THE STTJTDAT OREGONIAX PORTtAXD, AUGUST 1, 1920
POLK ROADS ARE
IN STATE OF SIEGE
AUTDMOBiLEPLAWTS
'FEDERAL TRUCK IN HEAVY. DUTY WORK ON NORTH BANK HIGHWAY.
KEEP OP PRODUCTION
Varied Lawsuits Blocking
Highway Improvements.
Some Decline in Demand
Within Past 30 Days.
ROUTES ARE QUESTIONED
INDUSTRY NSAR NORMAL!
f
1 1
rtS
Reports Circulated of Closing Fao- I
Dallas, Indepen3ence and Other
' Tow ns Fighting Angles of
Complicated Battle.
Cories - Declared False and
. Meant to "Bear" Market.
5 1-3 ItT'),J..ji
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111 I H itiW .- t m - SSS5! 1 H
Highway construction in the v'clnl
ty of Rickreall, Dallas. Independence.
Monmouth and McCoy . has become
considerably involved by lawsuits,
fire, and dissension generally between
certain Polk county citizens and the
etate highway commission. It seems
probable that paving work in this
election of the state will be brought
to a sudden end.
The controversy between D Alias
nd Independence on one hand and
the commission on the other is of
long standing. It centers about the
wording of the highway law which
provides that the west side section of
the Pacific highway shall pi.ss
"through" certain tov ns, "by way of
certain other towns and "to" Dallas
and Independence. The commission
has taken the attitude that the high
way should proceed in .a nore or le
straight line south from McMinnville.
through Amity, McCoy, Holmes Gap,
Rickreall, Monmouth and Corvallis.
wth stub roads to Dallas and Inde
pendence. It is alleged that some months ago
Polk cou y citizens agreed to this
plan, providing the Dallas-Salem road
w'ould be paved by the commission. A
contract was let for this stretch
about 15 miles, which would cross
connect the two north and seuth
highways of the Willamette valley.
Many Hills to Cross.
It has been the opinion of the com
mission from the beginning that it
would be impracticable to build the
west side highway through Dallas
sind Independence both, on account of
the fact that there would be many
hills to cross, and because the high
way would be unnecessarily long.
A temporary peace was arrived at,
and paving has been proceeding from
Amity south to Holmes Gap, about
six miles north of Rickreall. Pave
ment has been put down for a dis
tance of five miles west from Salem
toward Dallas, and the Independence
stub from Monmouth has been built.
Three or four miles of hard surface
has been laid from Monmouth north
toward Rickreall, being within about
a mile from that place. A large part
of the work between Corvallis and
Monmouth has been completed.
The commission recently called
upon the Polk county officials to com
plete the grading from Monmouth
south toward the work being com
pieted north from Corvallis. and this
resulted In many old sores being re
opened, xne county officials refused
and then sought to enjoin the com
mission from proceeding- any further
with the highway through Rickreall,
-J nis injunction was finally Issued on
Monday In Portland, subject to the
county's putting up a bond, stopped
the work south of McCoy and north
of Monmouth, although a large part
oi tne latter project has been com
pieted.
About the same- time the injunction
was issued, tne paving- Dlant at Me
Coy was burned, and the section of
work between Amity. McCoy and
Holmes Gap has been indefinitely
postponed on that account, although
some pavement has actually been laid
Between McCoy and the gap.
Prospects of Muddy Winter.
At this writing no bond has Been
put up ty the county, and work be
tween Rickreall and Monmouth will
Boon be completed, as only a small
unfinished section remains to be fin
ished. Dallas citizens are said not to
care so much about Btopping this
section, which Is so nearly done, as
xney are oi nailing me work near
McCoy. Providence has done this for
xncm.
In the meantime the eommiiuttnn
has apparently stopped the work be
tween Dallas and Salem, as the con
tractor finished the first section
more than a week ago and has made
no move to take his plant to Rick-
reau ror tne next "set up." The com
mission is .not required to complete
xnis stretcn, wnich It claims is being
oone only because Dallas citizens
agreed to nave the west side highway
run norm ana soutn tnrough Rick
reall.
