JANUARY 9TH, 1909 .

THEAUTOCAR B Journal publtsbe~ in tbe interests of tbe mecbantcallr propelle~ roa~ carriage.

EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER.

No. 690. VoL. XXII.] SATURDAY, JANUARY 9TH, 1909 .

[PRICE JD._

The Autocar.

(Published Weekly.)

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

Three Editions every_ Friday.

The THREEPENNY EDITION, printed on Art paper. The PENNY EDITION, printed upon thinner paper. The FOREIGN EDITION, price 3d., printed on specially light bank paperj for circulation abroad.

Editorial Office :

COVENTRY.

Publishing Offices :

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

CONTENTS. NOTES • •

TuE 20-30 H.P. WESTINGHOUSE (ILLUSTRATED)

THE END OF A SLANDER • •

USEFUL HINTS AND TIPS • •

PAGE . . 39-41

.. 42-44

THE MOTORIST'S CLUB--OF A DREAM .•

A WATER JACKETED GENERATOR (ILLUSTRATED)

CoRRECTJONS OF I NACCURACIES (ILLUSTRATED)

FROM DAR-ES-SALAAM TO SWAKOPMUNO (ILLUSTRATED) • ,

, , 50-51

5r

M OTOR UNION NOTES

AERONAUTICS (ILLUSTRATED)

AERONAUTIC J OTTINGS

CORRESPONDENCE • •

THE A ERONAUTIC SALON (ILLUSTRATED)

FLASHES (ILLUSTRATED) .•

53

· · 54-55

56 . . 61-65

66-67 . . 68-69

SCOTTISH AUTOMOBILE C LUB H OUSE (J LLUSTRATED)-...<:;UPPRESSION

OF THE G RAND PRIX • •

70

Subscription Rates :

British Isles-Home Edition, 16s.; penny (thin paper) edition, 6s. 6d.

Abroad (thin paper edition), 22s. Bd. per annum,

To Suppre" l~?.1~~; Driving. Our readers will remember that at the end of last summer the Royal A.C. inaugurated a scheme for the establishment of machinery for dealing with incon­ siderate driving. The whole scheme was set forth in detail in The Autocar of September 12th, after it had been adopted at the General Committee meeting of the R.A.C. at Norwich on the previous Saturday. To put the scheme in a nutshell, it is based on the idea of decentralisation, so that each county and district club shall, as it were, be made responsible for the elimination of the black sheep in its own territory. Prior to the issue of the scheme, something very nearly equivalent to it was working in one or two counties in which the county club and the county police had arrived at a tacit understanding. There was nothing formal about it, but the fact remained that the territorial club and the authorities between them had adopted methods which practically resulted in the suppression of objectionable driving so far as residents were concerned, and it was very largely because of the success which had been achieved in one or two instances that the idea of making the scheme universal was put forth. We need hardly say here that we are the greatest possible believers in reform from within, as we have been steadily preaching it for many months, for we have maintained, and still maintain, that unless motorists themselves co-operate to eliminate the reckless few from their ranks, stringent legislation will be proposed, which will bear hardly on all motorists alike.

The point we now wish to make is that with a new year upon us it is of paramount importance that the elaboration of the inconsiderate driving scheme should be proceeded with as the most important work of the year so far as the R.A.C. and its associated clubs are concerned. Weeks ago all the clubs were circularised; the scheme was put full y before them, and we believe we are right in saying in all instances it was most carefully discussed by the committees of the various clubs throughout the country. At this time of the year it is hardly reasonable to expect any very startling results from the working of the scheme, but we are convinced that it will not be conspicuously successful unless it be systematically followed up from headquarters. We have heard already of clubs which are in full sympathy with the theory of the R.A.C. scheme, but have not the least intention of putting it into practice. This is particularly the case with town clubs or clubs which belong to small districts. There is an immense amount of misunderstanding as to the responsibilities of the clubs in this matter, but the objection to the scheme from their point of view might be summed up in the one statement that they have the very greatest possible objection as motorists to working against motorists. They are not altogether unwilling to report upon the reckless driving of some car ,rhich is lettered to a district a hundred miles away, but they are entirely opposed to reporting upon any motorists in their own county or district who are their friends, or their neighbours, or, perhaps in some cases, their official superiors, though none the less the worst offenders in the county. It is all very well to point out that this is a foolish attitude, and that if there are inconsiderate drivers in their district they should do all they can to expose them. The personal element is too strong, and if the scheme is to be vigorously taken up throughout t he country these objections will have to be overcome.

A Workable Scheme. There is no doubt whatever that with the co-operation of the police a sound scheme can. be worked by ,rhich there is no necessity for any motorist to give evidence against any other motorist ; and the right way to stop reckless d ri ving is first of all to