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THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. DECEMBER 22, 192 PART FOUR. In the Motor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. LL indications point to a boost in prices of automo- biles for 1930. This raise may not take in all the various makes, but it is the con- sensus that the majority of manu- facturers will take this action. The increases may not be great, but thg‘ will be noticeable at least. e jump is not necessitated by higher labor or material costs and, therefore, its cause may not be ap- parent to many prospective buyers who in latter years have been ac- customed to see annual drop in prices. Cause of Price Raise. The real reason is an economic one. For years competition in the automotive field has been great. For years manufacturers have gone on with mass production, cutting down prices here and there, and because of the great quantities produced have found it to be profitable. Now, mass production necessa- rily does not mean mass selling. Some manufacturers would have it appear so. But the difference can be seen in the monthly reports of the Department of Commerce. Its figures are found without favorit- or bias. It is generally known that many factories have been treating their dealers in a deplorable way. Deal- ers have been forced to accept cars that have been impossible to sell in such quantities. Often when over- stocked with cars, the factories will turn out a new model, with shaved prices, and the dealers have been up against it. The method is unsound, and the deal- ers suffer for it. Throughout the country there have been many failures of the dealers as a result. Just recently an additional cut in prices has been announced by one manufacturer. Those on the inside know where the cut came trom—it came from the dealer and was forced upon him by the pro- ducer. It is poor business and one that is beginning to make itself felt throughout the entire indus- try. If it were kept up there is no telling what the result would be. It is said that there are cars now selling for actual cost in the Na- tional Capital. What is the dealer and his sales force to get out of this? Continuance of the present system, and a system that is almost universally true, leaves nothing but bankruptcy ahead. Solution Obtained. A few wise heads got together recently to find out what can be done to alleviate the condition. At present they have hit upon a solu- tion that should afford temporary relief. That solution is to cut down on mass production some- what, increase coming new makes and give the dealers a better chance. This may not be done in all the branches of the industry, but it does seem that some dealers will have a merry Christmas if they can struggle past New Year. . The public can pass over the new prices by the knowledge that what they were paying before was a little too cheap. The Automotive Daily News, a publication devoted entirely to the automotive industry, comments upon the situation in a recent edi- torial. Leaving out its own in- terests, what it states primarily is the case. It is as follows: “Some months ago the Automo- tive Daily News printed an edi- torial under the title ‘Prices Are ‘Too Low.” We felt most earnestly that the automobile industry has been making a mistake in its whole method of setting prices for Its products. It has been the habit of a great many manufacturers to fix their production schedules on the basis of the maximum out- put which they can hope to achieve. This procedure led to the bringing of heavy pressure on dealers whenever it proved diffi- cult to reach the maximum pro- duction schedule. There was no safety factor to care for a possible difficulty in making the produ')' tion figure that had been set &% the beginning of the year. We be- lieved then, and still believe, that many of the troubles that the in- dustry has had to contend with came from this over-optimistic method of setting production schedules. More Increases Foreseen. “During the past several days a number of manufacturers have announced price increases. These have ranged from $25 up to as high as $150. We look to see a general marking up of most lines before the 1930 season is well under way, and we note the ten- dency with a sigh of relief. “There is no reason to believe that the addition of $25 to the cost of the present lines of American car manufacturers will drive away a single customer who had intend- ed to buy. Prices of American cars are ridiculously low, anyway. We venture to assert that no other product that the American public buys in quantity gives such e prices of the|to a return on the investment as the motor car. Whether a man in- vests $500 or $5,000 in a motor-car, he gets the maximum in transpor- tation. He gets the transporta- tion, which is the basis of Ameri- can life as it is lived today. He cannot get along without this transportation, because he has or- dered his life in accordance with the efficiency it gives him. “If