The commission will undoubtedly
carry the case on to trial, whether
the bond to Rtop work is put up or
not. This will take considerable
ttme. and present indications point
to many miles of unfinished mud
grades in Polk county this winter
unless the warring factions can come
to an agreement.
r iSfif ! r-,
e ,
Zjoadinff part of a blar 1 ocarina: en sine on a resnlatloa f e-ton KedcrmI track Hear Stevenaea, Waih. The
load welaraa about alx tons, and wn hauled from this point to Waaaong-al. about 32 miles. Tne truck:
wii purchased orlajlnully from the William I Hu'luoa coaapaay im Portlnsd and haa seen a lot of
heary aauliaa; work. '
1 31,349 AUTOS STOLEN
DATA OX 19
IX 10t
"IXDETX" CITIES
GATHERED.
2 3,332 Machines Reported Re
covered by Police Ijost Cars
Worth $5,410,000.
ST. XfOUIS, July SI. There were
31,349 automobiles stolen in 19 "index"
cities of the United States in 1919.
compared to 25.613 in the same cities
In 1918, according to figures compiled
by the National Automobile Dealers'
association, with headquarters in this
city. This is an increase of 23.4 per
cent. The figures were obtained from
the official reports of the chiefs of
police. '
Of the 31,349 stolen In 1919. Z3.33Z
were recovered, or 74.4 per cent. Of
the 25.613 stolen in 1918, 20,203 were
recovered, or 78.8 per cent.
Cars stolen and not recovered were
valued at approximately $5,416,000 in
1918 and at $8,658,360 in 1919.
New Tork again led the cities in
cars stolen with 5527 In 1919 against
3840 in 1918, an increase of 35.5 per
cent. St. Louis was the only large
city where the number was less than
In 1918. This is accounted for by
vigorous law enforcement campaign
against automobile thieves by the
circuit attorney's office. Sentences
up to 20 years have been assessed in
St. Louis for the theft of an auto
mobile.
The detailed list follower
Stolen. Rwmrei
119
New York 853T
Chicago 4447
Dttroit 3481
Cleveland 2338
Los Angeles. . . . . IftSs
Kansas City leal
Portland, Or......l52S
Denver 1440
San Francisco .... 1354
St. LrfUi 1241
Seattle 1122
Lnapous iTOi
loston 1002
Salt Lake City... T78
Oakland, Cal 7SO
Oamah 734
ColurafeUK, O. ..... 6SO
Cincinnati 530
Oklahoma City... 14a
Total S1.849 3S.S13 23.322 20.203
General reduction in the number of
automobiles stolen is expected dur
ing 1920 because of the fact that
interstate transportation of stolen
automobiles is made a federal offense
under the Dyer law. The national
motor vehicle theft law, however, did
not become effective until November,
1919. Numerous convictions have been
made throughout the United States
under this act this year.
19(8 11 191S
S340 S124 2578
2611 3447 1954
2V9 2529 1934
2078 1786 1816
1620 135 149S
1144 7!14 60
1088 1378 890
901 1187 627
1122 1(504 1082
2241 : 944 13M
146t 1308 1378
404 B92 334
8SH 580 607
707 758 790
895 733 8t0
10X9 567 669
451 373 352
348 293 291
671 70 484
especially in the garage where several
cars are kept, and where it is neces
sary -to run them pretty close to
gether in order to get them all In.
Such a Jack merely raises the front
or the back end of the car and then
the vehicle may be swung around to
the desired point, doing away with a
great deal of backing and turning
and wheel twisting where the car
must be worked around to the de
sired position under Its own power.
