Evening Star Newspaper, May 26, 1929, Page 52

B THE SUNDAY STAR. WASHINGTON, D. C. MAY 26, . 1929—PART 4. AUTO SALES STEADY DESPITE. WEATHER Report Says Late Spring Has Had Little Effect on .+ Market. In spite of the generally widespread discussion of the harm done to the automotive industry through adverse weather conditions and a late Spring season, the harmful effects have actu- ally failed to materialize so far this year. This condition is borne out by actual figures compiled from a Nation- | wide survey of retail markets by Cram's Automotive Reports, Inc., of Detroit, authorities and analysts on the auto- motive industry. In reality there has been no Spring this year, and that fact is continually being brought forward as an indication that 1929 automobile sales are not up to _the level which is expected of them. In the face of actual sales achieve- ments by the industry in the first four( and one-half months of this year, this attitude cannot carry much weight. As a matter of fact, the late or practically non-existent Spring weather may have a decidedly beneficial influence on the | industry in 1929. Peak Reached Early. It must be remembered that in the past the industry has usually reached | its peak in April or May, with a steady | downward trend in sales from that time to the end of the year. This year sales ordinarily low in January and February opened up in a good volume immediately after the first of the year, and while the peak may be reached in May, it is very doubtful if the upward swing to the peak will be as abrupt as it has been in the majority of other years. ‘This means that sales have been) spread out over & period of five months instead of being concentrated in a 60- day period, as the industry has come to expect from past performances. And because there has been no rush of sales, but a more even and less fluctuating market, it is very probable that this market stability will be maintained for some time instead of showing a pre- cipitous drop from the peak, which un- der normal circumstances might be ex-| pected at about the present time. The fact that there has been no sudden rush of sales toward a peak prior to May does not indicate any articular dullness in the retail mar- et. Consumer sales have been in suffi- cient volume to make legitimate the record production since the first of the year. Sales at the present time are at record or near record levels. The im- portant detail is the fact that sales since the first of the year have been above the seasonal average to such an extent that the higher levels of March, April and May have not been reached through a sharp upward increase. In- stead the approach to present levels has been gradually although steadily higher, Good Future Seen. Perhaps it has been as the result of a late season and unfavorable Spring that sales have not peaked. If the Spring weather had been good, there is no_tel to what volume sales might have reached. But the fact that sales time are below the apj nt ntial capacity of the market is relatively un- important. It is certain that the poten- tiality of the market will neither in- crease or ish to any extent in the immediate future. Accordingly the in- dustry faces the prospects of selling a Tecord volume of cars during 1929, but the sales volume will not necessarily reach astounding proportions during the first half of the year and then decline toa eon:g-nuvely small volume in the last six mionths. What will pmhuinl'nnuwm—cnd the magnitude of the led market at the present time bears out this sup- position, is that the volume will aver- n{e itself out over the entire year, with the total being ahead of any pre- vious year. In other words, all previous records or may not be broken, but in the end the industry will be sub- stantially better off, for the reason that the present ceasonal fluctuations will be held to a oy Hot dr Iced Tea At Wayside for Motor Tourists American motor gypsies = will have their way smoothed for them this geason by another refinement in the touring line—hot or iced tea served a la maitre d'hotel from way- side stands. A new development in the road- side refreshment industry and one that has materialized almost over night, is the organization of the National Standowners’ Association, & trade group, adequately financed, which proposes to introduce chain store methods to the “red hot" stand. Thus, when the caravan of motor- ists begin to hit the trail this Sum- mer, the auto tourists will find a pleasant surprise awaiting them. For the crude wayside refreshment booth, it is announced, is to be modernized, with