| Show WEll EL lAm FOR Fil 1 1923 S Business Assured Another I Good Year Market Fast Getting Better and Ob Ob- i st stacks cles Are Clearing U Up P PD D y DS CLIFTON fh National Automobile Chamber Chamer Cham- Cham s 11 ber Der er of Commerce From Automobile Topics J As the business comes Into Its Us fourth ty-fourth year and gets a more mature perspective on Its Us progress It Is able tb see ti see fee that among the fundamental currents working for Its success are these 1 Public demand for fial al flexible transportation 2 The time saving value of ot the motor car and motor truck which pays for their ex expense ex- ex pense 3 The fact that the he prosperity of ot the motor vehicle business is an aid to general prosperity 4 The definite organization of the national highway program which has resulted In miles of or new roads being built baUt In 1922 5 6 The replacement market for cars care and trucks going out of ot use which should call for about motor vehicles In the coming year 6 G GrowIng Growing Growing Grow Grow- ing need for tor motor transportation In foreign countries 7 Improved en engIneering engineering engineering en- en and service stations which make the modern car and truck a a. constantly constantly constantly con con- reliable means of Qt tion These forces are tun fundamental and and they will continue to pile pUe up a substantial substantial sub sub- demand for motor cars and motor trucks as the years go on Nineteen hundred twenty-three twenty will willbe willbe willbe be a year of ot steady prosperity The production should be In the neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighbor neighbor- hood of two and a half halt million vehicles This Is the 1922 1022 figure and the 1923 1823 output may go 10 per cent to 25 per percent percent percent cent ahead of It It as as' as some economists predict On the other hand han l. l the 1922 total Included some motor vehicles which would normally have been purchased purchased pur pur- chased chased- In 1921 had general business conditions been favorable The outlook for tor 1923 Is good FarmIng Farming Farming Farm Farm- ing conditions are reported to be Im Im- im- im proved As third one-third of all the cars are owned In rural sections the re recovery recovery recovery re- re covery of the Industry's best customer should have a a. favorable report on the business General business Is on the Increase The automobile Industry may Justly claim some credit for this as It was the first to show a a. marked Improvement improvement Improve improve- ment gain again which stimulated t many IJ lines tl others othen lines as this Industry uses es esper four per cent of or the Iron and steel supply 22 per cent of aluminum production 16 IG per cent of copper 20 per cent of ot tin 30 per cent of glass and also has a for market strong Influence on the rubber lumber certain grades of oi c cm cot I ton and leather Further the production of Increased creates economic economic eco eco- economic units of transportation wealth through the abeen time saving This has been and saving rent-saving value particularly noticeable In the true truck using railroads are field where the at ai congestion motor trucks to relieve terminals and nd In the passenger car f market where the motor car Is opening g gup t e bringing up new suburban areas fown town t with the farmer Into closer Increasing the efficiency range range or of the the salesman to doctor and enabling the thoroughly cover his territory more an and more quickly quickly- t tend tn to Ct which should Another n t r factor the too of ot output In the mOI motor mo mO- maintain the rate tor vehicle plants Is the fact that aut I offered to t the e being mobiles are now record public at the best values on In 1922 were Motor vehicle exports Cars In 1921 about twice as large as thousand and sixty-six sixty were approximately thousand In number and trucks ten whereas In 1921 the corresponding ne- ne fiC ures urea were and 7 04 r D outlook Is the For the the coming year considerable influence will willbe 11 bright Of Ot tariff be the flexible United States with Its Us provision for tor a reciprocating Discriminations according ac according according ac- ac automobile duty cording to which American cars are than to higher duty made subject a will nation will be nation those of 01 a competitor comp discouraged and American automotive trade by being assured of f this equality en of treatment Is certain to expand Even tobe to tobe believed the depreciated exchanges be Insurmountable obstacles ar arsing are losing ing Increasing sing prices 3 their menace e with the abroad and ana for commodities produced the high purchasing value of the motor dollar Passage o of or the federal highway act t authorisation authorization late In 1920 by congress with atlon for tor three years' years appropriations has placed the road program on a a. aen- aen o nits nUe basis Under this act government a funds must be concentrated upon of main highway system consisting than 7 cent of the total I Hot not more per nd mileage of highways In each state stat a athe and the Immediate effect has been a and decided de decided de- de I tided advance in construction and ana maintenance Thus far the excise taxes on the motor mOtor mo- mo motor I tor vehicle have ri riot not t been removed but butI I the taxes on railway transportation have been eliminated Highway transI transport trans- trans I port Is an essential auxiliary to rail it and water travel which Is of particular particular lar benefit to the farmer This fact has been so well established In the past few years that It seems safe to assume congress will reduce t this tax when and as finances permit The formal approval this past year yearby yearby yearby by the Interstate commerce commission of the container car and motor truck Joint tariff of the New York Tork Central railroad makes It possible for the I larger shippers to enjoy store-door store de del deI delivery de- de livery of their merchandise through l I I movable containers loaded at shippers shippers' shippers shippers' ship ship- pers' pers platforms and conveyed by motor truck to and fro tro from the railroad yards I and delay Such thereby saving exp ex expanse nse railroads as the Seaboard Air Line Philadelphia Reading Canadian NaI Na National National Na Na- I railways Washington Old I i Dominion and Chicago Burlington 1 Quincy this past year have replaced I their steam locomotives on some of ot otI their branch line operations with motor moI motor mo mo- I tor buses equipped with flanged wheels I Reduction of Insurance costs cosh paid by automobile owners notably the ImI Important Important Im Im- Im- Im I Item Hem of ot theft Insurance has hasi j i been diligently sought by the insurance 1 ance committee of the National Automobile Automobile Automobile Auto- Auto I mobile Chamber of Commerce MethI Methods Meth- Meth 1 I oda ar are being developed for i cation methods to discourage stealing State laws governing the sale of used cars are having a helpful effect I The automobile industry like others has been seriously handicapped during the Ithe past several months by freight car carI I i shortage With production exceeding 1 records the Industry has resorted to toI the use of open freight cars and very extensive driving over the highways I from factories to dealers Were it not for these expedients the Industry would have been seriously handicapped as Indicated by the fact of the 1922 i I production o egr of about o two vf and tn a half rt mils mil I I lion machines over were tak taken n nI I on their own wheels from main plants and nd assembling plants to the market I Twenty-five Twenty service associations i have been organized during the past pastI three years These are societies In various cities devoted to the Improvement improvement Improvement Improve Improve- I ment of the repair business with the aim aUn of ot rendering more economical and more prompt care for tor the owners owner's car The question of autom automobile legislation legislation legislation legisla legisla- tion both on taxes and traffic Is In the foreground at present with 43 state legislatures scheduled to meet this coming year The various owner dealer and manufacturing associations In the Industry have accepted the principle principle principle prin prin- ciple that motor vehicle taxes should be devoted to highway maintenance costs This has been an attempt to sketch some of the major elements In the themo motor mo mo- motor tor transportation outlook for tor the coming comIng coming com com- ing year b based sed on experience to date The motor car and motor truck probably probably probably ably have haye still greater poss possibilities for tor human service not yet realized We can at any rate be sure that there are many fundamental currents of ot human needs which will bring an Increasing demand for motor transportation each succeeding year |
