The Industry in Central Europe.
Page 17
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Stiff Conditions on the German Subvention Run.---The Berlin Police and Mechanical Indicators.
A Motor Show in German east
Africa.
The Colonial Economic Committee at Berlin has resolved that the General Agricultural Show at Dar-es-Salaam, German East Africa, in 1914, shall not be lacking in types of machines produced in Germany, and suitable to the character of the exhibition, such, for instance, as agrimotors, freight automobile crude-oil engines—every kind of machine and vehicle, in short, useful in the development of the colony.
Direction-Indicators for Berlin Motorcabs.
The Berlin police officials' plan to compel motorcab drivers to use a mechanical direction-indicator, mounted at the back of the cab, is meeting with great opposition on the part of the men. They contend that., if obliged to operate such an apparatus, they would he unable to devote the proper attention to the steering and driving mechanism. Now, while one must admit that drivers who are not out for risks have enough to do to steer and drive their vehicles without having to work a signalling apparatus into the bargain, it is, unfortunately, equally true that, owing to the build of the modern Berlin motorcab, the chauffeur, who occupies a sort of well and must perforce sit close up to the right side-levers, is more or less incapacitated for signalling. In fact, the Berlin motorcab-driver can do little beyond signalling with his projected right hand that he purposes turning to the right. As regards signalling, indeed, Jae lies under an enormous disadvantage compared with the horsed-cab driver, who can make his whip almost talk, and it is just this disadvantage that the authorities would correct, by means of an in dicator ; in other words, they would give the motorcab-driver an equivalent for the horse-driver's whip. Maybe some apparatus will be invented that supplies this equivalent without requiring much attention from the chauffeur—something on automatic lines, connected up with the steering gear. There does seem TO0171 for an indicator of the kind. What does London think?
The Prussian War Office's Subvention Runs.
Berlin Our correspondent
writes :—" Altogether, 16 firms are to take part in the Prussian War Office's annual run for the subvention-plaque, including the two nes aspirants—Alderwerks and Gebriider Stoewer, whose success may be predicted with tolerable confidence. The 16 also comprise a couple of Bavarian houses, the trials for the Bavarian plaque materializing simultaneously and locally with those organized by the military staff at Berlin.
Starting from the Prussian
capital on the 2nd prox., the lorries and trailers will proceed to cover a vast circuit of 2054.6 kilometres in 22 working days, which means a daily average of 93.4 kilometres, or, say, 58 miles. The kilometric stages vary between 74.8 (Hof-Bayreuth) and 133.9 (Berlin-Torgau), the maximum kilometrage being exacted on the first day. Stiffish work is expected from the lorries, particularly on the third and tourth days, when they will have to tackle the Erzgebirge via OberWiesental ; and likewise, towards the close of the run, when the trying Harz gradients are on the programme. Between Trier and Bonn, too, via Gerolstein, there is many a teaser.' " Each combination submitted consists of lorry and trailer, carrying dry sand in 50-kilogramme sacks or, failing that, stamped iron bars turning the scale at four and two tons for the respective vehi
cles. Benzol or heavy petrol is admissible as fuel, supplied by the Military Experimental Section at the expense of the competing firms. Lubricants are supplied by the firms themselves. Spare parts (gear wheels, sprockets, motorshafts and what not) may be carried only in cases sealed by the Section. All 'tunings up' take place under military observation, and, should tools or machine-tools not carried in the vehicles be required, special permission must be obtained from the commanding officer. The trials, in short, will this year be more exhaustive and severe than ever before.
" Competitors are to be allowed two hours a, day, at the beginning and end of the stage respectively, for putting their vehicles in order. Daily replenishments of fuel, lubricants and water will be booked as quantities consumed."