up-to-date tea service and made attractive to the traveling public. Menus will be greatly amplified, and especial em- phasis will be laid on the serving of tea in the proper manner. AUTO MAKERS HIT TARIFF PROPOSAL Proposed Increase in Rate on Blackstrap Molasses Bring Protest. The automobile industry, one of the largest units in American commerce, seems pretty well satisfied with the tariff bill except in two schedules— blackstrap (non-edible) molasses and glass, Very few of the millions of auto- mobile owners have ever stopped to realize that molasses is an important item in motor-car manufacture, but this_is emphasized in protests made to Representative McLeod of Michi- gan, in whose district are located some of the largest automobile plants. The company that produces one of the most popular cheap cars solicited the appearance of Representative Mc- Leod at a_hearing before the Republi- can membership of the ways and means committee urging an amend- ment. It was emphasized that under the language of the bill a discrimina- tory duty is imposed on blackstrap m lasses when used for distilling pur- poses. The duty proposed increases the present rate approximately 1,200 per cent, thus raising the cost of al- cohol six cents per gallon for raw ma- terial alone. The bill makes practically no change in the rresent tariff on the identical commodity when imported for stock feeds, yeast and other commercial uses outside of distillation. One manu- facturer of a popular low-priced car uses about 100,000 gallons of alcohol per month, to produce which -270,000 gallons of molasses are required. OfM- cials of this concern protested to me: bers of Congress that “such discrimin: tory rate is unfair and unwarranted. Industrial aleohol, it has been ex- plained to the House committee, is essential in the manufacture of paints, varnishes, lacquers, and countless other products. According to government. fig- | ures more than 40,000,000 gallons lrel used annually in non-freezing solu- tions for automobile radiators. As the same alcohol can be produced synthetically from blast furnace gases, oil cracking processes and other non- agricultural sources, such discrimina- tory duty will have the effect of merely sul g the manufacturers in those flelds without affording any benefit to the American farmer, Representative McLeod argues. It would also de- stroy, he says, the market for domestic larm products now employed for dis- ation purposes. In view of the fact that the entire supply of domestic beet molasses {s required for yeast msklnf Representative McLeod points out, it need not be considered in this discus- For an industry that has tible to seasonal influ- ences as the automotive industry this will be a remarkable achievement, r——— 500-MILE CLASSIC IS MAIN SPORTING EVENT OF WEEK (Continued From Fifth Page.) ‘The record for the 500 miles is held by Pete de Paolo, made in the race of 1025, with a 122-inch motor, when he averaged 101.13 miles per hour in the Duesenberg Special. ‘There was & to get in the elimi- nation trials held yesterday afternoon, as the first ones to qualify receive the preferred tions at the start. These trials probably * continue until Wednesday afternoon. This is made necessary, as 46 cars have been entered, but only 33 will N&mlm to race. It is intended to e the 33 fastest cars, but even they will be required to ‘make four laps of the track at an aver- age speed of better than 90 m! per hour. of 2'; miles will have to be done in less than 1 minute and 40 seconds. Louls Meyer, winner of last year's race, will drive a Miller car with the No. 1. This number is assigned to him for being champion race driver last year, with a total of 1,596 points. Vic- tory in the 500-mile race at Indian- apolis advanced him 1,000 points. Souders Has Not Recovered. George Souders, who won the race in 1927 and finished third last year, has not sufficiently recovered from the acci- dent he had in Detroit last July to drive. His arm is too stiff to permit of high-speed driving. Ralph de Palma, one of the greatest drawing cards the racing game has ever known, will drive the latest and newest of the Miller cars, bearing No. 4¢. Vale Comotti, the Italian, who was to drive a Talbot, will be unable to reach the track, as he has been delayed in his native land. With the “no-smoking” rule so rigidly enforced, the drivers and mechanics are having a hard time of it these days. Just when they think they have found a place to take a couple of puffs some ‘N.rtd appears with an order to “step on it." Fifteen of the cars entered this year are front-wheel driven. The