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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 1919)
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAX, PORTLAND, JANUARY 5, 1919. 11 WOOD FOB WHEELS BECOMING SCARCE Hickory Rapidly Being Used Up, Wire Coming In. or the rtm may become distorted and the name trouble will follow. When thia happens, place a Jack against the hub and rim, which very quickly forces the rim Into place. Sometimes the rims creep a little, so that the valve stem is bent or even broken oft. This may be due to loose lugs or by a distorted rim on a rim with worn shoulders. It is well to keeD an eye on the valve stems, for by thia it may be known whether the rim is creeping:. Ut'DSOX OWNER ENTHUSIASTIC l A. Tauscher Pleased With 13,000 Mile Record of Ills Car. BOTH- HAVE GOOD POINTS LAV6 wo yeats or service during bad traveled over 13.000 miles. a Hudson super-six automobile, owned by P. 'A. Tauscher. of the Doernbecher Manufacturing; Company, has made its possessor a thorough Hudson fan. Mr, tVooden Wheel at Preset.. Ctoper iU.. Than Wire Ones, but Cost of Wood Is Soaring. that he has owned the car he has not I been obliged to spend a single cent on tht car for repairs other than I7.S0 on his batteries, a new set of tires and a I spark plug wrench. Mr. Tauscher is so enthusiastic over his car that he I an v k. wit! nit It afirainst anv other iwuii ioi mrait raorar r Ur on the market for power, speed r does not realize It, we are probably land durability and that he would not entering on a new era as far as the trade it with its 13,000 m:ie record lot Wheels ot his favorite vehicle are con cerned. Most owners would probably assume that the present predominating type of hickory wheels have demon strated their value and are here to tay. For that matter, they are satisfac tory enough, and if that were the only factor Involved the present wooden wheels might never be superseded, tut there are other considerations that make It likely that before many years have passsed cars will be equipped with a radically diMerent type of wheel. In the very early days of the motor car there was a tendency to follow bi cycle practice and use wheels of wire. These parts were not properly de signed to perform the work required of them in automobile service and then the Industry swung toward carriage practice and adopted hickory as its standard wheel material. There is little serious complaint to be made against wooden wheels when they are made of the proper grade ot litckory. In rare cases wooden wheels do disintegrate aud literally fall to pieces under some excessive strain or heavy Impact. The common failing ot wooden wheels is to develop an ex ceedingly annoying squeak and this may be cured by driving in wedges where the spokes have loosened near the hub. any new car. VELfE FACTORY MM HERE MANY SATISFIED OWNERS FOUND IN PORTLAND. ARE Driver Well Informed About Con-1 etruetion and Operation of Cars, Says Visitor. Hiekary Leaser Fleatlfal. Most owners neglect to give any at tention to the hub bolts of their wooden wheels. These bolts pass through the wheel and retain the hub plate in posi tion. In the case of the rear wheels the hub bolts hold the brake drum also. If these bolts are permitted to become loose, the condition will very probably throw the wheel out of alignment and cause difficulty In driving, not to men tion excessive tire wear. The real reason why the wooden wheel Is likely to be superseded is sim ply the increasing difficulty of securing an adequate amount of second-growth hickory, the particular grade of wood that gives the best results. At the present rate it vit not be many years before this grade, of hickory will be more expensive than other wheel-building materials, when no real reason for ' retaining the wooden wheels will re main. At the present time the closest rival of the hickory wheel in passenger car design is the wire wheel. This part is a radical advance over the original wire wheel, which was adopted almost without change from bicycle practice. Scientific design has produced a wheel with wire spokes, having all the strength and then some, of the best hickory. In addition other character istics of superiority are claimed for the wire wheel by its adherents, which at any rate entitle It to a careful hearing in the final court of motordom. In the first place it Is claimed that by reason of the many points at which the rim of the wire wheel is supported, as against the 10 or IS such points in the hickory wheel, that the former Is more tenacious In keeping its shape. The argument is that the' wooden wheel gradually assumes more or less of a polygon shape, which accentuates tire wear. Further it is claimed that the metal better radiates the heat inevita bly generated by the tire in running than does wood, which is a poor heat