But it appears that a car may be
swung around in emergencies with
out the aid of a jack of the kind men
tioned, providing one of those shal
low oil pans, such as is often slid
under a car to catch any oil or grease
drip' from the motor or chassis, is at
hand. We had stored our car In a
garage where the space for turning
and maneuvering was -very small in
deed, and in the absence of a jack
with wheels on it, the garage attend
ant merely backed the car onto the
oil pan, which, by the way, had a
slight film of oil and greasy mate
rial on it. With the rear tires stand
ing on the pan, he merely pushed the
car sideways, and the tires slid across
the oiled surface of the pan, accomp
lishing the swinging process in a
unique manner. And while it is not
advocated that such a nse be habitu
ally made of the pan, since it is none
too good for the tires to get them in
oil, nevertheless it is a kink worth
knowing for emergencies.
HOT-SPOT IS FUEL SKIER
CHALMERS MOTOR EVEN CAX
DIGEST KEROSEXE.
SHORTAGE NOT REALIZED
EAST DOESXT KEfO'W GASOIrlXE
COXDITIOXS JTERiTC.
Doit Factory Representative Says
Situation Calls for Federal Su
pervision 'of Industry.
ROAD PHOXE AS AUTO AID
One for Each Mile for Stranded
Motorists, Is Plan.
According to the Auto News, tele
phones are to be installed upon the
public roads in Ohio, for the con
venience of travelers. The plan 1
to put up a small booth at each mile
stone. The motorist who is stranded
always will find himself within
half mile of a telephone.
The plan provides so simply for the
solution of one of the vexing prob
lems of road travel that it means it
should have been prepared a dozen
years ago. says the Louisville-Courier
Journal. The road telephone would be
an Institution so obviously necessary
xnai 11 would rate with the screw
point ss something which should have
been instituted before.
There is always towing service as
wen as tire service within hail If only
a telephone can be had.
Tramping to the nearest farm house
which has a telephone is often ardu
ous. The motorist sometimes is wel
comed sympathetically by the farm
er, but rarely by dogs.
The evolutionary outgrowth of the
road phones would be the telephone
Instalment, carried in the tool box
with which the stranded motorist
ould tap any wire at any point and
otter his Macedonian cry.
With such an instrument and
trusty pair of lineman's climbing
irons with which to run up telephone
poies to oroer gasoline, tubes, cas
ings. twos and ether emergency ne
cessities, the tourist would be able to
keep in touch with all that frees tour
Ing rrom the burden of anxiety.
Oil Puddles Hurt Tires.
STOLEX FORD IS RECOVERED
Carlton Man Gets Car Taken From
Him a Tear Ago.
Sam Henry, who lives northwest of
town, has found a Ford car whicn
was stolen from him a year ago this
month, says the Carlton (Or.) Sen
tinel. The machine was taken from
the streets of McMinnville, where
members of the owner's family had
parked it one night last July, and not
a trace of it was ever found until a
couple of weeks ago when It came
into a garage In Tillamook for re
pairs. Mr. Henry's son was in the
garage at the time, being employed
there, it Is understood. He thought
the car resembled the stolen machine
and proved that It was through cer
tain fixtures which he had placed
upon It that were not a part of the
regular equipment.
The man who had It bought It from
farmer near Tillamook, who had
bought it in good faith from a Sher
wood, Or., man. The Shgrwood man's
identity was discovered, but he has
not been located at the time of this
writing. - Mr. Henry bought another
Ford after the theft, and will now
have two machines.
Intake Manifold of Sot-Spot. Type
Recommended by Society of
Automotive Engineers.
The Society of Automotive Engl
neers at a recent meeting placed It
self on record as recommending the
intake manifold of the hot-spot type.
A committee of the society for the last
few months has been making exbaus
tive tests relative to determining
some system whereby the problems
presented by prevailing heavy fuel
might be solved and this recommenda
tion was the result:
"The recommendation of the society
gives recognition to. the wlseness of
Chalmers engineers, who, realising
the problem presented by the ever-
increasing lower gravity of fuel.
adopted after thorough experimenting
the hot-Bpot and the ram s horn mini
fold that has been identified with the
Chalmers engine for almost three
years," declares C. L. Boss of the C. I
Boss Automobile company.
