when meeting another car on the open road &L night where there is some peculiar additional condition? | | _Robbins H. Stoeckel, commissioner of { motor vehiclés of Gonriectiont. tises wron | answered a number of such questions in | & recent magazine article, but he made | |1t plain that the mental tests would be | | changed from time to time in order to | ‘squetze from the trouble-makers more |and more facts regarding their short- | | comings. No_secrecy surrounds the | |tests, but at the same time there is | no standardization. The answers to the | Questions are not as important as the | driver’s process of arriving at them or |of working back from them to the | ueries. Mr. Stoeckel believes that the | afest driver is the one who knows | himself” When a driver gets into trouble it is time for the State to know{ him and to find out how to correct his | defects. | | Through knowing these makers and chance-takers, Cof expects to learn much that wil | drivers and put motor vehicl | tion on a vastly higher plane, | (Copyright, 1931. The Russell Service.) trouble- nnecticut I help all e regula- \CRANKCASE DRAININGS | WORSE THAN USELESS Use for Material Somght by So- ciety of Automotive Engineers. Crankcase drainings are not only of |no value but are worse than useless. | If an attempt is made to burn them, | |on a city dump they make such a | | dense black smoke that the neighbors | complain. If they are emptled in the | [sewer they create danger of explosion | ady way of getting | |rid. “Therefore,” nccomny]g i | Winslow H. Herschel, speaking before | the Piitsburgh section of the Soclety |of Automottve Engineers, “if we can | find & way to use the material it will not only be conducive to the saving of | natural resources, preserving our sup- | Ply, but will remove the diiculty of | disposing of this waste product. | “The Sewer Department of the City |of Washington is much interested in | this matter from the latter point of | | view and has passed a regulation re- | quiring every one who has waste oil to | put it in a container and keep it until de | ways,” TRAFFIC DEATHS PUT AT 3400 Increased Estimate Given by A M. A. Despite Better Conditions. Deaths from automobile accidents in the United States during 1931 will reach | the appalling total of 34,000, breaking all previous records, according to pre- | liminary estimates made by the Safety | Cocmmittee of the American Motorists Association. Nine Months’ Average. These figures, based upon compara- tive reports from the various States, for the first nine months of this year, com- pared with the same period of 1930, show an increase in the automobile | ceath toll in practically every State in | the Union, the A. M. A.'s survey shows, | “Figures for the current year are, of | course, estimates,” it is pointed out by | Thomas J. Keefe, general manager of | the association, “but may be regarded | with a fair degree of accuracy as in- | dicative of what the appalling total will | be by the end of the year “One of the discouraging features of the ever-increasing annual toll of au- | tomobile fatalities is that the figures | reflect that the better the highway the ! larger the increase in fatalities. Cali- | ornia, as an illustration, shows an in- crease of 14 per cent in automobile | deaths for the first six months of this | year compared with last, a total of | 1,216 persons being killed and 22,614 injured. Analysis of Causes. | “An analysis of causes of these ac- | cidents shows conclusively that excy sive speed is the main contributing fac tor in more than half of most 1at es Conditions and causes, of co change rapidly, so that no single factor may be blamed for the awful holo- caust of automobile deaths, yet it may | safely be said that the car traveling too fast for the conditions involved is re- sponsible for the biggest share of the accidents. The Nation is paying the in- evitable penalty of recklessness. Until the motorists wake up and reform their driving habits, there can be little hope of a reduction,” Mr. Keefe declares. Fatalities in 1930, the gssociation’s figures show, totaled 31,630, compared with 29,890 in 1929 and 24,937 in 1928. BUILDING OF HIGHWAY AIDED BY LOW GOSTS Construction Prices Are One-Fifth Less, State Says Official. “With highway engineering forces and contractors more efficient and with construction prices lower by about one- fifth, Federal assistance in road building assumes a new importance in meeting | growing _transportation needs,” Fred- erick E. Everett, president of the Amer- ican Association of State Highway Offi- clals, recently pointed out “The usage of motor cars is still in ad- vance of the supply of modernized high- said Mr. Everett, who further declared: “The vagabonds, the commer cial car users, the tourists and the week enders pile up in excess of one hun- dred billions of miles yearly. The bulk of this travel, half at the very mini- mum, uses the Federal system, “Federal aid roads, which are com- prised of 7 per cent of the roads in each State, have a total length of 197,- 000 miles. Of this mileage 39 per cent was paved with high type surfaces by July 1, 1931, and 40 per cent was im- proved with'low or medium quality of surfacing on July 1, 1931, “In view of the fact that much of the low type of surfacing causes high main. tenance costs and it is economy to con- struct surfacing that will meet the traffic needs, it is clearly evident that now is the time to build more roads of a higher type. The prevailing low con. struction costs will of course mean that greater mileage can be built. Today's construction dollar will buy more than any dollar since that of June, 1922. The purchasing power of the dollar in No- vember was approximately one-fifth more than the average purchasing pow- er of the dollar in 1929. This means that 6 miles of road can be built now for the cost of 5 miles back in 1929, “‘Considering these low costs and the efficiency of engineers and contractors, 1932 will unquestionably bring a big | advance in the battle againsk poor roads, thousands of miles of which are costing as much or more in their pres- ent state than they would if properly improved,” concluded Mr. Everett, Authorized Service | bumps | answer them. 