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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 17, 1910)
1 THE OMAHA SUNDAY DKE: A PHIL 17. 1910. INVESTING IN A MOTOR CAR Firit Fix the Prise Limit, Then Exer cise Judgment. SOME FIGUBES ON CAE VALUES Kartere I Re t'onaldrrrd In Haying r r reanaVHaaa' Mwkltri alae of Ik Kaetarr Naturally, the first question In totiald fHM the iurrhaiie ot a rar la Ilia amount 10 be paid for It. Douhtleiw nlna out of ex try ten Iniendinj buyer settle that first. In oth'r wonl.x. there In usually a certain urn available tliai cannot ba exceeded. The problem I then, of rourne, how to beenma Die poswKnor of I ha greatest poesl ble value fur the limit thus determined. With ao many good cars now on the mar ' ket. this should not be a difficult matter to decide. It Ix merely a qtientlon of exer clKlng tha tame amount of discretion and JudKment that would be applied to the pur chase of any other commodity involving; an equivalent sum. But buying a motor car is not quite Ilka buying anything else. Next to tha amount to be Invested is the question of whether tj buy a hlgh-prlccd machine (hat has seen service, or a new cai, the lint price of which comes within : th purchaser's means. This is probably I th commonest of all questions concerning , the acquirement of a first car, and there I are doubtless few connected with tha In dustry In any capacity that have not been I approached at one time or another for an answer to it. Three or four years ago. an affirmative repponn would usually have i keen forthcoming In regard to the second ' hand ear. The output of any one maker at ! that time waa a comparatively small f i ac tion of what many companies now build ' annually. A gcrat deal of expensive hand work was conwldnred necessary and there were numerous economies of manufacture that were not possible with a limited prod uct. Moreover, the original price of a machine Includes the agent's commission, a matter of 15 to ') per cent, and a sell ing cost to cover advertising and other ex penses ot a like nature that represents as much more. How Valaea Shrink. It Is only reasonable to assume that the depreciation of 60 per cent, or close to It, that the car suffers after a year of service, is really not much more than a wiping out of these two Items which actually add nothing to the value of the machine. When bicycles were selling at 1100, It was com monly reputed that their factory cost rep resented about M per cent, or a little less, of this figure. Three years ago, the writer was Informed upon excellent authority that It cost $1,100 In round numbers to turn out a 12.600 car complete from the factory. Taking this llHt price as a basis. It will be apparent that Hie agent's commission at once took off 1600. Confidence In the future of the motor car was not so firmly estab lished then as now, and advertising and other incidentals of selling doubtless cut off at least $400 more, leaving a matter of ' ll.VUO for the manufacturer between 40 and 60 per cent gross profit, but then the turn over was comparatively small and the over head expense correspondingly greater. Had It not been for the liberal margin, many makers would not have survived the period of experimentation. Of course, none of these factors of ex perts enters Into the cost of a second-hand car. Where a car Is sold by Its original purchaser, "selling expense" Is not a very Important factor. This Is also the case where It Is disposed ot by the manufac turer's branch house or agency, for, to a certain extent, the sale of a used car is regarded as a means of subsequently sell ing a new; machine to the same buyer. The majority of good makers will handle only used cars of their own manufacture, and such machines are usually sold on honor; they will seldom be found otherwise than as represented. . To do this with a view to making and keeping customers naturally permits ot but. a small margin of profit aa compared with a new car. It will seem fiom this that where a used car can be acquired, at a price that may be supposed to approximately fairly Its future service value, it oan hardly prove otherwise than a good Investment.. A conservative esti mate would place the average life of a well built machine .'at five years: good care would naturally double this; but It la safe to say that a car bought In good condition at the end of one or two years', driving, should be good for at least three years more. Expert iCxanalnatloa. But there Is an element