THE SUNDAY STAR, WASH IXGfTOX. D. C, JANUARY 25, 1981 PART EIGHT.

HIGHWAYS PIERCEDARKEST AFRICA

Growing Network of RoadsBeing Extended, Aiding

Marketing.

A growing network of roads is being

•xtended into the once inaccessible

regions of Africa. Modern roads arespeeding the marketing of the productsof that vast, productive continent. Thehuman pack-carrier is being replacedby the motor truck and the passengercar is relieving the burden of the long-

suffering camel, according to a roadsurvey of Africa, published as a tradeinformation bulletin by the automotivedivision. Department of Commerce. Al-though the inadequacy of highway fa-cilities in most countries of Africa is

Still evident, the progress which is being

made indicates the important rolewhich the automobile is destined toplay in the development of the abundantresources of that continent.

Trade Stimulated.The lauching and execution of road

programs is being reflected in generalstimulation of trade, exploitation of newsreas and enhanced buying power, thesurvey shows. The vast distances to becovered in Africa and the inadequacyof real transportation have emphasizedthe urgent need of good roads. In suchremote places as Dahomey, Senegal, theIvOry Coast, Fez —names usually as-sociated with travel and adventure —

the advent of the motor car has beenaccompanied by a demand for new or

improved highways. These highways,in turn, hare created new demands formotor cars. This development is of im-portance not only to Africa, but theworld's industrial countries for thisgiant of continents is a great store houseof raw products required by modernIndustry products, whose delivery isbeing speeded by the automobile.

The two great rivers of Africa, theNile and the Congo, are now linked by

a road which makes possible a regularmotor mail service and is proving animportant factor in. the development ofthe resources of the Sudan and EasternAfrica. Over this route a car can nowbe driven from Port Sudan on the RedSea to the mouth of the Congo. Anew' road of 600 miles is projected fromAlexandria to Luxor in the land of thePharaohs and another is to be built toTimbuctu. However, road constructionin Africa is only in its initial stagesand vast areas of the interior remainto be opened up by motor highways.Roads are badly needed to tap thepalm oil resources of Liberia, to gainaccess to the rich store of natural re-

sources of Ethiopia and there are similarproblems in connection with variousother regions.

Extensions Needed.As transportation needs are urgent

and funds are difficult to obtain, thereport suggests that much good mightbe accomplished by the extension ofthe present dirt or graveled roads, withimprovements to be made at a futuretime. The several countries of Africapresent such a wide variety of topog-raphy and cover such a wide range ofraw materials that each has its ownpeculiar problem of the proper type ofhighway to serve its needs. However, itis pointed out. finance and administra-tion, rather than technical difficulties,are likely to prove the obstacles toadequate road development in mostAfrican countries.

The subject of road construction isintimately related to the demand formotor vehicles and therefore one inwhich the American manufacturer ofsuch products is directly interested. Lastyear United States automotive productsexported to Africa were valued at some-thing less than $11,000,000. Thereseems to be little doubt but that theroad development at present evidentthroughout this vast area will not onlygreatly augment purchases of Ameri-can motor vehicles of all kinds, but alsoa growing demand for a wide range ofother United States products.

Plug Gap SelectionBecause higher compression results in

a hotter running engine, many anowner assumes that it is not so neces-sary to check over spark-point clear-ances, the assumption being that lessspark is needed to fire the more highlycompressed mixture.

This is ju't the reverse of the facts. Asmaller spark gap is required for highercompression, usually from .015-inch to,018-lnch. This compares with clear-ances of .018-inch to .022-inch for en-gines of lower compression.

As the engine grows old and losescompression it is highly important to

, Increase spark gap accordingly. A wellworn high compression engine may bevirtually the equal of one that isstrictly of the low-compression type.

- One of the cures for plug-missing in? some of the engines of a few vears agowas to Increase the spark gap beyondthe normal.

California Gas Taxes.California collected $8.755.119 42 from

her gasoline taxes for the first quarterof 1930. The annua l total is estimatedat more than $40.090 000, nearly half

/ of the total of all public utilities taxescollected by the State Board of Equali-eation.

