The Washington times., 1913-09-27
LICENSE PLATE IS
X CAUSE OF TROUBLE
Although a Small Factor, 1t May
Produce Defects If Not
Properly Placed.
By HARRY WARD.

small thlng ike the placing OF the
forward license plate on an automobile
may have considerable effect on the
running of the car. Most motorists
have the bad habit of attaching the
plate by a bracket to the water cap.
which thereupon receives a strain which
Is not Intended to bear.
As a result not infrequently leak is
started at the base Of the water cap
and the water comes out of the radiator
II small quantities
The leak il often not enough serious
~ to hurt the running of the car. ex-
cept that it requires frequent reflling
OF the radiator, but one unpleasant re-
SUIT Is that the occupants of the front
seat get a continued spray Of water, or.
II the Windshield is up. that is covered
with drops on day when nothing but
suneline abounds. Then the dust gets
onithe glass, and mud is the outcome.
Bar Provided.
Some automobile manufacturers pro-
vide a bar that runs between the two
forward lamps. From this the license
plate may be swung. There is one OBJ
lection to this plan, which applies also
to the number hung from the water cap.
and that is that it cuts.off a part of the
front surface of the radiator and there
by impedes cooling Just that much.
To be sure, the air has a better chance
10 get back of the plate when il is
swung from the bar between the lamps.
leaving three or four inches between il
and the radiator. than if it were flush
up against the top of the radiator, as
IL ii when the plate is hung from the
water cap bracket. One State. Illinois
has plates perforated, so that when
carried in front of the radiator they do
not 80 much interrupt the cooling pro-
cess
Aside from other objections to the
water cap as a point of attachment for
license plates there is the other regard
ring the name plate of the machine. A
great many automobiles have the char
actertstic trade mark of the car just he
low the water cap on the radiator
front When the license plate is swung
from the water cap this plate is blotted
out OF sight 1t certainly is policy on
the part Of the automobile manufactur-
er to provide place for the front
license plate SO tnat his expensive and
ornate trade mark is not hidden from
road.
The best place for the plate to be car
ried is somewhere in the neighborhood
OF the bottom Of the radiator There it
is out Of the way of everything 1t
doesn't project so that it helps to tear
clothing when one is cranking the car
II the car is not a self-cranker. It
doesn't cut of any part of the cooling.
Sliii II IuuSt UOt De SO low tnaI III VIII
collect dust and become obscure for
that Is violation of the law. Some
States, prominently among them Con-
necticut require that the license plate
shall be at least eighteen inches from
the ground, so that il cannot collect
dust and obscure the numerals.
Plate Is Safe.
When the plate is bolted or screwed
securely into soLie part of the front.
either the bottom of the radiator or
ciamped to the front axle, il is safe
from being dislodged. The water can
attachment is not SO secure because in
order TO hold the plate fast il must
often be clinched on tight enough to
bend in the side Of the water can, and
yet the continued jolting of the car
tends TO loosen up this hold Some
makers provide for bolting of the plate
down at the lower part of the radiator.
which is very good point
As to rear license numbers the prob
lem Is not SO marked. People have
pretty much got over the habit of hay
ing lamp bracket and license hanger
in one. The plate puts 4 strain on the
lamp bracket such that IL dc esn't SIM
port the lamp well and furthermore
the plate itself generally drops down
on one side.
There is one concern that for some
time has been making a frame plate
WIN iooi ho1cS III IL. 1uSt above the
rear spring, to which the license num-
Der may be attached. This is a con-
venience 70 owners and is positive In
action.
Enamel Cracked.
More than that, when there was
trouble with the enamel on numbers a
couple of years ago it was to be no.
ticed that on cars of this make the
enamel lasted better than on som-
others using the lamp bracket method
where the wing nuts were screwed
down 50 hard on the plate that of ne
cessity the enamel cracked.
With most modern cars provision is
made for the application of the number