Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-01
In the Motor World
BY q. ADAMS HOWARD.

when a passenger automobile
is used primarily for professional
or business purposes, and Incl
dentally for pleasure, ordinary ex-
penditures for maintenance and
repairs may be prorated according
to use, and deducted, provided the
car is used chiefly in the pursuit
of business or profession. Chief
ly' is interpreted by the bureau TO
mean more than so per cent. II
business constitutes minor usage
and pleasure the major part, the
expense cannot be prorated or de-
Quoted. If the chief use is for
business, the items of depreciation,
gasoline, oil, repairs, chauffeur'S
salary, garage rent, as well as any
other legitimate expenses, may be
prorated according to the usage
and the portion applicable to
business purposes deducted"
An assault on the 245-mile speed
record just made at Daytona
Beach, Fla, by Capt. Malcolm
Campbell is being planned by
Norman wizard" Smith, Aus
tralian racer, for whom special
car is now under construction in
great secrecy at Sydney, Australia.
Smith expects to attempt the rec
ord run in March.
New Speed Contender.
A mystery" engine of approx
mately 1,700 horsepower, and ex-
pected to develop a speed of 300
miles per hour or better, will power
the machine. It's design Is close
secret of the British government.
Tires specially built to stand up
under a speed of $40 miles per
hour, and a perfect natural track,
80 miles long, located in New Zea-
land, are other factors which give
Smith confidence that he will
break the present record.
The car will have a total length
Of 26 feet, with a wheel base of
Is feet inches, track of 5 feet,
minimum ground clearance of 712
inches and q maximum height of
the car from the ground of 3 feet
2 inches. The body at its widest
part will be only 19 inches.
Streamlining, special radiators
and a sloping nose to retain trac-
ton at high speed, are among the
features expected to make this the
fastest car ever driven. Smith is
comforting with engineers in Aus
tralia regarding the problems Of
fuel and fabrication.
Ninety-mile Beach, at Kaitaia,
New Zealand, has been chosen for
the record run. At low tide it pre-
sentS a hard, natural track 80
miles long, 1000 feet wide, and
smooth as plate glass. This track
is over three times as long as that
at Daytona Beach.
Safety Glass Survey.
Insuring safety by means of
laws requiring non Shatterable
glass on automobiles is spreading
throughout the world with unex-
ampled rapidity and represents
one Of the most sharply marked
developments in this field, analysis
shows.
Prior to 1880, the only legal
specifications of this sort were in
one or two local English commune
ties. During last year, MaSsachu-
sets passed bill requiring non
shatterable glass on public car
riers. New York State introduced
similar bill in its Legislature.
New York City promulgated a
police ordinance relating to taxis.
It Is in the two months Of 1881
that this idea has gathered i'm
preSSive strength, according to a
survey. In that brief period, such
legislation has been started in
Canada, Minnesota, Pennsylvania,
Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode
Island, Ohio, New Jersey and
Michigan, and the Parliament of
England, in the current road act,
took all motor vehicles in one en-
bracing law. The most recent step
has been taken by the French de-
partment of commerce in recon-
mending safety glass for the
10000 taxiS of Paris.
mo other automotive develop
ment has ever had such attention
from legislators" points out A. L.
Haskell, president of a safety glass
company. THAT may fairly be
taken as evidence that the people,
through their representatives, un-
derStand the futility Of running
useless risks. The French govern
ment reports 81 per cent of auto
accident injuries are due to broken
glass-a figure slightly higher than
American studies have shown. In
ID months a car with old-fash-
Toned glass will be a museum piece
because OF its rarity"