The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-14
AUTOMOBVLlNG

The summary OF imports and exports
for the month OF August. and the eight
months ending with August issued by
the department Of commerce and labor,
shows that the exports in motor cars
have taken a wonderful upward turn,
Such items as 400 per cent increase
I'm our exports TO France, coupled with
1913 per cent decrease In our imports
from that country, are particularly graf
flying.
As outlined The next Grand PriX will
be the longest road race ever run, the
distance being not less than 900 miles. all
OF which must be run in one day. The
bars To car size have been dropped
also and there will be no limitations. This
practically means return TO the Bennett
cup days.
Space in the tenth international auto
mobile show, which opens in Grand Cen
trail Palace, New York. 'ou New Years
eve, has been allotted to scvcnty-tNo max
ers OF American and fifteen importers
oi foreign cars. SIX other American
makers are on the waiting list making
ninety-threc automobile concerns i'm all
II is claimed that this is the largest
number ever showing in New York.
Official figures recently published in
England show very clearly the rapIdity
win which the motor rdrIyeu CABS are
replacing horse drawn vehicles In London
The figures show that there were 1889
hanson cabs In usc in London on July
], which was 1920 LEGS than the number
on July / of the previous year: OF four
wheeled cabs there had been u decrease
of 3S9 TO a total OF 1870 and the number
of LaXicabs had Increased 1885 TO a total
of 1891 The passing away Of the horse
drawn vehicles is thus strikingly shown
as the number of taxicabs had more than
doubled in the twelve months that the
,-Ar vehicles decreasing
about 20 per cent.
There is much sense in tho plea made
In Engineering for wheels OF larger diam
eter in motor cars That small Whecls
have some advantages Is undcniable: lhey
are lighter, cheaper. put less strain on The
axle, 1t is generally simpler TO set the
platform ON the car with them, and II Is
easier TO arrange tho lock Tor the steer
Ing gear. On the other hand. there is
much, more vibration with small Than
with large wheels, owing TO the unnVold-
able inequalities In roads. which is in
furious to the mechanism and increases
greatly the cost OF repairs, and besides.
the concentration of loads on wheels OF
small diameter involves destruction OF
the road surface,
hicIes. such as omnibuscs and wagons Tor
freight. In which speed is Of less Import
ance than the capacity for heavy load,
and where comparatively httlc Tcllei can
/
at great expense, the substitution. of larger
wheels seems only reasonable. he sus-
cestion Is also made that the call for
great speed in pleasure cars. which
marked the first introduction OF the auto
mobile to the public favor. Is yielding 10
n more general demand for more durable
and trustworthy machines and Tor re
ducod running expenses. Here again
| wheels of larger diameter would help.
More Important however than any I'M
| proye,nent I'm the motor cars themselves
is the question OF saving the roads. The
| destructive effect OF the smaller tires Is
! demonstrated by mathematics and me
| chanics but The social difficulties are
shown lust as clearly. Motor cars are
destroying the existing roads. The mo-
| torists on the one side demand that roads
! should he brought TO Il pitch OF perfection
that viii allow them TO run their cars
| MT full speed with no harm to themselves
| this Engineering maintains cannot be
done unless they are restricted 10 ran
road tracks On the other side the TAX
PAYERS who pay for the maintenance of
| the roads object TO their being destroyed
| Inv vehicles that are not suitable Tor them
| One remedy proposed is the taxation of
| motor cars according to the Giame;cr OF
| tho wheels, the smaller wheel paying the
| larger tax.
| IL would be better still 10 build mo-
| tors ut TO run on the roads as they arc.
and one step toward that object would
be gained, according to Engineering, py
| increasing the diameter OF the wheels.
The cost would he very little compared
with that OF keeping the roads in good
condition. II is Il suggestion that Is worth
listening to.--New York sun.