Evening Star Newspaper, June 23, 1929, Page 53

In the Motor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD: are still some people of motoring proclivities who do not believe or do not want to believe in the effi- s ea%y of traffic lights. There are there always will be scme people who do not believe in the good of anything. A part of this group is classified because of selfishness. For them argument is futile. Unfortunately, there are some people who actually are of the opinion, and not through selfish- ness, that traffic lights are wrong, a hinderance to traffic and a menace to safety. They hold these ideas despite the fact that traffic xPerts throughout the country believe in them, and practically all the cities, large or small, have installed them. Ignorance cr lack of thinking is the trouble with this class. For them argument is helpful. A Mechanical Age. To begin with, today is a me- chanical day. and also a day of system. Thevefore it takes mech- anism to deal with mechanics. In the age of horse-drawn vehicles this was not necessary and there ‘were no traffic light signals. But today is in the automobile age. ‘With the thousands of machines on the streets, system is needed, and mechanics. The Boardwalk at Atlantic City is one of the few thoroughfares where there are no machines. So there are no traffic lights. But a block away, parallel ,to this pedestrian highway, the lights abound. Critics of the traffic lights say that the flow of traffic is slowed up by the signals. It is not the JMghts that are to blame, it is the great number of automobiles. If, instead of the traffic lights on one of the main thoroughfares of Washington there were police with semaphores stationed at manzhof the intersections, turn- e go and stop sign at no regular interval, would traffic be speeded up? It ‘is hard to believe 80. It is true that traffic lights can- mot think for themselves and size up situations, but as it is human to error, neither can all policemen always size up situations—at least accurately. Critics’ Belief False. Critics also say that the lights are a mengce to safety because autoists try to beat the yellow light, and so on. This is untrue. e lights are not a menace to safety. It is the careless or reck- Montgomery, Prince Georges and Arlington Counties, it is a step in the right direction. Besides spoil- ing the scenery of the highways, the billboards are a menace to safetfv aw requiring official inspec- tion twice a year of all automo- biles and trucks has become effec- tive in Massachusetts. A similar law re%l‘xmng such an inspection when the commissioner of motor vehicles deems it necessary has become effective in Maryland. A law of- this kind is one most needed. There can be no con- | scientious objection to it. The driver cf a machine that does not want his steering wheel in proper order, his brakes in the proper condition, and the headlights of his car in proper adjustment, should be barred from future operation of his vehicle. The law is a safeguard and pro- tection tq every one on the atreets of the city and on the highways of the country. Massachusetts and Maryland have taken a fine step forward in safety’s interests. and the District of Columbia should not be loath to follow their example. Promulgated Before. ‘The idea was gromulgned here some time ago, but unfortunately was tabled, because a few persons thought that some of the “official” garages might give out stickers and charge money while not actually inspecting the car. A fraud of this kind easily could be taken care of by a few inspectors. The increasing -rate of obtain- able speed by the automobile manufacturers does not keep pace with speed permitted in various cities. A plan of doing away wil h speed laws, and in its place re- gulfing participants in all acci- ents to go into court, and en- force strictly the regnlatlon against reckleu driving, whether it be at 40 miles an hour or 5, ht suffice in its stead. Such plan has been thought of. The um here have stated that very fast driving might not be con- sidered reckless dflvln& all times and that a speed of five miles an hour at other times might be conaldered so. This is unquenlonnb True. aking speed a plan of ting the xpeed of motor boats has been considered by some. Will it be airplanes next? Unfortuna- tely. for some, they have to go at a certain high speed to stay aloft. McLeod’s Measure. less driver who tries to beat the light that is a menace to safety. A record of the location of acci- dents in the office