Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-05-11 | Page 31 | High R. R. Tariffs Help Auto Game

HIGH-A. R. TARIFFS HELP AUTO ill One very probable result, If the application appli-cation of the electric railroads for an increased in-creased fare privilege is granted by the railroad commission, will be the purchase of a large number of automobiles by residents resi-dents of the affectedommunlties. Approximately forty towns within a radius of fifty miles from Salt Lake will be affected and residents of ail these communities com-munities will have to pay more for their transportation if the commission approves ap-proves the railroads' request. Hundreds of these residents, while not exnr-tly commuters, com-muters, travel to and from Salt Lake daily, and a large proportion of them will realize that they can travel cheaper and more conveniently by motor than by rail, if the fares are increased. There are a number of makes of automobiles auto-mobiles In the class represented by tho Overland thrift car that can be operated so economlcallj' that when the passenger-carrying passenger-carrying capacity is considered their use can be maintained at less than street car fare costs, according to W. S. Kd-monds, Kd-monds, sales manager for the Browning Automobile company. "An Overland car." soys Mr. Edmonds, "will average more than twenty miles to tho gallon of gasoline and about 15,000 miles to tiie tire. The car fare to Ogden is $l.flO for the round trip per person. An Overland wil cover the same mileage on four gallons of gasoline costing St. 20 and for about 20 cents' wear on the four tires. The cost of the oil consumed would be represented by a few pennies. Figured as loosely as possible, the total cost by motor would not equal that by rail, and fhe automobile will transport five passengers pas-sengers at the time the car passengers must pay the maximum amount individually. indi-vidually. "For the man who has to make trips of this kind almost daily, the automobile is not a luxury, but a necessity, and, further, fur-ther, an economy." i