backers of the front-drive cars declare them to be the ideal type for racing, espectally on the turns, as skidding is reduced to a point where the driver can pile right into the banks without easing off on the gas. The drivers of these cars will make their greatest bid for victory and fame on Memorial day, as all of the winners in the previous 16 contests have driven rear-drive machines. A technical committee has been ap- pointed for the purpose of reducing tl hazard of accidents. All cars have to pass inspection, and in case of accident, cars bumping each other, touching the fence or wall, or showing visible signs of distress during the race, must stop at the pits for official examination, and will not be allowed to continue until receiving the approval of this board. Pleased With Advance Sale. Two women appear on the list of owners—Mrs. Maude Yagle and Mrs. Marian Batten, the latter the widow of one of the race drivers that went down ‘with the Vestris. The management is highly encour- on. ‘The manufacturers have protested to Congressmen that the rate of dut) should be left in the hands fo the U. 8. Tariff Commission, with authority to increase it should the necessity arise, if it was determined subsequently that an increase would benefit the agri- cultural interests. An official of one of the corporations making a high grade automobile in appealing for protection against the proposed “discriminatory” rate said his company felt such a duty would ma- terially increase cost without materially benefiting the country at large. One of the high-priced car manu- {'l‘c’fl;{ren in calling upon meml;le.n of ouse to oppose proposed changes in the duty on importations of glass, explained that these changes deal prin- cipally with Paragraph 3219, covering such cts as window and vitrea 55, fective,” he sald, * will very detrimental effect on ness. These proposed increases are absolutely unjustified as has been con- clusively proven by the testimony given before the U. S. Tariff Commission_and by the briefs filed with the House ways and means committee, during January.” | SAYS DRIVER CAN LEARN MUCH FROM AIR PILOT ‘That the car owner could learn many valuable lessons from the airplane pilet is the centention of Oscar Coolican, local automobile dealer, who says that if the care exercised by the pllot were paralleled driver of an auto- mobile there not only would be fewer accidents, but car ownership would be at once more pleasureable and more economical. “The average car owner takes too much for granted in the maintenance of his car. The airplane pilot cannot afford to do so. le car owner fre- quently is negligent in the selection of proper lubrieants. Under no circum- stances could the plane pilot be so; it is a matter of paramount importance to him to have his engine get the exactly proper diet. H “The plane pilot always tests the ship’s controls. How many car owners 1 give the brakes a trial before getting | into the congested zone where im- | mediate action may be imperative? “With the pllot these things are absolute essentials and he fails to at- tend to them only at the risk of his life. If the car owner would pursue & similar course of action he would be amazed at the improvement in his motoring experience. He would find car costs reduced, he would find his car safer and always mechanically fit. and he would find & new ease of mind. “Truly, the motorist can learn valu- | able lessons from the man who soars above the clouds in an automotive product which bears such a striking fundamental resemblance to the four- wheeled denizen of the highways.” | Indianapolis. ‘Those in this vicinity will find the latest A. A. A. road map in this section of the paper, and while a good driver and a good car can make the trip in two days, it is recommended that three days be allowed, 50 one can .nj«g the beautiful mountain scenery en route. The National Broadcasting Co. has arranged a coast-to-coast hook-up to broadcast the finish of the race. Gra- ham McNamee will be in charge of the “mike.” The winner and other nota- aged by the advance sale of tickets, which has surpassed all previous rec- ords. Most of the race fans have ex- Ppressed their intention of driving to ¥ bles will be heard in short talks after the race. The stay-at-homes should tune-in about 3 o'clock next Thursday, Eeastern standard time. THE “BIG @Ik MAGNATE WHO —BY FRANK BECK DOWN THE ROAD—-Life’s Little Tragedie: AND GAS RUNS oOUT T GRRREE FIRS® SMeN BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. Only when a woman can back up successfully can she really be said to be going forward