Evening star., 1927-09-25
MOTORING
BY WILLIAM ULLMAN.
4 soft road turneth away tourists.

| one must pay for the privilege of
being able TO climb every hill III high
gear and do those remarkable stunts
for which the modern cars are so
| noted.
Power noise is due largely TO
peculiar gas conditions. AS result
of increased turbulence III one OF
the newer engines, together with
some other changes i'll design, an
increase in power of 40 per cent has
been made possible. Critical drivers
have found that, at certain speeds,
this power noise becomes evident,
and study by factory engineers has
served to provide remedy in the
use of gasket fractionally thicker.
This is hopeful news, since it dem-
onstrates that even power noises can
be eliminated. if one goes at the
subject properly. Many motorists,
Of course, do not notice such noises,
| being more or less charmed by the
| quiet valve mechanism and thrilled
| by the performance of these newer
engines. But if one is annoyed and
will make inquiry of the dealer 1t is
possible that a remedy for power
noise may be forthcoming,
SIX
A bad pair of eyes. peculiar actions
and inability to measure up to GER
! tain intelligence tests may be more
Of handicap to obtaining drivers
| license than the lack of an arm or
deafness.
This clearly was indicated in a re-
cent communication written by Rob-
bins B. Stoeckel, commissioner of
motor vehicles of Connecticut, to ].
P. Bickell, who holds similar post
| in Ontario, Canada. when all is
said and DONE" the letter read in
part. the driving OF a motor vehicle
is only as good as the mentality of
| the operator, so it follows that any
person who is defective in mentality
and below the average ought not to
be qualified
Mr.. Stoeckel believes that in grant
ing license to a physical defective
| the main consideration should be
whether that applicant has mind
capable of compensating for his
shortcomings. Another point. of
course, is whether the physical de-
feet is serious enough to prevent the
applicant from carrying out the rea-
sonable commands of the mind.
The opinion of the Connecticut Off
cial seems to be that the average
physically defective applicant is ca
pable of meeting these demands. He
has found that through the opera
tion of the law of compensation
man who suffers physical defect
develops much better command of
his remaining physical equipment.
| One of the most significant among
the 1928 engineering developments
is the return of bow shaped springs
These, as against the long, fiat
springs generally regarded as the
zenith in spring construction only a
year or so ago.
Why this sudden change in spring
design? Flat springs were widely
praised for their comfort giving
qualities, the arched type being con-
demned as relic of the past. Now
a reversal is coming about, and the
public naturally is curious.
There need not be such cropping,
however, for the explanation. Flat
springs, some engineers maintain.
have tendency to lose their life"
A Car so equipped rides we'll during
its early career, but, they say, often
soon reaches the point where it
goes banging its way over the road
with virtually no spring action
worth considering in terms of car
comfort. The arched type, while
perhaps little choppy at first, is
said to have longer life of COM
fort-giving qualities once it has got
ten into action.
| First prize for the most ridiculous
stunt in driving should go to the
man recently observed running in
the street car tracks so that he
could keep going straight while
leaning over to fix the babys shoes.
His was a light coupe that would
have spilled over with the least en-
couragement, yet he drove it for
nearly a block at 20 miles per hour
with only the street car tracks to
guide it,
Because these tracks were quite
deep they served effectively as a
substitute for steering. The car kept
going straight without coaxing from
the driver. But several times il was
on the point of jumping its tracks
and running wild.
Surely this driver deserves the
grand prize for the most foolhardv
idea IN manipulating an automobile.
y X
Richland County, South Carolina,
is believed to have been the first
county in the United States to have
improved roads by the use of what
IS known as the sand-clay method.
This was first begun approximately
80 years ago.
From a mileage of about 5000
miles in 1904. roads of this type
have increased until now there are
more than 10000 miles of them in
existence. This type of surfacing is
used for roads which have a rela-
lively light volume of traffic.
II X X
With reconstruction work in the
. hnal stages on upper as well as
farther down on Connecticut avenue,
/ that highly important thoroughfare
now is one of the broadest and finest
in the National Capital, and provides
| an exceptionally heavy traffic stream
, with an artery now fully capable OF
: handling it easily and efficiently. II
, is a splendid north and south route
' which permits OF a quick and smooth
t journey up and down town for many
l thousands of car owners.