The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-01-04

England is our best customer, Canada second, Mexico third and France fourth
 Never jam on the brakes too sud- denly Instant locking of the wheels not only injures the tires. but may produce excessive strain of the driving and braking mechanism of the car it. self. A car can always be stopped in a shorter distance by putting the brakes on firmly but gradually.
 Members of the Diplomatic Corps, many of whom summered in Massachu- setts, are to have special motor num- bers and tags which will not cost them anything. In the past there has been some difficulty with some of the dip lomats who refused to recognize the State law or pay the registration fee, and so the law was changed to cover their case.
 Titanium is a. mineral discovered by klaproth in 1794. and is now generally considered to stand tenth in order of abundance in the earth's crust being more abundant than copper, lead or zinc. It is used to certain extent as a flament for incandescent electric lamps. and it's purest ore, rutile, is used in the construction of bearings and shafts of aeroplane motors.
 Shock absorbers were originally de- v15ed in connection with railroad trains, in conjunction with the couplers con- meeting the cars, to enable the loco- motive driver to start one car at a time. A long train of cars could not De started by the engine were the coup Engs rigid. thus requiring the simul- taneous acceleration of the whole train of cars.
 Workmen in American automobile factories are paid two and one-half times approximately what they get for the same work in the same kind of factories in Europe Technical em- n1OUnc in fo ceive approximately twice what they do in Europe, and commercial en- ployes receive about one and three fifth times what they do in Europe.
 When side brakes are actuated by a wire cable. keep a. look out now and again at the places where the wire rounds bend, or anywhere where it is liable to chafe. These wires, after strand or two has gone, soon go al- together, and to suddenly find the side brake useless is most disconcerning, more particularly as a roadside repair is not particularly easy.
 An idea of the proportions assumed by the 1evying of special taxes on auto- mobiles, is afforded by an examina tion of figures made public in connection With the receipts from the wheel tax in the city of Chicago. For 1908 this tax exceeded that of 1907 by at least LOG per cent. the enormous sum of $4OO GOO OSiIlS dVd1ldDlG TOT the use or the Street Department It is estimated | that this sum is sufficient to enable the department to place in prime condition 240 miles of roadway
 From Washington comes the report that after March 4th the automobile will be the official vehicle at the White House. President-designate Taft is said to have explained his partially for automobiles by alluding to the ease and celerity with which he can be transported from place to place in them. An officer of the War Depart ment is said to be selecting two cars for the use of MT. Taft and his family payment for them to be made out of the public treasury
 Next to the engine. the differential gear in live axle type of car is the most important part of the power transmission scheme. Neglect of it is more often the cause of serious trou- ble with novices than with any other portion of the machinery. It must be remembered that the differential is continuously at work when the car is being driven and that, quite apart from the necessity to keep the large bevel wheel fabricated which takes the engine power off the propeller shaft, the diff ferentia1 pinions also require perfect fabrication to ensue proper working.