Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 14, 1923, Page 15

Casper Sunday Editorial MORE THAN 90 PER GENT OF AUTO ACCDIENTS PEDESTRIAN'S FAULT Driver at Fault in Few Cases, Asserts Secretary of National Motorists Association; Blame Some- times Is Shared by Both Walker and Autoist. , When an accident occurs between a motorist and a pedes- trian it is usually the direct fault of one or the other. Sel- dom, according to statisticians, are both parties responsible. How often is the motorist at fault and how frequently is the blame to be laid directly upon the pedestrian? And after the responsibility has been placed what should be done sbout it and how can further and selves, and in connection with their future accidents be prevented? veteran motorist and pioneer stu-| #nce. dent of traffic, offers an interesting] ‘The ones hardest. to control are the foolish men, women, and children “It is\a matter of undisputed rec-|}who wander about indiscriminately, ord,” says Mr. Caley, “that between | whose intended movements are un- 90/and 95 per cent of all the accidents|known to themselves and beyond the that occur result from the neglect of| possible knowledge of anyone else, the individual pedestrian and less|/and they are usually the ones who than five per cent are caused by the|are injured because of their careless- answer to the above questions. direst fault of the motorist or the reck-| ness. less use of the motor car. Lying be- Parking Pointers. ween these figures somewhere are} Here are three tips anent public from three to five per cent of the ac-|parking that the average motorist eidents where both parties are respon-| would: do well to remember. | These “ _ | helpful hints are taken from “Sugges- ‘le as it may seem,” continues | tions to Car Owners and Drivers,” a set’ of'traftic| weekly sheet comp'led and dissem!- Fules» and regulations that will work|nated by the educational department out fm practice are not easy to pre-|of the National Motorists association pave. First of all, they must be based|as a part of its campaign to help mo- upon the surprisingly simple princ!-| torists with their cars. Under the ple that ‘two parties can not occupy|caption “Parking Pointers,” the N. the, N. M. A. official, the sanie space at the same time. {:|M. A. says: follows ‘that those rules and regula-} A much better job can be rfiade of tions which will work out Aré those tt parkize a car of long wheelbase if, will permit vehicles and ‘ndivid- | bef of freedom, jw'thout coming in con- tact with each other, This is the | wheels. nearer the curb. BC oftraftic regulation. Leaving the car in gear “Die first examyle of n strict com: Pliance find obedience t6 traffic Inws must _be shown by the motor‘sts them observance they must endeavor to Secretary Fred H. Caley of the Na-| convince those who are not motorists tional Motorists association, himseif|°f the importance of a similar observ- backing. the driver will swing uals to move with th Jargest degree| part. way into h's rpace. and then steer out again, This puts the rear Den park- ing on @ hill is not sufficient protec- Church News allow the weight of the car to turn over the engine. Th’s occasional jerk- ing of the machine may be sufficient to force the shift lever into “neutral.’” Always use the emergency brake too, and point the wheels in toward the curb. Try not to park the car near a pole. Many a machine has been seriously damaged by being pushed up on the sidewalk and into a pole by a passing truck. AT, cr EUROPE HOME OF ARTISTIC BODIES European Automobile Men Call American Cars “Hearses.”’ European motorists frequently de- scribe American automobiles as “‘fu- neral cars” and “hearses," because of their extremly dark and sombre appearance, according to Harry M. Jewett, president of the Paige-De- troit Motor Car company, who re- cently returned from an extensive trip abroad. “Europe,” says Mr. Jewett, who visited all th’ important automobile plants of Great Britain, France and Belgium, “is the home of artistic body creations and smart, distinc tive equipment. The color schemes of the foreign products are much more varied than bas been custom- ary in this country, and the cars are brighter and fresher in appearance. “By training and temperament. the European motorist. inclines to yayer colors and motor cars. of the better grade are so superbly finished and appointed that they keep their fresh well-groomed appearance through a surpris'ng period of service. Amer!