TIIE SUNDAY OREGOXIATf, PORTLAND. MAY 9, 1920
GAS PLENTIFUL IF
jj SUPPLY IS LOCATED
DO WE WANT ROADS LIKE THIS, OR SHALL WE PAVE 'EM?
Y
I
Price Rise Called Merely Sec
tional Adjustment.
MARKET "STEADY FIRM"
Foreign Situation Serious and
- Some Have Opinion That
Profits Are Bein Taken.
IWhile the gasoline market has re
tiiained for the most part in a con
dition that is known to oil men as
Steady and firm" during tho last
few weeks, mixed feelings of alter
nate cheer and anxiety have been
fitted among the trade as a result of
CDlniona on the situation given out
through leading oil men or from
sources close to them. There is no
doubt expressed anywhere that there
island will be plenty of gasoline; the
only problem is to get it, and it is
this which is proving a source of ex
panse. "Recent advances in price appear for
the most part to have settled into
a series of smaller adjustments to
biing markets in nearby sections into
closer harmony, possibly in a pro
tective way, so that distribution may
kept even and not. diverted from
points where the difference would be
so marked as to keep the fuel In more
high-priced markets.
illustrations of this are noted in
rre authority's comment comparing
present quotations with those of a
few months ago. On the tank wagon
for delivery to garages gasoline is
selling in New York at 2SV cents, as
against 27 cents in Jersey City,
Just across the Hudson river. Only
a. few months ago the differential
was 2 cents, and at a lower rate, 31
and 27 cents, respectively.
' More Development Needed.
- Similarly a cent has been taken
from the difference in price of gaso
line in Philadelphia ' and Baltimore
where the prices are now 27 and 22
cents, respectively, as against' a for
mer 27 and 22 cents.
The present condition of the na
tion's .oil siTpply is pointed out as a
luck of development rather than a
lack of source of supply. In his re
port to stockholders of the Cities
Service company, which operates the
former Pure Oii company as a divi
sion, Henry Ij. Woherty alludes to
ttris in discussing his company's con
dition. The year just closed he brands as a
"transition period from the intensive
operations arising from the company's
full co-operation in the war activi
ties of the government to the more
normal activities of peace. The pre
ceding year was a period in which
the demands for oil and oil products
by the United States government, as
well as by those governments asso
ciated with us in the war, severely
taxed the productive abilities of the
petroleum industry. It was not, there
fore, a time in which methodical de
velopment of proved oil lands could
b' carried out."
05 Cent In England.
In connection with the increasing
price of gasoline, which is a more
serious question for foreign countries
than in America, the London board
of trade recently prepared a compre
hensive report dealing with the costs
of production and transportation,
which was published in full in the
Times of London on March 2. Gaso
line was advanced a few weeks ago
in England! the price there now be
ing from 90 to 95 cents retail per
Ballon.
"We are strongly of the opinion,"
slates the committee report, "that the
whole question of the production,
price and distribution of motor fuel
bhould engage the attention of the
league of nations or otherwise be
made - the subject of international
Hgreement between the governments
or' the principal importing nations,
with a view to co-operation in- fixing
iit a fair level the price chargeable
for so vital a necessity of modern in
dustrial life.
'. "We find." adds the report, "that
the present high prices for motor fuel
are mainly due to a demand which is
tending to outstrip the world's pres
pnt'supply and that advantage is be
ing taken of this tendency by power
ful financial interests to raise prices."
KEEP SPRING CLIPS TIGHT
Tsc Wrench Large Enough to
Slake Every Bolt Hard and Tight.
If any proof be required of the ne
cessity of keeping spring clips tight
ait all times it may be found in the
aet that neither dealers nor manu
facturers will replace a spring that
is broken through the center bolt
bole the place where most springs
give way, observes a contributor to
American Motorist, who goes on to
a :
''Breakage of this nature is taken
as evidence that the spring clips were
not kept tight. The spring clips are
subject to bending in two directions
with the result that excessive strains
are imposed at the weakest point
which in this case is at the bolt hole.
The spring clips should be seated
perfectly tight by' drawing the nuts
up as close as possible with a wrench
f such size that there is no question
J. their being tight. It is well also
to' bear in mind that even a nut se
cured by a lock washer will ultimately.-
work loose hence the necessity
"for looking over your spring clips
aow and then."
