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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 1927)
Automotive Better Homes Churches SECTION THREE Pages 1 to 8 i CLEAN AND VIGOROUS NEW SALEM CHRYSLER DEALERS AIR CONTROL SPEEDS STARCAR SALES "HORSELESS", SLEIGH OUiSIXM'Dfl - IT PLACES BIG E RE X. b i - '..Engineering Heads Declare Corporation Uses New Trans Atlantic Radio Telephone in Business Head of Factory Claims Sales Good Index of Pub lic's Attitude Automobile Left : Pontiac Huge Volume Made Pos sible by Conditions Michigan on February 2tfor .15,000Miie lour : QWPNTY SIXTH YEAR : . ' SALEM, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 27, 1927 . PRICE FIVE CENTS i i " . . ... . . . . . . i -r ' ? 1 r " ' j ; GAR IK ORDER UP AUTO PRODUC ON show laro i. re The largest export order for mo tor cars ever placed, by telephone was consummated last week by the Studebaker Corporation of Ameri ca ly means of the new transat lantic radio telephone service to Ixndon when U. J. Oilier, manag ing director of Studebaker (Great Britain) Limited, sat at his deck in London and asked Paul G. Hoff man, vice president of the Stude baker Corporation of America, whd was seated at his own desk in South Bend, for delivery of 1.000 Krskine Six cars. As the Erskine Six. Stndebafcer's new 2 1-3 litre ear. sells in King land for 29 T, pounds sterling, the total amount of the order rpre sonts. nearly $1,500,000 worth of business said to be not only the largest automobile order placed by means of the new service but one of the largest single business transactions made thus far via the wireless telephone. The order for 1,000 Erskine Sixes represented only the April quota of these cars for Great Bri tain, where -the Erskine has met with remarkable success following its initial showing at the famous Olympia show in October. "We could deliver this entire quota of Erskine Sixes immed iately if we had them," Mr. Oilier told Mr. Hoffman during their 55000 mile conversation. "Busi ness is opening up here wonderful ly for the new car." Mr. Hoffman's call to London was the first transatlantic message telephoned from Indiana on the opening of radio telephone service to the States of Ohio, Indiana, Illi nois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. February 9. Until that time the service had been confined to the eastern part of the United States only. "tie conversation was trans mitted via long distance telephone wire from Souyi uena w nun Point, Longf'lsland, thence to the radio station In England on wave lengths of 20 and 6000 meters. Use of two wave lengths permits the receiving statioft to pick up which ever wave length is meeting with the least interference. Com munication between the English Tadio station and London was over the regular telephone wires. Mr. .Ollier's part of the conversa tion! however, was received at a radio j station at Holton, Maine, whence it was relayed by long dis tance wires to New York, thence to South Bend over the same cir cuit connecting Mr. Hoffman with the station at Rocky Point. A number of Studebaker offi cials,. including H. S. Welch, man ager of export sales, A. J. Chan ter, assistant to A. R. Erskine, president of the Studebaker Cor poration; H. E. Dalton, general auditor; and L. Manson, Holland (Continued on paste 2.)' F Marked Increase In Orders for January and Febru ary Is Indication In keeping with the demand in this country for Nash cars which swept sales and production last year 41 per cent ahead of sales and nroduction for 1925, overseas buy ers are likewise expressing their preference for Nash in increasing numbers. This is shown in a marked Increase in orders receiv ed by the Nash Motors export de partment for January .and early February, as compared with the same period In 1926 the biggest export year In the history of the company. Factory records show an in crease in orders for January for expert shipment of 26 per cent over January. 1926, and, as tndi eating the wide sweep of public favor, i February orders for the first ten days of the month are 33 1-3 per cent greater than the jSJtotal orders for the entire month of February.. 