Evening Star Newspaper, February 6, 1927, Page 64

BY WILLIAM ULLMAN After all, we will have the con: solation of knowing that the thief who steals a 1927 car will have worked a lot harder. 1 seems to be| by a large| vers in pass the high- | aps are the | experienced passing | to drive along any | hway to ob petency f driving. hittle re- © average & to one sder several | space in other cars.| difficulty ntered SeHoNs My view. Many drivers co hundred feet sufficient which to pass around never realizing that space isn't much of a sateguard as it used to be. The car ahead moves faster and the car approaching is running some times S0 per cent faster than it did but a few vears ago Much difficulty ean he to The driver ¢ passing judgment nnot make up his mind whether he has an opportunity pass or not. He discovers that he is missing opportunities and then de cides to take a chance the next time there is an opening v his very in decision lics the chief reason for his | inability to get by safely As one veteran driver puts it, you're going to pass, pass.” Tight up ‘ehind and a little Jeft of the car ahead and then shoot by, tooting the horn meanwhile. The | reason for keeping a little ta the left | is largely a matter of being able to judge the condition accurately This also warns the man behind | that you are going to pass, and pos- | sibly prevents him from trying to | pass around you. In addition. the| driver of the approaching car ob- serves conditions and may be inclined to co-operate in behalf of safety. * % x poor "1 Get the | The greatest tribute ever paid my | driving was that of a child who smiled when I stopped and waved her across the intersection.” says a | motorist friend who s conscious of the little things of life. * k% % Difficulties encountered by the motorist in his attempts to abide by the instruction book’s lubrication chart have been responsible for many service station and repair shop visits since the automohiie became the greatest medium of individual trénsportation. The past few years have seen simplification step into the lubrication prohlem In spite of this, probably because the habit became so strong, many motorists still dodge the issue and put off oiling and greasing as long as the car performs without exces- sive protest The current year, however, should mark a great improvemeni. Manu- - facturers not only have made great advances in this respect. but they are going further in that they are edu- | cating the motorist on the subiect. They are tclling the car owner how simpie lubrication has become. Con- stant reiteration will drive home the point. Automobiles cannot be made to_require no oiling and greasing. The matorist’s part in lubricating | the car’s working parts has hecome less and less, but the opcrator still has a role to play. It is such an casy one that undoubtedly many more will be likely to play it this year. * ok ok % An Eastern State proposes to in- crease the gasoline tax from 2 to 4% cents a gallon to raise money to eliminate grade crossings. “But trains do not use gasoline,” counters the motorist who thinks that automobile taxes have reached their limit. * %ok % A survey conducted by a national motoring agency develops the inter- esting nformation that insurance companies rate “co-eds” as better risks than their brothers on the campus. They are reported to take fewer chances and to show sounder judgment in emergencies. A father who boasts of a co-ed daughter and a son, also in college, overheard the former sustaining the insurance companies’ argument. He entered and ended the discussion with but one terse observation, to w 'ou may be better than vour brother as a driver, but you will profit exceedingly by realizing that that fact does not make you good. Better is greatly relative in all cases. but it is never more relative than when it describes the driving of one- half of the younger generation as against the other.” * o % % What with all cars so gayly colored it is hard to tell whether the flashy machine ahead belongs to the deb or the dowager. 7 * ok K % Automobile salesmen no longer are dealing with necophytes when they g0 to see the average prospect. In thousands of cases the prospect may know quite as much about the me- chanical ability of an automobile as the man who ‘sells it, Accordingly, the salesman who once was able to do most of his sell- ing before the demonstration actual- Iy began now must meet a growing “show me” attitude on the part of { the prospective buyer. The motorist ) does not need to know the technical side of the car to he well up on per- | formance, and he demands a demon- | stration that puts the car through | all of its paces. Although he may not know what makes a car fast, powerful, saie, easy to handle, and economical in operation, he wants to be sure that it has all these qualities. To the credit of the automotive industry, it can be said that the manufacturer has given the sales- man a product that he does not have to argue the skeptic into buying. * ok ok X One of liie’s tragedies is that