Evening Star Newspaper, October 26, 1930, Page 58

PROSPERITY INU. .| DEPENDING ONAUTD fiood Times Must Return to Industry First, Says Car Official. Bpecial Dispatch to The Star. DETROIT, October 25.—Present and future prospects of the automobile busi- ness have been the subject of pointed comment this week from a - ranking company executive of the General Mo- tors forces. It comes from W. A. Blees, one of the vice presidents in charge of sales, and was relayed to an assembly of news- paper publishers at Chicago. Declaring that prosperity cannot re- to America until it returns to the automobile industry, Mr. Blees asserts that the depression has now reached & purely psychological level. He credits newspapers with arresting the decline, then he goes on: ““We must look again to the press to guide public opinion out of its present pessimistic, muddled state to one of confidence in the future. Newspapers Can Help. “The newspapers can help the auto- mobile business and every other busi- ness. But until the automobile in- dustry reaches more solid ground there can be no general improvement. The automobile industry constitutes the largest sector of American business. Directly or indirectly it is responsible. - GONGRESS RELATED ‘for the employment of 4,700,000 work- ers. Through its enormous consump- tion of raw and finished materials, i affects practically every other basic industry. “The responsibility for the present economic depression cannot be laid alone to security speculation. High ressure and unsound selling methods y & number of industries, in which the atomobile industry is no exception, brought about a condition commonly called consumer overindulgence. Industry Awakens. “The automobile industry early in 1930 awakened to the fact that it had made 1,000,000 more new cars than consumer could digest. Extravagances had crept into the business to such an - extent that it required the sale of over 5,000,000 new cars a year to keep up the pace. The used car, of which about 1,500,000 are seeking owners or junk piles, was considered more or less of a necessary evil, and by many manufac- turers was regarded as strictly a deal- er’s_problem. “The dealer organizations had been high-pressured and were affected by boom conditions just as were the manu- facturers. Dealers had indulged in m time extravagances and had de- parted from sound business methods. “Bankers were demanding of dealers a reduction of loans and liquidation of frozen assets. Expenditures were run- N N\ edifice now dcvclopm éandm rmont. 1t was buift in l787and ifs val ristian ahzcnshnp, dffl‘)f;fi}: chmf R g&fa on Augubfl 1925,in one o m (Title registeved U. & Patent Offics.) —BY JAMES W. BROOKS. (Sketches by Calvin A. Fader.) lvi n which of office at P less dramahic scenes in American history BENEFITS OF ROAD Better Construction, Unem- ployment Aid and Travel Stimulation Seen. BY W. R. COLE, President, Louisvitle & Nashville Railway. Note to Editors—The following, signed story by Mr. W. R. president of the Heotilie e Nasnoiiie Ratwas, at Louts- ville, Ky, and sent out through the National Conference on Street and High- way Safety, deals with the acute problem of automobile accidents, injuries and deaths at railway grade crossings. The number of these accidents in 1929 was 5912, with 2.485 deaths and 6304 in- juries. Mr. Cole has given estended and detailed study to the grade-crossing acci- dent problems over the country as a whole and speaks from an intimate con- tact with it. Representatives of the American Automobile Association in attendance at the sessions of the Sixth Inter- national Road Congress saw four dis- tinct benefits accruing from the de- liberations of the highway experts of 60 Nations. These benefits were sum- marized as follows: First, better road construction, sounder financing and the co-ordina- tion of highways so that they will join at_frontiers. Beeond the immediate launching of rograms on the part of the va- ations to relieve unemployment. Stimulation Aids. ‘Third, stimulation of world travel through highway construction, the sim- plification of frontier regulations and passports and the development of & | common language of the road by means of standard warning and direction signs. Years before the Natianal Conference on Street and Highway Safety was dreamed of, the railroads were faced with the necessity of putting into effect measures and safeguards to give pro- .tection against accidents and fatalities at grade crossings. They were the first to have thrust upon them the serious aspects of that which since has become the traffic problem. The number of deaths at these cross- rloua ning wild. DL!mbullon costs were ex- cessive, but, as Mark Twain said about the weather, ‘Everybody talks about it, but nobody does anything.’ In a nut- shell, we were trying to gear sales up to. productive_capacity, and you kn the answer. It worked for a time, but it failed because it was fundamentally unsound. “But already the remedy is being ap- . Production is being sanely geared sales. Dealers are receiving un- llmhed factory guidance. The factories are sharing responsibility for the used car problem and dealers’ profits are be- -ing safeguarded. “What the United States needs most now is confidence and courage, hard, serfous work and good management, sane selling and merchandise of maxi- mum value. The only incentive that will start the public buying again is the offering of such outstanding values that the public will want to spend its money. "mmm. production and distribution costs are lower and the buying power of the dollar has greatly increased. The consumer realizes the increased value of his dollar. He wants his new dollar’s worth. When we offer that yalue, buying again will start.” Aluminum Versus Steel. ‘ That aluminum alloys may become a formld.nbh eompetlwr of m!l 2s ma- terial in body ding has been fore- cast in statements made before the So- clety of Automotive Engineers in & na- tional session at Pittsburgh. Although presented by a mmenh- tive of the Aluminum Company of America, the prediction was backed by substantial reasons why the lighter metal is regarded as a logical develop- :ent from the heavier materials now use. The talk dealt with aluminum use as applied primarily to commercial vehicl- leaving the passenger car angle untouched, but it nevertheless has an lication there. t was pointed out that the advan- tages of reduction in dead weight have | poq, been apparent, but it is only since the advent of the strong alloys in com- that they have been At present, it was stated, aluminum is replacing other metals for the strength members in trucks, motor coaches, steam and electric railway cars. . Aluminum bodies now cost more, it is admitted, but the alloy material weighs only 35 to 50 per cent as much. In an aluminum body weighing 40 per cent as much as a similar steel body two pounds of aluminum are used for every five pounds of steel replaced. At an average of 38 cents a pound the aluminum ‘Iould cost 75 cents, but would replace five pounds of steel at three cents a pound or 15 cents. inst this are placed the weight reduction allowing larger pay load, higher road speeds and less gear shift- ing for similar reasons, resulting in lower operating cost. Aluminum also is rustless and has a scrap value, whereas steel has practi- ‘cally none. (Copyright, RECORD FOR 1929 SET BY NATURAL GASOLINE Production Exceeds Two Billion Gallons, According to Bu- reau of Mines. ‘The natural gasoline industry, noted for its rapid growth, again established a new record for output in 1929, when a total of 2,233,688,000 gallons was pro-|_ guced, according 10 statistics compiled by G.' R. Hopkins of the United States iroad from Landover to Tuxedo, a dis- | 1930. by North American News- paper Alliance.) Fourth, avoidance by other countries of some of the mistakes committed by the United States as the pioneer road- building Nation. ‘Two of the keynotes of the Congress were sounded by President Henry at a special luncheon tendered by the A. A. A to official delegates and spe- clally lnvlud guests. Mr. Henry predicted a big increase in the tide of American travel abroad in the immediate years ahead, but warned that only those countries that bulld "Efl highways and facilitate Irl benefit from this tourist !'.relzn Travel I Increasing. “Every year,” he said, “sees a great increase in the number of Americans going abroad. Every year sees an ex- tension of trails into the far places o( the world. But great as is the Amer- iean tourist army of today, it is but the -dvmce flmrd of the army of tomor- TowW. ined habit of our people um whenever possible they pre- fer to travel under their own power. The extent to which these couriers of commerce and peace will visit you de- pends in large measure on the roads you provide and the ease with which | make it possible for them to travel from tronun to frontier.” At the conclusion of his address, chh m translated into four lan- the A. A. A. executive advised uu delegates to bulld roads with a it t.kl;: future traffic, to make e CONTRACTS ARE AWARDED $25,985 Road Improvements Sched- uled in Prince Georges County. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, October 25.