The Washington herald., 1908-07-27
TOUR RULES FAULTY
Glidden Reliability Contest
Results in a Middle.
TROPHY WILL BE RETURNED
Pierce Company Unwilling TO Retain
Prize in View OF unsatisfactory
Outcome of Run-PrOtest on IncOn-
sIstent Rulings Does Not in Any
Way Reflect on the Winners.

What VII become ot the Glidden trophy
and the GHddeu tour Of the American
Automobile Association This IS a Ques-
ton that has been asked BY many motor
ssts since the unfortunate conclusion Of
the afth annual event at Saratoga on
Thursday. when protests on the rulings
Of the management. backed up by num-
Der Of strong manufacturers. so con-
fused the affair and left so much In doubt
that the benefits Of the contest are now
few. and the Pierce company, whose team
o. three big slx-cyliuder Great Arrow
touring cars won the trophy, has decided
70 return il 20 the donor as long as
there IS a shade OF doubt IN the minds
OF any one as % where Il now belongs
IN all this controversy. the victory OF
the Pierce team IS not held 20 question.
but rather the ruling Of Chairman Frank
.. Hover. Of Buffalo. IS held as SO in
consistent as 20 cast the doubt 10 which
the Pierce company refers. The trouble
is not all with the chairman when II Is
considered that the rules make the tour
IN many ways a test Of the mathematical
calculations Of the driver as he flies over
the roads. and as 20 whether the observer
may OF may not speak TO him, when he
should and when he should not
All this does not bear upon the me
chanicaI perfection Of the cars. except
as Il keeps them going over the high
ways at a certain speed. allows them
10 change tires without losing time. and
20 make them check out and in st definite
times. Il has been hard to ger rules that
,
a different set has been used. and those
Of this contest were viewed by the en-
trants at the start Of the contest as fair
and covering all points; the observers
were satisfactory throughout the run
Chairman Hover was firm and arbitrary.
as he intended 10 be. and as It was neces-
sary that he should be with a crowd
Of smart men watching his actions, but
when il came 10 the last crucial test. he
left the Interpretation Of the rules to bis
assistants. and they did hold 10 the rules
which Mr.. Hover. had made during the
tour and with HIS final sanction
Observers Understood Rules.
At Bedford Springs every observer and
every entrant was called 70 stand Up and
say whether he did or did Eot understand
certain condition that the observer
should not volunteer the least informa-
ton TO the driver and was not even com
PEELED 10 compare watches with the driver
unless the latter made the first move by
requesting il Every one understood this
I and the chairman was i1sisteut that they
should. but when at last the biggest test
came I'D. the observer was dismissed
when explaining his stand by the words
/ You are only an observer, and we dC
not care 70 hear from you" thus no
only putting the observer. q disinceresteC
party. on the defensive. but refusing tC
: uphold the representative Of the touring
! board on the contesting car
I This is where the whole contest fel
I down. and as yet Mr.. Hover has no
| volunteered any Information as 10 hi
stand. IN common with other committees
/ Of the A A A, the actions Of the tour
! ing board are held as secrets not TO b
( dfvUlged 10 members. The point involves
was as TO whether the observer on th'
/ Pierce car driven by J. W Mcguire tha
day was right IN charging three minute
I against that car when tire chains wer,
taken OF while the motor was running
4 These conditions were explained in tn
\ rules and verbally by Mr. Hover ever,
I evening az the start, and 1t was under
stood that when the motor was running
I and work was being done on the tires tn
I observer and entraat were compelled Z
take out tine II the motor was shu
down the observer had nothing what
ever to do with the natter. AIr. Maguir