in the purchase of a used machine that soldom, If ever, re ceives sufficient consideration In determin ing Its value, and that is how near to failure many of Its essential parts may be. The "complete overhauling" It receives at the 'hands of the seller prior to Its change of ownership, and the examination by an expert retained by Its new possessor-to-be, go n farther than to Insure the faot that It ts In -proper working order at the time of the transaction. It may be assumed, as working basis, that every moving part of ny mechanism, regardless of how well made It may be, 'or the fitness of Its ma terial, is capable of performing its func tions only a certain number of times. In earlier days, some engineers could foretell slmost to a certainty Just how many thou sands of miles one of their cars could travel before the crankshaft failed. Improve ments have changed all that, and It would now be extremely difficult In most rases to predict wlrti any certainty Jmt how long a given part would endure. But there must be an approximately definite life to every moving member, and the service It has al ready undergone has shortened It by Just that much. There Is the further haaard that the car may have been abused, or may have suf ro:,d aceicVnte that have brought Its frame m ore of Its axles so close to the break Ins; point that no prospect of future serv- ici can be predloated upon their further tisrful life, yst a conscientious examina tion by an expert will fall to ii ,.k defects, and the necessity for replacing audi parts In a short time means lust that much added to the price of the car, as well as the loss of Its use while being re nalred. The Increase In the cost of main tenance due to frequent failures of this nature may soon be sufficient to offset any saving 1n the Initial outlay, not to mention lite annoyance caused. ' in cases where, after having considered all the pios and cons, the Intending pur chaser's leaning Is still strongly toward a use car, there are certain rules by which he should be guided. The Ideal condition is naturally to be able to acquire a machine from either a friend or an acquaintance whose personal responsibility and whuse care In the handl'ng of the machine are both known. Falling this, the next best thing is the branch house of the manufac turer. The concern la naturally anxious to do ever thing to enhance the reputation of Its product and. where the car does not turn out to be exactly as represented, will make the default good, rather than have It scoied against their make. Avoid the pro fessional secondhand dealer as you iou!d a horse trader. Both havebut a single ob ject In view to turn over their present stock at as giet an aJvkj.ce as post-ible. There cuu naturally be no binding guar. autre with audi a a I and the car's ante cedents are fitquently doubtful, where they ere not the subject of Implied or een direct misrepresentation. Bo much for the secondhand csr. Its con sidcrstlon, however, involves another ojims tlnn that Is very frequently brought up by the Intending purchaser. How rsn a car that Is represented as being to all Intents and puipoes the equal of one cooling twice as much, be built for such a figure? Why does one maker offer his product at such a lew figure as compared with others? The conclusion frequently Is that neither the rami class of material nor the work manship can porsihly enter Into the low priced car, anj hence the leaning toward a used machine of much higher original cost. The reap-on lies In the need of spread ing the . heavy . burden of overhead ex pense over ten or even twenty times as many cars per annum; and an additional reason In the present greatly reduced cost of the finest materials, owing to their ex tremely widespread use and to factory economies hitherto ImposaihJe. The elim ination of finish, where finish does not count, adds a still further saving. In short, lower prices for material greatly Improved methods of construction and quantity pro duction muke possible a factory cost of SO per cent or lesa what It was a few years ago. Judging from present Indications liilO Is destined to witness a tremendous expan sion In the American automobile Industry, and unless all signs fail much of it will be of an unwholesome nature. New "manu facturers" are springing up all over the country, and when trey disappear, as many of them must, they will leave behind them a heritage of "assembled" machines that the wise buyer will do well to avoid. How ever much