I

Game ProtectionUrged on DriversBy Humane Society

Vacation season always means thekilling of an enormous number ofwild creatures. Some of the slaughteris unavoidable, but much of it canbe avoided by exercising ordinary

care. Reports are reaching theAmerican Game Protective Asso-ciation to the effect that many ofthe greatly traveled highways arestrewn with the bodies of wild birdsand animals, killed by automobiles.A particularly large number of rab-bits and song birds are killed, the

; greater number at night. The head-lights blind them.

"Avoid, if one can without en-dangering human life, striking thesehelpless creatures, and thus help toconserve wild life for the enjoymentof yourself and others," Carlo®Avery, president of the association,urges.

baughman’ doubtsJUDGMENT OF COURTS

Maryland Commissioner Says Error

Is Made in Restorationof Licenses.

Special Dispatch to The Star.BALTIMORE, January 24.—The

courts of Maryland are permitting

dangerous drivers, including those who jhave been involved in fatal accidents, jto continue to drive their machines formdefinite periods under the existing

; law, E. Austin Baughman, commis-' sicnor of motor vehicles, said this week '

in discussing his annual report.| Mr. Baughman said that under the i

present law he must restore the right ito drive to those found guilty of reck-

; lessness whenever an appeal is taken| and the driver Is permitted to operate; his machine until final decision in the

case is made.The commissioner pointed to a case

1 in Trederick as an Illustration of theevil he said exists under the presentlaw. In that town a driver was foundguiity in a fatal accident and following

j the verdict his license was revoked byMr. Baughman.

An appeal from the verdict then wastaken and the commissioner was com-

; pelled to restore the man's drivingprivilege. A short time after, beforethe original case had been terminated,the man had struck and killed a secondvictim.

"Such delays and such appeals, oftentaken for the obvious purpose ofdelay, work to defeat the ends of Justiceand to prevent known reckless anddangerous drivers from being refusedthe use of the highways to the greatdanger and menace of other drivers,”Mr. Baughman said.

"In many instances, when such casesare taken, the hearing on appeal ispostponed and delayed until important

I witnesses have left the jurisdiction ofthe court," the commissioner asserted.

GOOD AUTO BUSINESSNEEDED FOR NATION

National Prosperity Dependent onMotor Conditions, Says W.

• S. Zncker.

Nothing has greater bearing uponnational prosperity than th? automobileindustry, according to W. J. Zucker,

¦ vice president and general sales managerof the -Stewart-Warner Corporation.

"Those in the business realize th?i vast ramifications of the automobile

industry and know that the largestmanufacturing industry in the worldcertainly reflects the tempo of thetimes." declares Mr. Zucker.

"Stewart-Warnet grew' up with theautomobile industry, and now enjoys a

| position of leadership in the field of! automotive accessory manufacture. Way

back in 1905. the first motor accessory,a horn or siren—was made in a one-

l room factory on Wells street, near theChicago River.

"In 1905 the speedometer was firstdeveloped, and the firm was reorganiz'dand moved to the present sit° on Diver-sey Parkway, Chicago. In 1914 avacuum tank was designed to removethe gasolin- tank from the danger ofthe engine's heat, and at th° same timeguarantee a smooth, continuous flow of

i gasoline to the carburetor. This hadrevolutionary consequences and St'wart-Wnrner grew and'prospered,

i “By constantly improving their old, products and adding new ones, this

> | company kept pace with the industryI and now produces a comprehensive line

¦ of automotive accessories—bumpers,i carburetors, horns, shock absorbers.

brakes, fuel pumps and windshieldi wipers."i j

Auto Employment 10 Per Cent.That 1 out of 10 persons gainfully

employed in the United States works di-rectly or indirectly in automobile pro-

i duction or operation, and that every¦ State in the Union contributes raw ma-I terials for this industry, are among the

facts revealed by a recent statistical re-, search, according to E G. Henry, man-

ager of the Indianapolis Automobilei Trade Association.

STARTING TROUBLEIN COLD EXPLAINED

Faulty Spark Gaps OftenMake Winter Operation

Difficult.