-' m
' Tighten Engine Bolts.
t
" In 'some cars looseness of the en
gine bolts which hold the motor' in
place may cause misalignment of the
engine with serious consequences. If
fhere is even slight looseness of the
bolts it may permit the engine sup
port to hammer and pound and in
lime the supporting arm may actually
bneak off.
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ROAD STUDY POSSIBLE
EXTENSION OF HIGHWAY EN
GINEERING IX SCHOOLS.
Huge Problems lo Be Met in Build
ing Network of Transpor
tation Arteries.
WASHINGTON, D. C. May 8. (Spe
cial.) Leading educational authori
ties of the United States will gather
in Washington May 14 and 15 to dis
cuss extension of highway engineer
ing courses and introduction of high
way transportation as a subject in the
college curricula, with representatives
from the bureau of public roads, state
highway departments, bureau of ed
ucation and leaders of the automobile
industry. t
The conference was called by Hon.
P. P. Claxton, commissioner of the
United States bureau of education. The
purpose is to bring about a mutual
understanding of the problems ahead
in the development of trained men for
road construction and for the. auto
mobile industry.
With more than $1.000. 000,000 al
ready available for expenditure in
road construction and maintenance
in the United States, it is evidejit
that thousands of engineers and hun
dreds of thousands of skilled laborers
will be needed to carry on the work
In the next few years. The situation
is even more acute in the automobile
field. Manufacturers are now produc
ing at the rate of more than 2.000.000
vehicles a year and as the production
of .motor trucks .grows new problems
are facing the industry - which can
only be met by adequately trained
men.
The field for which it will neces
sary to fit men is a broad one. Tech
nical engineers will be required for
the research and design departments.
complete instruction will be neces
sary in the business administration.
advertising and similar departments
of the office force and there is air
ways a broad field for the skilled me
chanic. The man who sells motor
trucks in the future will need to be
equipped to sell transportation rather'
than simply the mechanical unit since
into the use of the motor truck goes
a knowledge of operating costs, of
possible tonnage to be developed and
other factors which require a great!
deal of study. The same statement ap
plies as well to the managers of the
fleets of motor trucks which have al
ready become a factor in our com
mercial life and which will unques
tionably increase in number as the use
of the truck grows.
The Washington conference was
preceded by an informal conference
held in Ann Arbor last week when
representatives of the various groups
already mentioned, met to determine
upon a programme. At that time a
resolution was passed calling atten
tion to the need of trained men in
these fields and asking the commis
sioner to bring together the leaders
in thought and action on this subject
in order that a definite method of
mutual co-operation might be brought
about.
The Washington conference will be
followed by a general educational con
ference. May 19 to 21, in Washington,
which will be attended by all of the
leading educators of the United States
and it has been suggested that a rep
resentative from the highway confer
ence should present the particular
problems discussed at these meetings
before the later group.
JACKSON' ROAD CREWS BtSY
Highway Work In Full Swing With
Over 2 00 Men Employed.
MEDFORD, Or.,' May 4. (Special.)
Jackson county read work is now in
full swing. A fleet of five motor
trucks, 'caterpillars and crews aggre
gating over 230 men are at work in
various parts of the county. One
hundred miles of county road are be
ing scarified.
A large portion of the grading and
other improvement work is being
done by the county in ccnjunctlon
with' the road district and the state,
under the market road provision. In
all there will be. J91.000 cpent this
year on market roads. A crew of
men are grading the new road be
tween Jacksonville and Ruch, elim
inating the Jacksonville hill,' and if
the proposed half million bond issue
carries this will be made a. perma
nent highway.
Wood Wedges for Doors.
When the doors on one side of the
body do not fit properly, either bind
so that they are hard to close or fit
too loosely, with so much clearance
that the catch will not snap, the
trouble may be cured by placing
wooden wedges under the body at the
rear. Metal plates may also be used.
In either case the wedge should be
boited through the frame so that it
will remain firmly in place.
Here are some typical mil roads of the kind that the 910,000,000 bond ixxue
and 4 per cent conHtitutlonal amendment, before the voters on May Itl,
are dealgued to eliminate.
