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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 1917)
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: SEPTEMBER 30, 1917. 7 G FLANDERS TELLS OF BUYINGBIG PLANT Chalmers Factory Is Bought by the Maxwell People, Who Will Operate It in the Future. Detroit, Mich.. Sept. 29. You can't help admiring the gigantic nerve of theie people who build automobiles. Wars may come and wars may go, but motor car production goes on here forever. It is not that Detroit is not patriotic. It has simply learned quickly how to do its big bit for the war and conduct business at the same time which is, by the way, a corking plan. More than 25,000 men have already left the great factories. They were sent away with the most rousing, heartfelt farewell that any' throbbing, busy American city has given its re cruits. The departure of this cream of the working force has not inter fered with business any more than the departure of 25,000 automobiles by freight would have upset the traffic of the railroads. . Detroit could tomorrow send 100, 000 more fine young men to the war .tnd on Monday morning every mon ster factory would mingle its black smoke with the crimson blanket of Old .Sol as he uncovers himself be yond the Canadian bank of the river. Who Is Next? So the question here is not so much "who will be called next." These peo ple are not weeping about those who may never return. They are wonder ing if Detroit can get enough raw material to keep its plants busy; to hold its supremacy as the world's greatest car-producing city. They are worried lest production this year should fall below normal. They are wondering what Hugh Chalmers is going, to do, now that Tie has closed his desk in one of the best-equipped Jactories in the city. They are won dering what Walter E. Flanders is going to do with that factory; how he is going to dove-tail it in with 'the Maxwell factory, where within a few short years he has jumped production from 2,000 to 100,000 cars per year. "Mr. Chalmers and all of his for mer executives, under the terms of the Maxwell lease of the Chalmers prop erties, are absolutely through, just as much so as though they never had been and I knew none of them would whisper even a rumor into the mys tery," said Hank Caldwell. "Hiking miles over the rushing city td the executive offices of the Maxwell com pany, I found Mr. Flanders, presi dent and general manager, smoking a big cigar, with soft hat on one side. He looked the picture of health, not a nerve in his body and as strong as an ox. He was writing with a regu lar old-fashioned pen aid I have never seen a man writ? so fast or show less regard for the high cost of white pa per. I know he seldom uses a stenog rapher, but still he does everything important in black and white. Curiosity Wins. "He looked up and grunted, expres sively. There was a aardonic twinkle in his eye. I knew he was not in as bad a humor as he pretended to be, so I sat down without being asked. '"What do you want?' he said, stilt trying to be mad. I knew, but I hated to tell him so quick, like that. " 'I want to know,' I said, 'just what a lot of other people want to know. What are yon going to do with the Chalmers plant?' " 'Build regular Chalmers automo biles and a lot of them,' was the short, sweet repty. "I felt inwardly he was just as pleased to have the plant as the dis tributors I had talked to at the Chal mers works were to have him on the job. Finally he opened up, something he seldom does, and told me, in a nut shell, just what he has up his sleeve. And the funny thing about the whole business is that he hasn't anything up his sleeve except the same old thing a lot of hard work and the production of about 20,000 automobiles of the present Chalmers models. Wants to Make Good Auto. "There isn't much of a sensational story for you here,' he said. 'We just saw this excellent plant, going begging, you might say, and we took it in. All the talk about our buying more piants is rot. If we can't make good automobiles in this plant then we c.xn't make them anywhere else. " 'If we can't make money for our selves and a fair amount for our deal ers, then we don't know much about building automobiles; and if we do make money for ourselves, we must, under the arrangement by which we have leased the plant, make money for Mr. Chalmers and the other stock holders. " 'That's all there is to it. It looks to me as though the Chalmers stock holders got a good deal after. all. ( '"It's a fine factory and we can make it work. In the Chalmers or ganization there- are some of the finest distributors and dealers in the .business, and I want to say right now, to those who may be interested, that we are going to keep all of the good ones if we can, and I think the man ner in which Maxwell dealers stick to us is -pretty good evidence of- the fact that we will be able to hold the Chal mers dealers' organization. " 'I haven't been over to the Chal mers factory since Mr. Toner took charge, but he tells me -he never met New Liberty Sedan Now on Auto Row a more enthusiastic lot of men in his life than the men who have volun tarily expressed their faith in the Max well company and made a special trip to see us during the past few days. "There have been rumors that we are going to drop the Chalmers cars and build trucks in "the Chalmers plant. We may build some trucks, but long before we get trucks under way we will be producing Chalmers pas senger cars at the rate of nearly 100 per day and continue this production to meet the dealers' requirements. "'The dealer situation is entirely in Mr. Toner's hands and I know he in tends to hold both our Maxwell and Chalmers dealers right where they are now. Where we have a good Chalmers dealer he can rest assured that he will retain the Chalmers line and be able to make money out of Closed Cars Attract Attention This Fall Closed cars, according to H. Pelton of the Franklin Motor Car company, are very much in vogue and bid fair to dominate the field in number of sales. Already there are a good number of closed models in Omaha and the larger cities and the enthusisam seems to be spreading to the rural districts. f "Ak-Sar-Ben week is bound. to stim ulate closed car favor to a great ex tent," asserts Pelton, "and we . have already