Evening Star Newspaper, November 4, 1928, Page 75

" DANGEROUS TYPE OF DRIVER CITED Maryland Official “Automatic” Operator as Second to Reckless Man. Bpecial Dispatch to The Star. | Classes | BY R. J. ALLEN, | Member of the Metropolitan Police Force. I read in a recent article (written | BALTIMORE, Md., November 3.—| ‘The “automatic” automobile driver is| one of the most dangerous types of drivers, and runs a close second to the reckless driver, according to E. Austin Baurlimen, motor vehicle commissioner. | “Every automnbile driver,” says the| commissionsr, “should check up on | himself to ¢ <rtain if he has acquired | the automatic driving habit. | “One of » worst conditions with which drivers have 15 contend is one which is rarely given a thought. This condition is tlie tendency of the aver- age humen being to form habits when | any = ty is constantly repeated. \ These activities under such circui- stances are very apt to bacome purely | mechanical. The driving of, a motor| vehicle is a constant repetition of cer- | tain actions ana reactions, and it does | not take 1.ng to form a habit of going | through these actions and reactions mechanically. | “True, such habits may be good ones. | Hence it is not with these tl.at we need | be concerned. On the other hand, they | mayv be very bad habits, leading to| careless operation, which is full of dan- | ger at all times. { An Example Cited. [ “For instance, the driver may follow the same route day after day in his driving experience and encounter no untoward circumstance. There is the beginning of a reactionary .abit—a habit not to expect untoward circum- stances. Hence when some day the| untoward circumstance bobs up that driver is not prepared for it nor trained to meet it. He is not ‘in the habit’ of having things happen at that point which he ha@ whvays heretofore considered an entlrely safe place. “Analysis of motor veilcle accidents covering a period of a number of ye: shows a&n _entirely disproportionate number of drivers who have had sev- eral years driving experience who are involved in such accidents. Apparen their driving has become an automatic hebit and they failed to recognize da..- gerous conditions until too late to avold disaster. Accident reports are moncto- nous in their repetition of such phases as ‘I tried to swing or changs my| course to avoid striking him’ or ‘It was too late to stop when I saw him.’ “~tomatic Habit Stressed. “Careful weighing of the facts show the prevalence of automatic driving| habits. Comfortably seated in the ve- hicle, with the controls simnlified and casily operated, the automatic driver apparently operates with no more re- gard for his surroundings than if he wer> a passenger in the vehicle. Such drivers give the impression of care- less operation, and their manner of driving may appear to border on reck- lessness. | “I would urge drivers when next they are out to check up on their own method of operation. For instance, how do you pass across intersections? Pedestrians ia the street? How do you traverse curves and make turns? How do you pass other vehicles? In wet wezther do you make allowance for reduced tractive force due to slippery highways and slow down to avoid skid- ding? “Consclentious check of this nature on your driving habits will produce re- sults which will probably surprise you.” Manitoba Licenses Gain. ‘WINNIPEG, Canada (Special).—Tt is announced that approximately 69,000 automobile licenses have been issued in Manitoba dunn{mt.he first nine months of 1928—approximately 7,000 more than were issued during the whole of 1927, ‘when there was a total of 62,127. ‘The 1928 figures include 5,600 truck licenses. Since the average license fee for automobiles is about $15, revenue of the province for the year to date from that source is something over $1,000,000. | the one who was in the wrong. by a woman) that only one man in 5,000 is physically and mentally capa- ble of directing traffic. I guess she figured it from her | own stand point. | While it is hard, gruelling work neverthefess it ‘| not-so bad as all that, and there are X | a great many in- | teresting things 1 about it that help to make the days pass rapidly. I will guarantee any man_ or woman I § (man especially) g | that about the best | half hour’s enter- oy tainment you ever had in your life can be derived from listening to the conversation of two women, respec tive drivers of two different automo- biles, who have just collided