Evening Star Newspaper, February 14, 1932, Page 52

In the Motor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. HE announcement of one of the largest small-car man- ufacturers in the Detroit area anent his new model now has the automotive world by the ears. What will be the effect of the latest innovation of the Dear- born wizard of mass produ.ction —the interchangeable four and eight-eylinder motor on a stand- ard chassis—of course, remains to be seen Of course, they all agree, Ford has done it again. But just what has Mr. Ford done? 1t all remains to be seen. Whether the man who has stood out in the automotive world so long can buck the times which have sorely tried every other automobile manufacturer—- in fact, every manufacturer of anything that is used by the American public—is a question which every one is interestedly waiting for the answer to. That answer, of course, can anly come out in the test of time, in the test of the confidence of the Ameri- can public, and as a result of fae- tors far too numerous to enumer- ate. Our own chief of npolice Gen. Pelham D. Glassford. h terested himself the past week in one of the most vital questions af- fecting the local motorist, and if his suggestions have any weight with the chief offenders, motor- ing on the streets of the Capital should be far more enjoyable in the months to come than it has been in the nonths gone by. He has written the prinecipal taxieab firms of the city and sug- gested a list of common com- plaints against practices of taxi- cab drivers, and asked the co- operation of the cab owners and drivers to co-operate with the police and the motorists of the city in_allaying some of the evils of traffic here, which are directly at the door of the cab drivers. Here are criticisms of cab driving, whieh need no further explaining: “1. A tendency on the part of many taxi drivers in obstruecting traffic by parkiig abreast for the discharge or taging on of passen- gers when curli space is nearby, “2. Suddenly stopping in the lane of moving traffic to pick up a prospective passenger “3. Weaving in and out of lanes of traffic for the pyroose of get- ting ahead of traffic moving in the proper lane. “4. Drivine to the left of the center of the roadway, especially at the approach of intersecting streets, in an effort to get ahead of traffic waiting on the proper signal 5. Speeding at intersections to cross before a change of signals. “6. Starting at intersections before the proper signal. “7. The unnecessary and ob- noxious use of horns when the progress of the taxicab is delayed by congested traffic or slow-mov- ing vehicles in front.” John P. Hall, director of the Street and Highway Safety Divi- sion of the National Bureau of Casualty and Surety Under- writers, has written an intere: ing artiele on periodical inspec- tion of all motor vehicles as an essential factor in the develon- ment of safety on the streets and highways of the Nation He further stresses such inspection as an unemployment relief activity which will give thousands tem- porary jobs. The story is issued through the National Conferencs on Street and Highway Safety. of which Robert P. Lamont, Secre- tary of Commerce, is chairman. It follows: “There are hundreds of thou- sands of unsafe motor vehicles operating upon our streets and highways; these are a menpace Lo safe driving. Because of the de- pression many ears that would in normal times have been traded in for new ones have been kept in operation. There is hardly a day passes that you de not pick up a newspaper and find that human lives have been lost be- cause of a truek or motor car having inadequate brakes, faulty lights or defective steering mech- anism. Last year nearly 34000 men, women and children lost their lives in motor vehicle acei- dents: approximately 1.000.000 were maimed and injured. some for life. This is a problem which, from the humanitarian standpoint | and the eeonomic standpoint as well, should arrest the attention of State officials, city officials and all users of our streets and high- ways. An automobile that is not under proper contrel or that i not in first-class mechanical con- dition as to safety factors is a death-dealing instrument. How- | ever, it is not the automobhile it- self that is to blame, but the operator who is willing to drive a car that he is fe brakes fixed at once; keep your car_in condition “In recognition of proper eauin- ment and systematic mechanical inspeetions as important aids to traffic safety, the Committee on Maintenance of the Motor Ve- hiele of the Natinnal Conference on Btreet and Highwav BSafety recommended that every ftate should adept the provisions of the Uniform Vehlcle Code (aet 4), relating to equipment, together \ It 1 A grEAT misTAKE Yo LET SMALL REPAIRS AND MINOR ADJUSTMENTS "GO UNTIL SOME OTHER TIME" AN AUTOMOBILE IS A UNIY OF CLOSELY RELATED PIECES OF MECKHANISM, SO DEPENDANT UPON EAGH OTHER, THAT FAILURE OF ONE SMALL PARY CAN ULYIMATELY PUT THE MOTOR OUT OF COMMISSION. A FEW