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AUGUST 12TH, 1905, THE AUTOCAR B 3ournal publisbet > in tbe interests of tbe mecbanicall\? propelleb roab carriage. EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER. No. 5 12. VoL. XV.] SATURDAY, AUGUST 12TH, 1905. [PRICE 3D. THE AUTOCAR. (Published Weekly.) Registered as a newspaper for transmission in the United Kingdom. Entered as second-class matter at the New York (N.Y.) Post Office. EDITORIAL OFFICE : COVENTRY. PUBLISHING OFFICES : 20, TUDOR STREET, LONDON, E.C., ENGLAND. CONTENTS. NOTES: PREPARING FOR ACTION-How TO HELP ... UsEFUL HINTS AND T 1Ps. By Lieut. \Vindbam, R.N . THE MOTOR YACHT CLUB'S RELIARtLITY TRIALS (illustrated) THE 1906 GORDON-BENNETT RACE ON THE ROAD. By Owen John • • . As OTHERS S EE Us • • • lN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS: THE NEW COMMISSION OccASI0NAL Goss1P. By II The Autocrat " .. . CONTINENTAL NOTES AND NF.WS (illustrated) .. . PAGE 183-184 ... 185 186-191 • • . 192 ... 193 194-195 ... 195 ..• 196 197-198 CORRESPONDENCE : S LOW MOVING TRAFFIC: A HUMANITARIAN VIEW­ T HE EVERY-DAY UTILITY CAR-HANDICAPPING AT BRIGHTON AND - BLACKPOOL-SYNCHRONISING MULTI-CYLINDER ENGINES- POLICE PERSECUTION OF MOTORISTS-EXHAUST ANO DUST (illustrated)TOURIST TROPHY RULES-THE ADVANTAGES OF PNEUMATIC T YRES-A POLICE TRAP DISCLOSER dllustrated)-ToP GEAR TRIPS -ENGLISH-MADE TYRES-HORNS V. BELLS- SUMMARY OF OTHER CORRESPONDENCE THE HERKOMER TROPHY • • • MELBOURNE TO ADELAIDE BY MOTOR CAR (illus t r ated) THE SIEMENS TRANSPORT CELL No. XII. FLASHES 199-202 . .. 203 204-205 ... 205 206-208 THE TRAIL OF THK UNCONSUMED... 209 C LUB DOINGS: SALTBURN MOTOR CAR FESTIVAL-SOMERSET A.C.­ NOTTS A.C. RACE MEE1JING AT SKEGNESS-M!DLAND A.C.-SOUTH WALES AND MoN. A.C.-CLUB F1:<TURES. .. 210 "THE AUTOCAR " SUBSCRIPTION RATES. British Isles, 16s. Abroad (thin paper edition), 22s. 8d. per annum. / Notes. Preparing for Action. The time is fast approaching-indeed, now iswhen motorists as a body must, figuratively speaking, unite their forces and prepare for action. The experimental three years for which the Motor Car Act of r903 was passe~ is r~pidly run_nin& its course, and already Parliament 1s ta~mg _steps m_ view of the ,~~ole question of motor car leg1slat1on coming up for rev1s10n. So far as motorists themselves are concerned they would like nothing better than to allow the Act to peacefully run its co~me, and at !he e_nd of its terI:1 have it re-enacted with such mod1ficat1on.s as expenence has shown to be necessary; in short, to leave the question of preparing fresh leg_islation in_ the hands of a Government department which has hitherto shown a reasonableness towards the movement which is quite reassuring. But, unfortunately, there are so man} counter influences at work that this feeling of confidence in a strictly impartial view of the case being taken cannot be entertained. The motor car movement will not be permitted to pursue the even tenor of its way on the lines of pea.ce ful evolution. It shares in this respect the fate of all important and reformatory movements. Like every other innovation which is destined to serve a benefic ent public purpose, it has to run the gauntlet of a prejudiced opposition. It ii bound in the very nature of things to run counter tc, some vested interests and to clash with the inbred conservatism of some powerful classes of the community, so that reconciliation is in the nature of things hopeless. The only alternative left, therefore, is to fight. Automobilists, even with this prospect before them, need not be dismayed. With thorough confidence in their movement, which is born of a consciousness of its beneficent destiny, they ent.er into the conflict with cheerfulness. There is, none the less, every reason for the necessity of weighing well the magnitude and the seriousness of the underta.king which lies before them, for the degree of hostility and popular prejudice which has been aroused is quite unequalled in connection with any other movement of modem times. Indeed, we have to go back to the time of the introduction of railways (and shall we also say top hats?) to find any parallel to the virulence and the senselessness of the opposition manifested. The last stand of the fight will, of course, be made in Parliament, but the brunt of the battle will be borne by others before that stage is reached. The battle will really be fought before the Royal Commission, the personal constitution of which is now made known. It is most unlikely that Parliament will run counter to any recommendations that may be made by that Commission. It is, therefore, absolutely necessary that motorists shou'.d be armed and well prepared when they appear on that decisive bat'.1efield. Much will depend upon the wisdom and tact with which the automobilists' council of war orders the campaign, and upon the ability of the generalship with which the campaign is conducted, but before the campaign opens there is a tremendous amount of work to be done by way of preparing the necessary ammunition and the sinews of war. This work is in active progress already. The Motor Union is the arsenal, the magazine, and the treasury. The Union is now much better organised than formerly, and in fact as well as in name represents the great body of automobilists throughout the countrv. Whether automobilists attach themselves to it or n~t, the Union works for them and their interests, and every motorist, out of gratitude if for no other motive, should join that body. There is, however, at this particular juncture, a stern and practical, nay. an imperative, necessity for every motorist to enrol himself or herself-for last week we were asked to remind our readers that ladies are eligible and that, as a matter of fact, there are a great many ladies in the ranks of the organisation- as a member.

