The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-14
Motoring Notes,
&c Cd Road News
and Tfade Matters

| Virginia IL now 1,74s automobiles
ahead of the total amount last year.
This year Virginia numbers a total
| of $3.50 automobile licenses. while
last year the total amount was 4,01i.
| Licenses for the new year, 1913.
will be issued about Chr istI4as Day,
| aid these can be used on machines
| during lne remaining uays OF the Odd
| ) ear or PURCHASERS may use the deal
| ers license or transfer the number
| from an old car until the new Ii
censes are issued.
| Inc new incense plates will have
| white letters on maroon, dull red
| or chestnut background.
| Them Poor Drivers.
| Some automobile concerns which
are perfectly willing tnal race driver
| shall get anything but money out Of
. his Connection with their racing cars
| are formulating a pan of a pool Of
| interests for the 500-mile race at In
| dianapolls next May. The plan Is
that al these makets shall share in the
expenses of entering and practicing
| for the race, with drivers hired on
salary basis only.
AhN oi AsSA 80 ~ ttdts IIu Etidt~
| ter where he finishes, he gels no share
| of the prize money. There Is no pro-
vision for a bonus for a driver even
! IL he gets the big prize, which is s20,-
coo or $25, 900. These makers have
| the idea apparently that this Is 100
much money to trust to any one rae
| ing driver. Some one might take 1t
away from him. so the scheme to fol-
low lis to keep 1t in the family.
IL any cars In the pool finish any
where in the money the takings are
to be split up among the members of
the pool Thus If man puts in three
machines which run away in the ruck
| he still has chance at a split up If
come other members Of the pool
comes in at the top.
This isn't giving the racing driver
much of chance to be sure, and it
Is the driver who takes most
of the real rick after all. Furth-
ermore II depends largely upon his
skill IL the car comes through, be-
cause there are few aut omo biles SO
| intelligent as to win races in the hands
of incom petent drivers.
1t is not any very great encourage
ment TO a race driver 10 go in for the
salary only and the pool cannot very
well hope to get the best talent By
such offers as these. s''.5s's' -
Adjunct to Auto Factory.
He doesn't look like a very i'm
portant part of big automobile fac
tory organizati IN. this tall. broad
shouldeFed-stooped and somewhat
grizzled man, who may be seen, rain
or shine, summer or winter, walking
slowly about the plant of the WHY'S
Overland Motor Car plant In Toledo.
O, eyes almost constantly east east
ward. But he Is an important item
in the modern method of factory
operation which makes this enc OF
the best conducted plants in the au-
tomobile Industry. Though his wage
is that of the average workman,
Magnet Bill" as the gIizzled man is
known, Is worth a good deal to the
company bv which he is employed.
"Biii'' gets his nickname from the
fact that his tools consist solely of one
tin bucket of the 10 or I2-quart va
riety and big steel magnet. strap
red TO the end OF shovel handle to
allow for ease of operation. And has
| work is mighty important even though
1t looks simple TO the passerby. For IT
Is Bills duty to save automob lie
tires. these costly ruper overcoats
which adorn the wheels of motor cars,
by removing from the roadway every
nail and bit If iron. brass or steel that
might cause puncture. When II is
/ known that the 10000 cars, which is
! the Overland output for 1918. are be-
! ing run back and forth Ia reaching
the place where they are tested, and
SEQ. IS of visitors cars, Office machines
i and delivery trucks use the thorough
! fare daily. the wisdom OF saving tires
Is at once appreciated.
Magnet B:li' saves his salary n
dozen times over every day he works"
says Vice President @. w. Bennett, OF
the WHY'S Ok erland company. He
performs his duty faithfully and well,
and were 1t not for his efforts. our
expenditures for punctured and cut
tires would be tremendous. We have
figured that without the precaution
taken by Bill whose big magnet
snatches up every bit of metal on the
road. the cost would reach total of
$4,000 every year.
M ~