any one thinks that a mod- ern American is going to give up his needed transportation because it costs him $525 in 1930 where it cost him $500 in 1929, or because he must pay $2,150 for it this year where he paid $2,000 last year, he is badly mistaken. “On the other hand, an average increase of $25 per car sold in 1930 gives the manufacturer a factor of leeway which will obviate his pressing his dealers. It will give the dealer a factor that will help him attack the always difficult used car problem and it will ac- tually benefit the owner, who must a:y the extra $25 when he comes turn in his used car against a new purchase.” ‘Word of Comfort. A word of comfort for the 1930 purchasers of automobiles comes from those who will handle New York’s coming show at Grand Central Palace. It is stated that the operation costs of the new models will be considerably lower than those of former years. Should this be so, it will in a large way compensate for the increased prices. With the promise of more gerythix;g. l}t‘ is rnthea difficult perceive how operation costs will be reduced. However, ad- vances in mechanical improve- ments may cut down gasoline consumption and oil uses, as well as reduce repair costs on wear and tear. If this be so, “more power to you” can be said for the producers as well as to the buyers. Let’s hope that the following press agents’ reports are not too exaggerated: “It will not be sad news to visi- tors to learn that the 1930 model, regardless of size, should cost less to maintain than its predecessors. This is not a mere idle surmise, but the verdict of expert service engineers, service mechanics, de- signers and parts makers, who, after careful study of leading 1930 models, offer convincing proof relative to the many component parts of a car, as well as its per- formance as a whole. Service ex- perts base their statements upon the better design, of the units in DOWN THE ROAD—The Disillusion. | CAusep BY el Yy, e Iz power, more cylinders and more | CONGRESS SPEEDS ROAD FINANCING Wide Range of Support Is Shown for Federal Aid Measure. BY JAMES W. BROOKS, Director, Amenunl:"l:: 'ay Educational Hearings on the measure introduced by Representative Dowell of Iowa, the new model and simplicity and accessibility of those parts likely require attention after many miles of operation. Upkeep Costs Lower. “Few car owners realize that upkeep costs have been declining for several years past. Labor, which takes the big slice of the dollar spent for maintenance, still gets its share, but with the development of better shop equipment and machines, it costs much less for a service operation than heretofore. Parts are not only better quality, but cheaper. Standardization and interchange- ability of units and parts between different chassis models of the same manufacturer have reduced replacement costs. As an example of the declining costs of automo- bile upkeep the figures of a prom- inent manufacturer show that re- placement parts costs per car have declined over 40 per cent in the past few years. Indicative of the low cost of maintaining an automobile in these days are the figures supplied by a manufac- turer and dealing with the aver- age cost per car for a year in his service station in a large city. The figures showed that the 1929 models cost much less for upkeep than did the 1928 and 1927 mod- els. The figures were compiled on the cost of these models for the first 12 months of operation. Little Service Attention. “The 1930 engine will require the minimum of service atten- tion. Those items making for ex- pense in the older models, such as inaccessibility of parts requir- ing periodic adjustment and at- tention have been eliminated. Better carburetion and treatment of fuels, efficient lubrication with filters and ventilators spell lower operating and upkeep costs. “Better spring suspension and smoother functioning brakes mean longer tire life and less tire service costs. Improved steering gears and linkage means less adjustment after much serv- ice. From radiator to rear axle the aim of the manufacturer has been to simplify, strengthen and so design that each and every unit will need the minimum of attention. This coupled with the fact that the average car manu- facturer is spending thousands of dollars to improve and perfect his dealers’ service means lower maintenance cost for the coming .year’s models.” Speeding Bus to Be Halted and Driver Tried, Despite Delay to Passengers Bpecial Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, December 21.