or little Is to be paid for a car, it will nut be wisely Invested unless ap plied to the purchase of a machine that Is backed by an established maker. Given that fundamental as a starting point, much of the remainder can be left to the discre tion of the purchaser himself, even though he be not "automobile wise." Charles B. Jlayward In Herper's Weekly. MOTOP, BOATS AT LARCHM0NT International Cap Race Set fcy the Committee. NEW YORK, April 16 At a meeting of the motor boat committee of the Auto mobile Club of America, held at the club the other afternoon, it was decided to hold the International cup race this year on waters adjacent to the Larchmont Yacht club. HOCKS ON WHICH MARRIAGE FALLS (Continued trom First Page.) desertion for five years, sentence te impris onment for at least four years and grave Injuries or HI treatment endangering the life are recognized grounds. In Italy, Spain, Portugal and Ireland only separation Is permitted. Norwegian law recognizes divorce not only by process of law on the grounds of misconduct, bigamy, malicious desertion for three years, assault, and cruel treatment endangering life, absence for seven yeura, or for three years if death can be pre sumed, and imprisonment for life after the innocent party has waited seven years. By royal decree dlvorco may be obtained on the grounds of insanity, Imprisonment for three years, or If separated by mutual agreement be continued for six years and reconciliation la Impossible. The law recog nizes separation, which, by royal decree, may be changed into divorce on certain grounds. Roumanla grants divorce on the grounds of misconduct, abuse or Ill-treatment, an attempt on the life ot the consort, or the failure to warn the other party of any attempt by third party, and the mutual consent of the parties In the manner pres scrthed by law. Variation la Reaala. Russia adapts her divorce laws to the various classes of her subjects. Old be lievers may, obtain divorce for misconduct, bigamy, absence for five years without news, and the condemnation to the loss of civil rights or banishment to Siberia. Lutherans have more than a doxen grounds available to them. Including misconduct, at tempt to poison, five years' desertion, re fusal to fullfll conjugal duties, madnestA depravity of life, cruelty and offensive treatment, grave crimes involving sentence of death or a punishment In substitution, and penal exile. In the case of Jews, the rabbi may grant divorce on a large num ber of grounds based on Mosalo law. In Scotland, divorce Is granted either for misconduct or for (our years' malic ious desertion. Judicial separation may also Distributor Chalmers-Detroit IMaroe Arrow Hudson 0" Thomas Flyer rrltohle Electric Commercial Tracks be obtained for either of these reasons, or for statutory habitual drunkenness. In Sweden, grounds for Judicial divorce are misconduct, Illicit Intercourse with a third party after betrothal. malicious desertion for one year, provided the absen tee has left the kingdom, absence without news for six cats, attack on life, life Imprisonment and Insanity, where It Is of three years' duration and la pronounced Incurable. Divorce by royal prerogative may he bisti on condemnation to death or to rlvll death, condemnation for a gross offense, or for one Involving temporary loss of civil rights, imprisonment for at least two years, "prodigality, drunkenness, or violent disposition." and "Irrecviicllable 1 version and hate," laat'ng after one year's t Prstlon. In Hwltserland the grounds of divorce Include cruelty, base conduct, malicious desertion for two years. Insanity rendering married life Impossible and efter three years pronounced Incurable, and "incom patibility of temper rendering married life unbearable. .Separation Is permitted, but O'l cf the partit a can demand a clivoico If i eci i dilation does not take place. After thu.o years this ditiiH.'l fur iHvo'c may ho p"i forward is r. right. In regard to ducrt (in. an action cannot lu brought until after six months from the decree calling on th absentee to return. Where the iaws of t!ie Itritlsh colonies differ from those of RnKland, It is chiefly by the Inclusive of fuc.1 dellnquencl js us desertion, cruelty, li.1hltij.il drunkenness. Imprisonment for a perljd of yoars and lunacy. SABRES TO FLASH ' O'ER AVARN0 MORE (Continued from Page One.) Owen Phillips, the liberal member for Pem broke, Is one of three brothers Lord HI. Davids Is among the number whose aver age height Is six feet