the %te Mr. Blank fell into that cate- @ry while he was trying hard not to. * % Xk ¥ Disc wheels are coming back, if they ever actually went away. A greater number of the models at the National Automobile Show wore this type of wheel than ever before. The old objection to this type of wheel seemed to concern itself chiefly with the noises it kept be- neath the car. Now that body and chassis silence has reached such re- markable heights, this objection has than any other type and that it has | a large margin when it comes to ease of cleaning. o ox o There is nothing mandatory about the ads which point out that a car does “70 miles an hour with ease. ok ow % 1t may surprise most automobile | drivers to learn that the clutch has | much to do with freedom from rear | wheel spinning in slippery weather. | Chains, effective as they may be in providing additional traction in | starting, do not entirely eliminate | this wheel spinning in many cars. | Traced to its source, the trouble has | heen found to be due to some failing | in_the clutch | The smoother the clutch the less elihood there that the rear wheels will fall to spinning when you want to start. This applies regard- less of whether the tires are chained or chamless. The effect of the| smooth clutch is to transmit engine | power gently but surely. | It is exactly like pulling one sheet | of paper from beneath a pile of them. | i the onc sheet is given a smart | jerk it will come out quickly, leaving the pile just as it was before. But if the one sheet is pulled slowly | the whole pile will come with it If you apply engine power slowly to the rear wheels, even if they have poor traction, the whole car will start in motion. But if the power is applied suddenly, as is the case where the clutch is not gentle in its operation, the wheels go free and the car stays put. When you pull the emergency brake part way on, as in trying to get out of snow or mud, all you do is provide a steadier pull on the car by preventing the wheels from breaking into a spin. It is generally recognized by driv- ers that to let in the clutch sudden]y | means spinning the rear wheels, even when traction is satisfactory, but few appreciate that even a gen- tly operated clutch may not be gentle in action. * ok ok % Do you always sound the horn to | warn others you are coming and to | get out of your way, or do you sometimes horn so that another driver will know that you are in his way ? Warning, it seems, is more than a matter of warning the man ahead to get out of your way; more and more it is coming into use as a means of keeping other drivers on their toes. Frequently the man who is coming down the road toward you is looking straight into the “blind spot” of his closed car and does not see your car at all. A short toot from your horn brings him to his senses, and while he may not know that you are horning for his benefit, it does serve to put him on his guard for further action. It is well to sound the horn for every driver who is ap- proaching. and who does not appear to be giving full attention to the sit- uation. * * ¥ % Drivers who find their car sudden- ly has acquired the habit of skidding should look into the brake adjust- ment. Some of the four-wheel brake jobs are designed to allow for a braking force heavier on the rear wheels than on the front ones; others need equal braking power all around. When the latter system is tampered with and mechanics try to proportion braking force for more brake power on the rear wheels the tendency to skid is increased im- mediately. * ok ok % It is not generally known that bear- ings have an effect on pressure of the oiling system. Low oil pressure often is the result of loose bearings. Here is how it works: The oiling system of an automobile is built up through offering resist- ance to the flow of oil as developed by the oil pump. In the modern engine pressure. is regulated by a regulation valve, and since this is simply a check on the flow of the oil it is apparent that the bearings themselves are regulated to a certain extent. 1y they are tight, oil pres- sure is apt to be too high unless certain compensations are made at the oil regulator valve itself. On| the other hand, if the bearings are | loose it is apparent that they will | not offer the usual resistance to the | flow of the oil, thus reducing the oil pressure. * ok ok It is nighttime on a dark, lonely road and the engine stalls. You have no trouble light and try as you will no light from the car can be directed to the carburetor. You think you are out of gas, but cannot be quite sure. Suddenly you think of a simple way to find out. You| have some one in the car step on| the starter while you go around back to smell the exhaust. No strong odor of gas, no gasoline! (Copsright. 