—Inter- urban busses that exceed the speed limit on the Washington boulevard in the future will be stopped and their drivers taken before the nearest magis- trate, regardless of the delay caused the passengers, Col. E. Austin Baughman, automobile commissioner, announced last week. Col. Baughman made his announce- ment following the dismissal of charges of against five bus drivers on the grounds of “insufficient identifica- tion™ by Justice of the Peace Howard U. Gosnell at Savage, Md. The five dis- missed were a part of the 16 drivers summoned Hart and G. E. Davidson, special in- ‘vestigators for the commission. In order not to delay the busses the investi- gators merely took the number of the machines and later secured the names of the drivers from the bus companies involved. In announcing his new policy of instant arrest, Col. Baughman said: “I have tried to go along with the bus companies with the idea of causing least possible delay to the passengers. I believe that circumstantial evidence is the strongest evidence. If the records in the bus dispatchers’ office stand, I feel that we have established the iden- tity of the drivers. We served the sum- giving the the time and place monses on the companies, bus number and since December 4 by Paul M. where it was seen speeding. From their records the compsnies produced the drivers’ names. “Thelr lawyer raised the question of insufficient identification. Of course, I have no intention of telling Justice of the Peace Gosnell what he shall do. But in the future the busses will be stopped. The driver, taken before the nearest magistrate for purposes of identification, will either pay a fine or post collateral for a further hearing. “In event of the latter course being taken, the passengers will be asked to give their names and will be informed that they may be called to testify in the case. may mean an hour or so delay to them. In that I have no further interest. I am going to make the roads safe for other people.” Engine Best When Hot. Don’t be alarmed if the water in your radiator gets very hot. When it 1s near the boiling point. your engine is most efficient. You needn't do anything until the water actually boils. ‘There are 3,956,138 people now di- rectly employed in the automobile in- dustry, according to the District of Columbia division of the Au- tomobile Association. chairman of the House committee on roads, to increase Federal aid for high. construction from $75,000,000 to $125,- 000,000 a year, beginning with 1930, have been concluded in the regular course of legislative procedure. Out of the details involved came the significant fact that never before since modern highway improvement was in- augurated 12 or 13 years ago has there been given such wide and effective sup- Efln to this phase of national progress. o doubt much of the present situation is due to the leadership of President Hoover who has urged greater activity in public work, but for some time pas there has been a growing consciousness | that road building cannot be permitted to lag without serious loss to the people. State Officials Help. Foremost in placing the facts before Congress as to highway needs in the various States was the American As- sociation of State Highway Officials, to whose m-mbership is intrusted the re- sponsibility gf getting the work done. These officials were supported by such national organizations as the United States Chamber of Commerce, the Na- tional Manufacturers’ Association, the American Federation of Labor, the Na- tional Grange, the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce, the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Amer- ican Automobile Association. In con- nection with the support given by the American Farm Bureau Federation, an interesting bit of highway history was brought out in the fact that this farm organization began passing resolutions for road improvement 40 years ago and that at each successive Congress sim- ilar resolutions have been presented. Two points in particular were made at the hearings, however, that fall short of the mark. One statement was to the effect that “the quicker the United States can complete its system of transportation, the quicker we will reach the apex of our prosperity.” So far as the actual completion of high- way building in the United States is concerned, this can never be, for, how- ever well the work may be done, there will still be more to do. Work to Continue. ‘With approximately 25,000,000 motor vehicles already on the road, the ex- tension, widening and rebuilding of highways must continue with unabated energy. It is as if some great giant were feverishly engaged around manu- facturing centers forging new vehicles for modern transportation and throw- ing them out on the roads red hot. So long as makers of automobiles keep this up, there will be a continuing need for roads. The second point made at the hear- ings was in regard to the employment of labor, a very necessary and a very desirable goal, to be sure, but beyond that is the matter of holding down motor vehicle operating costs. As to labor as a necessary factor in con- tinued prosperity, however, it has been found upon careful investigation by State highway departments that in building roads of whatever type 40 per cent of the cost goes to labor. The percentage is even more than that when the manufacture of materials and other contributory items are taken into ac- count. Highway pavement, when laid in logically