'HOME CONVENIENCES FOUND EMBODIED IN 1932 MOTOR CAR iEngineers, Body Stylists and Designers Try to Outdo One Another in Inventive Effort for Comfort. Special Dispat DETROIT. Cony ican o The Star Mich., December 12— niences and comforts that Ames automatic machinery possible in the modern home embodied in the new motor cars of 1932 As each line of new models makes its appearance the list thens. The engineers, the body stylists and design- ers are trying to outdo one another in inventive effort. One Instance Cited. To cite one instance, many new mod- els already introd: have provision made in the bodie radio installa- tion, now a rec d requirement in all but the low-priced cars changes mad 1 with which the public is getting a chance to be- come familiar, are numerous. Doors of some mc equipped with an ejector *chanism As the door ed to open it, the spring gives @ utomatic “kick” which pu deor out and does device has an ap- motor car doors are T g serves purpose. W] e latch engaged with the do'r shut, its tension d rubber mounting prevents rattles which come with we Insulation to subdue noises now is lled in cars in the form of padding which has the same e used to deaden the walls and lding interiors. is made non- ause som to move a double Thus the resonant These are some of the ways in which progress has made itself felt In still newer models that pear before January 1 ments will be apparent will have longer leverage of smocth mechanism car interior re to ap- further refine- Window lifts nd, by mean(s putting them up or down will be effortless and quick. | Pockets in the doors will open and close with “Sipper” type fasteners Colored lights on the board will tell a driver instantly if ofl pressure drops below normal or if the battery stops charging. Other Improvements. cars now utilize forward and rd seat adjustment by hand- °d crank. This idea has been ther refined by fitting the mecha- nism to both front and rear seats and making the seat backs slide up or down as desired for individual ease Upholstery springs that do not throw passengers upward or forward when are encountered are built in. Addition of lateral springs below the usual vertical coil springs makes this possible. With riding quality regu- lated by manual control, lessened. Milady’s BY FREDERICK €. RUSSELL. A lot of women are wondering now if it's ever going to be possible to teach men how to drive One thing about safety in which women excel is the matter of overtak- ing other cars. Her more highstrung nature here stands her in good stead because it leads her to make a quick, complete job of passing instead of hesi- tating or idling It has been estimated that at 40 milas an hour it requires about five secones to come up abreast of the car being cvertaken. Five addi- tional seconds ate required to get far enough ahead to cut in safely. Count- ing some “extras,” about 12 seconds will be required to complete the opera- tion ing may vanish. Women appear to take fewer chances with this uncon- sciously. When she is keeping her mind on the job, and not relying on her femi- nine’ inclinations, it would be well to bear in mind that ordinarily no at- tempt should be made to overtake a | car unless the left hand side of the road is clear for at least 1,000 feet | ahead. Charles Francis Coe, the criminolo- gist, says that women are dumb in business or wk T reason enters, be- cause they are too emotional. It sounds well, but even a man may be wrong in his estimate of the woman driver. I just recall a case the other evening where a woman had to ask her escort if it wouldn’t be a good idea if he went back to the car he had just parked to switch off the engine. The week's safety thought for the woman who drives her own car is to avoid running over slippery streets and roads with broken cross links in the tire chains, The remaining links may spread so far apart in a sudden stop as to allow the tires to slide as if en- tirely unprotected On the theory that we learn by criti- | cism, not by praise, let me add my | personal observation of the woman who | left her car abreast of mine in the | middle of a heavily traveled street. | There was a parking space ahead but she preferred the convenience of m-‘ conveniencing everyone else. The real surprise, however, came when she re appeared at the doorway of a furniture | store after having confounded many | dr s for some five minutes. For a moment. as she emerged, you | would never have suspected she had any cennection with the car or the three Kiddies scrambling about inside. Her | furtive eyes glanced up and down the street, as she surveyed the situation | calmly. Then, noticing that she had not | actually caused a riot and that there | was no officer tagging the car, she made 2 quick dash across the street, hopped | in and drove off. Here are some o woman recently asked If r tom of this column 1. Does an engine rotate clockwise? | 2. What atomizes gasoline so as to vaporize it in the carburetor? | 3. Why does an engine seem to be much more powerful when the car is in reverse? the questions a | See if you can | t, glance at the bot- | “Will you please explain why my en- | gine starts so much more easily this | vear than it did last Winter?” asks a | wise woman. ‘“Seems