received reports from several of our dealers to the effect that they will bring closed car prospects to Omaha during the week. , "Franklin models have long been winter favorites, owing to the . ab sence of the radiator' and the atten tion paid to enclosed models. "We.wiy exhibit a, complete, line of closed models during Ak-Sar-Ben week and feel certain that we will recel'-' -';vc names of many prospects." FINE TRIBUTE TO " HEAD OFNASH FIRM Dealers of This Section of the Country Assure 0. W. Nash of Their Loyalty During Trying Period. A fine tribute was paid to C. W. Nash, president of the Nash Motors company, last week in a letter writ ten and signed by twenty-five dealers operating through the Nash Sales company of Omaha. Last week T. H. McDcarmon, head of the Nash Sales company, called his leading distributors to Omaha to in form them that fleliveries of the new Nash models would be delayed some what, owing to a situation created by the government through its comman deering the services of a machinery maker who the Nash Motors company was depending upon for certain ma chinery. The following letter from the deal ers not only pledges them to support, but indicates that they, too, are will ing to bear their share of the burden necessitated by the warvvithout a murmur: "We want to write you and tell you that we have learned today, for the first time, through Mr. McDearmon of the Nash Sales company of this city, the unusual and most trying condi tions that you are meeting in your production plans on the Nash Six. "Our great disappointment at get ting this information is sufficient evi dence of our faith and loyalty in you and in your organization. "We realize, however, that our dis appointment and our loss and our bur den are insignificant and most trivial Tbe new ftckard Imperial UnoUilne, ma ptaenfea X7hcif rnslrpQ pmnninv? T T A.XIAV- X J In old France, Jean Rille was a man of big affairs. "For my work's salce I will search all the lands of the earth for those men who can use the quill mostskil fully," he said "I must have the best, for then 1 will have the cheapest" And thereby did Jean Rille set down the final wora in trie common sense of economy. ' You wouldn't think of using the quill in business today. There are methods infinitely more speedy and dependable. It is sheer waste to use other means than those which will do the work most efficiently at lowest cost. The automobile has become a ne cessary part of the equipment of the men and women of affairs today. And this new Packard costs not one cent more than is required to efficiently build and market a car of its supreme dependability, comfort, speed and economy of maintenance. You must have the best, for then you will have the cheapest. In old France, Jean Rille was a man of remarkable common sense. Seventeen distinctive body styles in open and enclosed cars In the Third Series Twin-six 3-25 and 3-35 Ask t h man o ton s o n e See the On Motor Sales Company 40th and Farnam Sts Omaha. Also Lincoln and Sioux City i it r triii .i TWIN-6 - 4 V , when compared to the burdens that you are and have been carrying. We want to assure you that we take pride and pleasure in this opportunity to ex press to you our continued confidence in you and your organization and we want to assure you of our steadfast loyalty. "Von can rely upon our efforts to do our part in the realization of your hopes and yuiir wishes and we pledge ourselves to do all in our power to help you overcome these unforeseen obstacles which are daily presenting themselves to you in working out your production." Allen Prepares to Make Big Drivj for Sales In speaking of the Allen auto, Carl Changstrom of the Standard Motor Car company asserts that the Allen manufacturers are laying plans for a big sales drive during the coming year, which will make the Allen known to all communities. The Allen people have heretofore been content with a small production, feeling their way and making sure that they had sfuck a responsive chord in the motorist's heart. This year has convinced them and they are going at it "big" next season. Five-passenger Touring Four-passenger Roadster Five-passenger Sedan Wherever It is Known It is Well Known The financial and moral rating of The Allen Motor Com pany is very high. We mention the fact because it has a direct bearing on the character of the car. The Allen brothers are, above all else, close manufactur ers and careful business men. And they are manufacturers in the strict sense of the word not assemblers a fact having unusual significance un der present war conditions. The growth of their business has been the growth of excel lence. The Allen has made haste slowly feeding and flourishing on the approval of owners. Wherever it is known, it is well known. You will hear more about the Allen this year than in the past five. And what you hear will make you want to own the car. TO DEALERS New dealer of high reputa are now being appointed in territory not previously allotted. We Invite Ak-Sar-Ben Visitors to Visit Our Show Roo-is. STANDARD MOTOR CAR CO., Distributors CARL CHANGSTROM, Prop. 2020 Farnam St. Omaha. Neb. Douglas 1705.' ft A 49. J 1 G3i J VA Grant Six Service Costs Least i BECAUSE of its remark able economy the Grant Six costs very little to run. Owners average over 20 mjles to a gallon of gasoline and 900 miles to a gallon of oil. With standard tires 7000 miles or more are not uncommon. This low operating expense and low initial cost of the Grant Six give you all the pleasure and serv ice of a motor car at the lowest cost. Yet there is no sacrifice of any thing worth while. Your Grant Six is a good sized, good looking, dignified car, splendidly built. In size, appearance and performance, it compares favorably with cars costing several hundred dollars more in fact you cannot buy appreciably more than the Grant Six gives you in p6wer, speed, comfort or appearance until you add at least $500 to the Grant Six price. This statement will be verified by your comparison of any or all other cars. In its own field Sixes priced under $1000 the Grant Six is so unquestionably supreme that no argument is necessary. Some Good Territory Open for Dealers. LININGER IMPLEMEMT CO. 6th and Pacific Sts. Omaha, Neb. Phone Douglas 109. GRANT MOTOR CAR CORPORATION, CLEVELAND I sJn VA f