Evening Star Newspaper, January 27, 1929, Page 110

0 ECONOMY CENTERS IN STRAIGHT EIGHT Operation as Well as Main- tenance Included in Lower Costs. Economy of operation as well as economy of maintenance has been, in Tecent years, one of the chief consider- ations of automotive engineers and the result, to the great satisfaction of the motorist, has been a material reduction in the cost of operating all types of modern automobiles, according to Thomas J. Litle, jr, chief engineer, Marmon Motor Co. ‘The matter of operating expense, in fact, has resolved itself into a question of power and, generally speaking, mod- ern engines of the same power use the same amount of gasoline regardless of the number of cylinders employed. ‘Thus, it is apparent that the old be- lief that additional clinders meant more gasoline consumption has been tossed into discard along with other oft-repeated but mistaken ideas ghat have lingered in the minds of ny since the days of the first four-cylinder car. Today the buyer of a modern straight eight may be assured that his car may be operated as cheaply as a six or a four cylinder car of the same wer. Eight-in-line engines were adopted, not merely because they developed more wer, but because they were smoother operation. The larger number of cylinders is offset, as far as piston dis- &hwnent is concerned, by the fact that e cylinders are smaller. And if the size of the cylinders is reduced, it is 8lso possible to reduce the weights of the reciprogating parts such as pistons, connecting rods, wrist pins and the like, Delving deeper into the subject, the smothness of operation of a gasoline engine is dependent upon the con- tinuity and rapidity of occurrence of the explosive forces. Since smooth- ness and absence of vibration are prime requirements of the modern automobile engine it is necessary that they be obtained without increasing tbe cost of operation, and this has been accomplished by more efficient methods of manifolding and other en- gineering advances. In the days before engineers under- stood proper manifold design for straight-eights it was a common thing for the end cylinders to become ‘starved’ because they were not re- ceiving the same amount of gasoline as the others. To offset this discrep- ancy required rich carburetor adjuste ments, with the result that most cyl- dnders recelved far too much gasoline. But new manifolding designs have eliminated all such difficulties. Every cylinder in the up-to-date straight- eight receives the same amount of gasoline and, because the cylinders are smaller in size and the recipro- cating parts lighter in weight, less gasoline is required for each. Another factor in the economy of the straight-eight is its ability to operate throughout a greater range of speed without gear changing. Cer- tainly an engine is more economical when running in high gear and therefore an engine such as the straight-eight which will propel a car ihrough the maze of present-day city traffic with but occasional gear shifting is highly desirable from the standpoint of economy of operation. TS AUTO DOOR IS HAZARD. Care Should Be Taken, A A A All ex'fi? in automobile safety are agreed the door of the car is a common form of hazard, says the A A. A There are two principal things which happen in connection with the misuse of doors: The door is left open ‘when it ought to be shut, projects over ‘the running board, gets in the way of an oncoming car or knocks somebody down. Again, it is T S AN uf e many people be- ing hurt. ‘Warns THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTOX, NEWSPAPERS' WORK IN WORLD OF INDUSTRY WINS PRAISE Concentrated Effort, Individual Cost, Obtainable at Slight Does Much to Advance New Business. BY FREDERICK DICKINSON, Advertising Director, Hupp Motor Car Corporation. Few individuals outside the craft are conscious of the tremendous part played by the fourth estate in the development of modern business. Few readers have any conception of the vast amount of labor and intelligence necessary to write, print, distribute and sell a newspaper or a magazine. That so much effort is concentrated in any printed medium obtainable at such slight individual cost, is, to me at least, one of the marvels of the period in waich we are living. ‘There has come about, within recent years, a strikingly different attitude on the part of both the pubiication and its readers concerning modern business. Just as each “cub” reporter learned that names were all important in his daily stint, so did newspapers and magazines cling for years to what might be termed individualized news. This particular type of information, which antedated the general use of advertising, was per- haps attributable to the fact that early. newspapers were animated voices of a small group of community. They had not reached that stage wherein they represented the country of the world at large in the matter of providing news. But there has been a change. The fourth estate, and the reading public, and modern business, are responsible. People no longer are content to visualize only what their friends and acquaint- ances are doing. They are eager to learn what the other half of the world is doing. To my mind it is an unquestionable fact that reading and travel are the greatest sources of education after the schooling period. Why do” we read newspagers and magazines? Why do we study the printed picture? Change in Scientific Field Noted. While there are some who read out of curiosity