funny to be ask- | —to our staff of Service will be pleased to greet Other ! instrument | the car’s re- | | action to rough road surface will be In that time the space for pass- | iy WE ANNOUNCE WITH PLEASURE THE ADDITION OF Mr. John F. Riordan Formerly With Semmes Motor Co. Gl CARL | . Control apparently is going to be a key word for 1932. It will apply not only to gear shifting and braking, also to the choke, engine heat re tion and spark advance. Automatica {it will push the choke out of opera the minute the engine picks up beyond a certain rp.m With this system working, fuel can I no longer flood the cylinders, dil - gine oil or throw out a black smoke | screen from the exhaust. | Modernist Trend. | | Interest in the modernist trend of car design is flaring up again. It was ap- parent in the recent New York auto- obile salon in which custom-built dy types and coach work were ex- hibited. One $22,000 model, followi the “tear-drop” motif of streamlin and mounted on an imported Royce chassis, found a buyer At the same time, it became k that Sir Dennistoun Burney, Bri signer of aircraft and automc coming to this country in Janu talk before the Society of Automotive Engineers. He is to bring two cars with him for exhibition. Both are to ex- emplify the streamlining idea in “tear- drop” form, and will have engines mounted in the re The Burney cars are aiso said to b1 constructed of aluminum alloy metals which reduce weight in such a mannel as to put motor car oneration on a ney plane of economy, a g radically motive power and fuel consumption. Light Metal Structure. American interest in similar develop- ment is shown by the appearar Philadelphia of isleig] former Ford engineer, who repeated the “tear-drop” contentions before an en- gineering group in that city. That the light metal structure for cars of the future is no myth has been demonstrated in the Detroit manufac- turing area. At Pontiac, the General Motors Truck Co. has built motor | coaches of 40-passenger capacity and upward and weighing 2 tons less | than steel construction of the same | type. | _ According to calculations, this brings | the weight down to that of a conven- tional 29-passenger coach. The frames and numerous parts have been built of heat-treated aluminum alloys and | cast aluminum has been used for many portions of the chassis, making what is virtually all-aluminum structure throughout. ‘The light metals. without sacrifice of strength or durability, allow “spring- ing” of all the weight excepting that of wheels, brakes and tires. The power plants are in the rear of the vehicles instead of the front, and the engines can be slid out of the chassis on rails for service accessibility. 1931. by the North Amerfcan lewspaper Alliance, Inc.) | (Copyrignt. ! N Motoring . |ing Why an engine works well, but un- | less T discover the secret I'm likely to | be puzzled if the motor suddenly goes {back to its last year's trick. I haven't | had the oil changed for the Winter as vet. Should I observe any special cau- tions here?” Another question with its own answer tagging behind. This engine still is operating on the thinned-out, overused il of Summer. Thin oil helps a motor start in cold weather. There you are! In changing the crankcase contents it would be well for the owner of this car to consult the dealer to be sure the 1ight grade of Winter oil is selected. Oil | should be selected not only for the type of engine, but its condition as well. Women who go touring for the first time in their own cars invariably puzzle over the question as to whether or not | to lock the car. While there is always the possibility that some garage hand will take the car out without permis- sion, the safer plan is to leave the key in the ignition switch, so that in an emergency, such as fire, the car can be moved easily. It often happens that the locked car is mishandled by push- | ing it around in the garage, if the man- agement desires to sweep the floor or rearrange the cars Did you guess the queries abqve? { Well, then, here are the answers: | 1. Clockwise, viewing the engine from the front. 2. The rush of air sucking into | the carburetor, plus the heat of the in- take manifold. 3. Because reverse gear is the lowest on the car. That is, in reverse the en- gine rotates more times per each singls Tevolution of the rear wheel. This give- the engine mechanical advantage, o | power. No? Sort of Gummy. The ace of cards is the man wh | throws chewing gum in the street t see baby cars get stuck. Guarantee 100%PURE Clings stubbornly to motor surfaces — sur- rounding them com- pletely with full lubri- cation at all times. Try Autocrat the next time you need oil, and judge its advantages for yourself! QUART BAYERSON OIL WORKS COLUMBIA 5228 Salesmen. Mr. Riordan his many friends at— ‘ it is collelcxd. The department pro- | 5 ¢ was driving along a poses to a contract for emptying | g lady motorit was spled a_cotple | there containers. believing that 1o this Hayes will direct the publicity interests ' ers are no longer chnfned entirely to of repair men climbing telephone poles. | way the oil can be kept out of the ‘g:hxhc D:. Soto Motor Wm;y l&d private vellxxi‘cllm. and it is not unusual, Fools,” she dxclaimed to her ::m' ! n“:{ S lma;e e L e D s y in large cities, 3 " think I never drove negative regulation against ddsposing of | onal accountd served Specially il to see them at nion, ey R the ofl in the sewers.” t careful and Harrison Radiators CREEL BROTHERS 11 14th St. NW, Decajur 4220 a 1 come the head of ths J. Siirling Get- | capable drivers.” NCORPORATETD chell, Inc., publicity division. It was pointed out that woman driv- “Any Service—Any Car—Any Hour” 614 H St. N.\W. 1\ District 27758