1927.) CLUTCH ROCKING AIDS. Trick Often Helps Car from Mud or Snow. Use of the clutch to “rock” the car out of mud or snow can be resorted to | occasionally without serious damage. Often where a continuous application | of power will not pull the car out of a | bad spot in the road a rocking mo: | tion, caused by letting the ecluteh in and out with a rhythmic measure, will give the necessary traction. Don’t do it except as an experiment, and if it does not work, ahandon the trick at once. Too much of this will harm the clutch. Did You Know— That if two gaskets are used in the cylinder head to increase the size of the combustion chamber and reduce compression, a slight change must be made in the carburetor adjustment The mixture should be made slightl richer untii sufficient carbon has col- lected to force compression up to nor- mal again. That springs should be rearched after they start to flatten out? The average car of several years' service does not ride as well as of old because the springs have lost their efficiency. It will help to remove them and sub- mit them to the treatment of spring experts. That If a spare Inner tube is carried in the car, it should be wrapped in been removed Friends of the disc declare it lends jtself to adornment more readily soft paper or preferably cloth? Bal- loon tubes are more flexible than the THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, 2 D. 0., ‘GLOATING OVER HAVING GRABBED THE ONLY CAB Copyrghe, 1927, by Motropaiten Newspoper Sermes FEBRUARY 6. 1927—PART 3. INE SIGHT. Few Drops of Oil Stop Grinding of Steering Wheel It pays to keep in mind many of the less conspicuous parts of the car which are not properly lubri- cated because they are overlooked 50 easily. One of these, almost invariably forgotten in the lubricating proc- ess, Is the top of the steering gear post. A few drops of light ofl applied at this point every few thous#na miles will take away that grinding noise when one tugs at the wheel as in parking. Clutch and brake pedal shafts need a little lubricant once in a while. Neglect causes excessive wear, resulting in noisy pedal action. Don't neglect the windshield sup- ports and anchors, U.S.T0 ADOPT NEW FLEXIBLE AUTO BODY Now Being Used by 40 European Manufacturers, Motor Engineer Explains at Meeting. Flexible fabric automobile bodies, now being used by 40 European man- ufacturers, will be adopted by Ameri- can automobile makers at an early date, according to H. Steinbrugge, chief engineer of one of the com- panies specializing tn high-class mo- tor car_ bodles. Mr. Steinbrugge described how the flexible body is huilt with a skeleton of wood and a covering of imitation leather at a recent meeting of the Indiana secton of the Soclety of Auto. motive Engineers The flexible body is built in a series of parallelograms, with a framework of wood members joined together by plates of cold-rolled steel, which gives a certain amount of flexibility at the joints. Wood in contagt with metal does not squeak, sald Mr. Steinbrugge, but if desired, 1ubber pads can be placed between the base of the frame and the members of the chassis frame to which the body is bolted. Floor boards and seats are bolted directly to the chassis frame and are not at tached to the sides or back of the body. Doors are built with flexible joints and have flexible hinges. Manufacturing _advantages men- tioned are that all the finished parts of the unassembled body can be stored or shipped in small space, the Imita- tion leather can be cut in the desired shapes in lots of 25 to 50 at a time with an electric cutting machine, the bodies can be assembled progressively by the chain system, no painting is necessary, and models can be changed frequently at slight expense. ASSOCIATION AGAINST AUTO INSURANCE BILL Baltimore Commerce Group Op- poses Compulsory Act Now Before State Legislature. The board of directors of the Balti- more Association of (‘]ommercal has disapproved the compulsory automo- bile. imaurance _bil now before the Legislature, This action followed a report by the legislative committee of the assoclation which suggested that Maryland wait until the scheme was tried out elsewhere. Recommendation was made that the present law§ goverming automobile raffic and licensing be enforced more | rigidly,, or that they be amended, if & necessary, to prevent driving by those found unfit, either by reason of in- temperance or disregard of the rights| of others. It was suggested that this be accomplished by providing that in case of conviction for serious viola tions of the law the operating permit be suspended automatically for a period of a year. and upon conviction for a second offense it be revoked permanentl. AUTHORIZED FLINT AND STAR Service and Parts All Work Guaranteed Rear of 727 17th St. or 18 Jackson Place high-preesure type, but carrving them in a box is apt to chate the folds, Phone Franklin 9827 HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT FAILS TO KEEP STEP WITH AUTO TAX Levy Jumps Over 50—F01;17 in 11 Years, While Road Mileagc Has Barely Doubled, Says Moskovics. That taxes on automobiles, direct and indirect, had Increased from $12,000,000 in 1914 to approximately $666,000,000 in 1925, or more than 50- fold, is pointed out by F. E. Moskovics, president of the Stutz Motor Car