DOLLARS) ON MINOR JOBS MAY SBAVE HEAVY LEYPENSES OF MAJOR OVERIAULINGS with the necessary detailed ad- ministrative regulations consist- ent therewith. It recommended periadic tmt)ecflon of all vehicles in the State, pointing out that such inspectiona should he ynder rigid State supervision and prefer- | ;ihly under authorization by State aw. “Many S8tates have already realized the importance of a periodieal inspection of motor ve- hicles and the following States have adopted sveh inspection Ir Pennsvivenia, New Jers>y, husetts, New Hpmpeshire, >ryiond, Delaware and Ne Mexico. Other Etates such as ew Yoris, Vermont and Rhode ! Island will have motor vehiele equipment inspection hills intro- dueed at their coming State leg- | islative sessions. These hills should have the active support of every one interested in street and | highway gsafety, Pennsylvania's motor vehicle inspection law re- | quires all motor vehicles reg- istered in the State to be in- spected within a_ three months' period of time. Their campaign began on Japuary 1. New Jersey plans to hold a similar campaign cometime early in the Bpring of this year. “In 1030 nine 8tates conducted ve-a-life motor vehicle equip- 1t inspection campaigns. A 1 of 3,414,997 cars were in- speeted. In this campaign 1,000,- 000 defective brakes were eor- rected, 2,000,000 defective lights adjusted and 217,000 defective | steering mechanisms were put into first-class condition, These campaigns were inaugurated upen proclamation of the governor and were condueted by the eammis- sioners of motor vehicles. “Every State in the Union where it is possible to conduct motor vehicle equipment inspec- tion eampaigns should do so this vear; first, because it is a safety measure of primary importance and, second, because these eam- paigns will give employment to hundreds of thousands of men now out of work. It takes labor and material to put unsafe ears in a safe condition; the cotton industry will benefit in the sale of millions of feet of brake lin- g; the steel industry will bene- fit in the sale of small tools. equipment and replacements for worn-out parts; the light bulb industry will benefit, as will the alass industry. in the sale of mil- lions of bulbs to insure safe driv- ing at night; the rubber industiy will benefit in the replacement af s of windshield-wiper | lades, which are at the present | time defective. These campamns} will not only give employment to | thousands of men that are out of ork, but they will pay for them- | clyves many times over in the Savingof lite and in the saving of the expense of accidents. PROGRESS SIGNIFIED BY ROAD DEDICATION Highways | Travel- Communities Building That Will Cheapen ing Cests. During the last few weeks, at the termination of active 1831 highway building throughout the country, road dedications have been held 1n great numbers, and the attendance and en- thusinsm at them indieate that many | feel that dedications are not dull affairs without significance. Road dedications may be taken as & symbol of progress. Until in quite Te- | cent years road building made little nce bevond the methods of the | ancient Caesars. Now the splendid highways that are being built signify man at last has conquered in no uncertain fashion the problems of moy himself and his goods about Wi | dispatch and cheapness. True, archaic road building is still with us, but not at all in the degree it was a decade ago. Growing num- bers of communities are completely in step with modern methods, and by that is meant that communities are building | roads that will last, pavements that over a period of years reduce all the | items of the cost of travel te the very lowest degres. | "1t is very doubtful if in all the country | this year a road was officially dedicated | that "was construeted of impermanent | materials. To dedicate is to conseerate; there would he little logie in dedieating a hizhway that needed patching short- | |1y after the wheels of the dedieatory parade had rolled on |~ From Toccoa. Ga.. comes word of the recent dedication of a streteh ef ean- crete pavement—a stretch only feur miles long, yet a pavement of unteld significance. This new pavement not only gives Atlanta her first paved route to North Carolina, but it links Atlanta to New York Oity and to Quebec, Can- ada, o concrete. Shortly residents of the magnificen§ mee River Valley in Northwestern » will dedicate the completion of the reting of U. 8. 34, whieh connects Toledo with Fort Wayne, Ind. This pavement traverses a natural parkway of overwhelming peauty along the Mau- meo—truly the type of highway that d es dedication. Until the recent completion of U. 8. 