and others who read for enter- tainment, the majority of newspaper and magazine subscribers are seeking for information. It may be news con- cerning the important social events, or details of striking murder or discussion of the latest play or book. Still it is P s 20 it chazen at been the greatest cl ) in subjects, particularly in newspaper print, within the past five years? To me, the increased space devoted to husiness and scientific news has become one of the most influential subjects of recent years. At one time the introduc- tion of a new motor car, for example, was almost taboo as far as page one of | ¢ the newspapers was concerned. Editors considered such an announcement as having little, if any, new value. The same was true of the opening of a new store or the organization of a new stock firm. But now, largely through education of readers and their acquisition of broad- ening influences, such material is essen- tially of news.value. ‘There is not a single large scale busi- ness within my memory which does not, in some measure, owe its importance and success to printed information. It may be advertising space, selected news or well-directed publicity. that has pro- vided the medium for this information. Nevertheless, it has accomplished the | there purpose of providing information for public consumption. Radio would be a ridiculously small industry today were it not for published information about this wonder of sclence. Every scientific, labor saving, comfort and convenience device which has been introduced with- in the past 25 years has depended pri- magily -upon newspapers or for Its success. On the other hand, each publication has derived unusual benefit from this source of information. -And the public, those who make the fourth estate and business an enjoyable and proitable oecurmon. has derived in- estfmable it from such a change. Value Hard to Estimate. Modern business and the printed word heve become inseparable. The third corner of our )&M“ day triangle, the ewise not be separated. tep forward has been taken in the right direction, It has already played a part so lmmrmnt that, were business news and information to be removed from our newspaper and magazine pages, a clamor for their resumption would arise which would necessitate a return to the new order. [ And so I believe that the fourth es- tate, modern business and the public's demand for truthful and accurate infor- mation are inseparable and essential. It is impossible to estimate the value of one corner of this modern triangle to the other two. No greater good, I be- lieve, can be accomplished in the ad- vance of humanity than the proper cor- relation of efforts and ideas of those three important adjuncts to civilization. HIGH-PRICED AUTO SEEN AS FIXTURE American Demand for Better Things of Life Is Given as Reason. More people than ever are thinking in terms of higher-priced automobiles. Prosperity has touched increasing thou- sands, and those who share in it are as eager as ever to satisfy the typically American desires for finer and better things, according to George E. Willis, vice president of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Co. ‘When mass production cars first be- gan to reach large volume, predictions were made that the days of higher- priced cars were numbered. Instead, they have enjoyed a greater growth than ever, for the mass production cars made the public automobile-minded and multiplied the numbers who annually graduate into the ranks of higher- priced ownership. Future Has Possibilities. “So long as Americans strive for better things, the fine car market will continue to grow,” Mr. Willis said. “Cet there is no indication of any let-up. the day ever comes when there is, then the time will have ar- rived for the collapse of the market for better ' cars, better homes, better fur- niture, better clothes and better every- thing else. But to date, the dollar watch has made no inroads on fine timepieces; the machine-woven rugs have not destroyed the demand for Orientals; the knock-down house has not replaced the fine residence of select neighborhoods. “The future of the higher-priced car has possibilities which reach far «be- yond its present proportions because are increasing numbers among the 20,000,000 of American car. owners who annually are satisfying their desire for something a little better than the car they now own. This drift from one price classification to the one above it has been so pronounced in recent years that fi no: lswr:nrded mn:‘ a perfectly normal and customary 3 < “Indeed, it will surprise me if this trend does not assume record propor- tions during 1929, because automobile rapidly are learning that so- called high-priced cars are not high priced at all. They are discovering that theyunthlnkofthucflnerum'rg: eing improved. values at lower costs that automobile owners are just begin- to readjust their impression of the‘_rpflcs of these cars, “Today the fine car is within such JANUARY D C. 27, 1929—PART 8. Upper: Willys Knight Sedan. Lower: Stearns Knight Eight Roadster. easy reach of the man who has out-|since convenient financing plans have |totals are recorded, I predict a record | than been established—that when grown lesser-priced cars—particularly 1929's | graduation.” Car Owners Pay Seventeenth of Cent Per Mile for Tires During Last Year Car owners of the Nation paid an average of one-seventeenth of a cent for every tire mile in 1928. This per mile cost of tires for last