conductor, acting in fact rather as an insulator. In the wire wheel there is never any annoyance from squeaking induced by loosened spokes. Carefal Ia.peetlsa Necessary. However, it is necessary to keep wire wheels In proper order, not to permit the enamel to crack oft at the nipples. as rust is likely to form In such a case and trouble will probably ensue. There is little question that wire wheels en hance the appearance of a car. but they must be kept clean, caked mud must be removed from between the spokes after a run in the rain or instead of an improvement they will be an eye sore. It may be noted that with the special brushes that are now available for cleaning wire wheels the task Is not onerous. In the final analysis, the real reason why wire wheels have not ousted the wooden type from its posi tion of supremacy is simply the ques tion of cost. Hickory wheels are still cheaper than the wire and the difference in ser vice rendered by the two is not great enough to permit the latter to force Its general employment. Owners of care fitted with wire wheels should give them a careful in spection every three weeks, if not of tener, to see that no spokes are loose or bent and that no rust has forced around the nipples. One type of wire wheel has a serrated drive and the ser rations must be kept perfectly clean. If one of these should be badly nicked, there will be trouble in mounting the wheel. If rust starts to form on the driving surface, kerosene er oil should be applied at once to stop it. Within the past year or two there has been a noticeable tendency to cover the out sides of wire wheels with metal discs. This gives an additional attractive ap pearance and prevents the formation of mud deposits between the spokes. In European countries the problem of securing satisfactory grades of wood for use in wooden wheels has been more difficult than our own. As a conse quence engineers over there have long experimented with other types of wheels. Today wire wheels .are the rule in England and France and they have branched off into experiments with other metal types. . Cast Steel Wheels Tried. Pressed and cast steel wheels have achieved a real vogue In England, not only for trucks, but for passenger cars as well. In appearance these wheels are Just the same as our wooden artil lery wheels. In the designs of today these steel wheels are Just as light as our wooden ones, they are stronger, their heat-radiating qualities are supe rior and many competent authorities hold that they are to be the ulti mate type of wheel. There is certainly every reason to give this opinion a re spectful hearing. In the matter of the care common to all types of wheels it must be remem ing. wnicn must be kept well packed with grease all the time. At Intervals each wheel should be jacked up and turned to see whether it is turning freely. White the wheel Is Jacked up. take it firmly by spoke and rim and pull and push to see If there Is exces sive play. Wear in bearing or hub may cause this latter condition. In the case of wooden wheels some times the wheel gets out of shape, so that It la difficult to mount the rim. K. IL Specht, mechanical department factory representative for the Velie Motors Corporation, Molipe. III., manu facturers of Velie cars and trucks, and who makes his headquarters in San Francisco, has been in Portland the last few days, operating from the D. C. Warren Motor Car Company's place of business, 58 North Twenty-third street. Mr. Fpecht's territory includes Oregon, California, Washington and part of Nevada and Arizona. "My Job Is to keep In touch with Velie dealers and owners and to see that drivers of the car receive proper Instructions and proper service out of their cars, said Mr. Specht. Every where I go I find an increasing num ber of satisfied Velie drivers. I find that among the best friends of the car are the mechanics who work on them. No other class of men is better fitted to pass on the worth of an automobile and when they say a car is all right you may I be sure that know what they are talk ing about. 'The 1). C Warren Motor Car Com pany has sold a good many Velies in this territory during the three years that they have been in business here. We are finding thaw every owner Is proving to be a salesman. The Velie truck also Is finding a ready sale. Two thousand were sold to the French government for war sejp- I vice. The United States ordered first 1000, then 500 more, and not long ago 1500 three-quarter ton trucks, which it is understood will be used In the postal service, were ordered. The factory Is now at work on the fleet of 2500. "In my dealings with car owners I find that they are much better Informed about the mechanical enstruction and operation than formerly and are learn ing all the time." LIEUTENANT IMPRESSED WITH RIVER ROUTE. Texas Man Enthuses