Co., in a plea that road construction should be commensurate with the taxes the automobile-using public pays. Of these taxes more than $450,000,- 000 is derived through registration feos and gasoline taxes, the remainder being secured from Federal excise taxes, personal property taxes on au- tomobiles, municipal wheel taxes ef- fective in many cities and other spe- cial payments, 7 While taxes have increased to such gigantic proportions, according to Mr. Moskovics, road mileage has bare- ly doubled. During 1914, he points out, there were 257,000 miles of im proved roads in the United States, whereas now there are about 500,000, Forward Motoring Public. “The motoring public is in many respects the most progressive section of America,"” Mr. Moskovics said. *Its millions are alert, happy, progressive and prosperous. Yet this vast public sleeps peacefully on. While it sleeps its rights have been invaded, its potkets emptied and its safety denied. ““This vast public is the easiest mark that tax gathering ever found. It is the most tax-ridden class of the mod- ern age. It gets very little for the hundreds of millions of special taxes laid upon it annually by the States. countles, cities and Federal Govern- ment. “The giant has grown so fast it does not know its strength. In 1914 there were less than 2,000,000 motor vehicles in America. Now there are more than 00,000 motor vehicles. At the very least two taxpayers and voters are interested in each motor vehicle. Consequently there are fully 40,000,000 voters who habitually ride in motor vehicles. If this class voted as a group there is no limit to things it could do. Yet, right now, this class is treated as an insignificant monority by the legislators of the States and the Nation. Its rights are ignored. Motorists’ Bill Grows. “Ostensibly the motor car tax money goes to help build and support roads. Before 1914 the public con. sidered roads a necessi tire populace and property supported them. The motorists’ share of the burden in 1024 was but 5 per cent. Now the motorists pay considerably more than half the entire bill, which amounts to about a billion dollars a year, the motorists paying In_excess of $800,000,000 per vear for the last three years. “During this crucial period, when the motor cars increased 10 times and the taxes on motor cars increased 50 times, the improved road milage has and the en- | increased but once, or just doubled! During 1914 there were 91 miles of improved roads in the land. Now there are about 500,000 miles. Road mileage has doubled, cars increased 10 times, and taxes on car owning in- creased 50 times.” In further discussing this question, he says. “Our road building records sound splendid until you measure the roads and the number of cars they will ac- commodate with safety, We hear much of 10,000 miles of new roadc completed each year in recent years. Splendid, but how ahout this? FEach mile of 18-foot road, which is’ the mileage basis of those 10,000 miles of new road, will accomodate hut 200 cars, in two lines moving at miles per heur. Fach car at this speed needs 50 feet of roadway. That means about 20 feet hetween each car, on each line of the double-track way. “Thus, the 10,000 miles of road.will not accommodate the 2,500,000 annual increase in motor. vehicles. The facts are actually worse than this. In spite of 10,000 miles of new, improved roads each year, there are buflt but 6,000 miles of pavement. The other 4,000 miles of new road are really sec- ondary roads in sparsely settied parts of the land. Where the pavement: is laid the road congestion will be found. At least 2,000,000 new cars annually try to get onto the 6,000 miles of new pavement that will ac- commodate but 1,200,000 vehicles with proper safety. 3 “‘Since 1919 we have had an increas- ing road shortage that in its accumu- lation now amounts to a mileage shortage of from 20,000 to 30.000 miles, measured by the demand, the increase in cars, and- the enormous motor tax funds annually forced from the motorists. Vote as Taxed. o one grudges the tax money if they only give us roads equal to our share in road building coste. We do Insist that property and the public should also support roads. “The great motoring public will eventually get the roads for which it has paid, and pald and pald. Our amfable giant will awake and vote as it has been taxed. No one of the in- dustry, no group of the motorists ever asked to be set up as a special motoring class. But they have grouped us among the sheep that can be led to slaughter without complaint. They have made of the motoring pub- lic the greatest taxpayer of the land. In the end they will have to give us adequate roads. They will do this just as surely as they have made a special class of the motorists. But the time when they hegin to do this Interests every one who drives a motor vehicle. This road building is the great safety advance of the next 10 years.” Sleep-Walking Natives and Hysterical Cows Chief Enemies of Java Motorist Sleep-walking natives and hysterf- cal cows are