1926. And in this Connection, it is recalled that the company's gain in export business last year over 1925 was 53 per cent, 7- The seven-bearing crankshaft motors, with each of the 23 models In" the Nash line Is equipped, are an ; Important contributing factor to the world wide acceptance ot the Nash line, which In the opinion pf many has "set the pace this year for the' entire automobile indua- OVERSEAS DEMAND OA NASH GROWS ft Photo by KenneM-EHis. ,T. K. Fitzgerald Fitzgerald-Sherwin' Motor com pany, a now firm in Salem are now the Chrysler distributors for Marion and Polk counties with offices and sales room at 264 North High street. The personnel of the new firm is J. E. Fitzger ald and Howard T. Sherwin. Mr. Ftizgerald has been in Salem for the past three years) coming here from Corvallis where j he had taught in the college ot mines and engineering. He was with the Marion Automobile com pany selling Studebaker automo biles for two years then with Otto J. Wilsno, local Buick dealer until taking on the Chrysler here last week. WlODEEIfJ WftYS BEAT 1 FLOPS IN BUSINESS Stability of Employment and Production Called Goal Sought by -All By K. WUiiier President, Dodge Brothers, Inc. Detroit, Michigan Events during 1926 Justified the widespread opinions voiced a year ago that America had passed the crisis created by the world' war, that the nation had gone far to re-establish its equilibrium, adn that business hafi entered upon an era of prosperity which gave promise of enduring for a long period. There is no reason to think that entry into the new year of 1027 will project any sudden or radical change into the situatiqn. To be sure, the history of the human race is a history of peaks and valle,ys; peaks of prosperity and valleys of depression. In ancient days whole tribes starved and died during periods of famine, But as knowledge increased, stor age and other facilities were de vised. Eventually, human beings learned that devastating famines virtually could be eliminated. Just as their ancient forbears sought and found the solutions of famines, so modern business men are seeking and finding the solu tions of business panics and busi ness depressions. Modern business leaders appreciate that stability is far more to be desired than a constant succession of highly pros perous and deeply depressive waves and cycles. They are en deavoring to create a stability of employment, a stability of pro duction, a stability of money; all to the end that the human race may live fuller and happier lives. Progress of the last half century has plaved many new tools in the hands of business. With these tools are being carved compara tively gentle and stable curves in the charts of business statistics, in place of the violent upswings and downswings that were characteris tic of earlier times. Fast railroad (Continued on page 4.) Long Distance Swim Race Planned at Bridge Party SAN FRANCISCO. (Special. Long-distance-swimmers may have a new chance for world fame in a race from Sacramento and Stockton to the Carquinez bridge on May 21, when the giant span across the northern arm of San Francisco Bay is' officially dedi cated. This statement was made to day by the Carquinez bridge cele bration committee, in announcing a partial program of spectacular stunts on land and afloat to fea tre the forbial opening of the world's longest highway bridge. .Plans for the swimming race contemplate entries representing the capital city on the Sacramento river and another group from the Tort of "Stockton to swim down the San Joaquin river. The high spot of the spirited contest is expected to come after the rival entrants meet at the confluence of Jhe .two streams sear Pittsburg, ,1 ' I ' ' -XL- r n s.T A W II Photo by Kennell-Ellis. Howard T. Sherwin Mr. Sherwin is the son of Frank S. Sherwin. of the hard ware firm of Doughton & Sherwin. He is a civil engineer having ar rived from New York last Thurs day where he was civil engineer for the D. L. & W. railroad. He is a graduate of Oregon Agriculture ! college. The new firm is welcomed to Salem by business men and other automobile dealers here. With the experience of Mr. Fitzgerald and the reputation of Mr. Sherwin it is conceded' that the new firm will put the Chrysler car on the map in Salem. ERA OF SEEN FOR INDUSTRY Record Orders Placed With Willys-Overland Factory According to Head TOLEDO, O. (Special) With 32.000.uOO in orders from the northwest for immediate shipment ol "Willys-Knight sixes and fours and six cylinder Whippets, placed at Minneapolis by Willys-Overland dealers, the total orders taken at a series of 16 sales conventions already has passed the $30,000,- C00 mark, according to John N Willys, president of Willys-Over lend. "This unusual sales record for "Whippets and Willys-Knight cars, supplemented with the regular or ders mailed direct to the factory, insures a February increase of 50 oer cent over a year ago, jvir. Willys said. "March business al ready booked," he continued, "in dicates a gain of at least 80 per cent over the same month of 1926 and gives every assurance that the 300,000 car program for 1927 will be attained. "Retail sales of Willys-Overland products in cities where the auto hows already have hn held show from 10 to 140 per cent in crease over last year. Orders (Continued on page 2.) DOWN THE ROAD PROSPERITY I THE DRIVER WHO FLASHES r 0 BY AND THEN TURNS OFF 4cl a jN FRONT OF