Over Multno mah Fa I la Dressed in Its Winter Garb of Ice. Lieutenant George E. Moore, of Waco, Tex, who has been stationed at Cor vallis for some time past, spent a few days in Portland during tile past week as a guest of Clement and Douglas Powell. Lieutenant Moore had often heard of the beauties of nature In this section of the country and it was his privilege to make a trip over the Co lumbia River Highway, which revealed to him some of the most wonderful scenic places to be found in all of his travels. Ons of the most wonderful scenes which greeted the vision of Lieutenant Moore was Multnomah Falls garbed in Us Winter coat of ice. The spray which Is continually cast from the sum mlt of the Cascade Mountains Into the gorge below, has been transformed into myriads of icycles, and their glit terlng beauty reminds one of a diamond palace. The ride over this beautiful highway In a Maxwell car, and the wonderful beauties of nature manifest on every hand Impressed Lieutenant Moore so wonderfully with this portion of Ore gon that he said it would be his pleasure to continue singing its praises upon returning to his southern home. BRITON PLANTS CHANCE BACK Airplane Motor Factories Will Make Automobile Engines. The problem of turning over British munition factories to manufacture of peace products Is not nearly so serious as that which confronted them in con verting from a peace to a war basis. according to a statement of F. O. Kel laway, parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of Munitions. Several plants manufacturing airplane motors will make engines for motor cars and a Birmingham firm is changing from production of fuses and airplane parts to automobile accessories. A Sheffield shell plant employing 1000 workmen will turn to the manufacture of springs and files. Other conversions are from munitions to hosiery needles and hose suspender fittings, from shells to shoe machinery, airplanes to house furniture and iron valves, guns to locomotives and electric fittings and copper bands for shells to dairy utensils. WAR BOARD TO, BE DISSOLVED Baruch Makes Recommendation With His Resignation. In a letter to the President, In which he tenders his resignation as chairman, Bernard M. Baruch recommended that the War Industries Board be discon tinued after January 1, 191?. and in ac knowledging receipt of the letter and accepting the resignation the President concurred in the suggestion for discon tinuing the board. The activities of the board which have a lasting value are being transferred to permanent de partments of the Government. The De partment of the Interior, through the bureau of mines, has assumed control of the activities of the board relating to war minerals; the department of Commerce probably will undertake the conservation programme, and the bu reau of planning and statistics will-become a bureau to serve all departments of the Government. Women should not be permitted to drive alone until they have become ex perienced operators. AUT0M0 We are pleased to announce the appointment of PACIFIC STATES RUBBER CO. as distributors of our entire line, which includes: Republic Pneumatic Fabric Tires Republic Pneumatic Cord Tires Republic Pneumatic Truck Tires Republic Solid Truck Tires Republic Inner Tubes (Red and Gray) New location, 229 PINE STREET (Across From Pine-Street Coffee House) ' also Republic Belting Rubber and Balata Republic Hose-All kinds in rubber, and cotton Republic Packing for all purposes Republic Molded Goods of every description At 51 FIRST STREET With our NEW representation we can safely assure our customers the fair and courteous treatment which has always been extended by us. SERVICE and a SQUARE DEAL will be the policy of our new distributors. REPUBLIC RUBBER COMPANY of California PACIFIC STATES RUBBER CO. 229 Pine Street 51 First Street Phone Broadway 1088 , , IMPORTANT MESSAGE ENSILE O'N.ilS I i 5 - S . . J-v A I I p f 4 I gt ,... - t v ' , f - - 1 I : f 1 J ' - 3 -s T t 4t - I .: rf rit-? , IIS a - -3 li1' ?f - ' - ? . : V II I , r , 7 4 v ii aj i jlll s b J I - With. SjAqGjJIj) Studs - -I E HIGHWAY PHOERflMME BIG MANY STATES TO BUILD KOADS OX BIG SCALE Bond Issues Provide Funds, 'Texas Having $25,000,000 Available for 1919 Buildiug. From the reports constantly being; received from the various states, it seems evident that there is going to be a resumption of road buildlnir on a scale even greater than those in closest touch with the situation had dared to hope, reads an editorial in Good Roads. This is as it should be, of course, for the great need of the country today is transportation, and that can bo bad only if the highway systems of the states and the rtatfon are developed to their maximum capacity. In two states, Illinois and Pennsyl vanla, large bond Issues have been au thorised by the voters. In other states. notably