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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 1914)
THE SUNT AY OHEGOXIAX, PORTLAND. DECEMBER 20. 1914. TRADE HURT-MORE BY TALK THAN WAR TWO RECENT TYPES OF CLOSED CARS WHICH ARRIVED TO BID FOR PORTLAND FAVOR. MOTOR BUSSES 7 Spellbinders Called Worst Foe of Industry and Progress . in Country. -"mtT-v-f- 'Vtr-"' AID TO CAPITAL ASKED 6 H , f ' t i Higher Rates Found Need of Rail JAnem and Enooyragemeni' for Other Corporations, to Mafco Prosperity Certain. BT HENRY B. JOT. President Packard Motor Car Company and Lincoln Highway Association. The war has been a sudden shock and requires a little time for business to take inventory and And out the dam age. That has been going on. and the v readjustment to the -war conditions is taking place. The war will do much .harm to American business, and also, to offset that, in due time much good will result, a part of which will be a lasting benefit when the war is past. No man knows yet the ramifications of the war's good or evil effects. American finances are being adjusted as to foreign exchanges which have Buffered so acutely, but other adverse conditions affecting American finances will not be so readily cleared away, and these will have more bearing, or as much, on the difficulties of internation al finances as the war Itself. Reserve Bank Relieve Worry. The Federal Reserve bank situation Is developing favorably. It may be considered that as It becomes an ac complished fact it will tend to eliminate much worry over the inauguration. Business conditions locally are good. There seems to be an Insatiable demand for motor vehicle products, so large a factor in local prosperity, so I will ex clude lolfcal - conditions from further comment. The general industrial and commer cial -conditions In the United States have been suffering t for years, in the main from unwarrantable and untruth f ul fl.tts.ck 8 Politicians have been gathering votes and riding into office by attacking and misrepresenting business and wealth and leaders in industry generally, be cause It was popular and sold news papers, incidentally, very much as poli ticians locally have ridden into office in Detroit on the streetcar question ever since I was a small boy and probably before. Plaudits Eagerly Sought. Some Congressmen, politicians and newspapers would say anything, true or untrue, against corporations and big business, simply to hear the deceived voters applaud. I personally have constantly, refused to Join In attacks on the railroads as to excessive freight rates, and by some of my fellow manufacturers I was deemed not courageous or properly aggressive as to my company's rights. Now then, with this background, I want to say that even before the war the ability of this country to absorb Issues of American securities was at a low ebb, and fast going lower. The ability of our people to buy new secu rities had largely shrunk, as the rec ords of recent years show. Railroads, Industrial and other com panies had to resort to the compara tively limited sale of short-time securi ties to get necessary funds, at high in terest rates. The faith of the investing public in our securities at home and abroad is shattered by the constant at tacks on them by politicians seeking votes and newspapers seeking circula tion until a public sentiment has been created which Is enacting and has caused to be enacted, unwise, even wicked, laws in Washington and in the various states. Public Generally Shy. Now the investing public is shy. It has seen its Investments turn to be of doubtful or lesser value or of none at all. Bfit of greater importance has been the .lessening of earning capacity of our corporations and railroads through decreasing volume of business and ad ditional burdens of expense. American Industries were gradually slowing down for many months before the war, as im ports increased and export trade de creased. That is a very slow, insidious disease, but ultimately spreads to the last: wage earner in the country, when our -markets are opened to the cheap products of foreign nations. In; the face of our declining pros perity, which Is, in effect, not simply ceasing to construct wealth, but act ually destroying the wealth so labor iously created through years of wise laws and constructive industry, comes the war shock. Now, further, as great a menace to the future as any other is the fact that whether or not we can or want to buy back the United States securities held in Europe, we must pay obligations tnat- mature and at the time they ma ture, and it is estimated that there are several hundred millions falling due wumn a year. Higher Rates Required, He Snvm. The American people's ability to buy, to invest, was at low ebb before the war and with the war it makes the financial situation much more diffi cult; to say the least. unless American railroads can be permitted to charge higher freight rates or reduce wages, these conditions will' continue to be aggravated. A;forelgn security holder is in ex actly the same situation as an Amer ican: savings bank or Insurance