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AUGUST 12TH, 1905,

THE AUTOCAR B 3ournal publisbet > in tbe interests of tbe mecbanicall\? propelleb roab carriage.

EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER.

No. 5 12. VoL. XV.] SATURDAY, AUGUST 12TH, 1905.

[PRICE 3D.

THE AUTOCAR.

(Published Weekly.)

Registered as a newspaper for transmission in the United Kingdom. Entered as second-class matter at the New York (N.Y.) Post Office.

EDITORIAL OFFICE :

COVENTRY.

PUBLISHING OFFICES :

20, TUDOR STREET, LONDON, E.C., ENGLAND.

CONTENTS.

NOTES: PREPARING FOR ACTION-How TO HELP ... UsEFUL HINTS AND T 1Ps. By Lieut. \Vindbam, R.N . THE MOTOR YACHT CLUB'S RELIARtLITY TRIALS (illustrated) THE 1906 GORDON-BENNETT RACE ON THE ROAD. By Owen John • • . As OTHERS S EE Us • • • lN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS: THE NEW COMMISSION OccASI0NAL Goss1P. By II The Autocrat " .. . CONTINENTAL NOTES AND NF.WS (illustrated) .. .

PAGE 183-184 ... 185 186-191 • • . 192 ... 193 194-195 ... 195 ..• 196 197-198

CORRESPONDENCE : S LOW MOVING TRAFFIC: A HUMANITARIAN VIEW­

T HE EVERY-DAY UTILITY CAR-HANDICAPPING AT BRIGHTON AND - BLACKPOOL-SYNCHRONISING MULTI-CYLINDER ENGINES- POLICE PERSECUTION OF MOTORISTS-EXHAUST ANO DUST (illustrated)TOURIST TROPHY RULES-THE ADVANTAGES OF PNEUMATIC T YRES-A POLICE TRAP DISCLOSER dllustrated)-ToP GEAR TRIPS -ENGLISH-MADE TYRES-HORNS V. BELLS- SUMMARY OF OTHER CORRESPONDENCE THE HERKOMER TROPHY • • • MELBOURNE TO ADELAIDE BY MOTOR CAR (illus t r ated) THE SIEMENS TRANSPORT CELL No. XII. FLASHES

199-202 . .. 203 204-205 ... 205 206-208

THE TRAIL OF THK UNCONSUMED...