There are two important phases tostarting an automobile in cold weather,and much of the difficulty experiencedin Winter operation is due to the factthat many drivers do not understandthe importance of both phases.

First the engine must be crankedfast enough to draw a combustiblemixture into the cylinder. At lowcranking speeds this is exceedinglydifficult, especially with fuels whichdo not vaporize readily. Furthermore,the average driver is not sufficientlyskillful in his operation of the choketo be sure of getting the right mixture

I during the critical first few seconds ofstarting. At low speeds the result isusually a flooded engine. Not recogniz-ing this condition, the owner is apt togo on using the choke and exhaustingthe battery.

Right Mixture Needed.When the right mixture is in the

cylinders it must be fired. If thestarter does not crank the engine fastenough, due to oil drag, the abnormalcurrent demands of the starting motorwill deprive the ignition system ofsome of the energy required to give an

| adequate spark.I Another factor adds to the trouble,j In most cases the spark plug gaps arc| entirely too wide, due to the metal of

j the points being gradually burned off.The importance of the correct adjust-

! ment of the spark plug gaps is entire-|ly ignored by many drivers and. inj fact, receives full appreciation from| few.

Storage batteries are affected by cold

Alluring ISash Convertible Coupe

weather. A new and fully charged bat- Itery supplies only 60 per cent of theenergy at zero that it does at 80 de-grees. With a used or partially chargedbattery, the reduction is even greater.Testing the battery solution does nottell the whole story, as cold weathertends to increase the specific gravity ofthe solution—that is. a battery only

partly charged would appear to befully charged. Anything but a fullycharged battery is a handicap in Win-ter starting.

The selection of a proper lubricantis of great importance in getting easy jstarting in Winter. The oil must be 1light enough to prevent oil drag or

| channeling. It must quickly reach thepoints which need lubrication. Oncethe engine Is started, it must be ofproper character to lubricate parts at;temperatures as high as are reached inmost Summer driving. It is easy toproduce an oil thin enough to makestarting easy, but to do this, and withthe same oil give adequate protectionduring continuous operation, requiresgreat skill In manufacturing. A properWinter oil is made, not found.

Thermostats which maintain wateri temperatures at the most efficient

1 points are highly desirable. They notonly get the engine warmed up quickly. Ithus reducing the period during whichthe choke must be used, but they also jgreatly reduce dilution and water and |

isludge accumulations in the crankcase. ]By maintaining approximately Summer

conditions in the engine during oper- jation they increase the necessity for a

i "double range" Winter oil. 1

Piston Ring Seal

Just having the proper kind of ringsin the engine, properly Installed, is noguarantee that there will be an effectiveseal against loss of compression. Theoil must be right.

The speed of the engine is also anImportant factor, and this bears a di-rect relation to the lubricant. In ahigh-speed engine, for instance, thereis less time for the gases to break downthe oil film. This does not necessarilymean that a low-speed engine Is harderon oil, because it is usually true thatthe higher-speed type operates at ahigher temperature.

Another point to be considered is thepressure inside the cylinders. Equallyimportant is the engine's tendency to-ward thinning out the oil film throughthe presence of an excess of unvapor-ized fuel, as in starting. Rings alonecannot solve all these conditions.

350.000 Service Stations.The American Petroleum Institute

estimates that there are more than 350,-000 automobiles service stations in theUnited States.

Woof—Woof.And. of course, there is the unedu-

cated auto manufacturer who th'ughtthat Little Red Riding Hood was an

' accessory.—Colgate Banter. !

MOTORISTS ERRIN OIL SELECTION

Many Requirements forProper Winter Lubricant

Overlooked.

Many motorist* trr in the selectionof oil for the Winter lubrication oftheir cars by keeping in mind only onerequirement of a satisfactory lubricant.That, of course, is the requirement thatthe lubricant must be one that flowsfreely at aero or below. This is the onetest that the motorist himself canapply. Certainly, if there Is great dif-ficulty in cranking the engine rapidly,the motorist knows, or. should know,that the oil is not sufficiently fluid.

Unfortunately, the other very im-ports nt requirements for a satisfactoryWini r lubricant are not so easily deter-

j mined. Also the greatest difficultiescaused by the wrong oil for Winter driv-ing are those that the motorist cannotimm'diat'ly detect. Before h» is awarethat troubles exist the wrong oil hasdone its deadliest work.