com pany. Een without the war, we have so aeppeciatea tne value or our own prop erties. and therefore the securities Is ued J representing these properties. In dustrles, railroads, and so forth, that when the mortgages become due, the noiders, either foreign or American, say "Pay them. We are not willing to extena tnem or reinvest In the new securities. Issued to take their places, Deoause tnings in America are very disturbed and you are passing unwise laws, and business already shows the ill effects. Further,- your Interstate Commerce Commission has declined to permit adequate railroad rates, and strained business condition exists." Prosperity and Companies Linked. It is strange how our people will go to hear a political spellbinder who has come to appeal for their, votes, and cheer and hurrah to the limit the at tacks he makes on constructed wealth, big business, railroads, and so forth. when not only their own personal pros perity depends upon the welfare of those companies, but their savings are Invested In those companies by the savings banks and insurance compa nies in which the people are placing their surplus earnings to make pro visions for their years of. age or dls ablement, and for their widows and children. In. my opinion, the attacks on indus try and prosperity, in addition to uni wise legislation, are far more serious thai iy conditions arising from the 1 4 '-V"?' European war, and will last much longer. If the railroads and industries of the United States were fully prosperous, and if we had wise laws promoting the establishment of an American mer chant marine on a prosperous basis, we would be able as a nation to grasp much more effectively whatever trade opportunities may be opened by the unfortunate war. ATRIIE ROADS A TIE BETTER Improvements Increase Ifnmber of Autos Among Farmers. AIRLJE, Or., Dec. 19. (Special.) The roads about Alrlle this Winter are in better condition than during previous seasons and automobile travel will con tinue during the Winter months. Farm ers have purchased light cars and will make -their business trips to the near est towns In Polk County over grav eled highways for the first time. Be cause of the Improvement of the roads the purchase of new machines for prac tical purposes has been increased largely. Many miles of good roads now are open to the use of the farmers in near ly every part of the county. NEW RECORD IS 'MADE STOCK MAXWELL RUNS UP MOUNT WltSON IN Mil. ElevatlOB of eoOO Feel Is Over Bad Rm4 Nine Kiln Long and Pre Ions Time Was 42 Mlnntea. The latest word of victory comes from Billy Carlson, one of the Maxwell racing team, who took a stock 1916 Maxwell and drove It up Mount Wil son in 29 minutes 1 second. The world's record for this famous climb was 42 minutes. Mount Wilson is known the world over as a steep one, and one that la most difficult for an automobile to climb. Sharp turns, narrow road, al ways snow and ice, with slush and rocks, make it a most dangerous one. The elevation Is 6000 feet, and the road is nine miles long, giving an eleva tion of 666 feet to the mile. Over these nine miles through ' the snow, slush and ice, - Billy Carlson forced his sturdy Maxwell, making an average of a mile every three- minutes and 13 seconds, around quick turns and over the narrow road, where a lit tle slip, a little misjudged distance, and down the precipice, mayhap, a thousand feet, both he and the car would go. N The Government observatory on Mount Wilson kept the official score of the race against time, and the Max well and her driver brought down the fastest record ever made at this place. the previous record being made by a Stuta, in 42 minutes. OVERLAND GOUPEBEAUTY NEW MODEL IS BUILT AS IDEAL CAR FOll SOCIETY WOMAN. Finish Is Luxuriant and Wide Body and Deep Seats Provide Comfort for Four, Including: Driver. Modern automobiling has produced another beautiful piece in the Over land coupe, which arrived in Portland during the week. It is built on the Overland model 80 chassis and is credit to the big makers. It is an Ideal car for the society wo man or for use as a town car. It's con trol Is of the simplest and, with an electric starter and such devices. It presents an ideal for the busy man around town. In finish it is luxuriant. The seats are deep and the wide body allows comfortable seating for four persons, Including the driver. The upholstering is beautiful in every respect. A handy device is the automatic control of the two door sashes. A re volving handle, with automatic catch, allows the window to be raised or low ered and to be held at an"y height. Report has lust been received bv i manufacturer of this country that an entire shipment of motorcycles had peen commandeered at Antwerp. w erlinger Company Is Agency for Eight-Cylinder Model. ENGINE PLANT POWERFUL Compact and Easily Reached in All Working Parts, Graceful Curves of Chassis Give Resign Big Chance at Popularity. Ed Gerlinger, of the Gerllnger Motor Car Company, announced during the week that he will handle the King Bight, the second eight-cylinder motor car to be manufactured in America. The King Eight was recently announced and is to be a popular-priced model selling at a figure less than that of many of the moderate sixes. The car will be powered with a 2.