- can cars seem sombre to the foreign motorist who is inclined to criticise us for our seeming partiality to black and other extremely dark colors. “European bocy designs are real creations and are free from any sug gestion of atengiled guajity and sfer- eotyped’ regularity.. “They hitve “a character that is approached jn. this ton against having it coast away. Low. compression in the cylinders will country only im éomé of out custom. ____ CASPER, WYO., SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 1923, built jobs, So tar as equipment is concerne: the European gives the word ‘complete’ a new significance, for in the finer cars he rolls along with all the luxury and comfort of ® modern Pullman. Appointments also hep materially in creating that distinction that belongs only to the forelgn product. “In these particulars, the Eu Topean makers have in the past sur- Passed us, but when it comes to chas: sis, design and construction and values due to manufacturing meth- ods, America leads the world. ‘I took a Paige 6-68 to Europe with me and Crove about 5,500 miles in Great Britain and on the conti- nent. Roads are generally excellent everywhere, but there are so many that seem to be lald out over ancient cowpaths, with . numerous hairpin turns and stiff grades, that the su perior performing powers, respon- siveness and control of the American car make!a profound impression on European motorists and this fact ac- counts largely fcr the prestige our products have won abroad. “Visiting world-famed European automobile factories, I was greatly gratified with the interest shown in the Paige and the enthusi Buropean automobi'e engineers and designers for some of its outstanding mechanical features. This' enabled me to enter into certain reciprocal relations—you might term it the swapping of ideas—which will prove of immeffate and continued advan- tage to Paige products. “In my judgment the ultimate au- tomobile will be a combination of the superior chassis features of the best American’ cars and the finest ap- pointments and luxuries of body of the best Buropean cars. Such a car will be offered at a price made pos- sible only by years of experience, un- Umited facilities -and the best of American production, Such a car can and will be produced. As Mr. Jewett's European trip was generally known in the indus- try, the temptation has proved irr sistible in sqme quarters to indulge in a certain. amount of prophesy concerning probable Paige plans; but while-‘t is reasonable to suppose that eventually there will be concrete evi dence of Mr. Jewett's renttion to the achievements of Hitropeanndestene and engineers,.Paige bas made no authoritative announcements. TE =: working parts of Motor ward and reverse Phone 1381 PPro costectestodte doate odode eee ate oer er ere oe —Oil Gear Pump, assuring efficient circulation to ail —Selective Sliding Gear Transmission, three speeds for- —Streamline Body -—One-man Top nase sie-teoate-die-stodse-aseets mot Morning Tribune And WYOMING WEEKLY REVIEW Notes On Autos): USED CARS ARE SERIOUS ISSUE Half of Sales Made on Basis of Trades, Packard Presi- dent Says. By ALVIN MACAULEY (President Packard Motor Car Co.) The used car problem is the most serious issue now before the motor car industry. It need hardly be ex- plained that by the “used car prob- lem" I refer to the prevailing smethods and practices of handling sales involving trades and of dispos- ing later of the replaced vehicles. Six or eight months ago, when trade conditions were stagnant and thousands of replaced cars were choking the channels of distribution, everyone was discussing this situa- tion; they were compelled to do. so. When business revived and the dis- tribution of these cars began to get under way we allowed ourselves to believe that the replacement prbblerm was being solved, In my opinion, the used car is as much of an issue in the prosperous present as it ever was. Stated in figures of the current year it is prob- able that half of this year’s sales have been made and are being made on the bas’s of trades. The per. centage of trades may be as low as 40 or it may run as high as 65 per cent. Several persons of wide ex- perience in the industry have assured me that the latter figure is. more nearly accurate. If the production of new motor vehicles of all Kinds this year will approximate a total of 2,400,000, as it Is now believed, and aince sales are keeping pace with production, it Is apparent that the usec: or replaced ar problem is one of huge dimen- ns. Unsound, Economic Methods. However, the greatest menace in the’ situatien is not the size of the problem, but the fact that the -un- sound economic: met “have governed the. sale of used vehicles in the past are still the governing factor Paseo efoatrehoateateatoatoatocfeatoctoatecfecgeateateaeateate efecto cfoeteatoete —Continental Red Seal Motor —Timken Rear Axle —Timken Bearings, front and rear —Spicer Universal Joints —Single Plate Disc Clutch YELLOWSTONE MOTOR SALES Agents for Star and Durant Cars (Ask for Mr: Gabriel) as heretofore. Used cars are being sold without regard to the over- head cost. Used cara sre being ac- cepted on an extravagant basis of valuation, The overhead cost of relling a used vehicle, according to prevailing ex perience, is hardly less than the ¢ost of selling a new vehicle. Counting the labor necessary to put the re- placed car into a salable condition, the Average ovethead of such sales is certainly not less than 10 per cent. Nevertheless, it is not an oxaggera- tion to. say that, except in a very small percentage of cases, the used or replaced vehicle is sold quite re- gardless of this. On the score of valuation, most ob servers agree that the case is as bad. I have heard various estimates from competent persons. On the whole, I believe that the