of the director of traffic ‘proves that most acci- dents occur on streets not con- trelled by ‘lllfi ‘The tion of traffic lights. s somewhat similar to the instal- Jation of the dial system by the velephone company. One might think of the operators as traffic Pollcemen, and the dial system as raffic lights. Tt is the furtherance of_system—of mechanics. In days to come the saturation |in t of the number of girls to obtained by the telephone com- y, as the number of subsecrib- ers grew, would be reached. Like- ‘wise with the growth of the city, the number of police to be ob- tained would find a saturation point. The telephone company is not thinking of turning off any of its girls because of the dial sys- tem. Neither are heads cf the city’s government considering any such plan with the installation of the trafiic lights. In both cases those relieved of one particular duty will be given some other line of work. If the traffic lights cannot think, the officials who install them can, and so can the motorist who is under their guidance daily. Safeguarding Children. Wuuam H. Harland again issues to motorists and to }nrenu of children in being care- ul of them on the streets of the city, and in teaching care to the little tots themselves. It is ap- {amng that 15 children, all under }es of 14, have been killed anuary 1. Rigid ste be tnken to protect the future citizens of the National tal, now that the schools are out. Action by Inspector E. W. Brown in planning to ban taxicab “cruis- ing” on F street between Fif- teenth and Ninth streets, from 8 o'clock in the evening to mid- night, is to be commended. - The &rroposed ban has the approval of Harland and his assistant, M. ©O. Eldridge, and should be favored by the Commissioners without delay. During “theater” time the con- % estion is bad on F street, and Mr. rown is correct in saying that much of it is caused by taxis look- ing for “fares.” One would think that the present regulation against “cruising” would be suffi- cient if properly enforced, but evidently it is not. News that work has been com- menced again on widening the Baltimore-Washington boulevard is well received. ~Although the present undertaking is for only a three-mile stretch, it hastens the time when the main highway be- ' tween the sister cities will have a 40-foot width all the way. There will be o interference with traffic while the shoulders, 10 feet wide, :{e being placed in position, it is ated. Agitation Against Billboards. Agitation again is being raised against billboards near Washing- ton in Maryland and Virginia. ‘While the agitation may not mean the entire wiping out of them in ‘The bill of Representative Mc- Leod, introduced recently in Con- gress, has its merits and is under- stood to meet with the approval of the traffic officials here. ‘The purpose of the bill' is to "pmv:g? for t'he‘revoctluon sng suspension o operators’ an chauffeurs’ licenses and registra- tion certificates; to require proof of ability to respond in damages for injuries caused by the opera- tion of motor vehicles; to pre- acrlbe the form of and conditions insurance policies covering the liability of motor vehicle opera- tors; to ‘subject such policies to the approval of the commissioner of insurante; to constitute the director of trafic the agent of non-resident owners and operators of motor vehicles operated in the District of Columbia for the pur- pose of service of process; to vide for the report of sccidents to authorize the director of traffic to make rules for the a Ta- tion of this statute, and to pre- scflttl:le penalties for the vlohtlcg » an purposes.’ if adopted, will elim- inate undesirable vm from the streets of Washin, This will indeed prove benefici: NEW BOULEVARD LAW HELD SATISFACTORY | &= Provisions of New Maryland High- way Regulations Are Explained for Motorists. Sr-~ial Dispatch to The Star BALTIMORE, June 22—The new boulevard law, which went into- effect last Saturday, is working well, accord- ing to officlals of the motor vehicle commissioner’s office. Officials charged with its ~enforce- ment today explained some of the pro- visions of the law which are likely to escape the attention of motorists. According to the explanation, no signs are necessary to make an improved road function as a boulevard as far as unimproved crossroads are concerned. Motorists entering any improved or hard-surfaced road from an unpaved thoroughfare are required to come to pointed out, a mere or shifting into low llotamu using the improved r¢ have