60 in their State, Kentuekians traveling from Qincinnati to Louisville ef peees- sity did most of their motoring in In- dana and Ohin. Now smonth eonerete keens Rentuckians in their awn State |and they travel less by 36 miles be- | tween the two rcities than formerly. | Needless to say this highway was dedi- cated and with good reason. |PROPER HEADLIGHT USE |URGED BY A.M.A. MANAGER | | Reduced visibility in the form ef |shorter days, fog, rain and cloudiness | |is the seasonal weathsr hazard against | which motor ear awners must he most on their guard, according to the Amer- | |ie2n Motorists’ Association. The sit- | uation_dictates particular attention to | those featurss of the car which contrib- ! | uate to improving visibility in the epin- ion of officials of the national motering | organigation, | Into this category they place head» |lights, windshield cleaners and rear- | view mirrors. | "Motorists ave turning on their head. lights much esrlier and using them for much longer intervals these "' Bays Thomas J. Ke eral manager of the American Motorists' Association, | “That means the whole traffie stream is | dependent upan artificial Jighting and that glare is consequently mere danger- |ous. So also, for that matter, is ins cient light, which many moterists do not know s causing them trouble, “Now is the time not only to have Jights properly adjusted, but to havere- flectars cleaned and to replace bulbs no longer giving the requisite amount ef {light. Defective headlighting becomes ‘dowbl{odlwroul when wet pavements ections e N regular Fall phenome- uff- | Jersey; 18 THE SUNDAY BTAR, WASHINGTON, D. DOWN THE ROAD—The Man Next Door, LOOK ! THERE® A MAN WITH AMBITION. OUR CAR COULD LOOK JUST As AS HIS IF &ooD You HAD A LITTLE GUMPTION. DOESNT THAT MaKE YOU To Do SOME /Ag e WANT THING ? C., 1932—PART FOUR. —BY FRANK BECK LOCAL ROAD HELD PAVING PROBLEN Bad Nearby Highways Pre- sent Separate Question to Authorities. Although the improvement of the most used roads is the paramount road building task. the great mileage of local roads in need of some sort of improve- ment has directed considerable atlen- tion to ways and means of making lhslm better without undue outlays af cash But in planning a campaizn against bad iocal roads, the probiem must be approgched in & somewhat different light than when considering main dtate highways. The inhibitions built up by many vears of building main roads must be cast aside. The loeal road is a distinct problem in itself Selection of surface type for the lo- cal road is a particularly difficult prob- lem. The cost must be within reason and within the ability of the commu- nity to pay. Yet at the same time the road must last, else the investment will be nothing less than a speculation of foregone failure. Then, too, the mat- ter of length of paving and paving quality work at cross purposes Local communities in astonishing number, however, have metl and are meeting the difficulties with success. ! gingle lane pavements of concrete, nine or ten feet wide. have been found te be as satisfactory for lightly traveled local roads as full width concrete is for main reads. The single lane pavement has all the attributes of the full width paving and can be built for appros mately half the cost. width has an amazing efficiency. It has been determined that where 500 cars dally use single width paving. the average driver will be on the pavement surface 98 per cent of the time, With 8 daily traffic of 300 cars the averaze | motorist will be on the pavement 99 per cent of the time. By_installing single lane pavement the first requisite of a go observed and that is the placement of & surface that will last without high | upkeep costs. Neither the local road nor the main road problem ean be solved by I replaced every five or ten years or sur- llarss that require high upkeep out- | ays. Lecal cammunities can make amagz- ing highway pragress by laying a few miles at & time of single lane paving. | as funds permit, for each mile built | reduces maintenance costs to a mini- | mum end the money so saved ean be devoted to more pavement The aavinv that go with proper Puv. ing are illustrated in Towa where 4,070 | miles of full width concrete are in serv- ice. Recently the Towa Btate Highway Commission stated that bepause of this | pavement it would cast $1,400,000 less to maintain 8,303 miles of primary road in 1833 than it cost to maintain 7,170 miles in 1929, 12 T0 18 YEARS MINIMUM DRIVERS’ AGE LIMITS' L | Most 8tates, Including District,/ Fix 18 Years as Youngest to Operate Cars, The minimym age limit fixed by Btate laws for eperators of motoy vehicles varies from 12 to 18 years, while 12 States have amitted a - quirements from their statutes, accord- | ing td the Distriet ol Columbia givision ?t the American Automobile Associa- ion, The statement is based on & sum-| mary of State motor vehicle vegistra- tion and lieense laws compiled by A. A A. naticnal headquarters and recently made publia_ i Ie was peinted out that 16 years is | the minimum age limit for operators of motor vehisles favored hy the greatest | number of States, being in ot in 18| States and (he District of Calumbia. | The A A. A. club listed the minimum | age limits for the various States as follows: 13 years, South Carelina; 13 vears, Kansas; 14 years, Florida, Michi- gan and New Mexico; 15 