connected systems, as State and Federal highway engineers are now doing, will clip a penny a mile at least Off of every motorist’s gasoline b, With 25,000,000 motor vehicles using highways at the average rate of 3,000 miles a year each, a penny a mile saved w&h‘plvznt is something to think aboul AIR ENGINE FOR AUTO. Technical Application Become Sub- Jject of Wide Discussion. Recent widespread news that the | ¢, next notable advancement in automo- bile engines would be the development of an airplane engine for use in motor cars has attracted the attention of many leading aviation authorities as well as automobile engineers. It has been ted that such an engine in & motor car would also be capable of keeping a modern airplane aloft for hours. It is readily admitted that the de-|tos velopment of the airplane engine, es- pecially in the past few years. has|is shown greater progress than the auto- mobile engine in the matter of power and speed development. This being true, it is logical then to look to the next advancement of the modern auto- ‘mobile enilne as incorporating those vital structural features which hereto- fore have been almost exclusively em- ployed in airplane power plants. t | tion. What's say? A NICKED FENDER. 0 A v, 7, fl// A column in which read- ers may express their views , on motoring and traffic problems. Asks Information In Crossing Dilemna. ‘Will you or some of your correspond- ents tell a pedestrian just what he's supposed to do at our light “controlled” intersections in this hypothetical but frequently occurring case? I approach a curb intent upon cross- ing the street. Being a law-abiding pe- destrian and not a jay-walker, I glance at the lights and find the green disc glowing for me to cross along with ve- hicular traffic, which at that moment happens to be moving in my direction. I step out from the curb and complete half a dozen steps when the amber light ashes on. The amber doesn’t stay lighted more than a few seconds, and by the time it and the green go out in favor of the red I'm marooned at a point just over the half-way mark to the curb I started to reach out. Cross-traffic starts. Horns, whistles, “cusses” and hard looks fly at me. Now—am I to stop dead still, go for- ward, go hackward or just evaporate altogether? In these queries I am as- suming, of course, that I have a right to walk across the street. But perhaps that's presumption instead urc agunfip- Seconds Recommendation Of G. B. A’s Appeal. Just a few words to second the sug- gestion of G. B. A. in regard to_police | co-operation during operas in Wash- | ington. I would like to recommend that facilities be given those attending con- certs as well. When a large group of taxpayers are interested in such events, which are far too few in the National Capital, and the operas and concerts themselves being somewhat of a civic nature, I think it would be proper and fitting for the police to supervise traffic so that con- gestion might be alleviated at the doors where these events are being held. I do not think it is asking for special privileges. Blocks are roped off for children to play, streets are barred at times of parades, and there is no com- plaint made. Why, then, should not the music lov- | ers be given their chance? | A M L | Seeks Holiday Leniency Among Policemen, ‘With the holiday spirit at hand would it not be a pleasant happening if the police woild be a little lenient in en- forcing some of the minor traffic regu- lations. I -efer to parking, and while I know restiictions are necessary, I do think it wou.d not cause serious harm if the police officers would let down a little during the Christmas buying sea- son. In other words, instead of ticketing every car that happens to get itself parked a little wrong or a little too long | daring the shopping rush, wouldn't it be | better to warn the driver with a smile | not to do so again? A ticket and cross | words take some of the Christmas cheer away from a shopping tour. I believe the merchants would agree with me. A.C.S. REINDEER AND SLED DISCARDED BY SANTA FOR BY H. CLIRFORD BROKAW, Automobile Technical Adviser. Whatever other effect the automobile may have had on folklore and fairy tales, it appears evident that most of the population of the United States has substituted the automobile for the rein- deers and sled as the vehicle for Santa Claus. The youngsters of today can hardly picture Kris Kringle bringing | toys to them in anything else but an automobile, since automobiles are the medium for such a large part of the present-day transportation. ‘There is another aspect of the holiday season which rather closely identified the automobile with Christmas. This is the popularity of the motor car as the ideal Christmas present. While au- tomobiles are not especially adapted to being placed in stockings hung on the fireplace or attached to Christmas trees, this limitation has been happily over- | come by a satisfactory arrangement. Method of Delivery Given. ‘The acceptable