the right of way over those on the unim- proved lateral roads, just as if they were using a highway -designatéd by Soerid b scha designated n two ways hed boulevards inuhxl‘n‘wt law provides that all vehicles * mu have right of way over o'-her vehlcle- on the in- tersecting highway approaching from the left and shlll [lve H‘ht of way m those approaching on the right.” was ::Dhinad that motorists on an \m- proved road approaching a highway marked by awppgl‘m shall come to & full stop and give right of'way to all boulevard traffic. The boulevard law does not :pply. it was pointed out, when a traffic in- tersection is controlled by trafic mmla or officers. Penalties of $5 to $50 are provided for violations. f speed Automobiles Take 27,288 Lives in Year And Bring Total to 184,544 Since 1918 A total of 27,288 persons were killed in the United States last year by auto-|of ‘mobiles, according to revised figures of the American Motorists’ Association. Of !.hh number 2,165 were motorists killed iroad grade crossings, figures of th5 mumm Commerce Commission show. Some idea of the toll of human l\(e taken by automobiles, the association | 1 ints out, is gotten by the total Eiliea years, which shows an | cases ast 1 -man of 184,544 dead, compared with 50,604 American soldiers killed in the World War. “We loohkannron the fatalities of the War as a ble and futile carnage n human life. The human the result of carelessness on the part American motorists,” declares Thom- uJ.'zgeIe.Mwumw “An analysis of the annual United summnmmm far the largest number killed by au are pedestriaps. In most cities a lice investigation is mlde Motorists some cases are with care- rd the de- E.wur. however, were no more tume individual the mounting toll of dead, partly | mingham, a full stop. Thlldoumtmun it was | type of THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C,. JUNE 23, 1929—PART 4. THAT FUTILE FEELING. . —BY JIM BERRYMAN i [mmm ln] | N | MOTORISTS’ DIGEST l -~ BY CLAYTON GRAFF. ago the average pmflhble me o! an automobile was considered to be four years. Constant improvements and better understand- ing of the care of automobiles resulted in an indlcated average life of seven years in 1927. A careful survey of conditions made by the National Au- tomobile Chamber of Commerce for the rear 1928 reveals that cars averaging % yuu were being put on the junk Certainly the later model cars sors, 8o IG vould I.ndlcne that the pride _of ‘more modern mofle!x is rflpo le for the decline. appearance and performance means more to the average user today than formerly, and the large stock of used cars to select from is forcing the older cars off the streets even before they are complamy ‘worn out. The State of California has Just | cmuleted a highway toll bridge 7 1-10 hnx over San Francisco Bay at a f $7,500,000. the world. It will reduce the run- ‘ning :I.‘lge of mmr vehicles between San the great Valleys of California’ lnd dms in the southern of the te -by about one-half It is ot ample width and with- out turns, the only being a draw for permitting ships to pass from the h!tfl'he?oldfinGltewdlhePn- An insurance company sometime ago ventured to join the large family of installment dealers. In a bulletin re- cently !uueg’&yr the company, they ac- knowledge surprise over the ease with which so much additional protec- tion is sold to the motorist, as he ¥ glad and tg:’ a sum such as tmn for six mon! whereas it was very hard to sell him on the single- payment plan of, say, $60. They point out the possibility through this method Brotection, o only for thgmseives, Dt not only for themselves, bui also for the “other fellow,” that it will probably have much welght in _the drafting of compuisory insurance laws now before the Lerlshcum of a large number of States. “Bootlegger” in Was ‘Washington suggests a person who makes a business of manufacturing and dealing in intoxi- cating beverages in deflance of any and all laws to the contrary. There is a new type of “bootlegger” intro- ducing himselt to the motor-buying public in many parts of our country who makes a prm:tlce of locating fac- tories that have an overproduction of new cars, so.that he can buy their sur- plus at such ridiculously low that he can ’'way undersell the legiti- mate deuer In some localities this is being done to such an extent that it is having a tendency to destroy confidence of the buying public, not only in the car being offered through this channel, but in all makes. The re- tailing of motor cars, until the