years, Colo- rade, Jowa, Nevada, South Daketa, Washington, West Virginia and Wye- ming; 16 years. Alabama, Califarnia, Connectieut, Delaware, Geeigia, Ken- tuckiv. ryland, Massaehusetts, Mis- souri, Nebraska, New Hamg:n N S%h‘f""?h S e Wikconain d_the e 8 n 3 5 an e o Gaumbia; 17 years, New L Arizana, Indians, Maine, New York and Verment. The States whieh have amitted re« quirements are listed as follaws: Arka sas, Idahe, Dlineis, Louisiana, Minne. seta, uh&mtpui. Montana, North Dakote, Oklahoma, Tennesses, Texas d Virginia. Anent 0il Refinories. One Eastern refinery as high as a 12- story building is espable ef producing enough eil to lubricate eontinuously MWU!DOO motor cars. ‘Throughout the plant are recording thermometers, Seng oA e, quenits o, abieant nnc:.. permait & Beat coniral asowrele o S 1 1 degres | from the | eylinders, FORD BRINGS RE VOLUTIONARY IDEAS TO AUTOMOBILE TRADE Payment Plans and Vacuum Clutches Big Factors in Motor Industry. BY E. Y. WATSON. DETROIT. February 13.—With the Ford plans for the long-awaited suc- cessor to Mode! A freely talked about during the last week, although not offictally automobile manufacturing apparently may undergo a renewed period of “make-over” beiore the 1933 competitive ling-up 1§ finally set. Sifting out the reasonable certainties forecasts leaves three main conclusions i view. One is that there will be changes which will bring in widened use of one chassis in which four. and eight cylinder power plants are made interchangeablc. with the buyer exercising his own option. Another is revision of time payment in conformance with general business readiustment The third is to be extension af vecuum clutch control, which already has gained general adoption In the single chassis accommodating a variety of power units as rated by the makers can see large sav- ings in the manufacture of frames and incidental parts. The added expense of builaing separate sets of framer wheels and springs for fours, sixes or eights will be overcome by concentra- tion on ene chassis type of extra strength and rigidity made pessible by advanced engincering. In the future it may be hard for the man in the street to tell the difference between | fours, sixes or eights as they pass by | him, unless the exterior of the ear bears some distinguishing mark that he can sce. On the time payment plans. the idea will be to give the car buyer the idea that he can “pay as he rides” with larger liberality than has been forth- coming from the finance companies up to now. This trend also will help to cut dawn the excescive trading allow- | ances. Purchasers will get the price road is | concessions spread out in the form of | in tae conveptional wheel, the ne modified down payments, with more of them over longer periods. With automatic controls of various types concentrating interest in new take secand place, although it is an es- sential part ef upto-date operation. The vacuum development on present cars is credited to the Bendix argani- zation, of which Vincent Bendix. last | motive Engineers. 15 the head. It ic one of hal?! a dozen new things that has come from this engineering group within the last half year and found quick_adoption. Both General Motors and Chrysler have utilized it on various models and it will be applird extensively on forthcoming new jobs during the Spring months. What first put Vincent Bendi: spotiight as inventor was form of starter drive beard which was breught out 16 Tights to it were bought by the Ecli Machine Co. of which E. J. Dunn wa. the head, and from 1914 its progress was rapid until it virtually beceme one of the sta entire industry. Not without opposi- | tion, however, for Joseph Bijur. a sec- ond inventcr. claimed patent rights on the screw-shift mcchanism used in :t Litigation was carried on between the parties and companies interested until 1923, when Bijur sold out to the Eclipse company. 3 It is & matter of record that prior (te Mr_Dunn's deal for the starter | drive, Bendix showed it to two other | manufacturers who said it was useless | Braking, ameng the other divisians of X in ;i car cantrol, is coming in for added im- | pravement by the inventors, largely be- cause free wheeling calls for greater brake capacity and strength. A brake | operating on a screw-ihread prineiple | (Btewart-Warner) has been developed | whereby a car is made to retard and stop itself by its own traction. The basis of it is a power-multiplying mech- | anism which with conventional brake- | pedal actian becomes as easy of opera- ion as the accelerator. Tires, certain of the Akron companies | would have us belieye, are to provide improved riding comfort through the develcpment of the “air-wheel” type exploited &s an improvement on the | balloons. With virtually no spokes. as tires have been huilt as the result of experi- ence With tire equipment an airplanes. | _ The tire is mounted on a centerpiece | shaped like an oversrown hub. It op- ing surfaces that must be madcls, even free-wheeling has had t0 | erates en 10 to 12 pounds of air and 1s | | bulkier, with greater cushioning effect than the balloan. The new type is in | produetion and reports on it have been | favorable. (Copyright. 