with each | other (albeit maybe gently) with a harassed traffic cop who is trying to get head or tail out of it. “Now, see here, Officer. it was this way. I was proceeding down along t treet here about two and one-half miles an hour when this, this here woman was dash- ing madly up that street and—you must have seen her—about 50 miles | an hour, and then stopped instantly | right in my path. How could I help | running into her? No, I absolutely | refuse to let you look at my permit| first. You look at hers first. Say, do you know this woman here? No? Well, what are you smiling at her for? Now, see here, Officer, you 'tend to your busi- ness or I will have my husband report you.” And when she is forced to pause for breath, the other woman, who has never stopped talking during the en- tire time. now manages to make herself | intelligible, and she says: “I was com- | ing down that street at about one mile | an hour, looking to the Hi)ht and left carefully, observing everything taking place within sight and hearing, and watching you very carefully, Officer, when this hussy——" “Hussy!” screams the other. “I will tear that imitation hair off your head and give your face a slap it will remember! I'll shdw you who is a hussy. If I wasn't a lady, etc, etc, etc.” Finally the officer gets the crowd dispersed and persuades the ladies to drive on their way, with in- structions to meet him in the corpora- tion counsel’s office the next morning, and meanwhile having tried to give both ladies the impression that he is strongly for her version of the affair, and hoping to shift the burden on to the shoulders of the corporation coun- s2l next day, but nevertheless con- vinced that Mrs. Johnny Jones was Enter Mr. Jones. Now if you want to know why the docket it crowded at court, you should be in Lawyer Ketchem & Cheatem's offices the next morning when enters Mr. Jonny Jones, and informs Lawyer Cheatem that his wife had an accident yesteraay and he wishes to retain Law- yer Cheatem to look after his wife's side of the matter. So then Lawyer Cheatem inquires of Mr. J. J. in his business-like manner, just what were the circumstances leading up to this accident. “Well,” says Mr. J. J., “my| wife has had a great deal of driving experience. At least she has ridden with me for a long time and you know what a driver I am. Of course, she only has been driving herself about three months, but I know she is a very careful woman. She has had very few accidents in that time, and the way she tells me it all happened yes- terday was: While she was proceed- ing down Blank Street, about one-half mile an hour, I believe she said, and | reaching a point directly opposite the middle of the intersection at such and such a street, she was halted by the Traffic Cop. It was then that this THE SUNDAY 'WHEN LADY DRIVERS COLLIDE— | PITY THE POOR TRAFFIC OFFICER :Policeman Allen Relates Conversations Which Are Only Pgrt of His Daily Entertainment. Mrs. Smith came tearing down the street 90 miles an hour and crash- ed into her. Then this Mrs. Smith jumped out and she obviously seemed to be under the influence of liquor or drugs or something, or at least she was no lady, so my wife claims, and the Officer is strongly for us, and, my wife says, assured her that he would stand by her through thick and thin and see to it that Mrs. Smith was prosecuted.” Now the result of all this is that Lawyer Cheatem gets a shock when he talks to the Officer in the case. He certainly scems to have a different version, and the result is Of course, Mrs. Jones is right, and of course, Mrs. Smith is right, and, of course, each of their husbands retain lawyers, and, of course, they refuse to compromize, and, of courso, they go to Court and indulge in litigation, and, of course, they both and thelr respective relatives believe to their dying days that each one was in the right and that Jjustice triumphed—or was assassinated, according to which side won, etc. Other Types. Then there are other types—the old woman who pursues her way slowly and methodically across the street, looking neither to the right nor to the left, absolutely determined that the va- rious vehicles on the street will have to slow up or stop for her. She and her aged male counterpart constantly fur- nish the news which emanates from the various hospitals and morgues every day; besides killing every good impulse towards charity and consideration for old age which a traffic officer possesses. Then