advent of the “bootlegger,” has conducted on a high shndnrd, with practically no price cutting, although occasionally an overallowance on a used car amounts to about the samie thing. The more substantial companies are de f.hh method of dhtrlhuuon and number of protests sent u wP will prob- ably nnd a way to deal with this new ‘bootlzlm 1t 1s interesting to note the increas- ing popularity of closed model cars. A few comparative figures tend to show the more or less rapid open” models. In 1921 roetare nished by the Department of Com- merce showed a total of 22.1 per cent of closed cars manufactured. In 1925 passenger cars produced, 88.5 cent were of this type. The indications for 1929 ‘are that there will be a very sllt‘gt change of last year’s proportional Last week the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce in New York City and various automotive factories, especially at Detroit, report an un-' usually large number of visitors from all quarters of the world. Most of them are problems. Many oX tm.u foreigners are also interested in the most recent developments of high- ‘way construction, those from the British Isles, concerning the con- | around _cities, | and bridge ap- We “Tead how the manu- lumrerrng'r“nw‘:’ or matches or mt':: if placed end to end would reach around the world or so. Now comes the news that automobiles are being built at such a rate that if were . stack end to end, each luction would reach 40 miles. y's_ouf would make a mud ine from Wi A ‘ork and & month's output to Florida, RIGHT AFTER BAWLING OUT THE WIFE FOR HER INABILITY ‘To PARK YOU TAKE THE WHEEL AND MAKE A ‘COMPLETE FIZZLE OF. THE JOB ! Greater Development of Truck Lines Forecast by Agriculture Departmcnt Development of organized motor truck systems for transporting perishable farm commodities to markets from pro- ducing reglons within a radius of 250 miles, and for distributing produce from large markets to smaller towns within a similar area, is predicted by marketin officials of the reau of Agricultural Economics, United States Department of Agriculture. The establishment of motor trucking systems as feeders to railroad concentration points for long hauls is also regarded as a possibility. Although s has been a rapid Vin- crease in the use of motor transporta- tion of farm products in the last few years from established producing areas and from new growing regions formerly |- outside the range of wagon haul to cities, the motor transport business from farm to market is as yet practically un- organized and for the most part is in the hands of independent truckers, More or less organization already exists, however, in Lhe d.umbumm of produce from cit ‘The Oovernment mnrkeung officials believe that, as in the case of motor bus mntnx eompetmon in motor truck transportat both from producing areas to eons\untng markets and in the distribution of produce from cities tq small towns, will organize transport sys- tems which will furnish shippers and dealers a unified service. Motor truck transportation of fruits and vegetables has me so large & factor in the handling of the Natlon’s food supply that the Bureau of Agricul- tural Economics is now reporting motor truck receipts in its daily and weekly ‘market news services at seven hrgfln - suming markets: New York, n, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Portland, Oreg. The re- porting of rail and boat shipments en route and those expected to arrive at markets within the ensuing 24 hours has been one of the important features of the bureau’s market news system which has enabled shippers and dealers to estimate probable market supplies, but no method has been found as yet for making similar reports on motor uck shlpuun ‘The un nized character of the motor truck business in fruits and vege- tables makes it practically impossible for the bureau to asce: en-route shipments, save in unusual cases such as out-of-State shipments from Delaware, whm the movement northward passes h & virtual “bottle neck.” 