By Car to the Crocuses A REALLY promising motoring season

seems to be before us. During the winter months the Ministry of Transport has done a great deal to improve our roads ; narrow stretches have been widened, bad surfaCes levelled and plades where dangerous corners existed last season will no longer be recognized. Many sections of the Great North Road and the London-Oxford road have been entirely reconstructed, more effective sign- posting has been arranged, particularly at cross-roads and (Drum, and -the lettering on the signs is made of reflecting surfaces, selt-illuMinating in the light of headlamps:

• * * A p(rceptibre difference in the cost of motoring should be noticed this season. The cost of new cars generally shows a fair margin of decrease owing to the keen competition between manufacturers. More .liberal allowances, too, are being offered by agents for second-hand cars on " part exchange " terms, owing to the definite commitments for new cars imposed on them by manufacturers. Further, the cost of keeping a car on the road is now less than it has been in the past : first, because the price of petrol is now down nearly to pre-War level (the war of the petrol companies is good for the motorist) ; and secondly, because some wise manufac- turers have drawn up lists of reasonable garage charges for spares, replacements and work done to their respective makes, in an effort to stop the practice of over-charging. Such service to motorists is to be encouraged.

• * * Spring deliveries of most of the new cars are only just. now appearing on the road. Their lateness has been due to a dearth of manufacture rs' materials owing to the coal stoppage. The prospective buyer who has been anxious to study the road performance of the new makes which attracted his eye at the autumn Show, before making his final choice, has thus been placed at a disadvantage. However, the seasons wait for no man, and provided one buys from a well-known maker one cannot go far wrong.

* * * * A new Austin 20 in which I drove out of London a few days ago had the new Dunlop Ayres fitted, in which the tread is taken partially down the walls. This is claimed to be a very effective non-skid device, and certainly the car held the slippery Great West Road excellently during the frequent rain )1e encountered.

* * * *

I am told that Austin engines are run for fifty, consecutive hours at thirty miles an hour on their bench test. The new car in which I travelled showed every sign of the greatest care and finish, both as regards engine and body work. It was the four-eylinder model, and I predict that there will be a greater demand this year for this famous and tested engine than for the new six-cylinder, which is a good car also but costs another £120, without any special advantage in actual performance, except increased flexibility and acceleration.

* *

I hope everyone with a new car will be as careful as my friend was with his Austin. No car, made under modern con- ditions, should be run at a greater speed than twenty-five miles an hour for the first five hundred miles, and the makers' directions as to _draining the . oil case _carefully followed. Discretion in this, as in many other. things, is the. better part of motoring, and it is sad to see a fine bit of mechanism being ruined through stupidity and lack of self-control. •

* *

I wonder if the motor manufacturers of this country and an the great prosperous industries which depend on them realize that the very success of the motor car may endanger their position ? Every year the roads of our little island become more glutted with various forms of transport, which concentrated ton large.,extent in our big. citjes. Motoring for the Londoner is becoming more and more difficult. It now takes anything up to half an hour to get clear of dense _raffle, starting from the centre .of-London, even under fairly 'Minicab* conditions. On Saturdays, and even on Friday 4 moons, which is the only time when many Londoners IN: their cars, the congestion is appalling.

Consider the Great West Road, for instance. When one reaches Gunnersbnry one comes on to that magnificent new highway, and one's troubles are at an end. But what an awful journey it has been up till that point ! If the real problem is to be met, drastic measures are necessary. Arterial roads should be driven right through to central London. The cost, no doubt, would be terrific. But such improvements would not be so costly as the present delays. Besides, cannot the scheme be combined with slum clearing and rehousing ? There is much wretchedly poor property round most of the exits to London. Its demolition would be a sanitary and social act as well as an immense benefit to transport. * * The motoring industry and its great dependencies can hardly expect to continue their present prosperity unless they can induce local authorities and the Government to take drastic and well-planned action. This country is already congested. It has none of the gigantic spaces of America, yet Americans have long ago considered, and are now beginning to cope with, their congestion problems. They have 20,000,000 ears on their roads : we have not a tenth of that number, yet look at the Brighton highway on a Saturday-or Sunday !

The Scottish Six Days' Trial is one of the most attractive events of the motoring year, the route lying through many of the most beautiful parts of Scotland. The date of this year's trial will be the week beginning July 25th. The general rules will be much the same as last year, with the addition of a combined stop, restart and brake test on Blackford Hill in Edinburgh. This is a very severe hill, with a gradient of 1 in 3.9, and failure at this test will mean the 1ms of first-class award. Silver cups and gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to successful competitors. Many special prizes will be given this year, as well as manufacturers' team prizes, a club team prize and a University or Publie School team cup.

• The London-Land's End Trial, which is held every Easter, will be run on April 15th and 16th, and while the full details are not yet public, I learn that there will be several important changes. There is to be no timed climb up Porlock Hill, which will be a non-stop section this year. Lynnioutli, Beggar's Roost and Bluehill Mine Hills arc again included, and to gain a gold medal these three hilLs, as well as Porlock, must be climbed without a stop ; to gain a silver medal three of the four hills must be climbed. Every car that competes will need a turning circle not greater than forty *et in diameter, otherwise it will be unable to climb Bluehills Mine without a stop. An entirely new route will be followed between Penzance and Land's End, which is a welcome change, since this stretch is very rough, and in dry weather extremely (lusty.

The Ministry of Transport, I understand, is making an effort to deal with the compulsory insurance of motorists and motor-cyclists, and legislation on the subject is likely to be incorporated in the new Road Vehicles Bill. We hope to refer to the subject again ; it is a very important one, for many accidents occur in which it is found that motorists are not insured against third party risks, and arc not in a financial position to pay compensation.

* * * *

• There has been much discussion over the Ministry or Transport's draft Road Traffic Bill. Several clauses have been the subject of so much publicity in the Press that many motorists believe-them to have become law. This, of course, is incorrect. There is still a speed-limit of twenty miles per hour. Local regulations concerning lower speeds must still be (*served. Motorists need not yet insure against personal accident and third-party risks, and heavy vehicles are still required to travel at no more than twelve miles per hour (would that they did so !): -A revision of these laws is awaited ; but it has not yet been accomplished.