1932, by the North American | Newspaper Alliance, Inc.) year's president of the Society of Auto- (FEDERAL AID ROADS CARRY HEAVY TRAFFIC Half of Rural Vehicles Travel on U. 8. Highways, Says Btate Official. Although only cne-fifteenth of the roads are in the Federal-aid system, they carry at least half of the country’s rural traffic. This statement was made here by Frederic E. Everett. president of the American Assoclation oi State High- way Officials, in directing attention to | the value of the 7 per cent of the roads in each Btate being improved with Fed- eral assistance. “Annual travel over the Federal-aid system reaghes an incomprehensible figure.” gaid Mr. Everett. “@asaline eonsumption and other faetors indicate that Ameriean motorists travel in ex- cess af 100,000,000,000 miles aver eountry roads each year. On that basis. it is estimated that almost 20,- 000.000,000 miles of travel js aver the Federal-aid syatem, which means an average daily traffic flow of abeut 760 vehieles per mile. “When we think of the anpual Fed- eral eontributian to road betterment we must do so more in regard te service urehased than to the number of dol- ars expended. Clearly the improve- ments made on the Federal-aid aystem have rediced car operating con by almast 1 cent a mile, for the 187,000~ mile system by July 1 of 1831 centained 76,300 miles of high-type pavement and an additional 77,300 miles of interme- diate and low surfaces. Sinee h Fedeu%m are about 42 per cent on the average of the entire read eests, Federal expenditures are respanaible for almost 15 cent of the reduetion in ear u?crlflm costs. On that basis Federal aid returns dividends of about 8340, 000,000 8 year. ’{hl‘ is a mighty 7 ing return on the presenj annual vestment of less than half that sum. —r Three-Cylinder Motors, Moterists whe are accustomed to thinking of sutomabile engines as hav- ing power plants ef. even numbers of cylinders may be interested to know that a three-eylinder engine, wi eylinders in line, was used in 19! ‘The ear it bare the name Coats and was !rop:ll-dw 'lu“u‘tu: e . lhprpm & g moter. ts engine hause valves sl 0DD THINGS COME Wateches, Rings, Even Tires, Left by Motorists With Justiee of the Peace. Special Dispateh to The Star. BALTIMORE, February 13.—Magis- trate Edward J. Herrmann. the justice of the peace at Golden Ring, whose beaming countenance is too well known to_trafie-law violators on the Phila- delphia road, looked around his office the other day and confessed that it looked as much like a pawn shop as & court rooa. Watehes, rings, fraternity brooches. other sorts of jewelry, brie brac, and even spare tires, vimmed the room. had been posted as cal- latera] by vietims of the trafc laws who found themselves before the magis- trate witheut sufficient funds. On close inspeetian, some of the rings mave every appearanee of being en- gagement rings, and Magistrate Herr- mann sajd that he had gained that im- gfcsilnn when they were depasited with im. The collection s the rvesult of & determination on the part of law en- forcement aoffieials to rid the Phila- delphia road of traffic violatars, par- ticularly thase who use the highway for a speedway. Bome of the gonvictions have been for exceeding 60 miles an hour. During the past month alane, the deeket in .Yudr Herrmann's oeurt showa 80 fine vm:l ; 68 Imposed for traffic CROSS-WALK BLOCKING ‘That it may be purel; does not make cross-wal meterists any the less a di pedestrians and ene which &hould strive to avoid. This epinion is veiced by Oscar COoclican, lagal automes bile distributor, who holds that alerte ness is the quality that will prevent the average driver from usurping the trian's right to the cross-walk. “We constantly see the inatance of pedestrians on {raffic light controlled streets having to walk around auto- unintentional blocking by iscourtesy ta every griver th | mobiles which are blocking crass-walks," ST eprescit a6 intcesionts. SUehiing By ot ian Tt T e #0 much as & lack of alertness which fl huu motarist teo Htflw in ch to slep When the {lll' | TO TRAFFIC COURT FEDERAL HIGHWAYS Interchangeable Motors for Chassis. Easieri WEI-I- []lSIRIBUTEI] :Open Spaces Aided by Gov- ernment’s Road Help Pro- gram, Official Says. “The palicy of the Federal Gevern- ment in distributing Federal aid funds that the less populeus and less wealthy States can alsa make note- worthy progress 15 in keeping with the spirit of the Federation of States" This statement was made here by Frederic E. Bvereit. president of the American Ascociation of State Hign Officials, in commenting on the n for continvied Federal aid in road build- ng. Mr. Everett further said: “Before any ane criticizes the present method of dis- tributing Federal road funds let him first conaider the principles of the Con- stitytion, the characier of the country and the country's needs. The secret of the strength of the United States lies in that ward ‘united.’ It is the duty of the country as a whale to develop and guard its natural resources. The Western States, for example, with their large publ main areas. coitain po: tential th of stasgering volumes It is a national responsibility to see that the West gets good roads along with other parts of the country. “State lines mean little nowadays and but for ane reason—good fransportation. The assistance extended States threugh Pederal aid has plaved a major part in this interstate travel drama. a part that has been so suecessful that any thinking person with true patriotism can readily see that the value of Federal assistance is beyond measuring in dollars and cents. “It_has been said that States like New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois re- celve too little Federal assisiance in comparison Wb el contriGutians No schoaling in economics is neeessary to perceive the fallacy in that thought. All of ‘the wealthy States are headquar- ters for large numbers of corporations and indivicyals who do a nation-wide | business. They pay income taxes in one State, whereas their profits were made in many other States. “Further, cities such as New Yark, Chicago. Philadelphia and Detroit are not large, are not wealthy, becayse of |the areas into which they are tucked, They are large and wealthy beeause they serve the Nation and prafit there- | by. Wealthy States would be in & sorry plight indeed if the territaries they serve were suddenly to reyert ta the canditions that existed at such a late date as 1916, when Federal aid was ereated. “The United States is a complex Na- tion. Its strength and progress depends upon its upity. Its unity depends upen its transportation.” GOUNTY HIGHWAY PLAN STUDIED BY EXPERTS Manual of Road Construction Schedules Being Worked Qut by Builders’ Assaciation. so Advance highway planning in several typical couRties is now in progress by the Nationak County Roads Planning Commission, warking in co-operation with the American Road Builders’ As- sociation, aeearding to Maj. George W, mission. A manual of eounty planning has been prepared, the purpase of which is to avoid waste in the counties and te provide a guide for an orderly pro- gram of county highway work. Speoial plans have been prepared far Morris County. N, J.. and Prince Wil= liam County, Va. These plans provide rmcomprel\wlva scheme for the future provement of eeunty roads, Not only are reads for future consideration des- ignated, but a finance plan also is sef up to provide for their improvement. PRESS HOU “Personalities” Program Meved to Night Schedule. Popularity of the “Press Persqnallr ties” programs on WISV has increased moving it fram the night schedule. tne WIBY S ntervicu ashington newspaper writers, and dramatie eritici, The pr morrow will go on the air a Earl Heap of The Star will speaker, Clarke of 9 be i Tip 8aves Oil. When the “pump ail” l‘l? river can lessen consumption of lubricant {n the era case w to be tious b‘h‘;:‘ umfi "rrom "1 accel:‘umr. Sudden c eauses um a | enstined ! the cylinders. of Farney, chairman of the planning com- ' Prominent editers g tae m!me is starting "t‘o foot from ::. 4 apeeds, | pyramiding of the tax from year TR ) |SILENCING OF NEW MOTOR CARS BIG NOISE OF AUTO INDUSTRY Phase of Automotive Engineering Long Needed Enters Business With Bang. Every Note Is Being Eliminated. It thunders throu t motord: s the biggest noise of the current flock af innovations—but it is simply silence. Whether you call it “silence engineer- ing.” “noise insulation” ar silence,” it is the same thundering announcement of the fact that the engineers are determined to send ayt-- mobile noise the way of the hand crank and linen duster. Soon it ought to he possible te hear & driver think. Already the car has been silenced in so many details that thers have been comnlaints of noise from the windshield wiper. Some pas- sengers even claim to able to hear the fluids swishing around in the shock absorbers. Undaunted, engineers go shead urying te traek down every vestige of noise annoyapce. They are determined to make automoblles safe for paise. It hasn't been merely a matter of insulation. True. by lining the foors and tos boards with asbestos and cork. not to mention the use of felt and rub- ber under the mats, it has been pos- sible to keep noise fram drumming into the car's interior. But sound-pr ofing goes deeper. In viriually every one of the latest cars silence starts with the motors, This has been a man &ize job. On a few ye ago when hig COMPIE; sion came into the picture the moicrs roared. We thought it wa: & necessary sacrifice whieh had to be made in the interests of progress. but engineers learned te stop the “ringing” of the exhaust manifold. They drew out the tail pipe and did tricks with the muf- fied . Todgy some cars have frto-1 eompression ratio and puIT & con- tentedly as a kitten, The use of rubber for engine