arrangement consists in having the car delivered to the home of the prospective owner either on Christmas eve or Christmas morning, ‘where it is left standing either in front of the house or perhaps in the garage. Into an appropriate envelope are placed the keys to the automobile, which will readily go into the smallest stocking or can be easily attached to any sized Christmas tree. Since the automobile is of no practical value to any one unless the owner is in possession of the keys which unlock it and enable one to use it, these keys very adequately personify the automobile itself. Another close relationship between the automobile and the holiday season lies in the adaptability of the_ auto- mobile in transporting the Christmas presents from the place of purchase to the homes where they are to be dis- tributed. Of course, many of the de- partment stores and other business houses doing a large volume of Christ- mas business deliver most of their or- ders by motor vehicles. However, the project which confronts a good many people has to do with getting pur- chases from retail stores into the house without being seeing by the members of the family for whom they are in- tended. It is at this point that the au- tomobile proves itself an important aid. Packages can be concealed in various parts of the car, taken home and left in the car until they can be safely hid- den in some part of the house. Auto Useful Christmas. Perhaj the greatest advantage of living ‘inan age of motor vehicles as far as Christmas is concerned lies in the facility with which, on account of e automobile, families can be re- united and can enjoy the holiday sea- son together. There are always count- less family reunions every Christmas and New Year which would be imgos- sible if it were not for the automobile. Nor {s the fact that these holidays come at the cold season of the year any special deterrent to the use of au- tomobiles. A few years ago many car owners just naturally jacked their au- up for a period of hibernation dur- ing the freezing weather. Now all that passe. Cars are run 12 months of the vear and highways are kept open 50 that they can run. To travel a hundred miles for the privilege of en- Jjaying Christmas dinner with relations or friends is no stunt at all. To travel 500 miles for such a purpose is not exceptional, The automobile is used to transport the chicken, turkey and other essen- AUTO DELIVERY tials from the markets to homes; 1t | takes people to Christmas services at churches; it enters into the observ- ance of this holiday in a variety of ways. It would be unthinkable to ob- serve Christmas in the most enjoyable fashion in this day and age without the motor car. P 'SAFE DRIVING MEANS ' CONSIDERING OTHERS Motorists Urged to Show Begsrd‘ for All on Road. Safe driving consists not only in con- sidering one’s own safety, but that of others in one's car or in other cars on the road, says Rudolph Jose, veteran local motor car dealer. This view of motoring, points out Mr. Jose, would be definitely instrumental in eliminat- ing the great majority of unnecessary kazards from use of the automobile. Motoring, it is declared, is in nowise unsafe, but on the contrary can be at- tended with as great freedom from dan- ger as any form of activity in modern life. The point is made, however, that the degree of safety is so largely de- pendent on the human factor that any automobilist can make his driving safe if he conscloentiously endeavors to avold situations that readily can be- come hazardous. “Willingness to take chances without the slightest need for taking them,” de- clares Mr. Jose, “is to be hecdless of the safety of others as well. When the motorist has in his car one or more pas- sengers, it immediately becomes his duty to show a high regard for their personal safety. The driver is not free to risk his own life, for in doing so he risks the lives of others also, and he does it with- out their knowledge of the danger. “When a motorist starts for a drive with other persons in his car, he im- plicity agrees that he will use his best Judgment to protect them.” o IMOTOR DONT’S DON'T FAILTO CHECK UP ON THE OILING SYSTEM OF YOUR CAR PERIODIC S INSPECTIQNS OF YOUR MOTOR AND CHASSIS LUBRICATION —BY FRANK BECK l AUTOMOBILE SALES EXPECTED T0 HOLD Cram Reports Volume of Business in New Year Should Be Normal. No extensive diminution of national | purchase power and normal sales con- ditions in the automobile market are salient factors evidenced in an analysis of the dealer outlook for 1930, accord- ing to B. H. Cram, president of Cram’s Automotive Reports, Inc. Past experience and observation pro- vide the ground for predicting the ex- istence of these factors, Mr. Cram de- clares. It is his conviction that the item of most importance to the dealer outside of purely local condif is the situation relating to the national mar- ket for motor cars in 1930. The coun- try has in the past few weeks under- gone a certain revision in its financial status. A