Passing Comments N EW regulations have recently come into force in
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such numbers that it is easy to overlook some of the minor in an effort to comply with the more important. The results of non-compliance with even the minor regulations are, however, sufficiently serious to merit attention. A regulation that comes to mind is that requiring a person prosecuted for driving a vehicle at a speed in excess of the limit imposed, careless driving, reckless or dangerous driving, or when under theinfluence of drink, to produce kris driving licence in Mut, or send it to the clerk of the court so as to arrive before the proceedings commence. Non-compliance renders the holder guilty of an offence, and his licence will be suspended until it is produced in court. INTERESTING notes on resistance to skidding were 'given recently in a German technical paper. It stated that, even under the best conditions of grip, skidding is liable at 20 m.p.h. with a curve of 33 ft. radius, the critical speed being reduced to 10 m.p.h. on slippery or ice-bound streets. The co-efficients of resistance were given as Wet, dirty asphalt or ice coating, 0.2 ; wet concrete and wet tar macadam, 03; dry asphalt, 0.4; dry concrete or tar surfacing, 0.5; wet, clean setts, 0.6; dry setts or macadam, 0.7. If a uniform curvature be impracticable, the curve should begin with a large radius where traffic normally slows down for the turn, the curvature increas
ing as the side road is entered. This reduces the abruptness of the change of direction.
AA ORE research work has been carried out on 1 L pistons, perhaps, than on any other engine component, and one American maker has recently standardized cast-iron pistons coated with tin by the electro-plating process. The tin is deposited on the piston to a thickness of .00075 in., and some of the advantages claimed for a piston so, treated are the elimination of piston slap and piston seizure, ease of assembly, and the reduction of the running-in period.
WE learn from a contemporary that the work of VV transferring 1,500,000 volumes, documents and manuscripts to the new Cambridge University Library was undertaken by a fleet of horse-drawn carts, the horses being taken from the shafts of the loaded carts on arrival and at once transferred to empty ones. Our contemporary states that this is an economy impossible with motor lorries. We suggest, however, that a fleet of mechanical horses could have dealt with the problem in a more rapid manner and with equal, if not greater, economy.
THOSE who edit the Pig Marketing Board's report would be the better for a brief period in an editorial office, so that they might improve their appreciation of perspective in relation to the use of words. In a paragraph relating to the problem of transport they state, "It is very essential that there should be a flat rate.". The appropriate expression is
that a flat rate is a convenience to those who are concerned with the assessment of prices. To state that it is very essential is grossly to exaggerate the facts.
THE recent case in which a vehicle left on a hill with its brakes on ran away and caused a fatal accident is only one of many accidents of this nature, fortunately, not usually attended with such serious results. It is, however, an indication that there should be some additional safety catch on the parking brake, so as to avoid any danger of the lever slipping, also to reduce the risk of the brake being released by children. In any case, apart from turning the steering wheels into the kerb, it is always advisable to leave the vehicle in a low gear—preferably first.
I N those Northern towns that have a series of day I or half-day general holidays forthe Wakes (in addition to the annual vacation) the effect of the popularity of road transport can be seen in the waning influence of the fair. Until comparatively recently it was the custom to spend the Wakes round about home with daily visits to the fairground. Nowadays, although the fairs still do reasonably good business, many of their former patrons are away for almost every free mOrnerit by coach and bus, either to seek different entertainment or with the object of enjoying the super-fairs that the bigger resorts provide.