there is the fellow who always tries to beat the officer's signal across the street, after the officer has held up the traffic the way he is traveling, and usually meets in the exact center of the street the other fellow who has been equally hasty in starting on the officer’s signal, with the resultant traffic jam— A so the fellow who snarls, as he goes past, “Why didn't you make me wait a little longer?” And the sweet young thing who is always desperately trying to catch the officer’s eye with what she imagines is her gorgeous smile, hoping he will let her by sooner: and perhaps most exasperating of all are the people who drive slowly and leisurely across the intersection, caring little how much they hold up traffic or inconvenience other motorists who may be following them: and then there is the type who cause traffic officers to regard murder fondly—indeed, almost to consider it a prohibited virtue—and they are the ones who immediately be- gin to blow their horns upon bein, halted. Probably the meanest type of humans in the world are the ones who are constantly blowing their horns— blowing for their girl: blowing to attract their friend's attention; blowing be- cause they think they own the world; blowing because they are mean: blow- ing because they have utterly no con- sideration for the rights of the other fellow. They are like the people who love the sound of their own voice--they love the sound of their own horns, mekes 'em feel important or something. Here are a few ruies suggested to me by experience and =also from listening to the opinions of a great many other brother officers, which, if followed, would go far toward making your own R. McReynolds & Son Studehaker SALES 1423.1425-1427 LSt.N.W. Decatur 686 NEW SERIES MARMON Marmon built it. .. but its price is low enough for ’most everyone to own ERE is the advanced type of perform- ance (straight-eight). Here is the completely new era of style. Here is seasoned dependability. Here is the New 68", The “68” is Marmon built . Major units —bodies—motors—are manufactured com- pletely in Marmon plants to the well known Marmon standard. If you would have a car that looks dis- tinctively different and performs with fine car brilliance—won’t you try the new *68"? Jor New “68" Sedan. Also, New “78", $196S. Prices f. 0. b. factory. De luxe equipment exfra. MARMON MOTORS, Inc. Used Cars 1733 14th St. N.W. North 7155 STAUNTON MARMON SALES CO. STAUNTON, VA. McKEE_MOTOR CAR CO. HAGERSTOWN, MD. A. C. MOSES, Prese 1727 Conn. Ave., Potomac 861 Open daily until 9:00 p.m., all day Sunday J. T, CAMPBELL LURAY, VA. LUPTON ORCHARD SERVICE CO. WINCHESTER. VA Service Station 1227 R St. N.W. North 4157 MARMON MOTOR SALES FREDERICK CITY, MD. E. J_HOLLAND CRISFIELD, MD. STAR. WASHINGTON, driving downtown in the morning and homewards in the evening a lot pleas- anter and more enjoyable, both for you and the other fellow: Rule (1) When you come down town tomorrow morning, smile at the various traffic policemen that you pass and bid them a pleasant good morning and you will probably be astonished to learn :n how few days that fellow on the corncr of so and so street will come to r = nize you and who you elways thought was so disagreeable, will smile at you in return and bid you an eqq-u&plels- ant good morning. You will still further astonished to realize how much happier and pleasanter it will make you feeg to start the day if every traffic policeman you pass in the morning smiles at you and greets you pleasantly; and imagine the astonishment and re- | spect with which brother-in-law will view you. If some day you take him riding downtown in your car and over the whole route, every traffic officer smiles and gives you a cheery greeting. Take Mr. Mellon, for instance, or the President’s secre- tary, or Bill Borah, ||| or any of the other | personages of Washington. Would they pass a traffic officer without speaking to him? No, indeed, they ) would not. ‘The pleasantest greet- ings I get come from Mr. Mellon, Senator Suther- land, etc. Those men have learned the value of the regard of the peo- ple they come in contact with, and someway or other, I fancy each one values and looks for the smile and nod and respectful, if in- formal, salute he receives from the various policemen he passes on his way to the office each morning. Rule (2). Second and perhaps most important of all, never, never argue with a policeman. They are only nu- man and subject, of course, to