- inch by 5, V-type plant. The body is a roomy five-passenger, built on a 113 inch wheel base, and the specifications bid fair to do credit to the association backing the new King. The engine is an example of com pactness, lightness and accessibility and has v 24.2 S. A. E. horsepower. All valve tappets are reached readily, the weight is not 10 pounds more than that of the King Four, and the engine has practically the same length over all as that of the former models. Chassis Like Other Models. The general chassis design does not depart from that of the former King model. The gearbox, three-speed in form, is in unit with the engine, and other specifications include a propeller and shaft inclosed in torsion tube, floating rear axle, 33 by 4-inch tires and special form of cantilever springs of regular King cars. In designing its eight, the King com pany has followed the usual form in that the two blocks of four cylinders are mounted at 90 degrees to one an other on the crank case, with valves facing each other. The stroke of five Inches is nearly twice the bore, more exactly a ratio of 1.82 to 1. Thus the advantages of a long stroke motor are added to the continuous power impulse which Is the atrong. point of the Eight. . Engine Standard Hlgn. All "mechanical detail of the engine shows the fine points looked for in a standard power plan by reputable en gineers. The center and rear bearings are of babbit with generous dimensions. The valves are of the conventional bevel seated type having a diameter of 1 inches and a lift of 16-32. Each cam NEW KING GREAT CAR QUAETET OF RIDERS WHO WILL TAKE PART IN PORTLAND MOTORCYCLE CLUB'S NEW YEAR '5 ENDURANCE RUN. T" 4 -. ft 4 . At I 5S I a 33 I The Four Dayton Riders Are Axel KUdopb, Who Made the 700-Foot Elevation Record ou Mont Hood Bert Redderly. Pete Irwta and Jack Tanaeker. s does double duty, which allows but one practicable timing of the valves. The inlets open at top dead center and close when 45 degrees past bottom dead cen ter. The outlet valves open 45 degrees before bottom dead center and close at top center. The starter and generator are two separate units and to carry out the Idea of balance they are placed on op posite sides of the engine. Practically the only thing between the sets of cylinders is the carburetor. Air Psunp Is There. A single cylinder air pump, with shaft connection is standard equip ment. The oil feed system is the pres sure feed. A gear-type pump brings up oil from the oil base through a horizontal supply tube running through the crank case. This delivers directly to each of the three crank bearings. The thermo- syphon system is used in cooling the car. This is aided by H-lnch water jackets, further augmented by a 16 inch fan. The car probably will be here in January. It will be shown at the New York show and those who have seen it have declared it a wonderful piece of mechanismv With Gerlinger to push it. the car probably will be one of the popular ones In Portland. NEW SEDAN LIKABLE GAR BEAUTIFUL STUDEBAKER SIX FOR MOTORING IN WINTER. Models That Formerly Failed to Anneal Are Rising In Popularity and Favor of Public. The closed car is rising In popularity. This is illustrated by the many beauti ful models which the manufacturers are sending out and some of which are arriving in Portland now. Some people have no use for their motor car in the Winter. It Is locked up, tires removed and left to stand un til the Spring. Ivor such persons man ufacturers have brought out the Sedan and other types of closed vehicles. Formerly these models failed to ap peal, principally because they were not as handy as the average automobile. However, with all the controls inside the car the machines present the high est type of motor convenience. One of the beautiful models shown in this city is that of the Studebaker Six. The coupe has just been received and in all details Is wonderfully well fin lshed. The upholstery and the finish of all mechanical parts Is taken care of to the minutest detail. Such cars, undoubtedly, will And fa vor with a public which has placed its trust in the modem automobile and de mands convenience in addition to relia bility and efficiency. The Schenectady, N. Y., Motorcycle Club will have a series of educational meetings during the Winter. A com mittee has been appointed to arrange for lecturers. feSV - - - -4 Motor Bus for country roads and Portland city streets; heated by the engine, with or without electric lights and starter. Its upkeep cost is very little, which enables it to compete with streetcars, railroads and the boats. For fuel, the truck successfully burns distillate with factory equipment, .which costs only 7 cents a gallon and gives more power than gasoline. I t - i r This Will Convince Yon Other trucks of equal capacity cost more and costs more to operate, without giving you more in service or durability. Reo's sales record for 1914 is phenomenal Nothing in the state to compare with it this year We have financed over seventy men here in Portland to become owners of trucks and motor buses. Spend half an hour with us investigating. 