—Contracts | for improving three highways in Prince Georges County, at a total cost of $25,985, have been awarded by the State ming away of shrubbery that tended ds Commission. | to obstruct the view of ‘motorists and ‘The largest contract was resurfacing | drivers. with bituminous concrete the Cheverly Nor did the effort stop there. Spe- cial protective devices were installed, and are continuing to be put into place. Ninety-seven per cent of the grade tion of the road from Tuxedo to River | crossings of the country now have some road, nine-tenths of a mile, resurfacing | form of protection or warning. More with penetration macadam, while the |than 12 per cent of them, which are other contract calls for adding concrete | the most dangerous, are protected thoulders to Main street in Laurel from | either by gates or by signals that are the Washington Boulevard to Sixth |audible, visible or both. street. Fixed signs and markings have been Where to Motor and Dine COLONIAL INN Westminster, Md. OPEN ALL THE YEAR Special Dinners Golf Course 50c to $1.25 Visit Our Indoor | for an Hour of Real Enjoyment WARREN GREEN HOTEL Forty Miles from Washington Over the Lee Highway Through the Bull Run Battlefleld Lee Highway, Route 211. Is Now Open. MBS. FRED G. BERGER, Proprietor. Telephone Warrenton 280, Special Sunday Dinner, $1.00 Warrenton : : Virginia ings has remained relatively stationary for the last seven years, from 1923 to 1929 both, although in that time there has been an increase of more than 76 per cent in the motor vehicle registra- tion of the country, and an increase from 1920 to 1929 of 149 per cent in motor vehicle deaths. This indicates progress by the rail- roads in dealing with the grade-crossing problem, but it is not sufficient progress to meet the requirements of the exist- ing condition. For that reason I want to carry a message to those people of this country who cross and recross railroad tracks in their automobiles. The National Conference on Street and Highway Safety at Washington has made detailed recommendations for the “protection of rallway grade crossings and their elimination.” For a great many years the railroads have been engaged in putting into effect these measures of safety that have since be- come the recommendations of the national conference. ‘Were this not so, the number of grade-crossing fatalities would not have remained relatively constant for the last seven years. Neither would the ratio of grade-crossing fatalities to all traffic fatalities have shown a general down- ward tendency, from 10.5 per cent in 1920 to 7.5 per cent in 1929. The railroads in this period were especially busy, because of the increase in the number of motor vehicles, with efforts to reduce the physical hazards of grade crossings. These efluru in- cluded leveling and smoothing the surfaces at grade crossings: :ducnom in so far as was feasible of the grades of approaches to crossings; the widen- ing of roadway approaches that had proven dangerously narrow; working with the State highway departments to prevent wherever possible the building of sharp turns and junctions near grade crossings: the issuance of instructions to railway employes about placing cars on sidings near crossings; relocating buildings that obstructed the view of vehicle drivers, and the continual trim- tance of 1.2 miles. The second contract was a continua- RED FOX TAVERN Middleburg, Virginia e 8 SOUTHERN .aflf)l- Phone Middleburg 39 or u v—H;arrulhoei Hill Inn Lafayette Tea Room 106 W. Patrick St. Luncheon—Tea—Dinner $1.80. Bure:u of Mines, Department of Com- merce. Frederick, Md. | Chicken affle Diwners. Box Junches for tourists. 506 t | Free Parking 51 n R ‘This output represents an increase oll 23 per cent over 1928, as compared with an increase of 11 per cent in 1928 over 1927 and an annual increase for the past 10 years of 21 per cent. ord-breaking output of natural gasoline in 1929 was closely related to the mate- | increase in crude production. In| 9 crude oil production for the first| time exceeded 1,000,000,000 barrels. total of 1,007,323,000 barrels of crude’ produced represented an increase of 12 | This rec-| GRAY'S HILL INN | & Overlookino the Potomac Formerly a vart of Mt. Ve CO-OPERATION NEEDED FACTOR IN REDUCING GRADE DANGERS 'Railroad Head Outlines Survey of Crossing Accidents and Urges Assistance of Motoring Public. placed at pruucdly all such crossings by the railr . In a great many cases these s f the railroads are supple- Shb law stop signs, and in a number of instances by signs of local automobile clubs that call the attention of the motorist to the fact that he is approaching a grade crossing. Conference Recommendations. Among the recommendations of the National Conference is one for the elimination of grade crossings either by relocation of highways or rail lines or by grade separation. Almost from the time that the traffic problem was first faced by the railroads they have encouraged the relocation and build- | ing of highways