YOU. ' , The American automobile in dustry is reaching new strides in productive capacity while many millions of dollars in new econo mies are being affected through the positive, mechanical control and manipnlation of air In a hun dred different processes- and func tions, leading plent engineers in the industry declare. The spectacular growth of the industry with its giant volume of mass production has been made possible by wide adoption of air control in all the important phases of manufacture and the value of controlled air has been translated into terms of lower prices, greater efficiency and higher quality of material and workmanship to the car buyer, these engineers assert.' "It has been the speed with which the industry has adopted important developments in science to facilitate production, protect health of labor and reclaim ma terial waste that has made it one of. the most outstanding and spec tacular in American history," the chief plant engineer of one of America's -greatest motor car builders declared. "Advance in the science of air conditioning has made it possible to increase the production of plants ceveral times over without increasing their size or buildings. This is true of all the big builders such as Ford. Ceaeral Motors, Willys-Overland, Steams-Knight, Chrysler, Nash, Ftudebaker and others." While systematic ventilation of all buildings plays a big part in the automotive industry, it is in a multiplicity of other applications that electrically controlled air la of vital importance to the industry and its thousands of workers. Ac cording to Arthur Sheldon, works manager of the Willys-Overland company, many states have laws compelling industry to protect vorkmen from dusts, gases, fumes and other by-products of manu facture but the motor industry has gone far beyond the letter and spirit of these laws to both pro- ( Continued on page 5.) n i Circus Will Be Combined With Show of Automobiles LA CROSSE. Wis., Feb. 15. The annual automobile show, com bined this year with an indoor cir cus, sponsored by the La Crosse Automobile Dealers Association, and scheduled to be held on March 16 to 20, inclusive, promises to surpass all previous efforts at au tomobile display, according to of ficials of the association. More space than that which was available last year has been se cured in which all of the latest models in motordom will jbe on display. Acquisition of additional floor space was made necessary by the demands of dealers for ade quate room for automobile and accessory displays. " Ths Most Irritating Sales of Star cars are showing a decided gain in all parts ol the Pacific Coast territory according to George R. Morris, sales mana ger of the Pacific Coast Star car factory who recently completed a report of January sales figures. In a review of the various deal ers' reports ft is shown that all lhodels in both the four and six cylinder lines are 'receiving their share of popular favor although the i?tar six "Collegiate" sports roadster has been heralded as a decided leader in its price field. The marked gain in Star car sales throughout the Pacific. Coast territory which is composed of Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Montana, and Idaho, is regarded as typical of the Star car prospects for the com ing year by Norman de Vaux, ac tive head of the Pacific Coast Star car factory atf Oakland. "The sales report for January is a good barometer of, the pub lic's attitude toward Star car prod ucts," Norman de Vaux stated. In studying the report it is found that the largest sales increases are not necessarily in metropolitan centers but are occurring in small towns. This is extremely interest ing in that the automobile needs of the smaller communities are no,t of the same type as to be found in the larger cities and an increase in sales in both districts indicates that the value of the car rather than advantages gained by its size are responsible for the increase in purchases. "To illustrate my statement," de Vaux said, "I might state that traffic conditions are such that the owner of a small 'car has much better parking facilities than can be obtained by larger vehicles. It is also common knowledge that (Contianad on pr S.) Much Cotton Used by Tire Making Companies That the tire manufacturer is one ot the country's huge users of cotton is well known,' but It re mained for Mr. Zosel, local Seib erling all-treads dealer, to impress the reporter this morning with the full strength of this fact. "In a 40x8 Seiberling all-tread truck tire," said Mr. Zosel, '.'there are 12 miles of cabled cotton cord; this cord laid ply on ply, forms the carcass the backbone the body ot the tire. 