the same traits of character that we all are and here is where the old smile comes in again. Maybe you were right, maybe the policeman’s attention happened to be distracted at just the wrong moment and maybe he erroneously imagines that you were in the wrong. Do not bo- come belligerent with him, but be pleas- ant at whatever cost and say to him, “Well I thought I was right in that and am certainly sorry if I have accident- ally violated any of the rules and regu- lations and am perfectly willing to abide by your decision, officer.” Nine hun- dred and ninety-nine times out of a thousand,. in minor cases at least, that officer's decision is going to be for you, and in any case, the impression you created is going to do a lot of d one way or another because that officer ap- preciates your pleasant courteous man- ner more perhaps because people are often (if unconsciously) antagonistic to- wards him, and it may be just your luck that if it is an accident involving some other party, that that other party might grouchy, which attitude on his part will throw your gentlemanly one into sharp relief, and will give you a good opportunity of observing which manner avails the most. Rule (3). And, if you are a woman (young girl preferably), do not try to vamp the officer. There isn't a traffic officer in town that isn't thoroughly sick of young girls and older women as well, who fondly imagine that they can smile and coo and baby-talk their way out of any situation. And how well he knows from past experience that even if he is as kind as his duty dic- tates, they will invariably or willfully misinterpret his attitude and boast to their friends, D. €, NOVEMBER 7%, 1928—PART Zos SWIFT PROGRESS IS REPORTED IN CANADIAN MOTOR INDUSTRY Ten Concerns Engaged Actively in Auto and Truck Manufacture and As- sembly in The automobile industry in Canada is going ahead with leaps and bounds. | For the first eight months of this year, ending August 31, 181459 cars were manufactured and assembled, as com- pared to 150,321 cars during the same period last year. The factory sales value of these cars amounted to $116.- 209.341, compared to $96,757,055 in 1927. Of the cars made this year 129,- 658 were made for Canadian consump- tion, the remainder being for export. ‘There are 10 active concerns engaged in the manufacture and assembly of | motor cars and trucks in the Dominion. | Included in the cars turned out in Canada are the Chrysler, Dodge, Du- rant, Star, Ford, Chevrolet, La Salle, Buick, land, Oldsmobile, Erskine, Studebaker, Willys Knight, Overland and Whippet. The Graham Bros., G. M. C. Gotfredson, International and National trucks are also made in the Dominion. ‘The headquarters of the motor car tario, which is across the river from Detroit. Here the Chrysler, Ford, Got~ fredson and Studebaker have their fac- tories. Oshawa, east of Toronto, is practically a General Motors city. To- ronto has the plants of Dodge, Durant and the Willys-Overland, while the In- ternational and National trucks are also made in Southern Ontario, at Chatham and Hamilton, respectively. Some Lines Free of Duty. No automobile is a completely made Canadian product. The old model Ford, which was made about 90 per cent in | Can; probably the most com- friends, that they vamped such and such an officer and made a perfect fool out of him, invariably winding their tale up with: “And my dears, I was simply going 50,” or “I paid no atten- tion to his signal as I was in a sicken- ing hurry. You know how impatient mother is if she is kept waiting on the street after the matinee.” Just courteous and dignifiedly lady-like, giv- ing him the respect he deserves and seeming to expect in return the treat- ment from bim you would from any other gentleman, and, believe me, you will get it, because on the other hand, if you try to vamp him, you will be mersly doing exactly what he is ex- pecting you to do and you will probably nave your feelings hurt. Rule (4). Start promptly on the offi- cer’s gignal, never take your eyes from him, always display an anxiety to do your share toward helping the traf- fic situation, and don't honk your horn at the other fellow if he starts slowly. The officer will see him soon enough. In closing this article, I wish to say that the different types mentioned in the foregoing examples are the ex- ceptions and are not to be confused with the vast body of man and woman drivers who constantly strive to co-op- erate with the