209

C LUB DOINGS: SALTBURN MOTOR CAR FESTIVAL-SOMERSET A.C.­

NOTTS A.C. RACE MEE1JING AT SKEGNESS-M!DLAND A.C.-SOUTH WALES AND MoN. A.C.-CLUB F1:

"THE AUTOCAR " SUBSCRIPTION RATES. British Isles, 16s. Abroad (thin paper edition), 22s. 8d. per annum.

/

Notes. Preparing for Action. The time is fast approaching-indeed, now iswhen motorists as a body must, figuratively speaking, unite their forces and prepare for action. The experimental three years for which the Motor Car Act of r903 was passe~ is r~pidly run_nin& its course, and already Parliament 1s ta~mg _steps m_ view of the ,~~ole question of motor car leg1slat1on coming up for rev1s10n. So far as motorists themselves are concerned they would like nothing better than to allow the Act to peacefully run its co~me, and at !he e_nd of its terI:1 have it re-enacted with such mod1ficat1on.s as expenence has shown to be necessary; in short, to leave the question of preparing fresh leg_islation in_ the hands of a Government department which has hitherto shown a reasonableness towards the movement which is quite reassuring. But, unfortunately, there are so man} counter influences at work that this feeling of confidence in a strictly impartial view of the case being taken cannot be entertained. The motor car movement will not be permitted to pursue the even tenor of its way on the lines of pea.ce ful evolution. It shares in this respect the fate of all important and reformatory movements. Like every other innovation which is destined to serve a benefic ent public purpose, it has to run the gauntlet of a prejudiced opposition. It ii bound in the very nature of things to run counter tc, some vested interests and to clash with the inbred conservatism of some powerful classes of the community, so that reconciliation is in the nature of things hopeless. The only alternative left, therefore, is to fight. Automobilists, even with this prospect before them, need not be dismayed. With thorough confidence in their movement, which is born of a consciousness of its beneficent destiny, they ent.er into the conflict with cheerfulness. There is, none the less, every reason for the necessity of weighing well the magnitude and the seriousness of the underta.king which lies before them, for the degree of hostility and popular prejudice which has been aroused is quite unequalled in connection with any other movement of modem times. Indeed, we have to go back to the time of the introduction of railways (and shall we also say top hats?) to find any parallel to the virulence and the senselessness of the opposition manifested. The last stand of the fight will, of course, be made in Parliament, but the brunt of the battle will be borne by others before that stage is reached.

The battle will really be fought before the Royal Commission, the personal constitution of which is now made known. It is most unlikely that Parliament will run counter to any recommendations that may be made by that Commission. It is, therefore, absolutely necessary that motorists shou'.d be armed and well prepared when they appear on that decisive bat'.1efield. Much will depend upon the wisdom and tact with which the automobilists' council of war orders the campaign, and upon the ability of the generalship with which the campaign is conducted, but before the campaign opens there is a tremendous amount of work to be done by way of preparing the necessary ammunition and the sinews of war. This work is in active progress already. The Motor Union is the arsenal, the magazine, and the treasury. The Union is now much better organised than formerly, and in fact as well as in name represents the great body of automobilists throughout the countrv. Whether automobilists attach themselves to it or n~t, the Union works for them and their interests, and every motorist, out of gratitude if for no other motive, should join that body. There is, however, at this particular juncture, a stern and practical, nay. an imperative, necessity for every motorist to enrol himself or herself-for last week we were asked to remind our readers that ladies are eligible and that, as a matter of fact, there are a great many ladies in the ranks of the organisation- as a member.

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