Cost. My motor costs more to keep up than one horse, the cost being probably equal to keeping a stable of two horses in the country. Work. The car has done quite double the work which it would be possible to get out of one horse. The amount, however, it is capable of doing is almost unlimited. Pace. It is faster than a horse, especially on long journeys. Tyres. In my opinion a car weighing over 10 cwt., fitted with pneumatic tyres, is not desirable for a medical man. With regard, however, to cars under 10 cwt., fitted with pneumatics, I do not feel in a position to give an opinion. Weight.-A small light car is, I should imagine, more suitable for a medical man. This, however, practically necessitates pneumatic tyres. The advantages of a small and light car are-(a) it takes less time to clean; (b) it is faster on heavy roads; (c) it costs less to run and keep up. The only disadvantage, in my opinion, is that no small light car is at present made, as far as I know, to run on solid tyres. Horse-power.-It ought not to be less than 6 h.-p. nor more than 10 h.-p. Shelter. Some means of shelter from the weather is necessary, either in the form of a glass front and hood or canopy or a brougham top. Man. It is absolutely necessary to keep a man to clean and look after the car. I do not, however, advise a skilled engineer, as an intelligent groom or coachman can soon learn to look after it, but under these circumstances one must understand the mechanism oneself. Reliability. A car may break down oftener than a horse, but it is never, under any ordinary circumstances, laid up for weeks together. Most ordinary repairs can be done in a few hours. I am not an enthusiastic advocate of cars for medical men, for they have their disadvantages. The advantages, however, in my opinion, outweigh the disadvantages, and I do not intend myself going back to a horse. Here is another letter from a Doctor, which appeared in 'The Motor' in March, 1904. UPKEEP OF LIGHT CARS :-Sir, In reply to your correspondent 'Forward,' I have been running a two-seated 6 h.-p. car, weighing 8 cwt., daily for eight months, except during my three weeks' holiday abroad and a period of ten days spent in retreading tyres. My mileage is 2,400. I work a medical practice in London. I have kept an account of every penny spent on the car, and find the total is 587. 115. 3d., made up as follows :-Rent, 87. 15s.; boy, 127. 55.; three accumulators, 37. 65. ; auto-trembler, wipe contact, and fitting on of same, 31. 55. 6d.; retreading front tyres, 37. 155. ; carriage licenses, May 1903 and January 1904, 4/. 45.; registration and driver's license, 1904, 17. 5s.; number plates and tail lamp, 17.; voltmeter, 18s. 6d. ; extra expenses incurred when learning to drive, May 1903, 17. 105.; petrol, 57. 155.; repairs, 77. 12s. 6d. ; oils, greases, sparking plugs, sponges, chamois, enamels, aluminium, paraffin (for cleaning, &c.), and small tools, 47. 19s. Id. I do all small adjustments now, and supervise cleaning, oiling, &c., which would otherwise be done indifferently by boys; but the owner who uses a car daily and does everything himself will require to spend at least one hour a day in cleaning, oiling, and adjusting. My car is in very good condition at present, but will require to have back tyres retreaded before the summer. As I have got over the novitiate stage, and take a greater interest in seeing that all the parts are properly adjusted, instead of trusting to luck on the road, I expect to have a smaller bill for repairs this year. The fact that the car can be trusted to take me on my visiting rounds is of far greater importance than the actual mileage. A car that you can take out day after day at any given time and run for a round of about ten miles, stopping and starting from twelve to twenty times in this short journey, the greater part of which is through densely crowded traffic, may justly be called a reliable car. In my opinion, this work puts far more strain on the engine and transmission gear than treble the distance on top speed. It is amusing to me to hear people ask what is the cost of petrol. This is a mere trifle in the cost of running a car. Keep your car clean, especially the machinery part. Use oils and greases freely; above all, keep your working parts scrupulously adjusted, and worry and the cost of carelessness will disappear.-Yours faithfully, 'DOCTOR.' The Scottish Automobile Club recently had a discussion upon the cost, care, and upkeep of an autocar, when a member submitted the following interesting figures concerning the cost of running his 10 h.-p. car for 7,065 miles :— Another member submitted the cost of running his 12 h.-p. car, which worked out as follows :— These results were based on an experience of 5,000 miles. The cost of the Inland Revenue licence, mechanic's licence, wages, food and clothes, insurances, rent of coach house, and the sum which should be allowed annually for depreciation are not included in many of the tables given. It will be apparent from the foregoing matter that it is impossible to lay down any hard and fast rule as to what would be the cost of running a motor vehicle. The experiences of owners of various cars will, however, enable the reader to form an opinion for himself as to what will be the cost of running the car which he may select, provided that it be made by a reputable firm and that he is not foolish enough to have chosen a type which has never proved itself in any extended official trial, or provided the car be similar to one which after at least two years' work has proved satisfactory to a disinterested friend or trustworthy acquaintance. CHAPTER XXIII THE GORDON-BENNETT RACE OF 1903 BY JULIAN W. Orde (Club Secretary, Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland) ACCORDING to the rules of the Gordon-Bennett Cup, the race must take place in the country of the club holding the trophy, or in France if a suitable course be not available. As the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland, represented by Mr. S. F. Edge on a Napier car, won the Cup in 1902, it became necessary that the race for 1903 should be held either in the British Isles or in France. After considering many suggestions, it was decided to hold the race in Ireland, provided the necessary authorisation to do so could be obtained from Parliament. The Club contemplated organising an automobile tour through Ireland after the race, and particulars of the proposed course and of the subsequent tour were sent to a large number of influential persons and to some six hundred newspapers. The draft proposals were also laid before lieutenants of the Irish Counties, the County Councils, Borough Councils, Urban District Councils, Town Commissioners, &c. The attention of hotel proprietors and of the various railway and steamship companies was drawn to the great advantages which would accrue to Irish trade if the Gordon-Bennett race could be held in that country. Numerous favourable replies were received to these communications and also promises of support. Resolutions in favour of holding the race were passed by the County Councils throughout Ireland, and later a monster petition was signed by all classes and presented to Parliament in favour of a special Bill being passed to empower the Irish authorities to close the public roads over which it was proposed to run the race. On February 24 the first reading of the Bill was moved by Mr. John Scott Montagu in the House of Commons, and with the exception of a trivial hitch it went through all stages very rapidly. In the House of Lords the Bill was entrusted to Lord Londonderry, and it was passed by, the Upper House also without delay. The route chosen for the race passed through the counties of Kildare, Queens, and Carlow. The complete circuit measured 103 miles, and roughly speaking, it ran in the shape of the figure 8. To provide for the public safety was a matter of grave consideration, the importance of which was brought vividly forward by the ghastly failure of the Paris-Madrid automobile race during May. After conferring with the Committee of the Club the Local Government Board of Ireland issued a set of very complete regulations. In order that the public might be fully warned of the dangerous consequences of encroaching upon the road during the race, notices were posted in conspicuous positions all along the route and in the adjoining market towns. The local inhabitants were also circularised and requested to co-operate with the organisers of the event in guarding against accidents. To ensure safety to the spectators as well as to the drivers over such a long course, a large force of police under the command of the inspector-general of the Royal Irish Constabulary, Colonel Sir Neville Chamberlain, K.C.B., were present, and some two thousand soldiers forming the camp at the Curragh were on duty under the command of MajorGeneral Sir G. de C. Morton, K.C.I.E., C.V.O., C.B. Many willing volunteers, members of the Club and others, gave their services as road stewards and performed invaluable services in the 'controls' and at various other points of the route. A large number of motor cyclists also rendered assistance as despatch-riders; they were divided into separate corps under |