The hot-spot vaporizes the inferior
gas into a cloud of vapor that is car
ried through the- heated manifold to
the cylinders. Experience shows that
really more power Is secured from
the low-grade fuel by the use of these
now-famous devices.
During the acute shortage of fuel
many motorists have eked out their
meager gas supply by using distillate
and kerosene. The Chalmers engine
digests kerosene readily, though the
C Ij- Boss company does not recom
mend its use, save in an emergency.
and then only with frequent changing
of oil and cleaning of the crank case.
Motor manufacturers in and around
rtroit, Mich., paid to the United
States government $21,600,000 for the
first four months of 1920. This Is said
to be the largest automobile excess
tax ever paid in the United States.
The seriousness of the gasoline
shortage on the Pacific coast is not
fully realized in the east, declares
R. H. Larkin, general representative
of the Dort Motor Car company, who
was here last week conferring with
the Northwest Auto . company, dis
tributors for the Iort.
'Conditions out here caused by the
gasoline shortage are of sufficient im
portance to call for federal supervi
sion and it is a surprise to me. that
everybody connected with the Indus
try on the coast has not risen and
demanded a rigid investigation," said
Mr. Larkin. "
So far reaching would be the ef
fect of any undue disturbance in the
automotive industry that the govern
ment would be remiss to the people if
prompt action were not taken. No
effort should be lacking to determine
that sale and distribution of gasoline
are handled with entire fairness.
There need be no fear of a perma
nent shortage. Geologists agree that
there is sufficient oil in sight to last
many years. There yet remains to be
developed the great shale oil deposits
said by geologists to provide oil in
amounts far greater than all the
available natural petroleum in this
hemisphere. Thsy form an enduring
asset, sufficient to sustain an enor
mous ultimate load indefinitely when
machinery for this industry has been
developed. - .
The Dort factory Baa Been in
production of 8006 cars a month since
thei .first of the year. xo Keep up
with orders, it baa been compelled to
increase the output to 3500 per montn,
Prices are not due for a fall this
year. Labor and mtrial are still
high and the demand for both is so
great . that there is no prospect, oi
their droDnlns. Anybody thinking the
price of automobiles Is going to come
down In the near miuro i "mjr Har
boring a qelusion.
SEW PLAXT FOR OAKLAND
m
Ground Broken . for $3,000,000
- Addition to the Factory.
Ground has been broken in Pontiac,
Mich., for a new $3,000,000 addition to
the plant of the Oakland Motor Car
company, which will eventually double
Its capacity. Production of Oakland
cars at present Is running about 215
cars a day. The new plant wm pro.
vide facilities for manufacturing cer
tain parts now being turned out in
other General Motors' plants. This, It
Is expected, will bring production up
to about 500 cars daily.
WHOLE WORKS OX VAOATIOX
Boss Takes Employes Along and
Closes TJp the Shop.
MARYSVILLE. CaL, July 31-E. T.
Baldwin, owner of a cleaning works
here, decided to go on a vacation by
automobile. So he invited his em
ployes to go along, and they all went
In his car, leaving the shop closed for
two weeks. The party will spend the
fortnight camping and fishing in
Plumas and Sierra counties.
LOXG DISTANCE AIR TRIP
Passenger Air Service Between Chi
cago and Xew York.
About August 15 the busy New
Tork business man will be relieved of
the customary anxlftty accompanying
his plans for a hasty business trip to
Chicago. The Lawson Airline com
pany of Milwaukee, which is the pio
neer builder of commerciail aircraft
in the United States, has instituted a
passenger service by aerial liners
capable of carrying 26 persons be
tween New Yorok and Chicago.
Two years ago Alfred W . Lawson
perfected the largest biplane attempt
ed up to that time. He was so elated
by the success of Its maiden trip to
New Tork city that he returned to
Milwaukee after six weeks to arrange
for the construction of a considerable
number of them.