'Each cabled cord is made up of 15 heavy strands of yarn which placed end to end, would extend 180 miles a cotton strand ex tending frora New York to Phila delphia and back again. "Only the best grades of cotton Can be used in tire manufacturing finer tires like Seiberling All Treads are made of . the highest grade of cotton only and of mini mum tensile strength." Motorist in the World Tt JSH8 UHOCKWOOS 4k unMoo a. - The sleigh is an old automobile mounted on runners, which re five feet long and five inches wide. They are turned up at the ends to make easy riding over the shdw. The back end of the vehicle is set on a sled' with the drive between the runners. An iron wheel 3S inches in diameter is the "propeller," having six paddles on each side. The sleigh is capable of attaining a speed of 3 5 miles an hour. II DO CiTR Function of - Condensers to Allow Radio Waves to " Pass Through Tubes Tuning a radio receiver is a fascinating pastime. It really tests one's patience, however, if the controls become manifold. Proof of this is seen in the effort of manufacturers to lessen them to a single dial or knob. It can be done,- broadly speaking, where" broadcast stations are close by and powerful enough to force their waves over two or three degrees of the dial. Accuracy of tuning increases with distance, however. One can measure the angles In an '.equi lateral triangle the width of the face between the eyes with com parative ease. Try to measure the same angle when the focus is moved out about ten miles! It is not quite as severe as that but one is actually bi-secting angles when one tunes a radio receiver. In ordinary tuned, radio fre quency circuits, there are threes condensers ' which control the operation of as many inductance coils. Neither the coils nor the condensers can be made exactly alike any more than can two radio tubes be duplicated to the pre ciseness we would like. The function of the condensers is to allow- radio waves of ,a cer tain frequency or length to pass through the radio frequency tubes to the dector which rectifies or changes the signals into audible tones. This is called bringing the receiver into resonance. As an Illustration we might use a water main with three valves Inserted in it. If any one of the three are not opened fully, the stream that emerges is not the full capacity of the pipe. We can use this similie in radio frequency, the condensers being substituted for the valves. With them we can control the frequency or rapidity--with which the waves go through the set. One could not permit one condenser to be" set (Continued on page 4.) By FRANK BECK HUTS SET H16H RECORD During Year 1,215,826 Cars Manufactured and Sold to Consumers . NEW YORK (Special ) Ac cording to an official summary of the annual report of General Mo tors corporation for the year end ed December 31, 1926, the period established a new record in both sales and profits.. Not only the corporation as a whole but each of the 'car manufacturing divi sions shared individually made and sold more. cars than in any other 12 months period. , DuTing the year there were manufactured and sold at retail to consumers at home and abroad through the corporation's own branches, distributors and dealer organizations, 1,215,826 cars This exceeds all previous records by 388,770 cars and represents an increase of 47 per cent over the prior year which in turn establish ed a record over any previous per iod. The corporation's sales, ex cluding all inter-company items amounted to $1,053,153,338, an increase of $$323,560,746 over the previous year. General Motors corporation's net earnings for the year 1926 were $186,231,182. There is in cluded therein $10,146,038 which is the corporation's proportion of the earnings of subsidiary opera tions, not consolidated, but accru ing'to General Motors corporation in excess of dividends received the difference of $176,085,144 is reflected directly in -General Mo tors consolidated income account on balance sheet), after paying the regular quarterly dividends on preferred and debenture stocks re quiring $7,645,287 for the year. there remained $178,585,895, le- ing the amount earned "on the common stock outstanding. This i3 equivalent to $21.80 per share on the common stock and com pares with $14 per share for the year 1925, after making allow ance for the difference in the nam; ber of shares outstanding occa sioned by the issuance of new shares in connection with the ac quisition of Fisher Bcdy on June 30, 1926, and . the 50 per cent stock dividend paid in September, 1926., This compares with net earnings for the year 1925, In eluding the corporation's propor tion of the earnings ot subsidiary operations, not' consolidated, of $116,016,277. There is Included In the amount $$9,531,521 result ing from' earnings of subsidiary operations, not consolidated, in excess of .dividends received. - It is interesting