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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1917)
1 4t THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: DECEJfBER 2, 1917. AUTO INDUSTRY NOT TO SUSPEND BECAUSE OF WAR Pacts Deny Alarmist Reports Of Ban on Production of Pleasure Cars; Many Scare Stories. By F. EDWAR SPOONER. Production of pleasure cars will not be stopped for the period of the war by the automobile manufacturers of America. Statements have been made to the effect that the end of passen ger car making was in sight. These statements have been circulated throughout America to an alarming extent and have caused consternation among the 27,000 automobile dealers and garage men of the country. Thou sands of these dealers are either wir ing frantically to the manufacturers or are making personal trips to Detroit to secure information regarding condi tions at first hand. - When appealed to the National Au tomobile Chamber of Commerce, through its committee known as the automobile industries committee, stated that "in addition to their regu lar lines of automobiles, which all manufacturers will continue to build to an amount depending on the mar ket conditions," a large number of manufacturers will co-operate with the automobile industries committee and war industries board in the pro duction of munitions. . Scare Stories Alarm. Prominent daily publications of America have carried statements from special correspondents and staff correspondents at Washington which state that the immense automobile plants in Detroit will be devoted in stead of the manufacture of automo biles to the production and storage of ammunition, airplanes, guns, hel mets and other war materials. These dispatches state that the makers will turn out only enough cars to meet the demands of their own business. Ill-advised writers state that the storage of steel and war demands on the industry will ac count for a discontinuance of the manufacturing of what they term pleasure vehicles. In its statement, the National Au tomobile Chamber of Commerce says the active co-opeftion of the auto mobile industry with the government started November 14. On that date the first meeting of the automobile industries committee and the army and navy officials at the war indus tries board was held. Chairman A. W. Copeland pledged at this meeting the men, material and the equipment of 550 automobile ' plants and 1,080 parts and accessories makers to the government to supply war needs. Auto Trade Facilities. Chairman Copland told the gov ernment that all of the vast produc tion facilities of the automobile in dustry needed by the government would be devoted to war work. The vast manufacturing capabilities in the automobile field were stated to be particularly well adapted for the purpose. rf , The large number of automobile manufacturers at Washington now showed the utmost keenness to pro duce anything desired by the gov- Hyatt Roller Holds World's Record for Long-Distance Runs v. k ft! t tfSllll Km V d ' V. I Detroit, Nov. IS, 1917. "How long do bearings last, anyhow?" is a ques tion which has been the cause of much speculation on the part of both motor ists and automobile manufacturers ever since the day of the first auto mobile. The question, according to B. G. Kbether, manager of the Hyatt Roller Bearing company of Detroit. manufacturers of Hyatt Quiet Bear ingsis answered now as definitely as it ever can be and in a most assuring way. We arc now prepared to tell the motorist that Hyatt bearings will last so long you needn't give them a sec ond thought. In other words, like a good watch, great length of service is a thing to be taken for granted. In the usual course of events, Hyatt bearings will outwear the car in which they are installed. '"This statement we now give the motorist about the Hyatt bearings in his car is not based on a mere experi ment conducted m our laboratories, but developed from an endurance test of the bearings in a motor car in ac tual service on the road. The test to which I refer was that made by the "Hyatt roller,' the veteran mileage car, which recently completed a tour of four times the distance from1 New York to San Francisco. Before mak ing this tour the 'Hyatt roller had made a record for itself as the world's long-distance car, having traveled dur ing the nine years of its service no less than 261,800 miles, a distance-of more than 10 times around the vorld0f the country. The recent cross-country tour has brought this mileage record up to 272,962 miles." ernment and possible for them to manufacture. The very magnitude of the auto mobile manufacturing business and of the parts and accessory manufactur ing facilities of America will prove the savior of the automobile business. Reports which while not officially confirmed are almost beyond . doubt correct state the automobile makers will be required to give up 40 per cent of capacity for the manufactur ing of war materials and will be able to avail themselves, of 60 per cent of their capacity for the manufac ture of automobiles, parts and accessories. Gas Export Normal. It is reported that the exports of gasoline and oil have shown no ma terial increase, because of the short age of boats. As the number of tank steamers increases it may be that the increased use of gasoline abroad will have some effect in this country. Statements have been sent out' that 90-cent or $1 gas was in sight It may or may not be that such wild-eyed reports as have gone forth regarding the automobible business are the work of German propagan dists, but from the tenor of many of the statements published it might seem that some under-handed efforts were being made to drive the auto mobile passenger car business at least from the field as America's third largest industry. Nationals on Ground ' Floor at Auto Show Word has just been received by F. E. Miller of the T. G. Northwall Co., distributors of National cars, that the National company's exhibit has been awarded a position of honor on the ground floor at the coming automo bile 6how in New York in January. Ground floor positions are greatly desired, and are allotted according to the volume of business. While the National company builds quality cars and makes no claims as a quantity concern, yet the demand for these ma chines has so steadily increased that the National has won its place if distinction on the ground floor. "It is amusing to us, who have been attending the automobile shows ever since their inception," said Mr. Mil ler, "to hear the 'rrophets sound the death knell of these show every year. But despite these predictions, the au tomobile shows seem to gain in pop ularity. This year the New York show will be exceptionally interesting because of the important part the automobile is taking in the war." ' Buy a Farm and Then Purchase a Truck There are two important invest ments necessary to succeed in the ag ricultural field, according to Robert M. Mueller, a leading farmer of Da kota county, Minnesota. He has made