the chief enemies of the motorist in Java who is forced to do night driving. ! This new rote in nightdriving dif- |ficulties was sounded by L. M. Prin- sen Geerligs of De Locomotief, Sama- rang, Java, in an address before the third World Motor Transport Con- re: 4 tives customarily walk with merchandise on their heads at id Mr. Geerligs. ‘“They thel night,” trot pretty fast along the roads, but they are absolutely asleep. All at once they appear before vour radi- ator and you are lucky if you escape running them down. “It is similarly dangerous with cows. The Javanese cow is the ani- mal which pushes the plow and the wagon. Theses husky animals have a habit of hecoming frightened hy head- lights. Then they dash straigt at the light. “This is very annoying.” the speaker concluded. BUY A GUARANTEEDEFUSED CAR Ford Touring, newly painted, late model. *'Reconditionsd Coupe, new lacquer peint, $38.80 down, SI118 per mo. Late improved model Ford Roadster, $280. o Late Touring, with very good tires—mew paint. Each and every one of the above cars is guaranteed Many Touring Cars will be sold at Winter prices TERMS From $25.00 to $100.00 Down—S$15.00 to $25.00 Month 301 14th Street N South of Penna. Ave. v v AAAAAAAAAAAAS AAAAAS Vvvvn PPN i Balanced Wheels Reduce Rumbling Noise at Top Speed Balanced wheels are one of the most unsung of the newer notes in motordom. They are designed to reduce the rumble so notice able when quiet engines are run ning at top speed on smooth high- ways. Wheels can be balanced inherent- Iy or by use of a counterweight. It usually is a matter of compensat- ing for the weight of the stem, cap and dust cap of the tire. A slight- Iy larger lug nut used on the side of the wheel oposite the valve is one way to achieve balance. Nine wheels out of 10 will stop rotating with the tire stem down. A balanced wheel will stop at any point. Find the proper counter- balance weight for the front wheels and apply it to those in the rear. The latter are difficult to test ac- curately. MARYLAND PROPOSES MINIMUM SPEED LAWS * Twenty Miles an Hour Is Sug- gested as Slowest in Bill Before Legislature. It will be illegal to drive an auto mobile on a Maryland State road at less than 20 miles an hour on Satur- days, Sundays and holidays, if a bill Just presented to the Legislature be- comes a law. The measure, sponsored by John N. Mackall, State roads commissioner, is designed to end congestion on the highways. It is Mr. Mackall's contention that “it is not the fast driver who causes highway accldents. “As long as a man is careful, al- most any speed is permissible under certain conditions. The slow driver, the one who holds up all other users of the roads and causes congestion, is the one chiefly to blame for the | wrecked cars one see along the high- wa “The present bill takes care only of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. because the public is not yet familiar with the way the minimum speed laws apply. When it has been in use for some time, however, I am sure the people will approve a universal mini- mum speed law. Later, the minimum speed will be above 20 miles, perhaps 30. And ‘maximum speed will be entirely eliminated, the only limit being reasonable care. Reckless driv ing should depend upon the circum- stances at the time, rather than upon arbitrary laws.” In addition to the Mackall bill. many other traffic regulations will be pi posed to the Legislature. One, feated last session, will seek to pro hibit parking autos at the tops of hills or on curves on State roads. An- other will require full headlights. One change will govern the right of way where a State road meets a less important highway. Tt is proposed that the autos on' the State road be given the right of way. . New Features in Spring. Granted that the automobile shows will mark the introduction of a great many new features, not all the hig features in design will be revealed until Spring. Among the headliners yet to come _are low pressure, self- filling hydraulic four-wheel brakes, paneled tops, fabric bodies, high-speed motors that run moderately at mod. erate car speeds, single sleeve-valve engine and jolt-proof clutches. de. It pays to buy Ebonite rather than what some dealers have to offer. Just say “EBONITE” Be Sure You Get It 20 Cents a Shot ONE FILLING WITH EBONITE WILL LAST 2,500 MILES From the Checkerboard pump only, and in five-pound eans, At All Good Dealers’ John Smith BY FREDERIC No. 17%: Hurrying Safely It was not unusual to see Smith doing a daily dozen of one kind or another with the car. He was a firm believer in the value of practice Usually he was practicing stopping, slow driving in high gear, quick re-cranking of the engine, fine steering, and so on It was all good business, hut there seemed to be one teature he overiooked That was speed. Never in all the Ivears I have known him do I recall eeing him practice speeding T ever heard of him even ing it. Some day vou may have to speed,” 1 reminded him. “You may even have a police officer standing on the run ning