615-617 Washington DODGE GARS ATTRACT CROWDS VISIT COVET SHOWROOMS TO SEE EXHIBIT. Advance Claims Are In No Wlao Ex travasant Is Consensus of Opinion Low Price Will Prevail. The Dodge Brothers car has come and gone and those who took a chance on fighting their way through the crowd In the Covey Motor Car Com pany's showrooms, and succeeded In Kettinr a irood look at the car. declare that all that has been said of the Dodge is conservative. No event In -motordom has caused more Interest than the little moderate priced car which the former big makers of parts are turning out under their own name. That the advance claims were in no way extravagant was the consensus of opinion both on the streets and among the dealers who took occasion to see the new car. Dodge Brothers have been favorably known . to the automobile trade for many years. They have manufactured the vital parts for several thousand popular cars during this period. How ever, they had never manufactured a car under their own name before. When the announcement. went forth that tney would do so. the publlo naturally had reason to expect that their experlenc would "produce an automobile of un usual merit. , . The establishing of a new standard in the low-priced field has been . the aim of Dodge Brothers. They have not attempted the impossible. Nor have they made claims to that effect. They did not assert that they were building a $5000 car that would sell for one-fifth of that sum. but they did state, and this has been their aim. to put Just as good construction and material into their product as motor cars selling for a much higher price. They expected to do this by quantity production. Dodse Brothers' car Is not a freak in any sense of the word or particular. All of the parts contained in the fiTvisied MOTOR TRUCKS 4a a fc": ril v - 1 f Two -Ton Truck Price $1850-f.0.b . Portland 5600 down, balance $100 per month Factory Distributors for Oregon and Southern Washington product have been thoroughly tested out by the engineers of this company for the past year and a half. Many of these parts are now found in other high-class machines. Dodge Brothers merely concentrated their ability towards manufacturing a machine of the best accepted standard construction at as low a cost as possible. A unit power plant, with cone clutch; motor, four-cylinder, cast en bloc, Sc inch bore by 4 -inch stroke, 30-36-horsepower, which should develop enough power for the steepest hill in this or any other city; high tension magneto, full floating rear axle, trans mission of the selective gear type, with three speeds forward and reverse; Vanadium steel gears, heat treated; Timken bearings throughout, including wheels and differential; left hand drive, center control; springs all chrome Vanadium; electric lights and starter, are among the many, features of this new car. The appearance of Dodge Brothers' new machine is also very pleasing to the eye. The exterior and finish, the equipment and little niceties and con veniences are all In keeping with the high caliber of the Integral parts of the mechanism. A beautiful streamline body, not of the exaggerated type, with plenty of room for five passengers, comfortably upholstered in genuine grain leather, with deep springs and natural hair, such as would be a credit-to a machine selling for several time the price. Dodge Brothers' motor car lives up to the advance expectations of the motor ing public on this score. There is plenty of leg room in both front and rear seats. A one-man top carries out the graceful lines of the body. The equipment is such as ia seldom found in a car of this price and is con veniently arranged. Limestone Cave Visiled. About 20 members of the Sacramento, Cal Motorcycle Club participated in this year's Tun to Limestone Cave. The main cave is underground and reached only by a 40-foot shaft. It Is noted' for Its crystal formations, and the rldnrs found much pleasure, in expMrins the cave. You know It all just a little" while tvsive jvou begin to learn something. - f Portland, Oregon Notice to Garages, Private Car Owners and Vulcanizers We are always on the market to buy scrap rubber and can pay you the highest cash market prices at allvtimes. Nothing too large or too small to handle. A phone call will bring our representative, who will buy what you have. We positively will not buy from Junk peddlers or junk-dealers.' Positively the largest,, oldest and most reliable dealers in scrap material in Oregon. J. Leve Wholesale dealers in all grades of scrap rubber and metals. Office and metal place. 186 Columbia street. Phone Main 619S. Rubber ware house, 208 Hall street, near Front. Iron yards. Southeast corner Water and Mill streets. AUTO REPAIRING The increasing demand for expert, work on ignition, and electrical lighting and sbart. ing apparatus has caused tw to open a department of auto mobile repairing. Western Electric Works 213 Sixth Street.