'l'he muu n is eompnuud further by the or less general appearance over the eountry of itinerant peddlers, who buy truck loads of farm produce in, say, Florida or Colorado, to be retailed in less than carload quantities to gro- cers in small towns in other.nearby the | States. The increasing importance of the motor trucking of farm lucts is shown in a recent survey of the situa- tion in Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, made co-operatively by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics and the Delaware State Board of Agricul- ture. This survey showed unt during the 1928 mlrkeunz the ship- ments of fruits and vmtlbln by nll and boat 44,616 carloads, as “I;menud only 80 per cent of the to- motor truck shipments, which would make the total movement 7,327 Nuivn- lent carloads of fruits and vegetables by motor truck, or 14 per cent of the total movement from the area. ‘The motor truck movement Imm the eastern shore of Virginia was equiva- lent to a] gmxlmltely 811 carloads, com- 2,421 for the Eastern Shore of Mu'yund and 2,391 for Delaware. These figures are exclusive of mixed truck loads of fruits and vege- tables ivalent to 239 cars. The sur- vey disclosed that motor truck trans- portation is favored especially in con- nectlcn with the movement of the oJla:mhnbu and more expensive str-wberry shipments from the East- ern Shore section by rail and boat last season totaled 2,121 carloads, compared with a reported motor truck movemcnt equal to 2,396 carloads. Available rec- ords indicate that in 1926 the rail &hipments of strawberries were 2,862 cars, compared with 1,086 “carload equivalents” reported by motor truck, thus showing a large increase in the use of the motor truck during the last two years. For the class of hi; ble oommodmu inclu %flu’fl&“m berries, cantaloupes, grapes, pucheu, wnhrmzlom. asparagus, beans, cucum] peppers, spin~ ach and wmmu motor truck rec- ords accounted for 4,703 aqululmfi car- loads in 1928, I‘OM o '.hsn records were 80 per cen eomgme total mowr truck movement of about 5,879 carloads of these commodities is indicated. The movement of thue com- modities by rail and boat last totaled 5496 carloads. ‘The survey disclosed that Philadel- phia and New York City are the prin- cipal destinations of motor truck. ship- ments from the Eastern markets Phlllddnhll 43 un'. ol the nmy nmrdnd. aad New Fork aad Newark together re: ceived about 46 per cent. The lmgth of haul to Philadelphia from some of the important producing districts of the Eastern Shore is about 125 miles, and to New York 225 miles. There also was & considerable movement by motor truck to the smaller cities, particularly in Pennsylvania, although this movement "&mm only about 7 per ‘cent of the motor truck movement reported. Strawberry shipments by truck were re- ported to 21 Pennsylvania markets, ex- cllulve of Philadelphia. Sweden Offers Market. Sweden, because of its relatively large population, its high purchasing power lnd the progress being offers the greatest possi- bfliue! for expuulon in its motor ve- hicle trade of any of the North Euro- pean countries, it is pointed out. While Denmark has developed one of the finest road systems in Europe, it is much more highly motorized than Sweden, having 1 automobile for every 35 persons, as pared the Swedish figure of 1 ln 40 ‘The development of motor ve- hicle transportation in Norway has been retarded because of economic depression existing in the country and the fact that little progress has been made in road development. ’ 5 WEEK END TRIPS GAIN FAVOR AS AUTO OPENS COUNTRY LANES Horse-and-Buggy Ride on Sunday After- noon Used to Be Chief Diversion for All Who Weren't Wealthy. BY H. CLIFFORD BROKAW Automobile Technical Adviser. Just before the automobile was born the idea of getting away on a week end visit to some desirable place was an occasional practice of the well-to-do. Por ‘most people a horse: on a Sunday was the chief diversion. Sueh a combination did not take them ‘The wth of the auto industry BT . hu developed the week end trip, which has now become one of America’s great national sports. The great stabilizer of this sort of diversion, a healthy one, has been the motor car. Without this medium of transportation this week end institution could not_exist. 1t can be taken for granted that this week end habit is a valuable institution which fits in ideally with the in leisure which now prevails in all parts of the United States. The idea of there being only half a day’s work on Sat- urd.y is comparatively new. The fact t this arrangement gives people from s.lumy noon until Monday morning as a time during which they can get away for enjoying a considerable stretch of leisure has been another factor in creating the week end habit. Long Week Ends Possible. It is also increasingly true that peo- ple frequently are able to get away from work on Saturday forenoons, Wi stretches the week end possibilities from Friday evening to Monday morn- ing. During such a period and even from