both investments and found them pay ing propositions. The chief in importance is the pur chaes of a farm a home for the fam ily and the means of earning a liveli hood. The next financial investment should be in a motor truck to obtain -i . .A? t' el economical transportation 01 iarm products to a market. "I feel as if an unexpected inner itance had fallen to me because the Maxwell truck I purchased last fall is making a pleasure of the work which was formerly a drudgery," Mueller says. The Minnesota farmer found that the one-ton Maxwell truck materially increased the time at his disposal for both work and recreation. This gain was made although Mueller was farm ing on a larger scale than ever before, 17 B PROPER CARE OF CAR HELPS WIN THE WAR Wastage of Parts Forces New Ones to Be Provided; Might Be Making ' Arms. The proper care of the automobile and the integral parts, such as the batteries, the ignition system and other parts upon which the econom ical operations depends, should be a matter of duty, at least during the period of the war, asserts R. C. Smith of the Delco Exide service station. "If the war" lasts for any' length of time there is bound to be a cur tailment in. manufacturing, as well as a shortage of some of the materials used in manufacturing motor cars," said Mr. Smith. "At the present there is every evidence that the gov ernment wili arrive at a satisfactory solution to the manufacturer of pas senger vehicles. However, there is one thin that .we can not over look, and that is that it will be just as necessary to eliminate wasteful ness in motor car operation as it has been to eliminate the waste of food and numerous other commodities. i x iii i ii. . minougn me government can regulate commerce and instill effic iency into every endeavor, there is one thing that it can not regu late and that is the natural resources loise Brothers COMMERCIAL CAR Precisely the kind of car you would expect Dodge Brothers to build. Practical, substantial, good appearing of half-ton capacity. Tk faaoflao consumption to vim furry km. Tfea lira mtHmg la wmnaDy alga. Tfca price is SI3 1 DMroit MURPHY-O'BRIEN AUTO COMPANY 1814-18 Farnam St. Omaha, Neb. Phone Tyler 123. "We are not acting from a ourelv mercenary standpoint when we urge motorists to pay particular attention to their batteries and their ignition systems. When these operating parts are not 100 per cent efficient there is an actual waste going on. It not only costs the motorist in dollars and cents and in car efficiency, but it paves the way for actual waste. Some batteries are allowed to get in such condition, through neglect, that thev are absolutely worthless and must be thrown away. This in many cases is an inexcusable waste and could be eliminated by inspection and batterv reading at regular intervals. When the ignition system becomes faulty it causes an unnecessary wear u m the working parts which will result in actual waste if not attended to. "Therefore allow us to sound this timely warning to all motorists to economize for the sake of others if they will not do it in the interest of their own pocketbook." Good Tip for Owners Of Newly-Bought Cars The first thing that the owner of a new automobile should do is to go to the battery service station and let the battery expert test his battery, according to Elmer Rosengren, the local Willard expert. He gives the following reasons for this: "The battery really commences to wear the instant that it is assembled. As long as the plates are in contact with the electrolyte the battery is slowly discharging itself. "If, therefore, an automobile is a long time in transit from the manu facturer to the dealer and then is a long time in the hands of the dealer, it is entirely possible that the battery may have become considerably dis charged. This slow discharge is per fectly natural. Before the car owner puts it to hard usage he should have it fully charged. If this is once done, the generator should keep it in that condition. "It is to prevent the motorist start ing out with a half charged battery when he expects a fully charged one that we advise all new car owners to have their batteries tested immedi ately." ' Automobile Thieves Are Foiled at Last There seems to be good reason to belive that a way has at last been found to foil the ubiquitous and per sistent car thiet and that the number of stolen automobiles will soon ap preciably diminish. Among the new features included on present Page models is a patented gear shift lock which gives this car the distinction of being absolutely thief proof. Only by towing the car away can it be moved against the wishes of the owner. In Detroit, for example, it is esti mated that the value of cars stolen each day is about $10,000 or more than $3,000,000 a year; and reports from other cities are of a similar na- turc. N) serious did the situation be come in Chicago that a demand was made upon the police department to get busy and ameliorate the evil, if not able to wipe it out. The new Faige lock is'an integral part of the transmission cover. A hardened steel tube of massive size acts as the lock. This tube slides into engagement with the change gear; lever, which becomes locked solid In this position it becomes impossibU to move the lever out of neutral am -so engage the gears. The machine i locked safe against theft by a ligl shove with the foot on this steel tub The key js necessary only for unloct ' ing. K3 M O' MI nntwAM THAT LIVES WABOX attery Service All makes All cars Whether you drive your car or store it through the winter months your battery needs atten tionwe will keep it in depend able operating condition or give it scientific storage. Drive your car in DELCO EXIDE Service Station 'R. C SMITH, Manage 2024 Farnam St. Douglas 3697. Oraaaa Nab. UBktFout Moclel90 SmalLSedaa wir?'MT nisnn" Si l' Get This Necessary Out-Door Home CHRISTMAS offeri a logical opportunity to equip your family with this all-weather, all purpose Model 90 Overland' Sedan. ' With it you are enabled to keep up your activities during the bad winter months. Its service is indispensable m countless ways. I It provides the five essentials ' tot complete satisfaction as in ' no other a? Appearance, Per- jormance, Comfort, Service and Price. The windows drop into the sides of the body and doors, and can be quickly opeued or dewed an desired. There is a dome light In cell ing, three silk roller curtains, parcel -pockets at both sides of rear seat, foot rail, windshield wiper, and nickel handles to dose doors from the inside. The entire top and sides are decorated with gray and black striped cloth. Every inch of the floor is covered with thick carpet to match the walls and ceiling. The body is Brewster Green with black top. It has 4-inch tires, non-skid rear; 106-icch wheelbase; Auto-' Lite electric starting and light ing, and vacuum fuel syan. OrderatonceJ ' Wills-Overland Inc., Omaha Branch SALESROOMS 2047-49 Farnam St. Phona Dougla 3291.' WHOLESALE DEPT ' 1916 Harnay St. Phona Douglas 3290.