AUTO ACCESSORIES AND PARTS
.SPEEDOMETERS
and "BIG TEN NECESSITIES'
They're More Than Accessories
Official Service Genuine Parts
(3l&iKlti& rroduct Service Station, Broadway at Flanders
David Hodes Co.
Ill N. Broadway
AUTOMOBILE EQUIPMENT
PARTS, GEARS, AXLES AND
SPRINGS
10,000 Springs Carried in Stock.
Let Us Repair Tour Springs
Where You Get Service.
15TH AND COUCH STREETS
Oil has a habit of collecting .in I
little puddles in the depressions
the cement floor of the garage. This
should be removed, because the tires
are almost sure to get Into it. and If
you let a section ef the shoe become
soaked with oil, the affected rubber
will soften and undue wear will fol
low. The deterioration will be very
similar to that resulting when rubber
Is Improperly cured
SCBSTxTUTE
Km
JACK
Oil Pan on Wheels TJsed by Handy
Garage Man.
One of those special Jacks with
wheels on It to enable cars to be
maneuvered without trouble in close
quarter is a handy thing to have.
Hoi
fAll mates oP
batteries charged
or repairecT
Phone Braadwaq S46
OT0RAGE JLWTTEKi'
Service Station
On Park Street
H.M.NISBET.Mjn
WPWi U J M m. . II llll IJJIJIHBl
DETROIT, Mich.. July SI. Auto
motive vehicle manufacturers In De
troit are Incensed at reports circu
lated In various parts of the country
that their factories are beins closed
Because ot wholesale cancellation, of
orders.
Unscruplous stock; and bond sales
men, it Is thought, are circulating
these reports as a means ef creating
a "bear" market in motor stocks for
tne benefit of "short" Interests.
Attention of the beard of coir.merca
has been drawn to an example of
these reports which appeared in Chi
cago July IS. This article, a review
of market conditions, stated that one
motor truck company had been closed
and that another company was pre
paring to close down because of lack
of orders. Secretary Warner has
wired for Information as to the
source ef this information, as officials
of both companies deny that such
conditions exist or are likely to de
velop. Five Per Cent Under Normal.
' "Detroit Industries are operating
within 5 per cent of normal," said
Secretary Warner. "It Is true one
factory let out 760 men. but another
took on exactly 750 and has since been
adding to this number."
Motor car and truck factories here
have more business than they can
handle. On top of this there is a
great foreign demand that these com
panies have been unable to take ad
vantage of. In the three months end.
Ing March 21 last General Motors cor
poration sold 119,799 ears, trucks and
tractors, which, taken in conjunction
with the revenue derived from the
sale of various other products, netted
pronts of 19,754,616. with federal
taxes deducted.
While there has been a noticeable
decline In the automobile business the
past SO days. General Motors is as
sured of a ready market for every
passenger, truok and tractor machine
it can produce for the remainder ot
the year.
This year's output of Bulck cars
was contracted for almost entirely in
the first three months.
In the fiscal year which began
August 1 the Buick plant expects to
produce 100.000 more cars than were
manufactured in the previous year.
During the approaching year the Cad
illac passenger car division will bring
into operation new plants capable of
more thon double the output.
SSO Oldsmobtlea Dally.
Additions to various Chevrolet
units will increase the production of
this car to 1000 daily. The 225 cars
day now being turned out by the
Oakland plant, at Pontiac will be in
creased to 850.
Present plans call for the produc
tlon of 300 cars a day tor the Oldimo
blle plant and 100 a day for the
Scrlpps-Boeth, against 150 Oldsmobile
and 50 Scripps-Booth last year.
Construction work on the General
Motors office building In Detroit, the
largest structure of Its kind In the
world, which was being seriously re
tarded In the spring, through inabil
Ity to secure materials and sufficient
labor, is now progressing at a rapid
rate. When completed it will be one
of the show places of Detroit.