traffic officers and with each other. Another instaliment of Policeman Allen's interesting traffic experiences will be pub- Iished in the automobile section of next Sun- 's Star. who sometimes are his | day Dominion. pletely made Canadian car. Of the cars mentioned, the majority average from 75 to 80 per cent of Canadian material in their construction. Specialized lines, such as speedometers and other fittings, as well as certain electrical lines, are not made in Canada and therefore have to be imported. Some of these lines, if brought in solely for the use of new cars, are free of duty. The higher-priced automobiles are, as a rule, imported complete. There is | not enough demand to warrant branch factories of some of these cars. The Packard and Stutz are two typical cars of this type which come in and pay a 271; per cent customs duty. Cars under $1,200 value come into Canada with a 20 per cent duty. The Cadillac is brought to Canada partly complete, the General Motors plant at Oshawa finishing the car with Canadian prod- ucts, so as to overcome some of the customs duty. There are times when these cars are brought over complete. There. are few English cars repre- entad in Canada. These, the Morris- Cowley and the Vauxhall, with the oc- casional Rolls Royce, Sunbeam or other English car, are brought in com- plete, paying a 15 per cent duty. Other European cars pay 25 per cent duty. ‘Those American concerns which have opened up branch factories, or formed subsidiary companies in Canada. have founded an industry which in 1927 had a capital of $88.831,668. The employes numbered 11,063, while wages and sal- aries amounted to $18,862,846. Against this there was a production of 179,054 cars valued at factory prices at $115,904,228. Parts and accessories made by the manufacturers of cars totaled $12,796286 in addition, while 77 concerns engaged in the manufac- ture of parts and accessories outside of the motor car factories produced material worth $14,801,470. This fig- ure does not include automobile tires. Allowed Tax Drawback. To make more work in Canada and | increase the manufacturing of auto- mobile parts in the Dominion, it is necessary for manufacturers of motor cars in Canada to have at least 50 per cent of .their car assembled from Canadian products. In so doing they are allowed a drawback on the 5 per cent excise tax paid on materials brought in from the United States. This ruling came into effect last April, the former ruling requiring only a 40 per cent Canadian product manufac- ture in order to get the drawback. This ruling also will force some of the present manufacturers who import their cars entirely now to open fac- tories In Canada, if they wish to com- pete with Canadian-made cars. The 77 firms which are engaged in the industry of making parts for cars are practically all in Ontario. Forty- five are in that province, 12 in British Columbia, 7 in Quebec, 6 in Alberta, 6 in Manitoba and 1 in Saskatchewan. They employ on a monthly average nearly 3,000 people, while their annual salaries total $3,846,185, the amount paid in 1927. Included in their prod- ucts are wheels, springs, bodics, tops, bumpers, rods, tire rims, seat covers, NO windshields, motor parts, shock ab- sorbers and other accessories and parts. Imported cars for the first eight months total 38,808. By far the largest number of these come from the United States. During July and August of this year the imports were 4,210 and 4,753, respectively. During 1927 32,826 pas- senger cars and 3,804 trucks were im- ported. Together with parts and acces- sories used for the manufacture of automobiles in the Dominion, the im- ports totaled $63,394,516, which is the appraised customs value. Of this amount the United States supplied 99 per cent. Engines lmgor totaled 107,941, valued at $12,345,198, in addi- tion to_the above figures. It is inter- esting here to note that England sup- plied 125 trucks and 68 passenger cars, while other countries outside of the United States and England supplied 1 truck and 7 passenger cars last year. Exports World-wide. Canada does a considerable export business in motor cars. Her list of countries to which she exports is world- wide and includes the Orient, Austra- lasia, Europe and even the United States, besides the parts of the British Empire throughout the world. Foreign cars also reach Canada first to some extent before going to the United States and the re-exports totaled 438 cars last year, valued