national panic has been averted and the resultant changes in public business, in the opinion of busi- ness leaders, will eventually place the country on a more sound economic | basis. Credit Conditions Are Easier, Probably the greatest advantage that has been derived from the recent stock market crash is the reduction in specu- lation, with an accompanying easing of credit conditions. Whether the credit situation prior to November placed the country in a dangerous position is a subject that limited space will not per- mit Mr. Cram to go into. However, real or imaginary,, the easing of money has gained one important end—namely, that of removing a threat of stringency in some parts of the country, particu- larly the agricultural districts. As a result, 1930 will open with plenty of money available in all parts of the United States, and neither agricultural nor industrial interests will suffer from | an_inadequacy of funds. H This would imply that the basis for national purchasing power can be con- sidered sound. With the automotive industry one of the most sensitive lines of business to purchasing power, the outlook from that quarter is distinctly favorable. Sales to Be Affected Slightly. No doubt the stock market collapse, with its accompanying losses to thou- sands of investors, will affect automo- bile sales. However, the cancellations following the crash were not as numer- ous nor as widespread as early indica- tions led Mr. Cram to believe. No doubt the remainder of the Winter will be slow as far as many commodities are concerned. but it is doubtful if this condition will be so widespread as to materially affect automobile sales. To offset any such condition, pur- chasing power in other lines will be materially increased. With the inau- guration of President Hoover's pro- gram, in which he has been supported by many of the companies’ leading ex- ecutives, many lines of business which might otherwise be expected to be slow d ring the Winter months will be stimulated, thus reducing unemploy- ment and providing extensive markets for_the more basic commodities. Optimism is rapidly returning, and it is highly probable that the Winter and Spring months will comprise a | period of economic recovery with all lines of business on the upgrade, which may be considered as a highly stimu- lating condition. Normal Volume Is Expected. Granted, then, that purchasing power will not be extensively diminished, it remains to be seen just what part the automotive industry” will have in the| national picture for the coming year. Certainly a normal sales condition can be expected. and a normal sales con- dition undoubtedly means a produc- tion of about 5,000,000 motor cars and trucks. ‘The replacement market will be as large in 1930 as it was in 1029. As a matter of fact, the resale market will probably exceed that of the current year, due to the growing obsolesence of the model “T” Ford. is should re- sult in another year from a sales standpoint for the manufacturers and dealers of low-priced cars, and with the low-priced division of 'the industry forming the backbone of the automo- | bile business it is possible to see a pyramiding of demand which will ex- tend into both the medium and high- priced car groups. | In fact, the average automobile| dealer should sell in 1930 approximately as many cars as he has sold in 1929. It is possible, however, that because business in general is going through a period of recovery the sale of these cars will not reach the peak of its volume as early in the year as it has under more normal conditions. While the first quarter of the year may pro- ceed rather slowly, automobile sales should gather momentum as the weeks | pass; and as has been the case in other years when similar conditions prevailed, the secondary peak, coming in the third quarter of the year, should reach a favorable height. ! | ! URGES REGULATION OF SPEED IN TRAFFIC AND ON OPEN ROA National Committees Suggest Adoption of System for Measurement of Hazards. Discusses Liability of Motor Drivers. Some system by which speed in and upon the open road can be pl in the proper category for regulation— a system which would use speed as a measurement of hazard, as an ampli- fication, in -its increasing form, of the | liability of the motor driver who trans- gresses, but which would also permit of more expeditious moving of traffic over the streets and highways of the Nation—is the goal of a special techni- cal subcommittee named by the na- tional committee for uniform traffic regulations which met here last week. Another study, the results of which may be of tremendous importance to the motor drivers of the country, was the proposal referred to this same com- mittee that the Hoover code be so changed as to recognize a right-of-way rule exactly opposite that in general observance throughout the country. Right-of-Way Problem. Proponents of the principle of grant- ing the driver ongjthe left, instead of the driver on the right, the right of way, offered