The Washington times., 1912-03-30
LE ROY MARK MAKES
PLANS TO RECEIVE
SEABOARD TOURISTS
Miami-Quebec Motorists to
Be Welcomed at the
Capitol.
BY HARRY WARD.


10 Roy Mark. vice president of the
Touring Club of America. is making
plans for receiving a party of tourists
who are about to make a continuous au-
tomobile tour over the entire length Of
the international highway, starting at
Miami, Fla, and terminating at Quebec.
The distance to be covered is about 5000
miles. II is expected Vice President
James s. Sherman, honorary chairman
of the touring club and an ardent mo
torist, will receive the tourists at the
Capitol.
The party. which will leave Florida
about April 10, will consist of Mr.. and
Mrs. Fred c. Miller, in an Overland;
mers. and w. p. Brlon in an EMF.
Mr.. Miller, who will direct the trip, rep
resents the Board of Trade and the Au-
tomobile and Good Roads Association of
Miami. The tour will be under the aus
pices of the Touring Club OF America
and the Quebec Miami International
Highway Association.
The tourists will spend more or less
time at differert points in the South,
and IL the road conditions are unfav-
orable their progress will necessarily be
slow. As this is the first continuous
tour ever made by automobile of all
the Atlantic seaboard States through to
Canada, the tourists are sure to re-
ceive a cordial reception all along the
line. All three of the cars will fly the
touring clubs official pennant, as we'll
as an American flag.
Government statistics Just issued show
the value of the automobile output has
increased 5,l4S.6 per cent between 1899
and 1909, Cutdistancing all other indus
tries During the same period the
number of wage-earners increased $3.50
per cent.
Word comes from New York to the
effect that within the next few weeks
the contest board of the American Auto
mobile Association expects to compIeta
the rules to be Incorporated in the 1912
contest regulations OF that organiza-
ton. Already more than half the work
has been done. 1t is said there will
oe many radical changes in the rules TO
govern racing during the forthcoming
season, particularly contests held on
dirt tracks. One of the important track
rules to be incorporated Is that requir-
ing a neutral zone of at least thirty feet
being constructed all around the track.
but especially on the inside and outside
of the curves. The present rule requires
that fences must be at least thirty feet
from the inside of the track.
Another change proposed and one that
will tend to eliminate some of the in
competent drivers from participating in
track races, provides for the Issuing
of drivers cards only to men who take
part in track or road races. The drivers
In reliability contests, tours, etc, Will
not be required to take out card, as
at present. but at the start of each
event they will have to register with the
referee or some other official and agree
to abide by all the rules of the A. 4. 4.
For this registration no fee will lie
charged.
The automobile mufher cut-out
seems to be doomed. After a battle
| that has lasted for years large num-
ber of cities and communities have
passed laws which prohibit, either FOR
the entire day or that part between
darkness and dawn, the uselessly noisy
tactics of the cut-out fiend.
That such laws will become general
in a very short time is the hope OF
large and powerful element IN the auto
! mobile industry. Thoughtful men know
! that the cause of motoring is OFTEN hurt
by the malicious driver who takes nuge
delight in making his car roar at pc
destrians on crowded CROSSINGS ana tesr
| through residence districts at night
like a raging tuggernaut. There has
| always been argument over the auVis-
ability of equipping cars with cut-outs.
Some manufacturers have refused 10
install such an appliance. maintaining
| that there is no need for 1t in car
with a well-designed silencer. Others
| assert that their cars require a cut-ont
at times in order to avoid stallinE me
! motor To a great extent the diner
ences appear TO be in design.
In view of the prevailing variety OF
| opinion. the Automobile Club OF Amer
| lea recently decided TO make series ol
| systematic experiments which would
| firmly establish the facts in the case.
The results were embodied in lecture
by Prof. F. r. Hutton, chairman of the
! clubs technical committee. To the
amaZement of the club members and
| their chauffeurs, Prof. Hutton plainly
proved that a motor develops just as
much power when muffled as when ex-
hausting direct from the Cylinders.
| Test after test was made from ne
platform, at motor speeds both nigh
| There was a narrow range of medium
motor speed where the unmuffied motor
| seemed to develop a fraction more pow
er. but this advantage vanished as the
| speed grew greater or less.