with her driving. They laughed at the woman who called the clutch the “crutch,” but as a matter of fact that's just what it ought to be called when' operated by some drivers. When the operator presses out the clutch so as to slip it, thereby giving the engine an oppor- tunity to pick up speed enough to avold the necessity of shifting to a lower gear, the clutch acts as a “crutch” to the engine. But persons who indulge in this abuse soon find they need a crutch for the clutch as well. Don't make sudden stops when driv- ing over loose stones or gravel drive- ways. Every now and again a good tire is dam: by one of these minia- ture stones that has dug into the tread. Tires are not guaranteed against this sort of thing, and apparently none of them is immune, Recently I overheard one experienced woman driver telling another that while it used to be a mark of shrewdness to step around to the rear of the car to be sure the attendant at a filling sta- tion &umped in ¢ghe right amount of gas, the thing to do now is to remain in the car and watch the gas gauge on the instrument board. It just goes to show that experience is not everything; s 0yt pogiater the tull Somtgais gauges do not register the full con! of the tank until the engine starts and has been running for a while, how can the owner be sure about her purchase merely by watching the gauge? There still are good reasons for watching the process of filling up the tank. owner's presence will cause the at- tendant to be more careful not to spill gas over the car, and there will be less chance of driving off without the cap of the filler pipe. ‘To feel most comfortable at the speed you want to travel it is a good plan to drive faster for a few minutes and then drop back to the desired speed. If, for instance, you are running at 50 miles an hour, 40 will seem quite slow. But| if you have been running 30 and jump to milu, you will be uncomfortable for a while. “How,” asks & woman who is just {ellln‘ interested in the wonders under he hood, “does gasoline get to th gine when the car is climbing a steep hill with the gas tank so much lower than the front of the car?” Until recently one manufacturer con- tinued with early method known as stem, air being forced k 50 as to drive the gas forward along the fuel line. e vacuum system came next. In this the engine suction draws fuel from the rear tank to a special tank mounted on the engine side of the dash. No matter how steep the hill, this always higher than the carburetor, so that fuel can flow to the latter by gravity. The latest is the fuel pump, a me- chanically operated suction pump that draws fuel direct from the rear tank, feeding it to the carburetor, It works efficiently, regardless of the position of the car, ‘There isn't any excuse for damaging the starter and flywheel gears by try- ing to crank the engine when it's run- ning. True enough, modern engines idle noiselessly, and it does seem at times as if recranking is in order. no matter how nolsy traffic may be, you always can tell whether the engine is running by glancing at the ammeter, If its needle flickers or wavers, the en- gine still is running. ‘Why is an ammeter? That's a very natural question to ask. There was a time when this instrument | was considered something of a luxury in the way of accessories, and yet cars operated rather well without it. Is it 8 frill, or does it serve a real purpose? | Here are a few of the things it says | to the observing driver: | It tells whether the generator is| charging too much or too little. It tells if the stop signal at the rear of the car is working. If all the lights are off and the ignition as well, it warns that the generator relay points are stuck. It shows at all times what balance is being maintained between charging and discharging. It reveals the condition of the generator. 1t is necessary to be more careful in steering on a windy day with a car that carrles disc wheels. The wheels act as miniature sails, and the car has a tendency to do a little steering of its own accord. (Copyrisht, 1929, by The Russell Service.) ahleblladbime i UNKNOWNS WIN FAME. Many Winners at Indianapolis Leap Into Glory. ‘The Indianapolis 500-mile race, the Grand Prix of America, is more or less of a racing driver incubator. Fame, in numerous instances, has pulled un- known drivers out of the grab bag of this great race. Frank Lockhart went to Indlanapolis a virtual unknown in 1926; he left a world famous driver. Bob McDonogh was another who went there for his great start. Many of the drivers who achieve fame have made their first cir- cuit at _Indianapolis in practice and come off the track shaking all over, sure they could not drive the race. Lockhart was one of them. OILING OF HIGHWAYS TO BE FINISHED JULY 1 462 Miles of Roads in Maryland Will Be Resurfaced This Year. Special Dispatch to The Star. macadam and gravel roads in the State traffic begins July 1, according to D, Willi mer iar, jr., chief engineer of Roads Comm! Har the State nssion. | Carrell, BALTIMORE, May 35.