the proposition as a means of eliminating street intersection jams which occur when a motorist approach- ing a street on which there is a heavy flow of traffic exercises his right-of- way prerogative to get into the center of the intersection and there finds him- self blocking the street and unable to go farther because of the contirtuous stream of traffic with right of way against him. Under the “right of way on the left” rule, it was argued the motorist cannot get into the street intersection until the way is clear, but once in, he can use his right of way, once he gets to the center of the intersection, to break through the opposing stream of traffic. Composed of some of the best traffic minds in the country, this subcommit- tee of the body, which is working for uniform traffic regulation throughout the country, at the behest of President Hoover, has before it for consideration a radical new theory for dealing with speed in motor traffic along with a number of minox contemplated changes In the so-called Hoover code for uniform traffic regulation and the model munic- ipal traffic ordinance. Methods Held Unsatisfactory. That the methods of cities dnd States of regulating speed upon the open roads and in the cities are merely stopgaps, highly unsatisfactory, and in some cases positively dangerous, was the consensus of the experts attending the session of the Hoover committee here last week, and much discussion was held on the subject, with the result that the techni- cal committee was named to thresh out this matter and report back its recom- mendations, if any, relative to the changing in the uniform code of the suggested limit of 35 miles an hour on the open road. The discussion was precipitated by Dr. H. C. Dickinson of the Bureau of Standards, who moved that the clause suggesting a limit of 35 miles an hour on the open road be eliminated from the uniform code and that no substi- tute be offered in its place. He pro- pounded the view that speed limits are arbitrary things at best and that the only way to really regulate speed is to properly define rights of way and there- by establish blame for accidents upon the violators of the right-of-way rules. Another suggestion was made that the open road limit be raised to 50 miles an hour, No action was take: upon either suggestion. Dr. Miller Mc- Clintock, director of the Albert Russel Erskine bureau of street traffic re- search at Harvard University, who was presiding over the meeting, was urged by members of the committee to state his views on speed and its regulation. “Speed,” said Dr. McClintock, “is an anomalous quantity in motor traffic. One might say that it was responsible for all danger in automobile driving, because if there were no speed, no mo- tion, there would be no contact and thereby no casualty. At the same time speed, per se, cannot be blamed for any accidents. A perfect driver, in a per- fect car, on a perfect road, naturally, can go at any speed he desires without accident. Good drivers«n this country frequently travel at 80 or even 90 miles over the highways in perfect safety. “Therefore, I believe that we have to approach this speed question from an entirely different angle. I believe there should be some scale of determination of the increasing hazard as s creases. That speed should be not as a hazard itself, but rather as an_amplification of the hazard.” Dr. McClintock declared he did not think speed should be thought of or regulated in terms of miles per hour or any other measurement, but should be used itself as a measurement of the liability of the driver who is using the speed. p:!epon Dr. McClintock’s suggestion the whole matter, including the recom- mendation for removal of the speed 1limit of vehicles on the open road and the proposal that it be raised to 50 miles an hour, was referred to the tech- nical committee. The speed question is by far the most important before the technical com- mittee and one for which the members are girding their loins for work in earnest Dr. McClintock Presides. ‘The technical committee was organ- ized immediately following the meeting of the general committee and Dr. Mc- Clintock was chosen as chairman. Tt was tentatively agreed that it would meet the latter part of January, at & city convenient for the greater number of the members, New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. 