April 22, It is exactly twenty years since the Automobile Club of China, which holds its annual general meeting to-morrow, wa: founded. To whom belongs the honour of bringing the first car ito Shanghai (of course, some time before there was any idea jof a club) we do not know. The late Dr. Macleod was a very early motorist: we rather think he was the first. Mr. Fleet of Jardine's, was a pioneer; so was Mr. A. K. Craddock, who tells how, having carefully studied up. the "book of the words," he took his ear out and proudly ran her straight into a tree, luckily at very low speed; and Mr. G. E. Tucker was also an early enthusiasm, having, we rather think, a steam car. We, of the present day, for whom motoring is simply matter of confidence, of moving handles about in certain directions and, if anything goes wrong, of.calling up any one of twenty adjacent garages, can have little idea of the adventures of our predecessors: how they got a breakdown repaired, one cannot conceive, and the only real advantage they may have had over the present day was the cheapness of gasoline. How much of our present comfort in motoring in Shanghai is due to the work of the Automobile Club China, is very far from being suspected by he average motorist: but enough has been done by the Club to indicate that it might succeed in almost anything if it wace supported as it should.be. According to the Municipal Report, there were on. the register, on December 31 last 4,102 moter-driven vehicles, including 2,748 private cars, both totals showing an increase fof some hundreds over those of the previous year. And with the introduction of cheap cars of unassailable quality, these figures will tend to increase out of all knowledge. Yet the membership roll of the A.C.C, numbers but 815. The Club is steadily gaining in popularity and it is a most energetic body. But its membership ought to be limited only by the number of motorists in Shanghai and, at its modest fee of five dollars, it well might be.
The advantages which the A.C.C. secures for its members when they go to England ties and privileges of the Royal Automobile Club of Great Bri fare extended to them, these in-eluding use of the parts of the jelub building available for as-societe members, the road, touring and engineering services and car inspection An. agreement has also been concluded with the Automobile Association of London, under which members of the A.C.C. are admitted free of entrance fee and with a reduction of twenty-five per cent. on the annual subscription, The road service of the Automobile Association is particularly fine. At very few points on any re-agnized road could a breakdown occur, at which one of the Association's private telephone boxes would not be within easy reach: every member is provided with a key and can thus at once be put in touch with the nearest garage, Negotiations are now going on with the Automobile Club of America for a similar agreement and will no doubt have a successful result. In Shanghai itself, it is not generally known that' the work of the A.C.C. has been in the interests of the public at large as well as of motorists, For example, it was owing to the Club's representations that "single file traffic was adopted in the Nanking Road; and when that proved a success, it was the Club which pressed for and got the exten-us of the system to Mohawk Road and elsewhere. All the parking spaces for motor-cars in use in Shanghai were, we believe, obtained by the Club, which is continually pressing for more. It is at present engaged in widespread investigations into the cost of gasoline in other cities. As yet it is too early to say anything definite on this subject, but there appears no doubt that the Shanghai motorist is made to pay far and away more for his gasoline than his comrades in any other country.
More than once we have insisted that the great majority of motorists ure peaceable law-abiding citizens, who only desire drive decently and avoid trouble; and that "road hogs" are the minority. It stands to reason that a body like the A.C.C. will always be on the side of the former class; and, if only for this reason, it is difficult to understand the scant courtesy /with which the Municipal Council treats the Club. As may be remembered, -he A.C.C. pressed the Council' to enforce test'. of the accuracy of gasoline pumps, about which 't held there was a doubt. The A.C.C.'s lawyers' opinion was that such inspection could easily be made part of the licence conditions for the erect of a pump; but the Council flatly refused the suggestion, notwithstanding that the Chief lof the Fixe Department has urged (as shown in the Annual Report) that he "should see that: the gasoline is delivered safely free of impurities and of standard quality and proper measure". all of which, he adds, "would mean very little extra labour." In marked contrast was the conduct of the French Council, which replied to the A.C.C's sentation that its inspector: been instructed to make
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