These are real Oregon road pictures, taken in the past couple of weeks
by Alexander G. Jackson, forest examiner for the United States forest serv
ice, who In the course of a season pilots his famous 1914 Ford-oVer several
thousand miles of Oregon roads. The upper picture shows "Betsy," the
Ford, stuck in the mud on a Clackamas county dirt road near Damascus,
only 16 miles from the center of Portland. As will be noted, the whole
Jackson family has been commandeered to help dig poor Betsy out. It
was a hard job. but finally accomplished. The lower picture is a view of
the road, between Dallas and Salem, . within four miles of Salem. For
three miles the road is just like this. This road is lucky in being on the
highway programme for paving in the near future, but there are many
other just as important roads that will stay in the mud unless the voters
authorize the bond issue, and the constitutional amendment to make it pos
sible, as available highway funds are virtually exhausted. Incidentally,
the amendment and bond issue will not increase taxes one red penny, as
both interest and principal of the bonds will be met from the present auto
mobile license fee and gasoline tax, with money to spare. Shall we vote
Oregon out of the mud"
TIRE TUNER APPEARS
AMERICAN INDUSTRY DEVEL
OPS NEW KIND OF EXPERT.
Willys-Overland Company at Tole
do Has Workman AVho Carries
Air Hose and Hammer.
Enter the tire tuner!
America has its tea and coffee
tasters, experts who by simply sip
ping coffee from various cups before
them are able to tell the exact value
of each particular brand of coffee or
tea.
And France has its wine tasters,
experts who by tasting of wine can
tell not only the part of the country
in which the grapes from which the
wine was made were grown, but can
even tell the year in which those
grapes were grown. In America we
have, of course, .only fading recollec
tions of that dinner game.
But it has remained for American
industry to develop the tire-tuning
expert. Not distinguishable by his
attire, because he is clothed as are all
of the other factory workmen, this
expert can be found any and every
day 'in the big plant of the Willys-
Overland company at Toledo. O., and
he can be identified by the fact that
he carries in his hands a hammer and
an air hose.
This expert has a berth near the
progressive assembly track. In this
highly organized plant the frame of
an automobile starts at one. end of the
progressive assembly track and
emerges from the other end a finished
product, ready for the roau.
On its ride to tne snipping plat
form this Overland automobile starts
as simply a trame. as it passes vari
ous workmen, each highly skilled in
his particular line, various parts are
supplied and attached. Expert work
men put on the wheels, others slip
on the tires, and so on.
But tires are of little value unless
thev are inflated. And that particu
lar duty has fallen to the lot of the
tire tuner. His berth Is near the out
going terminal of the progressive assembly.
As a car reaches him he applies the
r hose to a tire. Now and. then he
DIFFERENT RADIATOR ON NEW LEXINGTON COUPE.
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OSE OF THIS LEIIXOTOSI KXCLOSKD MODELS HANDLED HERE BY THE
taps the side of the tire with a ham
mer. Suddenly he removes the air
hose and starts for the next tire. By
the "feel" and the "sound" as the
hammer hits the tire he knows when
the right amount of air for proper in
flation has been pumped into the tire,
And he knows if it's -a good tire.
TRAFFIC CONTROL PREDICTED
Highways of Oregon Built to Sua
tain Ten-Ton Trucks Only.
MEDFORD, Or., May 8. That some
regulation to control truck traffic on
state highways is imperative waj
point brought out by E. C. Kiddle of
the state highway commission at an
informal banquet given him and
Simon Benson, chairman of the com
mission, by local business men.
"Our paved highways are built for
a maximum ten-ton truck," said Mr.
Kiddle, "while on this trip we have
seen 12 and 14-ton trucks in opera
tion. The problem is a serious one
and must be met, either by changing
highway specifications or restricting
truck tonnage.
Simon Benson predicted the tourist
travel in Oregon this year would be
double that of last year. "The great
need," said he, "is better and larger
hotel accommodations. Accommoda
tions were inadequate last year: they
must be increased immediately if our
tourist travel is to be accommodated
this year."
Xo Trailers in Egypt.
A recent report from Consul Lester
Maynard, sent from Alexandria
Egypt, states that, due to the absence
of suitable roads for motor traction in
Egypt and the fact that cotton, the
principal commodity of the country,
is handled direct from compress to
railway, thence alongside steamer,
thus eliminating hauling, there is
present no demand for trailers in
Egypt. A certain number have been
used by the army, but mainly within
camp and city limits; and as the sup
plies for the army come from England
and are of an unusual and temporary
character, they cannot be considered
in connection with the permanent
market for trailers in this country.
Keep Radiator Filled.
In the thermo-syphon cooling sys
tem it is important to keep the radi
Do You Know the Secret
of -Essex Leaders
v It Is the New Light Type with
Big Car Ability, Can Any Light Car
Rival Its Speed, Power or Endurance?