During the next fiscal year between
August 1, 1920, and July 31, 1921-, the
Ford Motor company expects to build
1,250,000 cars. This would be 250,000
more than the present fiscal year,
which is expected to ehow'an output
of approximately 1.000,000 cars. It is
understood that the sedan production
would be greatly Increased, probably
10 per cent over past production.
In . t-'. . J.r In
I HI
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ill
f
Useless Weight Has Been Eliminated
in
MAXW
E
by Special Steels
LL
Just as" superfluous" weight
handicaps the heart and mind
of a man, 60 does superfluous
weight handicap the action of
a motor car.
Such weight kills tires
"Eats up gas"
Kills pep" in an engine
Slows down car speed
Makes repairs costly and too
freTaent.
Maxwell has no useless,
weight Special steels have
been used in its construction.
iThey areznade to Maxwell's
own" formulae.
great strength.
They -have.
That is why Maxwell is
responsive, develops a high aver-,
age road,speed, is not tiring to
drive, has; a quick and sure
brake action, has long "gas",
and tire mileage, and why it is
a stranger to the repairman.
Such high efficiency wins
many friendships. Figures like
these -speak eloquently: 5,000
a year six years ago; 100,000
a year today; now .over 400,000
in service the world over.
C. JL. Boss Automobile Co.
615-617 Washington St
Pen. for Speed Killers.
A ruling recently made by the court
of appeals In Cincinnati confirming
the action of a Judge In common pleas
court instructing a Jury to find guilty
of manslaughter any driver who was
exceeding the speed limit when his
machine killed a person, regardless
253253!
1
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of what other circumstances might be
involved, is something for speeders
to heed. This means that any motor
ist then who runs down and kills a
person while speeding will go to the
state's penitentiary. Regardless of
the action or fault of the person
killed, the driver will be held to ac
count for his or her deed. A good
moral would be: Don't speed. ,
Trailer Adds to Trade Capacity.
Wth a semi-trailer attachment the
Maxwell Is able to eolve most of the
heavier tonnage problems that con
fronts the average owner, asserts
William Kelley. chief engineer for the
Maxwell Motor company. With the
trailer from fonr to six tons can be
easily handled, which triples the
truck's capacity. ,
Max-well With Hot-Spot.
It is an established fact that the
famous hot-spot Chalmers motor runs
as smoothly and as powerfully in the
winter time ss in midsummer and
with the Incorporation ef the hot
spot and ram's horn manifold as part
of the new Maxwell it Is equally true
of this powerful four-cylinder motor.
This was recently demonstrated by
Ray McNamara. Maxwell road engi
neer, who drove from Detroit to New
Tork and return, spending but two
days on the road each way.
AUTO DIRECTORY
New Light Six,
Mitchell, Seven-Paasenger Jordan
MITCHELL, LEWIS & STAVER CO.
' Broadway at Everett
S C? Sayers-Pacific
aVerS OiX Motor Car Co.
a T..h,.f:t
SAYERS Auto Fune'1
Equipment
Twenty-first and
Washington
State Distributors
JACKSON &E?SS
SIX
TOURING
FOUR WHEEL
DRIVE TRUCK
Twenty-first and
Washington
State Distributors
Franklin
offers mora ef "what you actually need and want
in an automobile.
BRALY AUTO CO.
Main 4S80, A 2881. 19th and Washington Sta.
TmsipUmir
Smashes All Records in
Economy and Endurance
i jju Q I
n
Shock Absorber
Recommended by a Million
Ford Owners
West Coast Distributors Corp.
435 Stark St. Phone Broadway 4564
i
A Three Time Winner .
1. Chicago to. New York, 26 hrs.
50 min.
2. Los Angeles to Yosemite, 29.6
miles per gallon for 356 miles.
3. World's economy run, 101
miles, 32.2 miles per gallon.
The most for your money in all
that goes to make a real motor
car.
WRAY MOTOR CAR CO.
34 Eleventh St. North
Phone Bdwy. 3247
i