Results of Poor Oil.Poor or incorrect oil causes insuffi-

cient oil distribution with resultantburning of piston rings and piston andcylinder surfaces, loss of compressiondue to inefficient piston ring s"al (lackof oil distribution or incorrect body and

! character), excessive dilution, high oil! consumption, excessive wear, and, knocking due to overheated piston pin,

crank pin and crankshaft bearings.

| Undtr severe conditions of operation,such as heavy loads or hard driving,

I poor oil causes excessive heating of thebearing surfaces with the resultant riskof pounding out, crumbling or melting

| of the bearings.Lessening of power from the engine Is

a sign that something Is wrong. Butthis warning Is not sufficiently pro-nounced and many motorists do not no-tice It. This is because motor vehiclesand passenger cars particularly havesuch an abundance of power availableat all normal driving speeds that lubri-cation defects which consume power)are smothered out.

An average of 10 to 15 per cent ofthe maximum engine power Is used innormal passengar car operation. Eighty -

1 five to 90 per cent of the available poweris in reserve as a surplus for hard orheavy driving and is available to over-come frictional losses produced by poorlubricants. Thus the car owner, whoshould be operating with only 10 to 15per cent throttle opening, unconsciouslyincreases his throttle opening perhapstwice that much to obtain the desiredspeed and performance when inefficientor defective lubrication robs the engineof useful pow’er through unnecessaryfriction.

Greater Wear Caused.It is easy to see what this greater

throttle opening means In increased gasand oil consumption, greater wear andtear on the engine and other ills, few

of which become immediately noticeable.If the power requirements for the i

opera lion of motor csrs were reversedso that 85 to 90 per cent of the totalpower were necessary ta propel themat normal speeds, the penalties of in- ,correct lubrication would be extremely

evident. With only 10 to 15 per cent ofthe engine power available as surplus,any unnecessary frictional loss wouldquickly consume this small amount ofreserve power and the condition wouldsoon be noticed by the car owner.

A proper lubricant for Winter use isone which has sufficient fluidity at lowtemperatures to permit rapid cranking,gives prompt ana ready distribution toall working parts, and which has ade-quate body to provide full protection .tothe working surfaces when the operat-ing conditions and temperatures aresevere and tend to thin out the oil. |

Signers Number 16,000.The signers of the National Code of j

Practices for Marketing Refined Petro-leum Products now number about 18.-1000, according to the American Petro-leum Institute. I

INCREASE IN DRUNKENDRIVING IS REPORTED

«

Annual Statement of MarylandTraffic Court Alto Shows More

Reckless Cases.

Special Dispatch to The Star.BALTIMORE. January 24.—Drunken

and reck leas driving shewed a large in-

! crease last year compared, with 1929, *

according to the annual report of theTraffic Court.

There were 335 drunken driving casesin 1930. as compared with 289 cases In1929 and 349 cases in 1928. A total of

2.445 persons were charged with infrac-tions of the boulevard laws, with 575 ofthis number dismissed. The total rev-enue collected on the remaining chargeswas 59.644.95.

Motorists arrested for reckless driv- ,

ing totaled 8,444 in 1930, comparedl with 7,908 in 1929. There were 489 hlt--1 and-run drivers In 1930, 10 figuring m

; fatal or serious accidents. Os this num-ber, 61 persons received jail sentences.92 were fined and the remainder were

1 dismissed. In 1929 514 hit-and-rundrivers were reported, with 59 given jailsentences, 132 fined and the remainderdismissed.

Os the 60.709 traffic cases handled Inthe court. 159 were given Jail terms.852 were committed to Jail in default offines. 35.890 were lined a total of$161,148, 1.649 were assessed court costsof $1.25 and 22,159 were dismissed.

Ain't Dat Something?A radio in a car is a wonderful thing.

We were followed for several minutes| by a motor cop the ether evening andfound out later h» only wanted to hear

1 Amos n’ Andy.—Judge.

Not to Blame.It. is easy to pick out the careful

driver: all the dents are in his raarI fenders.