at this time to . (Continued on page 4.) Engineer Hoffman Gives Some Don'ts for Tire Use A. Hi Hoffman, an engineer in the University of California, in an article on how to save rubber in "Motor Topics" projects ' these rules of economy: . Don't' give r tires unnecessary sunlight. They enjoy the dark. Don't store tires behind the fur nace; '' it - cooks ' the life ' out of them. . - V , i Don't make emergency stops a habit r every slide takes a laxcr of rubber.' " - " ' t- "Don't "step on it" just because its ' raining; speed plus sharp stones multiplied ' by water equals .bill for: new tires. ' Don't round that curve' on two wheels'; even if your neck Isn't trainable, rubber Is. Don't run with wheels out of line; the price of new casings Is up.' f -rfj'':'-: ":; f Don't' rim-cut that 1 "down" tire by running it to a "free air" station; gome one might suspect you were too lazy to use the hand pump. ' Don't park In that jmddle- of oil;.' oil eats rubber. v ; ! Don't use the curb as a brake; it may break a casing. Through snow and sleet, slus! and other inclement winlerweath er found In the east and mlddlq west. Greater OaUaad Six landai sedan Is bow battling tts way west ward across the great North Amer lean continent. Such was the word received- Vick Bros., Oakland and Pon(ia dealers In this territory. u The Oakland left rc ltlac, Mich- igan. on February 2, on a tonrf which will take ft from coast t coast, from the Gulf to the Great! Lakes, and will add .Mmut lS.eoo miles of fhe most arduous travel! to the' car's already tremendous mileage total, according to Mr Vick. , "Before leaving Pontiac the lan- dau sedan completed an endurance run of 100,000 miles In six months on a treadmill in the General Mo- tors building at Detroit," he con4 tinued. "It Is one of the first Oakland Sixes built with the rub-j ber silenced chassis. ' The engine! is in the same condition as at the end of the 100,000 mile run. and in no sense" re-built its present! test. The only change in the cart was to permit easier inspection- of! the motor. For this a glass hood! lights have been mounted under! the hood so that the engine may! be Inspected conveniently day on night. A large dial to show the up-to-date total mileage on tbeJ car has been built on the roof, while two spotlights play upon it! at night. - "On its six months endurance? run this Oakland traveled as fart as the average family drives In 10 years. It really withstood more wear and tear than 10 yean of normal driving would Inflict upon' it because this car ran practically continuously, ' "compressing " -ten years of mileage into six 'months. whereas the average automobile has many periods of rest before it approaches 100,000 miles "President A. R. Glancy of the Oakland Motor Car company be lieves that by sending on a tout of the country the machine-with the equivalent of 10 years service already on its speedometer, and enabling people to see for them selves its splendid mechanical con dition, the public will get an ac curate idea of the endurance now built into automobiles. In reality it is proof, Oakland engineers claim, that the longer the life of an automobile is due partly if not chiefly to smothering vibration. They attribute much of IhU'to these two remarkable Aveiop ments, the Rubber Silenced Chas (Continued a para 8.) wmmmm TO SEa USED GARB , . Firm to Limit Self to Busi ness . in. Used . Machines Only at Old Home Gingrich Motor company at South Commercial and Bellevue streets last Tuesday opened what in the future will be known as Salem's Used Car emporium. This company, which for the past ight years devoted its facilities to the sale of both new and. used cars. will in the future direct Its entire efforts to the merchandising of high grade used automobiles of the more popular makes. ' The entire new building con structed two and one-half years ago for the accommodation of this company's business Will be util ized for the handling of this new business. 5 A vacant lot adjoining the west end of the building will also be put in service for the nsed car business. T-he sales room on the main floor formerly devoted to the dis play of new automobiles only vftll be used for the showing of the finest of used cars available.' ' . The service" department and large room adjoining will function as before with the exception that cars of all makes will be serviced. The department will be equipped particularly to take, care of wrecked automobiles at prices which - will meet all competitive fields. ' " 1 . Used cars will be bought, sold, traded and accepted a security for loans to persons needing ready money quickly. ' '" . T The'new establishment known as the Used Car emporium Mil, be the only Institution In the flty doing an exclusive used car busi ness. ' , ; , ' , UL1.