South Dakota and Iowa, the is suance of bonds Is being agitated, and apparently has the backing of Influen tial Interests. There is also consider able sentiment in favor of a bond issue in Minnesota and In Michigan. In many counties; too. the Issuing of bonds for extensive road buildins operations seems liKely. The 1919 road programmes of a num ber of states have been tentatively drawn up, and In most Instances the proposed expenditures are at least as large as those of previous years when war did not Interfere with internal im provements, in some cases they are considerably larger. The projected ex penditures in Texas will amount to about a5, 000,000, while the proposed expendtlure in Minnesota is about $6,000,000. In Louisiana, according to recent report, more than 14.600.000 will be spent, and in Ohio plans have been made for what is described as the biggest good roads year" in that state's history. Work under the super vision of the state in Colorado will cost about 1 1,000,000, it is predicted, ' nna ufiinno pians nave Deen an nounced for many other states. Road work has been held up everywhere for a long lime and there is a very general disposition to make up next year for me iime lost this year and last. While the conclusion of the armistice on the other side has not removed all of the obstacles in the way of renewed activ ity in American road work, the way of ine roaa Dunaer has Been made much easier, and there is every reason to be optimistic in looking forward to next year operations. AGEXCY HIGHWAY NEEDED Improvement of Klamath Reserva tion Iloads la Sight. KLAMATH FALLS, Or.. Jan. 4. (Special.) That a great improvement may be made in the roads on the Klam ath Indian reservation north of here is assured as a result of a visit from H. M. Snipe, of the Indian Department at Washington, who has been in con ference with W. G. West, is indicated by those who are In close touch with the situation. It was pointed out to J. H. Norris during his brief residence here by J. W. Siemens; who represents the North west Tourist Association, that the main road north and south, past the Klamath agency, was in such deplor able shape during most of the tourist WANTED SALESMAN WITH CAR TO HANDLE A WESTERN ELECTRIC LINE. NEED NOT HAVE THOROUGH ELECTRICAL KNOWLEDGE. Call Onr Office, WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, E. Amh St. and Union Ave, Telephone 8250. season that it was nearly impossible to get through; that the district lost large numbers of visitors who would otherwise come this way, and that there was little use of the county building Improved highways now be ing planned when one of the main links was allowed to remain as in the past. Mr. Norris apparently got busy because Mr. Snipe appeared shortly afterward and found the new superln tendent anxious to co-operate. It i Intimated that an appropriation of $25,000 will be asked of the department for this work. set so tightly in their sockets that it is difficult to remove them. A pair of tongs which will make this task easy, however, may be made readily from an old pair of wide-faced pliers. After the faces have been hammered flat, if not already so, a slot is cut in one of them so that it can be placed astride the ca ble side of the terminal while the H;it face exerts pressure atrainHt the other. Keep your eyes open, your head ua and your mind on what you are dolus. Uso both brakes; the lining will last much longer. -. Tongs for Battery Terminals. Battery terminals sometimes become NATIONAL AUTHORIZED SERVICE for HYATT Bearings ALSO FOR TIMKENand NEW DEPARTURE Bearings r Service CompanyL Portland Branch 24 N. Broadway Phone Broadway 1799, A-2444 4. foe-Hp"'. 'V E. M. TUCKER AUTO AND WAGON WORKS, 429 BELMONT ST. Thirty years ago E. M. Tucker, then a young man of 22, came to Port land from Toronto, Canada, securing employment with the old firm of Anderson & Gray, later O. H. Anderson, located at Sixth and Burn side, at his trade of coach and wagon building, remaining with them for over 12 years. For a year and a half Mr. Tucker was in charge of the bentstock and wheel department of the Waterhouse & Lester Com pany. In 1906 Mr. Tucker bought the business of A. M. Westram on Union avenue and Yamhill street, where he continued in the coach and wagon trade for 11 years. In September, 1917, Mr. Tucker moved to his present location, 429 Belmont, where he has enlarged his plant to meet the steady increase in his business until he waa in a position to handle the order represented in this picture for the United States Government -in the manufacture of seven bodies on Ford trucks for the postal service. These seven bodies were completed, ready for . service, six weeks from the time the order was placed. Mr. Tucker makes a specialty of auto body building and is equipped to manufacture any style of auto body.