—Oiling of | Approximately 42,000 tons of chips and 1,200,000 gallons of oil will spread over 462 miles of the roads throughout the State to renew the sur- face of the macadam and gravel roads, Mr. Williar said. Of the 1472 miles of macadam and gravel roads, approximately one-third are oiled annually, he added. In Prince Georges, Howard and Mont- gomery Counties 50 miles will be oiled; | 147 miles in Anne Arundel, Calvert and St. Marys Counties: 90 miles in Balti- more and Harford Counties; 41 miles in Frederick and Washington Counties; 100 miles in Allegany and Garrett Counties, and 34 miles on the Eastern 8hore. Last year 490 miles of the macadam and gravel roads were ofled and the chips placed. | four-wheel | motors and balloon tires as among the AUTO DEATHS DECREASE. Pointing out that the number of | motor fatalities per 100,000 registration | in the United States has declined mate- | rially in the last 10 years, Harry R. Cobleigh of the National Autemobile Chamber of Commerce advanced the view that the modern motor car is built with maximum safety, speaking | before ~ the traffic safety _instruction course of the Newark Safety Council re- cently. While competence of the driver is always an essential, the speaker noted brakes, more responsive | features of modern automobile construc- tion which make for safety. National Grange Sponsors Safety Essay Competition By the Associated Press. | COLUMBUS, Ohio.—An essay contest on highway safety has been announced by the National Grange for youthful members. Six national prizes and 120 State prizes offered by the National Au- tomobile Chamber of Commerce will be awarded the best papers. The essays of not more than 800 words. must be in the hands of subordinate lecturers of the grange by July 4 to be eligible to compete. Winning state essays will be sent to national headquartars of the grange here for judging in the national contes CARE OF STEERING GEAR CALLED VITAL Auto Distributor Calls Attention to Increased Driving Speed and Congestion. ‘The season of great motoring activity at hand, car owners should be espe- cially watehful of the steering system since increased driving speeds and con- ditions of congestions on city streets make it imperative that that vital ap- paratus function perfectly, surely, easily, and with the utmost safety. That motorists generally are not careful enough of the steering system is the contention of Oscar Coolican, local automobile distributor, who sees in this negligence a very definite men- ace. However, he adds, it is a menace speedily removed if the motorist will allow a recognized maintenance depart- ment to administer its constructive treatment. out, “that the steering system is ouo of the most important units of the car. Every motorist is aware how much it enters into the safety of driving. To omit systematic care of it is poor | policy at any time, but it becomes par- m:um-l¥l dangerous when driving speeds | are high and traffic is heavy, as is the case at this season of the year. | . “Frankly, the motorist is not advised himself. That is for the ex- pert. The owner can contribute, though, by keeping front tire pres- sures at their prescribed levels. But, the actual inspection and treatment of the steering appartus should be left to a competent mechanic. “His tests will prove whether there | is too much play or not enough;| whether looseness can be ‘taken up’ or whether new parts must be fitted. In any event, he will give authoritative diagnos's and treatment to the steer- m' gear, and that's what it needs. “In no event should the motorist | allow the slightest doubt to remain his mind with respect to the unit's condition.” & job “It is obvious.” Mr. Coolican points, | to attempt to service the steering gnrl AUTO PRODUCTION - CONTINUES STEADY Usual Seasonal Decline Is Not Apparent—Slackening Expected in June. Of more than casual interest to ob- servers of the trends in the automotive | Industry is the failure of a seasonal cur- tailment, usually noticable at this time | of the year, to manifest itself, accord- | ing to B. H. Cram, president of Cram's | Automotive Reports, Inc. “ For the last three years a production | decline, beginning about now or a little | earlier, has made its appearance and | continued well into the Summer. This | slackening has been gradual and it is | logical to suppose that it would occur | in 1929, but as yet no change is evident in the volume of output. Decline Expected in June. On the other hand, the low-priced car manufacturers have announced schedules for May which, if adhered to, | will produce an output in excess of any of the previous months, Manufac- | turers in the medium and high priced | flelds have virtually duplicated their set-ups of the previous month, so that | this source of production will not afford | any decline in the total output. In the | face of this, however, the manufac- | turers anticipate a slackening of their | schedules not later than in June. | Increases in the sales of used cars provide the most significant develop- | ment in the market. These are doing | well gencrally and tend to bolster a steadler condition of new car sales. No | decline is apparent in the volume of the latter, however. A slight decline is observed in used car stocks because of | the increased sales activity. | Tire Market Is Strong. rucreased production schedules have featured activity among the truck | manufacturers and while the gains have been characteristic of both the heavy and light duty fields, the de- mand for heavier models has under- gone the greater acceleration. | The situation in the tire industry re- | sulting from decreases in orders of original equipment tires by the ecar manufacturers has been offset by the improvement in the consumer market, | which is becoming more marked daily. | Replacement buying has increased and greater activity is expected to balance the comparatively slow condition during the first four months. Swedish Taxes Used on Roads. Sweden is increasingly adopting the pr.nciple that motor vehicle taxes should bs used exclusively for road mainte- nence and construction purposes. It | was proposed by that government at the start of this year to devote 30 per cent of the moter fees to road purposes and legislative bedies raised this proposal to 40 per cent. For the Arst time- All major road records are held by ONE carl Air-cooled performance—the only different performance today—has made Franklin the road champion of America. Woresting away record after record from the whole field, Franklin becomes the one car to conquer all the major road events. Never before has there been such overwhelming proof of the supremacy of the powerful air-cooled Franklin, You can have this record-breaking performance. And with it, you can maintain high speed indefinitely. You can skim over any kind of roads smoothly, quietly and safely. You can enjoy a quiet, fast second gear which shoots you to 55 miles an hour without @ murmur. You can delight in a new, more refreshing comfort—possible only with full-elliptic springs and a flexible chassis. You can leave traffic behind at the flash of green—and cut crescents around other cars at 50 miles an hour. You need only to get behind the wheel of a Franklin to get the most impressive motoring experience of your life, Jump into a Franklin demonstrator. Until you do, you can't possibly know the thrills of the Airplane Feel of Franklin. THE ONE-THIRTY $2180 v v THE ONE-THIRTY-FIVE $2485 e 6% da; THE ONE-THIRTY.SEVEN $2775-=SEDAN PRICES, Now Held by FRANKLI ys d by 7 hours, L4 All These Amazing Road ‘Records Are N Los Angeles to New York and Return 6692 miles in ating previous record by 10 hours, 36 minutes. New York to Chicago=—840 milss in 18 hours, 59% min- utes—beating previous rec D" New York to Migmi=—1541 miles in 31 hours, 10 minutes— beating previous record by 7 hours, 57 minutes. Los Angeles to Phoenix and return (Desert Derby)= 802 miles in 17 hours, 47 minutes—beating previous record by 1 hour, 11 minutes. San Francisco to Los Angeles=—412 miles in 7 hours, 32 minutes—beating previous record by 1 hour, 25 minutes. Salt Lake City to Los Ang $7% minutes — beating previeus record by 1 hour, 19% minutes. Dallas to El Paso==687 miles in 12 hours, 54 minutes~— beating previous record by 1 hour, 44 minutes, Mt. Washington climb=—America’s steepest accessible peak—beating previous record by 2 minutes, 10 2/ seconds. Mt. Mitchell climb == highest peak east of Rockies = Franklin holds also the round trip record. " Lookout Mountain climb == 46% steeper than Pike's Peak —4.6 miles per hour faster than previous record. 50 minutes. =765 miles in 14 hours, O. 8. FACTORY FRANKLIN FRANKLIN MOTOR CAR CO. HARRY W, BURR SALESROOM—1517 CONN. AVE. N.W. SERVICE—1909 M ST. N.W.