tour and three-quarter inches, Bsiy Beildlags Warships. In warship construction, Including the manufacture of guns and gun-mountings and machinery, tbls country's resources are still unrivalled. In the present year the following twenty-one ships of the dread nought type will be under construction for the British or other navies, In contrast with nine which will be building In Ger many: Ilrltish , 15 Colonial 2 Brest lian 2 TurklBh 2 Total U In addition, British firms are Interested in a good deal ot other work, including the reconstruction of the Spanish fleet, for which three battleships will be built, apart from various vessels needed for the col onial fleet units and small craft building for BraslI and other countries. These twenty-one dreadnoughts represent . lea. Tins tTCOTTsnn uznoxi txhiCgiijiph coEip-ornr. 3,000 OFFICS3 111 rOallwrof Uar nwias" nri siissra a AM wHh Ins i la aa UMBtcvr sal RECEIVED it 212 South 63 CH. YT K 49 Paid. . - ., T 4 . , ; Indianapolis, Ind. April 10th 1910. " Mid-West Auto Co. , Omaha , Nebr . Cole Thirty won first in fifty mile class race at Los Angeles Saturday, making new world's record in five miles minutes 29 seconds, ten miles in 8 minutes 62 seconds, 25 miles in 22 minutes 9 seconds, fifty miles 43 minutes seconds. Henderson Motor Sales Co. 1114 See Us at Our New Location 216 Se. 19th. 2 Doors from Farnam Wo Can Make Immediate Deliveries MID-WEST AUTOMOBILE. CO. IL E. Fredrickson Automobile Co. (iMKnN..n. Catai. arocsi eieo.nm nut paid 8044-464S FARNAM STKKKT OMAHA, NEB. ' April 12, H. E. Palmer & Son, City. " - Gentlemen: We received your check for $3V360 for insur ance on the automobiles damaged in our fire. of ten days ago. You were the first Company to pay the insuranoo, and we wish to thank you kindly for same. Yours truly, F-ES H. E. PREDRICKS0N AUTOMOBILE CO. an expenditure of approximately $3n,l0.0O9, and wlil give employment to an Immense number of skilled workmen. Yolanteer Ksplorera. Captain Scott will have no trouble In re cruiting hi" party for the South pole. Moie than tone men already have made applica tion to go on the hunt after the ultimate south. 'They Include all sorts and condi tions of men doctors, engineers, civil serv snts, clerks, army officers, soldiers, sea men, raliway porters and men of ptlvate means. "The man for the work." said an official of the expedition, "is the man who Is absolutely physically fit In all points. Soundness Is Indispensable as a safeguard gainst Illness snd a defense against cold. Good teeth are necessary, with eyesight and hearing that have no faults. Moat of the applications ate from men In every way unsulted for our purpose." KAISER'S ARMY TO DEFENM'HE AIR (Continued from Page One.) attained by the excavators of the Berlin Archaeological society on the. site of Per- gamon. In Asia Minor, the seat of the Attalld dynasty In the third and second centuries B. C. The work described was carried out in the late autumn ot 1009. I'pon an artificial terrace of the city hill, which, as isolated descriptions prove, was known as the "Demeter Terrace" were discovered the remains of a great sanctuary and terriple of that goddess. !"r. Hepdlng says that with the sanctuary, in addition to the altar of the chief god dess, were altars of AesklepoK Hermes, 4 Helios, Zeus. Ktesios. Penthelos and others. Of speclnl Interest I an Imperfectly pre served Inscription on a marble allar, which, according to Dr. Hepding's deciphering, was dedicated to "the unknown god." If this Interpretation Is right. It Is the first confirmation ever found for the fam ous pas-snga In the Areopagus speech of St. Paul: "For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this In scription, 'To the Unknown God.' " Reads Like Old Romance. Telesrrams from Breslau tell the story of an armed attack on a frontier castle which Is strongly reminiscent of the old days of free-booting and privateer raids. A band of twenty robbers suddenly swept down on the castle of Gomanlrwlxa, on the Russian frontier, overpowered and killed the watchers, fought their way Into the keep and after murdering the sister and cousin ot the absent lord of the do main ransacked the castle from top to bottom and rode off again with their booty Into the night. I ' An Aato Collision means many bad bruises, which Bucklen's Arnica Salve heals quickly, as It does sores and burns. 2oc. For sale by Beaton Drug Co. AMERICA. CABLE SERVICE , oeyoan mswiniawpn i-mw-n, w-e SSsandTSrtnesd y reqwat ct tee saaser. nder ths i m ItsViss Mil ROBERT C.CLOWWY, Praaldant and Oeweral Managae. 