hoard commanding you to go like | the mischief. Then what will vou do? “I guess this baby can kick up the dust when I step on it," ha praisefl | the car ““No question ahout will do,” I agreed |about the driver. That | hue before, “When you are forced to where in the least possible time," 1 went on, "It i&n't merely a matter of pressing on the accelerator as far as it will go. As a matter of fact, vou might have all kinds of difficulty get ting the car to reach its top speed and all sorts of risks. And when you speeding in an emergency vou least can afford to risk your neck Safe Dri “That is where you must use vour wits, but wits that haven't heen kept sharpened are not so useful. If you never try to make good time, the chances are a hundred to one that when you do have to you are going to fail from stage fright. You'll he in a strange environment with the scenery going past like a flash. You will Fe taking long chances. You probably will violate the law, and if you don't wreck the car you'll be doing well. | the th what “I'm car nking of a different considered this was something He never had t some. ing Is Speediest. with safety lies in You should know fr#m actual driving experience just how quickly vou can get the car under way and you should aim to make it accelerate as rapidly as possible. T know one driver who never practiced any of thix. and when he was forced to step on the gas in an emergency he kept running too fast in low and second when shifting gears. This delayed him a lot. You can run some cars up to 30 miles an hour in second and he John Smith is a character whom every moto He is not selfish: rather he s a motoring martyr, a chap willing and glad to have exploited, in an interesting way, benefit of the other 20,000,000 or more members quick | nor have | consider- | “One of the biggest aids to speeding | quick getaway. | and His Car K C. RUSSELL ist should welcome. experiences for the f the motor clan. | off in high at 30 and over in no time. | Other machines just won't shift if vou | force them much over 20 in second. i Know Your Car's Capacity You should kn ist what | ear will do. This applies to the hrakes |as well as to the acceieration and speed. It is important to know | exactly how much power you have | with which to stop: otherwise vou may averestimate it or underestimate it. In event of the former. vou may have a collision at least a narrow escape which will help to un nerve vou. If it he latter, you will not be trave fast as should when you have an epportunity. “For instance. you are rushirg to the hospital with some one who has been seriously injured. There is an open stretch where vou can hit 50 miles an hour without endangerin any one or taking an wnnecessar chance. But you are not sure j how far you can go at this speed he cause there is a sharp turn at the end of the road where vou must slow down to 20, You lose a little time here because you have not lear practice just how effective brakes are at high speed “On all the curves vou drive slowar than is necessary. You have see other cars turn over on curves have not practiced with vour machine long enough to know that because of its Tow center of gravity vou can take curves at quite high speed Many Points to Consider. “Then there fs vour steering judgment of distance, vour ing. and. in particuia shifting at high speed. v content to wait for the ca from 20 to 30 in high would s be clever enough to drop back | second and accelerate to 30 in a flast High speed requires super-control |of the car, and vou cannot acquire this without intelligent practice. I do not recommend burning up the highways in an effort to become n master of this type of driving, but {when vou have an oppertunity to gn fast. try to study conditions with a | view to hecoming thoroughly familiar with the peculiar hazards vou will meet when vou are obliged to pilot a car in-an emergency.’ It gave Smith new slant speed. There was something he had neglected. Some day he might be called upon to function as a highway lifesaver, and it became evident to | him that the driver out of practice in | this line is out of luck | Next Week, Unseen Brakes. 1997 vour Bl geay horn 10 pick t Lessons learned from the last quar- ter of a century are being applied to advantage by leaders in the automo- tive industry, says E. T. Strong, presi- dent of the Buick Motor Co., who de- clares that the era just ahead of the car manufacturer will be character- ized by certainty instead of specula- tion: “We are better educated than we were a few vears ago, when it was necessary for pioneers to sell the automobile to the public,” say Mr. €trong. “We have put behind us the highly competitive years when 600 companies were scrambling for a foot- hold. This number has been reduced original total. “We now know that the automo- bile i an accepted commodity and an absolute necessity. Under normal conditions we can depend upon a cer- tain Amount of business each year from the replacement market and the natural increase in population. We are assured of a yearly