Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-24
MOTORING
BY WILLIAM ULLMAN
The Illusion perfect painted canary yellow blows
a head 1asket
BY WILLIAM ULLMAN.

artery of travel for thousands of au-
tomobiles every day of the year
has needed repair more than this
particular part of Connecticut ave-
nue. There appears to be an espe-
cially heavy concentration of traffic
at that point. and the condition of
the avenue there has been deplorable
for more than year. 1t is to be
earnestly hoped that the work being
done will be of a somewhat more
permanent nature than that which
preceded it. However, motorists
who use that stretch regularly feel
that almost any relief is to be well
coined.
Sixteenth street and Columbia road
remains perhaps the most confusing
of all intersections. The situation
there is more complicated than at
any other single point in the Dis
trict. Traffic lights have helped
somewhat-and they have added to
the confusion to some extent also
and it is A question as to what can
be done now TO still further relieve
the condition. Probably the way
matters stand the whole thing is bet
ter than before, but. on the other
hand, it seems a virtual certainty
that some modification of the plan
now used might be more generally
ef1icacious, At any rate, Sixteenth
street and Columbia road, it appears.
should have the constant attention
of the traffic office. in the hope that
additional study will reveal some way
for added relief.
1t is true in Washington, as it is
true elsewhere. that many motorists
are so thoroughly annoyed at the
mistakes of others that they never
seem to get time to correct their
own.
Of course, that is a popularity OF
human nature i'll general. and is not
limited to motoring in its application,
but it is true that given an automo-
bile the individuals personal charac-
teristics stand out in greater relief
than under almost any other circum-
stances.
Traffic policemen in the National
Capital are showing continuous inn
provement in their handling of the
increasing vehicular stream which
passes by their semaphores A few
years ago. not so many at all. great
many of Washington traffic regu-
lators were definitely inefficient. To-
day an inefficient traffic officer is
rarity on the city's streets. Such
condition naturally is to be COM
mended in the highest and sincerest
terms, because without an intelli-
gently trained traffic staff the most
enlightened and scientific of ordi-
nances must fail.
X x
So many features of design in the
have become universal,
or relatively so at least, that many
of the older forms are vague in the
minds of those who are using pre-
ferred forms of design without know
ing why they are preferred This
clearly is demonstrated in the case
of the selective speed transmission.
What is the difference between this
type and the progressive speed trans
mis- sion:
A diagram of the gear sets of
these two units look, to the undis-
corning eye, more or less alike. Pos
sibly the greatest difference between
them is in their operation. In the
progressive speed type if one was
from neutral and wanted to
go to high it was necessary to go
through low and intermediate first.
Then if one suddenly decided to 60
into reverse it was necessary to go
through all the other combinations
first.
With the selective speed type, it
is possible to go into any gear one
desires either from neutral or from
any other speed Naturally this has
a great advantage.
X X y
Do not worry about spotty tire
wear. 1t is a characteristic of many
balloon tires, but one which is being
eliminated through better design.
One of the developments which
seems to eliminate some of this trou-
Bile is the building of treads with
greater area of road contact. Spotty
wear has led a great many car
owners to imagine that their brakes
have been locking the wheels, An
other erroneous impression is that
the rubber is of uneven wearing
qualities.