1 3th Street, Cm!, Bs. INTERNATIONAL ROAD RACE Announcement of Conditions by Prei ident Vanderbilt. OCTOBER 15 IS SATE SELECT Distance to Re Covered 2TM Miles a Twelve-Mile Cearse, and aT.oon la Cash Haas; X'p for Driver. NEW YORK, April William K. Van derbilt, Jr., president of the Motor Cups Holding company, has announced tha con ditions for the International road rare for the grand prlte of the Automobile Club ot America, to be decided over the I-ong Is land motor parkway October 16. The dis tance of the race will be approximately Z7808 miles, covering the course of 12SI miles twenty-two times. As the Interna tloral Association of Recognised Automo bile clubs has no formula for International racing In force this year, no restrictions as to weight, cylinders and dimensions will be made, tha only conditions being that ail cars must conform to the ruling Of the technical committee of the Automobile Club of America as to safety requirements. In addition to the 16,000 gold challenge cup there will be three cash prises for the drivers amounting to 17.000. divided Into first, second and third of sums ot $4 000, $?,000 and $1,000. respectively. The Motor Cups Holding company reserves the right to declare the race off If fifteen entries hive not been made by August 1. American and foreign cars are eligible to compete In the race, although not more than three cars of any one make may be entered. Foreign entrlee must be made through the recognised automobile club In the country In which the car Is manu factured, which club Is the representative ef the Automobile Club of America, The foreign countries eligible are Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Canada, Cuba, Denmark, Hol land, Mexico, New Zealand, Porto Rico, Portugal, Roumanla, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The conditions ot the race follow: Stiff Entrance Feea. The amount of the entrance fees Is as follows: 1.000 for one car. 11,509 for twe cars of the same make, $1,750 for three cars of the same make. Entries close August 1, 1910. A deposit of $300 per car must accompany each entry at the time the entry blank is filed, or before the date of closing of en tries, August 1, 1910. It the balance ot said fee Is not paid on or before October 1, 1910, the deposit will be forfeited. After August 1, and up to September 1, 1910, entries will be received at an Increase over the regular entry fee of I'ijO per car. If the number of cars entered Is too great. taking into account the length of the TO ALL TME WORU?. wvmmmm y. . . w- 49 am Telephones! Bell, Douglas ITS Xadepeadeat, A-131 3 1910. Pres . course, tne committee shall decide. If need be, to proceed to eliminations. In this event the date snd special arrangements con cerning these eliminations will be subse quently fixed by the committee. No car shall he allowed to take part In the race or In the preliminary practice on the course, uhlrh has not been examined by the technical committee of the Auto mobile Club of America as to Its construc t'on and which has not received a certifi cate from said committee' t hat. In Its opin STODDARD-DAYTON Limousines, Landaulets Town Cars $1,200 to $5,000 Immedit MaLtheson Mechanically and Structurally Superior To All Others. jight Weight Swift Comfortable Reliable Inexpensive to Operate and Maintain. The Most Experienced and Exacting Motor Car Enthusiast Can Purchase a Matheson-Six with the Confidence of Enjoying Absolute Satisfaction r !iN rf ly Six-Cylinder The One Best Six-Cylinder Car ixK HAVE ALL OF THESE CAIW FOIt IMMEDIATE DELIVERY J. J. eright Co. 1818 Firnam St. We can make immediate deliveries Inter-State, $1,750 on our lines Ilupmobile, - $750 ye have the cars Dc Tumble, - $650 Renal, - - $1,050 AnhurSix" $1,750 W. L HUFFMAN AUTOMOBILE CO. 202S Farnam Street Distributers for the State of Nebraska and Western Iowa. ion. It Is safe to allow the car to run In the race. Kvery agent of oxidation othir than atmospheric air Is forbidden. i The committee In chsrse of the iV le servrs to Itself the right ti reject any entry or entries and to make such changes lu the conditions snd rules of the race as In Its Judgment are nccessarv, Fach rnmust carry two poisons soate.1 aide by side of a minimum average weight of 134 pounds (sixty kilogiami rach. ft, . V t '? v- urn" J Jt J i V Delivery I i : -J t ... .Jfcia 50 H. P. $3,000 That Has "Ever Been Produced. in stock here in Omaha.