mount- ing has served to check the torque yibrations whieh ordinarily reach the frame and are telegraped to the car's body This enceuraged interest in an extension of the insulation idea with the result that the muffler and entire | exheust line are effectively insulated i merrily from the frame. On one car the shock absorbers themselves sre set in rubber It was found that the ingoing ga-es { Were @ constant source of annovance | They hissed at normal speeds. and | roared with an open throttle. In faet, | mueh of what was considered to he | extiaust roar really originated in the intake. This was solved hy ettaching the intake silencer. This year the fan. which was discovered to he a bd nffender. has been made to run silent]y | by the simple scheme of arraneinz tha blade- in pairs inctead of spaeing them cvenly around the hub new-type fan is said to be “asrmmes e Milady's “soothing | #ome ingenious work has heen se- complished in the way of sound- ! broofing the car’s body. In the case ‘of the all-steel type this has been done by treating the inside with a special comp sition which deadens noise scvewhat the same treaiment is m>ds in the ecase lats where bl are of the compositien type. Here however, the plastic material is in scrted in order to form a sound. deadening joint Al manufacturers are guarding against bdy noises which, with today’s remarkably silent chassis, would be d tracting to the motorist. A '"canar) in the car today ean be more annoying than the racket that used to be taker for granted The actual Insulating of the metal panels of the body is accomplished by pressure applied plastie material which has a texture clusely resembling that of felt. To this, hewever, is added an outer layer of feit padding which s sealed Wwaterprool under an olled covering. In addition, the wmooden arts of the composition hody are cfen with texie chemlicals to This means ti n 1 it should not des he car age ueun! agueals this is concesled under Wrilliant incqter and gueeniy upholstery, = You du not see any cf it unless you happen to want to rip up the floor boards. Here you may be surprised to discover that in addition to the composition, cork and felt treatment the hoards themselves may be made of thinner seetions. laminated. Qne part of the car that has always been a fruitful soyree of nalse i the seal pan over th rear axle housing. Today thls section i heavily padded to that even though the passenger rides nearer the rear end he hears mone of the grinding, hul ming and drumming thal was once taken for granted 8hackle noises have been banished to a large drgrec by rubber, automatie lubrication, ball bearings and self- tightening devices. Free wheeling nas quieted even the stified motor, while the synehromesh transmission Fas put an end to gear orashing. More and mare cars are coming through with springs completely encased for lifetime silence servioe M man: cu tire sileneing valve t remote parts of i t silenced are Las mare is silence C And fety. he Russell Bervice) silence mea ‘Consright Mothing a 1933, BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL L-ove makes the world go yound and round the block leoking for a parking space. She rolled up to cbviously a task for her, but she wantedl to make 1t plain to the officer and to the other users of the street that she planned to make a left turn. Such inefficiencey Why not just stop in th center lane with the frant wheols srarpi cut to the left. Mcst ojlcer, can tell by the positicn of a skilifully driven ear just which way the drivey intends turning | While on the subject of mistake: 1 might as well add ihc sad story oi thz woman who wanicd to be sure the cocl- ing system had enough anti-freeze for a long eveninz of parkin v weatier. A willing, bui inexper. voutn at the neighb-rheod garege of fered to make a test, but adsed tre unexpected novelty of using a typs of hycrometer not at all suited to t particular king of anti-fieege wh the car cartiel Wateh this. Trere are three different kinds of hydrometers needed for the three leading kinds of anti-freese. Which is just another reason why you shculd knew what kind of anti- freeze is used in the car, or in any of the ather cars used b- members of the fawily It isn't posiible to detect all kincs of anti-freese by the smell. i in doubt about the strength of th selution in the eooling system naturall your inability ta help the service man select the earrect kind of hydrometer means eourting trouble. If you use a parking garage and place the car vourself, hetler leave the key in the ignition switeh. You may place the gar by mistake in a space ocoupied bv & regular customer. A friend of mine whe made this error had taken the key with her so that in order to appease the annoyed regular customer it was necessary far an attendant to mave her car by stepping on the starter with the ear in gear. Next morning the battery weuldn't crank. A reader of this column has sent in three queries which she u{m are being | 2sked by women she drives around with. If vou dan't knew the answes |1oak for them at the bottam ef the page. Here are the guestions: - What should be done when there is slack in the elutch pedal? 