so as to eliminate or altogether avoid grade crossings, lndl they have met with success in a great many cases. | The large sum of $60,000,000 was | expended each year by the rallroads | and the public together during 1926, 1927 and lD?l to separate grade cross- ings, and this expenditure is increasing. Yet, in spite of these efforts and these expenditures, during this period of three | - World’s Lowest Priced Eight 4-Door Sedan * The 8-70 Series $945 2 $995 Lowest Priced Six in All Nash History The 6-60 Series $795 20 $8 msfmmple and yet none ©Anencin Hown focaraiar. Bogeao years there was & net increase of 2,044 in the number of these grade crossings over the country. In view of this in- crease and the manifest impossibility of eliminating even a relatively small part of the 240,000 grade crossings that exist now in this country, it can be readily seen that grade separation is not a solution to the traffic problem at these crossings as it applies either to the railroads or to the public. The matter resolves itself principally —I was about to say entirely—into a means_of facilitatiing the movements of traffic at points of traffic density. All of these things have been done, and others are being done, by the rail- roads. Public officials have given the problem as it relates to them the same intelligent consideration. But with what results? At Same Level. ‘While grade-crossing fatalities have remained at the same level, and their ratio to total traffic fatalities shows a downward trend, the total fatalities of traffic are increasing at an alarming rate. Last year the increase was 10.8 per cent over 1928, and the increase from 1920 to 1929 was 147 per cent. For each of the last three years the relative increase in motor vehicle fa- talities over the immediately preceding year exceaded the relative increase in the number of automobiles that were registered. ‘To what is this tendency due? This is & question which every person in this country may well ask themselves. To me it appears to be due to the more inten- sive use of the automobile, to the greater speed at which it is operated and to a reckless disregard of traffic and safety rules. In short, it seems to be attributable THE to the fact that a sense of safety has not been developed in the minds of people who are driving automobiles. Some few individuals may have devel- oped this safety sense, but a great mass of the population appears to have given it no consideration. At least there is partial evidence that it is upon the public that the greater part of this responsibility rests. I.point to the fact that on our own railroad, the Louisville & Nashville, 40 per cent of the total grade-~crossing accidents are at crossings thal are protected by watchmen, visible and audible signals or by gates. Sixteen per cent of this 40 per cent were at crossings protected by watch- men—in every case where watchmen were trying to prevent the motorist from entering upon the crossing im- mediately in front of an approaching train. In quite a number of cases auto- mobiles have struck and killed our watchmen, whose sole purpose at the crossing was {o protect these motorists who caused their deaths. Evidence of Responsibility. Further evidence that the indiffer- ence and inattention of motorists is re- sponsible for the bad records that are being made is seen in the fact that on our road 40 per cent of the grade-cross- ing accidents are cases where automo- biles are driven into the sides of trains after they have occupied the crossing. Also, 54 per cent of our accidents at crossings are in broad daylight, and most of them involve persons who live in the community where the accident takes place—persons who are thorough- ly familiar with physical detalls of the crossings and often familiar with the schedules of the trains involved. Surely there can be no legitimate excuse for such happenings—such carelessness. I have no reason to believe that these statistics are not applicable with more or less exactness to many of the other railroads in this country. What is the solution of this traffic problem? My answer is, after the things I have mentioned have been done, the drafting of uniform traffic regulations; the familiarizing of the public with these regulations and the reasons for their development through a process of education, and, finally, t! rigorous enforcement of these regula- tions. The keynote of all of these en- deavors in my opinion, is education. As evidence of the need for education, let me point to the recommendation of the National Conference, which says in substance: “A large percentage of traffic accl- dents are attributable to two or three major causes—violation of the right-of- way, driving on the wrong side of the