Show Importance of Auto 1 rade e in Great Cris i is Underestimated Country's s Third Largest Industry Made Possible Americas America's Speedy Preparations for War War r. r Bv By Leon J. J Pinkson t SAN FRANCISCO Sept 23 Win Win the I war first That has consistently been the slogan of the big automobile factories of the country and many many of ot them have turned their entire factories facto over to the government disrupting their dealer organizations or organizations organizations or- or and foregoing their profits voluntarily In order that hat the troops i aboard may be supplied with munitions with guns suns with trucks for transport work and cars for rapid movement of men and officers to strategic points inthe In m the line The automobile has been first In war sar saras as It wa was first In peace The demand for tor forIt forit It as a means of transportation and asa as asa a necessity In business bushiness In peace times is only surpassed by Its necessity in war times The automobile manufacturers and dealers have devoted their time and their energies since the outbreak of the war warto warto warto to do their best for the successful parryIng parry parry- parrying ing on of the fight There Is no question but that it was the brains and the factories factories factories fac fac- tories developed for the automobile and truck industry that m made de possible the th turning out of the Liberty motor tha that I made possible the enormous preparation for the great war In such a short shott space of I time Today the country has no more royal and willing group of at patriots than those who have devoted the last ten or twenty years ears to the development of this great industry which now ranks third In size and Importance In America STARTLING TRADE FIGURES Yet et few tew people fully really what this this' amounts to Few people know that this third largest Industry employs directly an army of men totaling This number equals as many as are employed by all the railroads railroads' of the country and approximately 8 per cent of all the people engaged In manufacturing and mechanical cal Industries In the country These people would populate the city of Chicago the second largest cit city In the United States They depend solely on the automobile Industry for their livelihood livelihood livelihood liveli liveli- hood and their welfare depends to great a extent on the continuance ot et tnie Litre industry Industry Industry Indus Indus- try even though it be on a smaller scale than before The annual wages paid by the automobile automobile automobile automo automo- bile industry to its workers total which Is approximately two and one- one half times timE's the gross revenue of at the postoffice postoffice postoffice post- post office department in 1917 The amount of capital in me automobile Industry is staggering It totals 1 or greater by than the capitalization of all the national banks which In 1917 was Jl Few people even those connected with the automobile Industry realize the tremendous tre tremendous tremendous tremendous' tre tre- passenger carrying s service of the automobiles of or the country l Five Ive ml million Uon cars are now in use use At an average average average aver aver- age mileage of which is very low the total mileage per year of these prIvately privately privately owned cars is miles mlles w which means that the total passenger mileage m figured on an average or I passengers to the car is The passenger mileage of or automobiles automobiles' exceeds exceeds ex- ex exI J I that of railroads over miles 1 PRACTICAL USE SE OF AUTO The practical use of the automobiles I Ian and an I their great service ice to the general public hie community and the country is proved by the figures which show that automobiles on a b basis of f aa nays or use and an average of only two t passengers carried 3 persons compared with the railroads' railroads total or 1010 the lateS latest figures available of But the th automobile is of or not only theoretical theoretical theoretical the the- value and it has not confined its benefits to the city man where the largest larges largest larg larg- est es automobile sales establishments have been located The farmer has reaped probably the most direct results from the passenger automobile and its use Farm values have soared three times as aa fast since the advent of the automobile than thanIn thanin In the d days ys according to carefully compiled statistics now available avail avaIl- able Farmers use use- at a conservative estimate esti esi mate automobiles every day and they have proved a time saver and ana money maker for them Their disuse would necessitate the increase of ot the horse hors population by b- about 25 It requires requIres' five acres of land to to reed feed a horse a year jear oar This means that acres of land would have to be used sed forthe for forthe forthe the feeding of of these horses Land that thatIs la Is now raising wheat heat and food products for this country and the allies ACTION WOULD UPSET COUNTRY The radical suggestion recently made to eliminate the automobile industry would c cause use consternation throughout the theland land IlInd It would upset economic condition flood nood the labor market with men and disrupt the present prosperous conditions of the country To deprive 6 G per cent of all the people engaged in manufacturing and industrial of their livelihood arm ana in y n cases canes of their homes and to force them to enter work ork to which they are not acci ac- ac r ci would prove a 1 serious menace to the continuance of prosperity anti ana mite ne feeling of optimism and confidence throughout the land Jand However the condition is gradually ad adjusting adjusting adjusting ad- ad Itself Voluntary curtailment on the part of factory heads and the taking over of war contracts for p part tune time is gradually turning automobile factories In Into Into into In- In to war factories supplyIng work for the men nen with which they are are ai familiar familiar and giving the dealer organizations time TO adjust themselves It is I not thought that the war Industries Industries Indus Indus- tries board will take any drastic action but will let the solution gradually work itself out without causing any readjustment which might prove disastrous dis dis- If the war Is of long duration It is 18 expected that the majority of the facto rice rles will be devoting most of their time and energies to wark wank work if the government government gov gov- has need for an increasing li I amount of supplies and munitions I Until that time It is believed that a I wise Judgment by the men in charge will pern permit t a continuance of the Industry industry Indus Indus- try on a curtailed basis Cars of course will be fewer in number number num num- ber berand and harder to secure from the time factories factories factories facto facto- ries because of at war conditions and railroad railroad rail rail- road transportation They probably will increase in price further But the industry industry indus indus- try will come through the war with flying colors and In the end will no doubt be credited as one of or Uncle Sams Sam's stanch- stanch est eat aids in the work of fighting the Hun |