increase in registration which is dependent on what might be termed a registration ratio. “In 1917 registrations increased 40 per cent over the previous year. Since that date the trend in the increase on a percentage basis has steadily de- clined. Today the growth in registra- tions it on a much lower ratio. In 1925 it amounted to about 15 per cent and each year it is growing smaller. Auto Market of Future. “This means that we are establish ing_a 'registration ratio which will probably amount to a very small per cent seven or eight years from now, and which will represent the yearly increase in registrations based on the natural increase in population. Add to that the replacement market, new owners and the -export market and you have the automobile market of the future. “We know that each of these fac- tors, or at least the registration ratio, replacement and new owner markets, amounts to a fairly steady percentage of total business each year. The ex- port market is slightly more intangi ble, but it has not as vet hecome-sta bilized due to unfortunate conditions abroad, curately source. “What does this certainty mean? what to expect from this »r shooting in the dark. It means that the entire industry knows just about how much business it can expect from year to vear and can arrange its pro- duction schedules accordingly. “We are now able to level off our production schedules ' and divide production more equally among the seasons. This is an economy which Is reflected in the lower priced and higher quality automobiles from year to year. “It is true that dealers can obtain an expert appraisal of their terri- tories from the factory which tells them just how much business they may expect each year. Think of what allow a 309 discoun absorbers purchased Royce. This is a g at a small cost. TTRANSMISSIONS ¢REAR AXLES | BAYERSON OIL WORKS QLUMBIA today to less than 10 per cent of the | Later we will know more ac- | It means that the industry is no long- | LEADERS OF AUTO INDUSTRY TO BENEFIT BY EXPERIENCE this means to the dealer! He can ac curately budget his year ahead of time and know with reasonable ce: tainty how much profit he will make “The new dealer can start busin, knowing just how many of his make of car his territory should absorb and can finance himseif accordingly Automobile dealerships have become a permanent, profitable source livellhood and are practicall speculative if the dealer utilizes fac tory aid. This was not true a fev Vvears ago, but today we know whers yesterday we guessed, “Competition has not decreased. but it is a different kind of competition The fewer companies who now do the bulk of automobile business are the survivors of the more speculative era of competition which we passed through during the early yearg of the industry. “During that earlier period somo very startling automotive creations appeared in the market to hid for popularity. In most cases the com panies which built them have gone out &8f existence. The companies Which are left are the ones which of fered only tried and tested products. thereby building up public good will which proved very valuable when the struggle for recognition became most keen, “Thus we now have in the market products of manufacturers which, for the most part, are backed by reputa- tions of worth. This means that the public no longer needs to guess—the public knows. In the narrowed field of choice there is a reliable car for every one backed by a company of un- questionable stabilis Manufacturers Benefit. “The manufacturers, profited by this process of elimina tion. FEach company knows about | what percentage of husiness it will g4t out of the total husiness for any; particular period. uch factors as these ara consid ered: General businegs conditions, total business the industry will do during the coming year: percentage of such business which the company can expect; how much of this busi- | ness will come in the Fall, how much in the Winter and how much in the Spring and Summer. With this knowWledge at hand, production sched- ules are arranged and leveled® off to | meet the demand in the most eco nomical manner. with the result that labor turnover is reduced, overhead is stabilized. car stocks are no mere | than adequate and dealers are oper | ating more efliciently. This knowl ‘edgfl. this certainty, is the most valuable development the Industry 1hm.- undergone since fts birth.” too, have Officer May Inspect Car. New traffic regulations in New | York require that any car owner or operator must permit a policeman, motor vehicle inspectar or other per. son exercising police powers to inspect the equipment of his vehicle and make such tests as may be necessary to determine whether the law is being complied with. (0% Discount For the month of February we will t on all Bosch shock from us. These Bosch shocks are brand new and adaptable to every car from Fords to Rolls reat chance for you to improve the riding quality of your car Potomac Battery & Electric Co. 1627 14th St. NW.’ Phones, Potomac 1809-4873