Remember This !!W hether your car be an early model or a late

one, your Starting. Lighting, Ignition and Carbu-retor go to make up the heart of your car. A weakpoint in any one is no stronger than the weakestlink c-f a chain. Have these parts inspected andrepaired, if necessary, by—

MILLER-DUDLEY CO.1716 14th St. N.W.

North 1583 North 1584Pioneers in

Starting, Lighting and IgnitionSince 1910

Authorized Service for

UNITED AMERICAN BOSCH MAGNETO CORP.SPLITDORF—SIMMS—DYNETO—K-W—WEBSTER

SPARTON—WESTINGHOUSE—NORTH-EASTWAGNER—DELCO—REMY—KLAXON—LEECE-

NEVILLE—NORMA BEARINGS—ECLIPSE-BENDIXA. C. SPEEDOMETERS—LINK BELT CHAINS

LOCKHEED BRAKES—CARTER CARBURETORSCLUM SWITCHES

Also Remember We Do

Commercial Electrical RepairingCoil and Armature Rewinding

- iT ' '*

t

-

yean///mno j?race* y

? ?DEB DEPENDABILITY* #

"*^wfefis3SSSSkHf l^Bffl^^lSlV^^il

Q/c*H' ~Ji orlcjf* models priced from SIOQS to

$1135. Allprice* f.o.b. factor)'. Cou£e(illu»trated»bove)s '""

Qletc CDodge c/tx— five model* priced from sßis to $845. i 9 brilliant ajran'.m.nt Iof traditional excellenceNEW BEAUTY—SPARKLING COLOR HAJU '

Dodge Brotkers present a new Dodge Tlie new Dodge Six and Eigkt demon-~ n «-, «

0 r 0 00 EXQUISITE INTERIORS, with Bedford Cord

S, -1 -pv IX7*ll 1 . , ,11 , . and other fine upholstery fabrics—-ix and a new Uodge Alight—the most strate that it is possible to incorporate in < ,

INCREASED RIDING COMFORT and remark-

keautiful, comfortakle and akle cars in cars ofDodge quality at Dodge Brotliers able ease of handling Low swung grace plusw ¦*¦ ¦* w exceptional roominess achieved by longer

D-ji. y . • t 1, , 1,1 1 r wheelbase and a new double-drop frame—-odge history. «» It continues to be traditional price-levels a measure ol r . 110 ¦* WIRE WHEELS STANDARD, five wire wheel

Dodge Brotliers conviction tliat tke keauty, si2e and performance far ke- equipment at no extra cost

FINER, FASTER PERFORMANCE from engine# '

most important tking akout a motor car is yond anytking tkat moderate price kas arSer 512e advanced efficiencyMONO-PIECE STEEL BODIES that are jointless,

tkat it ke a good motor car—so designed previously commanded, w Tke value squeakless, permanently safe and strong—-• INTERNAL HYDRAULIC BRAKES, weatherproof,

and so kuilt of sound materials tkat it represented in suck cars will ke instant- positive and #elf-equali*ing— IMANY OTHER REFINEMENTS, each contribute

may, last long and operate dependakly. ly apparent to every motor car kuyer. ing to beauty, dependability and value.•

Pod,. Brother. Goiyomttoa Ml

Space 22 at the Show

THE TREW MOTOR CO. ISales Department Established 1914 Maintenance Department

1509-11 Fourteenth St. N.W. PHONES—Decatur 1910 to 1913 1317-19 W Street N.W.Sales Rooms Open Daily Until 10 P. M., Sundays Until 5 P.M.

Gardner-Stuart Motors, Inc. Kaplan & Crawford, Inc. Service Motor Co. Schooley Motor Co. I620 H St. N.E. 2329 Champlain St. N.W. Silver Spring, Md. Alexandria, Va.

Frye Motor Co. E. S. Hooker Lusby Motor Co. Motor Co.Leesburg, Va. Warrenton, Va. Prince Frederick, Md. La Plata, Md.

Galloway Garage Padgett Motor & Tractor Co.*Great Mills, Md.

%

Parkland, Md. fSf * /fl

....

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