highway and driving off the high- way due to inaitention or excessive speed.” ‘These three causes represent about 80 per cent of the accidents that involve automoblles. They are ‘all the result of either failure to know the regula- tions, inattention, indifference or reck- lessness. Education will solve the question as it concerns the failure to know the regulations. By awakening the motor- ist to the hazard involved in driving a car, and by impressing his danger upon him, it may also solve the prob- lem of inattention. ‘The problem offered by indifference and recklessness can be solved only by strict enforcement of sensible and com- plete regulations, made a part of our system of laws. (/2 Appearance and comfort are notably advanced Performance is smoother, more thrilling than ever 45 The four new 7. O. B. FACTORTIES Only Twin-Ignition Eight at Its Price The 8-80 Series $1245 2081375 cars presented by Nash are de- liberately designed and built to give the public more motor car for its money than any manu- facturer has ever offered before. The act_ual in- crease in dollar value is from $200 in the lower priced models to $400 in the higher priced series RURAL DISTRICTS VIEWINGROADWORK Highway Improvements Said to Be Great Aid to Farmers. Since general business and farming are so closely interlocked, both cities and rural communities are watching with interest the trend toward improv- ing local roads. ural communities that have devel- oped comprehensive road systems have virtually become new markets for man- ufactured products which they formerly did without. This means a higher standard of living for the rural com- munity. Near to Markets. On the other hand, the rural com- munity is placed in year-around touch with markets, and the best price for farm produce is obtained. A study made recently by Cornell University re- vealed that farmers in one community suffered losses of from $100 to $1,000 yearly through inability to market prod- uce, because of muddy roads, when prices were best. Chief among the steps that a rural community may take is that of hard surfacing highways. Where funds- and resources are somewhat limited, come munities are building 9 or 10 foot cone crete pavements. ese NAITOW pave- ments serve the purpose admirably, and carry with them the same economies that go with concrete in 18, 40 and 60 foot widths. Delaware Active. Delaware, one of many States that i bullding considerable mileages of these paved local roads, this year awarded contracts for 25 miles of single-lane pavements. With several score miles of these pavements in service, Delaware has found that all upkeep costs per mile of pavement annually average about $100 a mile, which includes upe keep of surface, ditches, shoulders, and 8 on. This is much less than for other types of surfacing. At first thought many believe that the narrow pavement is inadequate for modern traffic. But considering that there is l‘}me tthmulh traffic on thu- roads an they are designed to give year-around contact with arterial highways and markets, the width i8 considered highly satisfactory. 0il Well vs. Whale. A year's output from the average American oll well amounts to about 3,000 barrels a year, approximately 600 "‘r’:‘:l. as much as the oil from a single whale. Question of Financing. The question of financing roads and highways will be one of the most im- Jotegmasional soad Contre, Washing: ny ton, October 6-11 i 795 1 $2025 Finest Eight Motoring Money Can Buy The 8-o Series $1565 w $2025 per cent over 1928. While this increase | ‘was considerably below the increase in' natural gasoline production given above, | it should be noted that much of the flush cruce production secured in 1929 came frcm deep sands in which the gas- ol ratio was high. | Furthermore, there was a pronounced tendency to erect larger plants, and while the recovery per 1,000 cubic feet of gas treated was below the average. me large [ tity of gas put through lants had a material effect on the output for the year. - . 54,590 Passenger Cars. There were 54 590 senger cars in the United States b g:!!he first trucks =ade theki ¢ in 1904. eet to Ma Chen right o ight,_bring: old Tavern ate Lipe: through flll IO thiv “*Cotortul or ‘s wonderful Top Sirloin Steak Dinner WALLACE MOTOR COMPANY Retail Salesrooms 1709 L St. N.W. Distributor Decatur 2280 AUTHORIZED WASHINGTON NASH DEALER Robt. J. Nash Motor Co. Williams & Baker, Inc. 1367 H St. NE. 1507 14th St. N.W, Hall-Kerr Motor Co. B. D. Jerman & Co. 131 B St. SE. 2819 M St. N.W. Potter Nash Motor Co. Silver Spring, Md. Birch firothcrs Clgrendon, Va. " Delicious Fresh Sweet Filtered ER Valley View “Cider Barrel” until 9 p.m. Frederick Pike Upper Road to Alexandria Minutes South of Hiohwaey Bridoe