2. Wiy does the exhaust pipe so | often tivow out water and sieam in winter? 3. What should a driver do when the starter keeps on spinning without cranking the motor? In the quest for bargains women ought ta b2 shrewd enough to avoid some af the pitfalls. I eannot imagipe a waman following the foststeps of the wan who ran out of gas trying to find a cut-rate filling station, N Cheap tites and_batteries are greatly to be shunned. Tires mean sa much to your safety, and there is so much genuine satisfation and economy in rubber that is of good quality. A cheap battery may be all right in quality. but may be undersized. The result is thgt vertaved and might just feripr re are t-o many bargains in high- products without Tisking - rigndite thal cannol pess give value. Have vou romembered to ask one of the ncn at the garage to gn over the nuts that hold tre I t¢s 1o the bracketg? This is § the time the plates tend to ec w2 ana arop off. especiall™ if they wer installed hastily when the year cawned W omen wio figure cloely would ne2 thz thrill of exiravagence coild but lock cver same of the de Tuze rent available in New Yoik motor the radiztor he like. Lap iema SlaE TURl while mnocent wheie from 310 { loud adverticinz ef terd times, milady can g0 o far as to e {ront for I present Car. just to bring it into {he class with these swankil' pointed current models And I must not forget thase tonneau floor coverings wrich leok like the queen’s bath mat, glittering with silver- colored folds and soft like a rare pelt Many w-men who still know where to- WOIYOW'S groceries are coming from track wet rubbers over these rare mats, and eharge it all to depreciation—ar maybe to a sugar daddy. It you didn't guess the questions above here are the answers 1. Nothing. A clutch pedal should have zb-ut ene inch of slack, other- wise the ciuteh isn't prop rly adjusted. 2. This is caused by canden:ation The pipe heats, then chills. Water forms 3. Just wait. Let the starter pinion stop spinning before touehing the starter button again STREET COST SYSfEM BEING WORKED OUT Road Builders Plan 8avings Determination of Municipal | Highway Repaving Needs. | A decided saving in the cost of street building 18 considered possible by ‘m\uurlpd afficials in the action taken {by all of the leading eity officials’ | erganizations of the country at a joint me:ting of their representatives in Detroil during the recent twenty-ninth he enui k fit far cir s in | eunual canvention and roaq show of the American Road Builders' Associa- tion, | “A cost system 1s in course of | preparaiicn to aid city officlals in de- tzrmining just when city streets should be repaied and the kind of pavements | econ-mioal for different types of stroets and traffie ecnditions,” states George B EBowers eommissioner of engineering apd eanstruction, Oleveland. and chair- man of the Joint Committee. “Cuts madz2 for serviee connections in ety streets will be studied. A laboratory | method of testing propasals made by |the Jaint Committee will involve ex- | perimental installations in eities of difs erent sise."” 'A. A, A. ISSUES STRONG PROTEST AGAINST FEDERAL GAS TAXES h SWITCHED Points Qut Levy Would Only Add to Number of Cars Owners Can’t Use, \ In & strong protest lasued yesterday against the imposition of a Federal levy te sueh an exten‘;‘ :nl:tc "{'mflfl;’: 1‘: en gasaline, the American Autemebile | gemoralization istion waraed that it would gre; increase the number of motor Ve- hicles that are already out of use be- cause the awners oannot afford to oper- te them. “A eheeks-up of r;rutmmm for 1933," said Thomas P, Henry, president A. A. A, “discloses Whelesale de- linqueneies in many aseotiens of the country where the owners of vehiclea are not able ta defray the costs neces- sary to the securing of tags.” The A. A. A exeeutive icted that a Federal e would be since it would accelerate the racketee: ing and evaslon made profitable by th ver p= to would the | very standpalnt of the industry and the users,” he said, "it would net wark either the ‘idflrrlud handship er the hat a sales tax on asaline would work. The latter would §" Almest ‘every respect be equivaient to the lowering of the income tax bracketa to inelude heads of families earning $1,000 a vear | “If the Govermment should inveke |such a levy and apply it to general | revenup purposes, it would canstitute a | complete’ renunciation of the principle | that the gasaline tax is only justifiable on the basis that it is the user's cane tribution ta the bullding and mainte- nance of highways and is to be used only for that purpose. In other words, it weuld eneourage wholesale diversion gasoline tax funds by the States to general administrative rposes and this, with the widespread evasion now practiced would simply mean that the Vol Game o'y Sanpieie Balk B 0 © a o near future." .