average valuation al- lowance is about $300, and that the average loss in closing out these vehicles will run not less than 10 per cent. In other words, the prevailing practice is such that there is being incurred in all used car transactions a valuation loss of at least 10 per’ cent and another loss of 10 per cent more due to the non-accounting of overheard costs. The figures covering the situation are interesting. Figures on Sales. Number of new motor vehicles sold in 1922 (partly estimated) - 2,400,000 Percentage of sales in- volving trades —. a 50% Number of vehicles in 1,200,000 $300 Total amount of allow- ance ------------ $360,000,000 Selling cost of used cars. Total smount of selling cost Percentage oO loss on trade-in sales in addition to selling cost Amount of such about $36,000,000 ‘Total loss rades — $72,000,000 These figures will no doubt be questioned. They are not mine, but they have been drawn from com: petent sources and I believe that on a whole they réflect the situation as It is. However one may discount them, It 1s obvious’ that the present’ method of handling the used car is still a 10% $36,000,000 10% Theaters — :-: Classified JAPAN IG LEADING GAR MARKET OF FAR EAGT, EXPERT INSISTS W. I. Irvine, U.S. Automotive Trade Commissioner, Speaks to Export Managers Convention Telling Them of Chance for Motor Selling. Japan is the leading motor market of the Far East, in the opinion of W. I. Irvine, United States automotive trade com- missioner, speaking to the export managers’ convention of the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce at the offices of the N. O. C. C. in New York today. “Japan leads not only in consumption of motor vehicles, a Representatives of but in potentialitie: for road building. There are goot roads in the Strait| Settlements and Malay Pent The success of automobile bu! there depends upon the condition of| the tin and rubber markets which | are the main businesses of that re- . Culbertson, vice chairman of the United States tariff commission. addressed the meeting on the current tariff situation, Edward Brizer, pres- dent of the Vacuum Ol] company, spoke on the motor fuel problem industry. ~ For the moment It is being carried with some degree of ease be cause consumer demand 1s consider- able and profits throughout the in dustry are, satisfactory. It is never theless, a burden. It is more than thatr It is a huge item of waste| which in some way must be elimi nated. Under less fi tions than those at present prevail ing, it may proe such a handicap to the industry. as to check its develop: ment and bring serious. distress to Considerable numbet ‘of those "who ate} devoting their energies to its upbuild- very serious burden to the motor car] Ing. said Mr. Ir. vine. He also indicated that China! and battery 18 a promising field, as its walls can be used for highways, and some of the wall material is now being used companies discussed rer dering service abroad in these lines, Walter Drake, chairman of the C. foreign trade committees, presided, Other members of this com- H. M, Robins, Jay Rath- bun. H. F. Phipps, J. D. Mooney, Th Among the significant Irvine made on Far Fast markets were the following: bas mace good progress in Japan and today the ma- jority of the wealthy have their own cnrs, white the less fortunate are rid Ing in motor busses and taxicabs, for is proving that not only is it swifter than the, Iee- drawn, two-wheeled carriage but also more economical in distances in ex- cess of a mile. “There are in Japan today approx imately 10,000 useable motor vehicles including motor cs figure about 26 per cent are. truel More than one-third imported durt motor vehicle clea, Of this of these were ‘avorable condi:| the years 1920 ana of a car ts set ot about five Years, that replacements flone will call for 2,000 vehicies a y WIT Develop” Sttburba, thought. that har 1 sur- (Continued _on Page SS ie SS A eS A I Dk RC A CG Battery rear —Half Eiliptic Springs, underslung SMARTNESS IN LOOKS, AND THOROUGHNESS AND MODERN DESIGN IN A LOW PRICED CAR WAS UNHEARD OF UNTIL THE STAR WAS CREATED BY W. C. DURANT, THE PIONEER BUILDER OF AUTOMOBILES AND IDENTIFIED WITH THE INTRODUC- TION OF THE CADILLAC, BUICK, OAKLAND, OLDSMOBILE, CHEVEROLET AND DURANT CARS The Star Car Marks the Most Advanced Step Since the Introduction of the Automo- bile, for It Provides for the First Time a Quality Automobile, Standardized in Con- struction and Operation for a Moderate Sum. Ss Tr A Fe FEA TURE S —Electric Lighting by Standard Generator with Storage —Stewart Vacuum Gasoline Feed with Supply Tank at (Two carloads of STAR CARS will be unloaded in Casper within the next two weeks. Mr. H. B. Gabriel, who will have charge of sales for this organization announces that he has secured temporary desk and office space at the R. N. Vant Sant Agency, where he will be glad to meet you and tell you about the STAR car. Permanent quarters for the STAR are now being arranged. Watch further announcements. ) 442 E. Yellowstone - a Gn Me oh rere ey Pre: * etee Coates ro totes RY fe iM Re VTC VWTY Sota te ela te. 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