year"compares with a cost of 1 cent & mile in 1913 and furnishes an im- pressive idea of the development of America’s great tire industry. The three greatest developments were: Lifting by the British govern- ment of the six-year restriction on the exportation of crude rubber from the Far East rubber plantations under British rule; the development of a line of “super” tires by ?m"““’ all manu- facturers and the formation by Ameri- can rubber manufacturers of the Rub- ber Institute, Inc., under the direction of Gen. Lincoln C. Andrews. Crude Curb Lifted. Ending of the curb placed by the British on the amount of crude rubber that could be exported from plantations to world consumers means that crude rubber prices will no longer be held to high levels artificially. This restriction policy resulted in keeping rubber prices at from 26 cents to $1.21 a pound in the intervening period. This might have been reflected in the price of tires to the public except for the fact that to the everlasting credit of the tire manufacturers, this increased cost of raw materials was practically offset by production economies that did not penalize the tire buyer for unusual raw material market conditions. What the end of restriction of rub- ber exportation will undoubtedly mean to the car owner is that now that the law of supply and demand can resume operation, tire manufacturers will be assured of adequate supplies of rubber at low prices, making the public, secure, unless other conditions arise, against any increase in tire prices during the year. That is the outlook, but to make definite predictions is foolhardy. The release of plenty of rubber at reason- ably low prices will probably mean also that more Jfirst-quality rubber will be used in tires instead of a varying per- centage of reclaimed rubber, which was widely used when prices were high and the supply somewhat limited. Super Tire Developed. Last year saw the development of the “super” tire by most manufacturers. This tire was variously described in manufacturers’ advertising as “better than one needs,” “practically puncture })ro:l," li’ld “with clnklt will probably ast as long as you keep your car.” Manufacturers’ tests of t.gu tire indi- cate that it will give greater mileage ordinary types of balloon tires, with greater initial cost. As it has been on the market only since Sum- mer, its performance has not been tested generally by the public and the extent of its public acceptance has not been determined. Formation of the Rubber Institute, rect benefits to tire users. The first was the extension of the warranty as to materials and workmanship from the former 90-day period to include the life of the tire. The second benefit was the institute’s effort, through tire deal- ers, ta educate the public to the proper care of to secure long mileage. Production figures for 1928 are not yet available, but it is estimated that it showed an 8 to 10 per cent increase over the total of 64,000,000 tires and 72,000,000 tubes produced in 1927. In 1913 the average cost of & tire per mile to the user was 1 cent. In 1928 it was estimated to be about one- seventeenth of a cent. For 1029 it should not be greater, with excellent, chance of its being less, if you like to play with infinitesimal parts of Uncle Sam’s lowest unit of currency. EATING QUESTION VITAL. Tourists Besiege A. A. A. With Pleas for Information. “Where do we eat?” This is the thought uppermost in the minds of most motor tourists nowadays. That the question of eating and sleeping is of vital concern to motorists is indicated - by hundreds of inquiries reaching the national touring division of the Ameri- can Automobile Association. ‘These inquiries reveal the very sige nificant fact that hotel and resort in- formation is every whit as important as information regarding road condi- tions. Poor accommodations will head the tourist away from a community and divert the traffic almost as certainly as a washed-out bridge. OFFICIAL AUTO-LITE SERVICE GENUINE PARTS CREEL BROS. 1811 14th St. NW. Potomac 473 Come to the show and see the new Reo Flying Cloud — the Mate This year Reo is producing two Flying Clouds—Flying Cloud the Master, with a two year record of popularity behind it . . . and Flying Cloud the Mate, a new car brought out as a worthy companion of the Master. ¢ ' You can trust the balanced craftsmanship of Reo for mechanical perfec- tion. That is naturally expected in any Reo built car. But you'll have to see these Reo Flying Clouds. . . to sense the thrill of swiftness in the sweep of every line. Sit behind the wheel . . . and you'll know the road is yours. REO MOTOR CAR COMPANY « LANSING, MICHIGAN Reo Flying Clood the Mate has a wheel bese of 115 inches and is priced from $1375 to $1520. Reo Flying Cloud the Master has a wheel base of 121 inches and is priced from $1595 to $1995. Both these cars have six cylinder motors and internal expanding hydraulic 4-wheel brakes which make it possible | R E O FLYING CLOUD THE MASTER 'THE:- TREW MOTOR CO. JOSEPH B. TREW, President Sales Department 1509-11 Fourteenth Street N.W. Maintenance Departmont 1317-19 W Street N.W. Phones Decatur 1910 to 1913 Salesroom Open Daily Until 9 P.M.; Sunday Until 5 P.M. WARRENTON HUDSON-ESSEX CO., Warrenton, Va, JOHN A. KEYSER, Washington, Va. A. A. AUSTIN, Staunton, Va. GEORGE WASHINGTON GARAGE, Winchester, Va. GENERAL SUPPLY CO. Martinsburg, W, Va. POMEROY MOTOR CO., Fredericksbui LOUDOUN GARAGE, Leesburg, Va. ROBERT V. NORRIS, La Plats, Va.