IDi
Lightness today is an overwhelming ad
vantage in a motor car, provided it means
no forfeit of fine performance, endurance
or distinctive appearance. v
Yet, prior to the Essex, what car com
bined all these qualities? There were light
cars to be sure. But none to meet the re
quirements of those who exact the highest
standards of ability, comfort and good
looks. .
Had such a type existed, Essex could not
have won such swift dominance. It could
have set no world's selling record as it did,
with a greater total paid for Essex than for
any car ever brought out in its first year.
The very suddenness of its success shows
how its qualities commandeered attention.
For men are not quick to buy a car that time
has not proved.
And the Essex came unknown. Merit was
its only advocate for recognition. Its quality
was instantly obvious. In looks, in action,
its appeal was dynamic. And it drew im
mediate response from all classes of motor
users.
They found ability, speed and power be
fore believed impossible in a light car.
. Almost Doubles
Light Car Endurance
Now see how Essex has justified all the
fine things that have been said in its praise.
An Essex stock chassis set the official
world's 50-hour endurance record of 3037
miles. In three tests it traveled 5870 miles
averaging above a mile a minute. An Essex
stock touring car also holds the world's 24
hour road record of 1061 miles.
To those who had owned light cars, the
Essex was a revelation. It gave them a new
sensation of stability and power. They
found charm of appearance, riding ease,
and pride of ownership that comes from
possession of a car they know none can
surpass in performance.
People accustomed to fine car qualities
recognized in the light Essex, all the per
formance, comfort, and good looks that for
merly were regarded exclusive to large,
costly cars.
The Dominant Light Car
By Official Proof
And with it Essex brings every advantage
of the light type. These compel consider
ation. They consist not only of important
economies, but of greater handling ease,
safety and convenience. Parking for large
cars is becoming an increasingly difficult
problem. So, too, is their manipulation in
heavy traffic. The light car clearly shows
its value in greater nimbleness. The com
mon sense facts prove it from every angle,
the type for all-round usefulness.
Before the Essex, not much was expected
of a light car in the way of distinctive per
formance. Economy was the chief appeal.
Great speed and power were considered ex
clusive costly car qualities.
See What Unexpected
Qualities It Adds '
For that reason it is not unusual to hear
the Essex described as a big, high-priced
car. That, of course, is not true. But it is
the impression registered by a ride in it.
Neither in performance or appearance is it
comparable to the lightweight cars you may
have known.
You have surely heard owners say how
it equals and often excels in speed, smooth
riding and hill-climbing, the fine, costly
cars noted for those qualities.
Perhaps you know the Essex more inti
mately. Who can escape noting its ever in
creasing popularity? On every highway
and especially when reliability is demanded,
as in touring, Essex has forced its way to
leadership in numbers through sheer leader
ship in performance.
When you know its appeal you will
scarcely be content to drive another car.
C. L. Boss Automobile Co,
615-617 Washington Street, Portland
ator full or very nearly so, in order
that there may be adequate back re
sistance to keep the water forcing its
way forward. It is better to add a
little water frequently than to let the
matter go until the engine begins to
knock for help.
Lubrication Hint.
If the oil in the crankcases is found
to be exceptionally thin or light in
body it may be that the mixture is
too rich, the excess gasoline being
forced down past the piston rings and
V
Experienced automobile owners believe in tte Westcott.
They either drive Westcotta themselves or know the reputa
tion of this car for years of trouble-free running. Ask your
friends about this Car With the Longer Life and then let
us demonstrate this smooth riding, luxurious Westcott.
A
jM (Urn? wMk (S3 E2zqjmrM
TJNITED MOTORS COMPANY
Distributors
347-351 Burnside Street, Broadway 2393
Into the crankcase. where it mixes
with the oil, destroying its lubricat
ing qualities. Incidentally it washes
the oil off the cylinder walls. This
is most likely to happen when the
temperature is low. The oil level
float should be carefully watched, as a
great enough quantity of gasoline
may leak into the crankcase more
than to offset the amount of oil used
by the engine. The fluidity of the oil
should be determined to learn its condition.
On slow around corners.
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PROOF OF FRIENDSHIP
, WHEN GOING IS TOUGHEST
r AND YOU NEED THEM WORST
INTERNATIONAL MOTOR TRUCKS
r WILL STAY ON THE JOB
Distributed by
BR0UGHT0N MOTOR
325 Glisan St
TRUCK CO.
Portland, Or.
i. s MOTOR CAR I'OHrANI.
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ED 1 04.2