at $1,230,278. Australia and British India were the biggest customers last year, taking nearly 20,000 cars between them, India buying nearly 12,000. Preferred tariff makes it cheaper for American cars made in Canada to be exported from the Dominion to other Brit#n domin- ions than from the United States. The United Kingdom bought most of her American cars from the Canadian fac- tories last year, hu{lng over 7,000 cars. This export trade brings Canada more than $30,000,000 annually and is a con- siderable item in her production, more than one-fourth of the total. The value of cars exported is somewhat greater than that of cars imported. The same models that sell most in the United States are made most in Can- ada. The trend in the two countries is about the same. Models are also near- ly identical, there being variations in some of the makes. During 1928 there have been a con- siderable number of additions made to existing motor car factories. The Wil- lys-Overland at Toronto put up a new section, and several additions are being made in the Windsor area, while Gen- eral Motors is understood to be erect- ing a plant in the Canadian West, at Regina, where they will make their own bodies. More than 6,000,000 square feet of builaing space is used in the industry. ‘Three plants make their own engines. The rest are brought in from the United States. Ford is gradually get- ting his Canadian plants in shape, some of the first new Fords seen in Canada having been completely import- ed from the Detroit plants. Ontario has the most cars, her per- centage according to population being about 12 cars for every 100 people. Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Alberta come nearest this figure, with 11 cars for every 100 population; Marl- toba follows next, then the three mari- time Provinces, Quebec and the Yukon. On an average there is & car to nearly every nine persons out of a hundred in Canada. A financial paper of note in the Do- minion states that it is believed the number of cash sales in Canada is higher than in the United States. Paris to Have Firemen’s Congress. PARIS (Special).—An International Firemen's Congress will be held in Paris in 1929. Exhibitions of fire-fight- ing equipment will be on display, and further details regarding this congress will be published in the Automotive ‘World News as soon as possible. ”. Double-Decked Autos Barred. NAIROBI, Colony of Kenya, Africa (Special) —The ac governor of Uganda, by virtue of the powers con- ferred under section 29 (b) of the High- ways Ordinance (cap. 84, Revised Laws, 1923), prohibited on August 27, 1928, the use of any double-decked motor ve- hicles on any highways of the protec- torate. . At Colchester, England, a car has been fitted up a roadside garage with spare parts and little things likely to be needed in emergency cases. The car travels a fairly large area on the look out for trouble. these your spark plugs? If your spark plugs look like this, it melnsgurd starting, slow pick- up, poor idling, loss of power, waste of fuel. After a season’s driving or 10,000 miles, put in a new set of AC's. That will insure easy starting, fast pick-up,smooth running, inc power, more miles per gallon. Insist upon AC Spark Plugs, sold by dealers everywhere. AC Spark Pruc Company FuinT, Michigan © 1928, AC Spark Plug Company Souther;um.:leulen. Inc. 1519-21 L St. NW. Decater 130 Automotive REPLACEMENT PARTS TRUER WORDS vanced And it comes completely equipped, as a fine car should be, including four Lovejoy Pohanka Service 1503 Conn. Ave. NNW. North 347 Mt. Pleasant Motor Co. Col. 3633 J. B. Monroe, Waldorf, Md. WERE EVER THE FINE CAR OF From the standpoint of ad- engineering practice, body refinements, style, per- TWO-DOOR formance, dependability and value, this new Oldsmobile will compare favorably with any high-priced car everbuilt. 2424 18th St. N.W. S I AN 929 f. 0. b. Lansing Spare Tire Extra 'LOW PRICE hydraulic shock absorbers, vertical radiator shutters and rubber-cushioned bump- ers, front and rear. 726 17th St. N.W. Col. 717 Olds Motor Works, Factory Wholeu’le Branch, 1515 14th St. NW. OLDSMOBILE PRODUCT OF GENERAL MOTORS Come and see this Oldsmobile. Drive it! Then you'll know that no truer words were ever spoken—it is, indeed, “The Fine Car of Low Price.” Oldsmobile Washington Co. 1515 14th St. NN\W. Decatur 5516 Abbott, Schaeffer & Allen 3700 Georgia Ave. W. D. Woodfield, Gaithersburg, Md. Wisconsin Motor Co. Franklin 1635