Saturday moon, with the help of the automobile, it is possible to cover a good deal of territory and to go in for a wide variety of week end experi- ences. One of the most popular forms of week end, specially for people livi: in cities, where more than half of the total population of the United States now reside, is to ride out into the open country and spend a week end at the home of some friend. The automobile ;: lflglllyl ld';p::: to mcdhdmw. i possible ive and depart at any time which seems most convenient. This arrangement also makes possible ding a good deal of time in out- as golf, tennis and automobile comes connection with such lueh awlmmln(. and the in handy again in pastimes. - Construct Country Cottages. , having vestigate various localif their camping outfits and tnvel different point each week end, lnd get l great deal of pleasure out of such mher motorists of a little different temperament, who do not care to get quite so close to nature as is involved in camping out, have found arious tels, tourist to hich Owners of the New All American*2 are calling it America’s finest medium-priced automobile . . . ’“ANY fine qualities of the New Oakland All-American Six will reveal themselves to you during the course of a demonstra- The snap and pick-up of tion.™ supervision of counties, States and Nation. City'Church Attendance Falls. sam le have raised the question t or mot this mk end h:blt IA e the purposes for which iundlyvnmuflhume day of rest. There is no doubt tha week ends may be tending to rednee the -mudnnmee ',h:t some of the city use their automobiles to take some church on Sunday. Not only is the week end & hot weather institution, but it is also rap- hich | 1dly growing as a_method of having a Bood du the cold weather sea- fact that the automobile has l.rrlved at the stage where it is now a usable vehicle all the year around, andddue to the ?ct thlt'Blmrdtll;ldlnd Sune lays come just as frequen lur- ing the cold weather as during the Summer, there is really no reason for this week end habit to hibernate. Just ;alnnxdu l:hnetl;e ;r! plent'{’(:‘!nluwmo- les an of people ve them and roads over which to travel, it can be taken for granted that theweekmdwlbeeomemnnww lar as the years go by. NORTH BECKONS TRADE. The importance of the three Scandi- Commerce has just issued. to H. C. Schuette, assistant automotive trade commissioner for Europe, who the venlnulm tion has vely - in sveden. Norway, Finland. auf The Coupe, §1145 ¢ Body by Fisher you that this is America’s finest medium-priced automobile. Few, if any, un in Oakland’s field have ever aroused such en- Pontiac Big Six is the car which is enabling PONTIAC BIG SIX 745 AP UP. a big, silent engine. The smooth- ness and freedom from crankshaft vibration insured by the efficient Harmonic' Balancer. The ra deceleration effected by noiseless, internal-expanding four-wheel brakes. Thestyle, luxury and com- fort pmded y roomy Oakland- Fisher bodi But before you buy any car, you want to know more about it you can learn from a demons!r- tion. That’s where owners of the New All-American can help you. Ask some of them what they know about the car that a demonstra- tion cannot show. And you will hear a story of stamina and all- round value which will convince thusiasm among owners as the New All-American Six is causing. Come in and let us show you why its owners are so d of their cars and so completely satisfied with the value which the New All- American represents. 1145 to $1575, 1. 0. . Pru:ll to $1375, 1. o. b. Pontiee, Michigen, oy Bu; fender Gu-ullu.”rnmh-q, ¢ Plan eveilable st minimum rete. -~ nmm.—l—-h—.—,—h‘ automobile values . . . Oakland- Pontiae delivered prices include only reasonable charges for han- dling and for Sinancing when the Time Payment Plan is used. TheNew OAKLAN D 145 PRODUCT OF e ALL-AMERICAN SIX L. P. SERVICE STATION 1119 to 1127 21st St. N.W. STEUART, Inc. THERE'S A RELIABLE OAKLAND-PONTIAC DEALER NEAR YOU J. L. JERMAN 3342 M St. N.W. BAILEY MOTOR CO. Mt. Rainier, Md. PADGETT-JOYCE MOTOR CO. 654 Pennsylvania Ave. S.E. BORDEN MOTOR CO. MARYLAND. Berwyn, Md. I Gingell Motor Co. Damascus, Md. J. M. Gue. Gaithersburg, Md. W. L. King, Inc. Lanham, Md. Blythe Garage Prince Prederick, fce Frederick Metor Co. r Mriboro, Md. H. R. KING MOTOR CO. 514 H St. N.E. TEMPLE MOTOR CO. SHERIFF MOTOR CO 627 K St. N.W. SERVICE MOTOR CO.. Silver Spring, Md. VIRGINIA Lessburg, Va. Leesburg_Autdmobile Co. . Va. Stotor Co. & M oto} Company OFareti orar 0o, PR AN sarvies, mme. Ve Rhinards