1In the meantime the members are to draft their opinions on the speed and right-of-way questions and a number of minor considerations before them, and send them to the com- mittee's secretary not later than Jan- uary 4, so that they can be correlated into a general summary of views of the members and threshed out at the meet- ing later in the month. Several meetings of the technical committee will be held, it is announced, before the next meeting of the general committee here in the Spring. Committee Personnel. Members of the committee are: Dr. McClintock, C. W. Stark of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States; Willlam Butler, general counsel for the United States Casualty Co.; W. W. Cloud, president of the Yellow Cab Co.; J. Allen Davis of the Automobile Club of Southern California. a repre: sentative of the American Automobile Association to be later designated: Ben- Jjamin G. Eynon, commissioner of motor vehicles of Pennsylvania: D. C. Fenner, truck manufacturer; J. M. Pried, presi. dent of the Chamber of Commerce of Vicksburg. Miss.: Edward W. James, chief of the division of’ designs, Bureau of Public Roads: Burton W. Marsh, Pennsylvania State traffic engineer: Jo- seph G. Myers, attorney; A. H. Rudd, chief signal engineer Pennsylvania Rdil- road: Frank Seydel. counsel for the National Board of ml’ tg: 3 y ition; Williams, director of the traf division of the National Safety Sidney fic safe g.}. and Thomas G. Young, motor of Baltimore. With every highway improvement, there is a noticeable increase in travel by automobile over that highway, ac- the automotive industry, whose recent investigation of traffic conditions took him over 20,000 miles of all kinds of roads in 14 different States. Mr. Franklin, who uses an automo- bile in all of his business trips, states that he travels on schedule, requires no transfers, and experiences no wait- ing nor delays due to uncertainty of weather. Over routes covered most fre- quently he operates between his home and hotel in considerably less time than train service will permit. “More improved roads make it pos- sible for people to enjoy the conven- ience of traveling by automobile and serve to call their attention to their own fis!!bfllfies for greater productiv- ity,” Mr. Pranklin stated. “The auto- mobile provides the quickest and most satisfactory kind of service for ordinary distances when elapsed time from start to destination is considered. ' “Some people may think that the use of automobiles has reached the peak, but this is a fallacy. With the right kinds of roads, more and more people will motor for long distances: in fact, use their cars more in every way. Good roads are all that are needed to make the automobile recognized as the ideal means of transportation for all dis- tances. A good road should permit speeds of 100 miles or more an hour with safety over long distances. “While it is necessary to consider present traffic in building roads, the most important thing is to build them so that increased traffic can be cared for,” Mr. Pranklin said. “Roads should be so useful and practical that the many instead of the few will use them for general travel. The number of automobiles now traveling over any cording to H. H. Franklin, president in | its Business Activities Show Gain With Improvements to Highways really would be under more ideal con- ditions. A - through hway should provide speed and safety facilities along entire length, “This cannot be unless the road is of ample width, preferably with par- alleled one-way courses, in as near a straight line as ible and routed around towns and villagés rather than through them. “Road engineers attempting only to build roads that will meet today's re- quirements fall far short of that aim and fail utterly in providing highways that will answer the purpose of a few years to come. This means building over the roads shortly after they are completed at an added expense to the taxpayers who pay the bill.” Mr. Franklin believes that the next few years will see automobiles capable of maintaining speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour traveling over super- highways that extend entirely across the continent. HIT-AND-RUN DECREASE. Baltimore Safé®y Director Marks Change in Ten-Month Period. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, December 14.—A slight decrease in automobile operators who fled after accidents, as well as in the number of persons killed and injured in that type of accident. is reported for theé first 10 months of 1929, compared with the same period last year, in a statement from J. P. Rostmeyer, direc- tor of the Baltimore Safety Council. From January 1 to October 31 this year, Mr. Rostmeyer said, drivers fled in 546 accidents, in 141 of which 3 persons were killed and 156 injured. During the same period last vear there particular section of a main highway is no indication of what the traffic Chevrolet Coach. Essex Coach. .. Chevrolet Coach. Flint Sedan.. «...$88 Chrysler Sedan. . Chrysler Cou, Essex Seda: Hudson Sedan.... Willys-Knight Tou Contracts let for motor buildings in ARE ESSENTIAL — 1928 numbered 7,569 with a valuation ! of $149,136,700, accord; to the Dis- trict of Columbia division of the Amer- ican Autsmobile Association. were 675 such accidents, in 189 of which 14 persons were killed and 198 injured. 23 Big Auto Bargains Compare These Prices No Finance Charges You may drive any car three days and if not satisfied exchange for any in stock. Peerless Coach. Marmon Sedan. Stutz 8 Sedan. ierce Arrow Limousi: rce Arrow Roadster. 7385 PIERCE USED CAR DEPT. 1437 Irving St. N.W. Adams 5688