mm
wtiMm
-; , '
Automotive
ChurcKea
i . .
SECTION FOUR
Pages 1 to 8
i
CLEAN AND VIGOROUS
SEVENTY-SEVENTH YEAR
SALEM, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 8, 1927
PRICE FIVE CENTS
OWENS DRIVES STAR
AN ATTRACTIVE AUTOMOBILE
onueiBS
" BEST SAYS DRIVER
DODGE BROTHERS CONVERTIBLE COUPE
I
GREATEST OF VALUE
E I RAGES
'CAD BUYER RECEIVE
I V
Frame of Auto an Important
Element in Endurance and
in Safety
Figures, which show that the
"automobile dollar" today buys
$1.13 worth of value as compared
to the "automobile dollar"
1911, are further emphasized
an analysis of details of refine
ment and improvement in the coj
struction of the present day moto.
car. Never before, sa ythose fa
miliar with motor car construc
tion, has the buyer received so
much for his money.
It is pointed out that while the
"automobile dollar" today is
worth $1.13, the purchasing pow
er of the "general commodity dol-
lar" is sixty cents, taking the 1914
dollar at a base value of one hun
dred cents.
While list prices of automobiles
today are low, and even lower,
than in ID 14, Nash cars, for in
stance, are equipped with many
important features, such as four
wheel brakes, balloon tires, disc
wheels, force-feed motor lubrica
tion, seven-bearing crankshaft mo
tors, and a wealth of additional
mechanical improvements and re
finements. Passing over thoroughly mod-
cru body lines and details of lux
urious trim and appointment, and
looking merely at mechanical re
finement, the progress that has
been made in the past few years
is described by those familiar
with motor oar construction as
'amazing."
Although few automobile own
ers pay particular attention to the
frame of their car, it is an im
portant element in safety, endur
ance and comfort. The modern
frame is tubular trussed for extra
strength without excess weight,
the tubular cross' members otter
ing live times the resistance of
:t members, to toe" twisting
''Q wrenching of rough roads.
Bus, the body is protected from.
strains which cause squeaks and
loosened joints. Together with
lour-point suspension of the en
Kino, tubular trussing avoids ra
diator and fender "shimmy."
In like manner, extra power
that makes a high grade car more
capable to drive, particularly on
the hils or in dense traffic, is di
rectly due to extra efficent de
sign the Nash straight line drive,
for instance.
The power flows directly from
the engine to the rear axle In a
utraight line. There are no angles
along the route to waste energy
'Continued oa Pax 4.)
PEERLESS MOTORS
AIOICE NEW SIX
Quality Combined With Low
Price Range Changes
Marketing Plans
Aii entirely new car, declared
by its makers to be a fundamen
tally better six. has Just been an
nounced by the Peerless Motor
far Corporation. It sells at the
lowest price ever placed on a
Peerless car.
The new model, which has been
In an experimental state for two
years, is known as the Six-60, and
is powered by a motor described
as being one of the most efficient
power plants for its size ever de
veloped. A four-door sedan, a two-door
eedan. a roadster-coupe, phaeton
and roadster are available on the
new Six-60 chassis. Prices range
from $1235 to $1345.
In discussing the new car, Ed.
ard Ver Linden, president of
Peerless, states "Shortly after I
came to Peerless I was convinced
that Peerless needed a car, that
woM ie fundamentally better,
aul yet sell at a figure that would
broaden the Peerless market far
beyond what existed at that time.
It was clear to me that, backed
by the fine, old name of Peerless,
Buch a car would win tremendous
popularity. So we Immediately
began experimenting, planning,
testing, bending every Peerless re
source to the development of this
Dew car. Recognizing the stlfl
t orn petit ion such a car piiist meet
in the price field it would ell In.
we determined to be satisfied with
nothing short of the traditional
Peerless ideals."
Like all Peerless Sixes since
1923. this new model has a heavy
even-bearing: crankshaft elimi
nating "whip." and reducing
N'l
I m ' i- 41 ' ' ' V J
H. & - l
" ;z -,mi.., l...i..,......i..i.JV .I,,.,,, ... I,. ...j. .p ...My ,, -
PEOPLE
COULD I PILOTS
Year by Year Difficulties
Surmounted; Airplanes
Soon to Be Common
By Erwin Greer
President Greer College of Auto
motive & Electrical Trades,
Chicago, 111.
How many persons of one's ac
quaintance could become compe
tent airplane pilots? The aver
age individual may learn to drive
a motor car in a tolerable man
ner; but would even five per cent
of the population, aided by the
best t.uition learn to control the
flight of an airplone at the pres
ent time?
The air is such an unstable me
dium that flying can scarcely be a
popular art for many decades. An
intending flyer must possess the
bird-man's physique and tempera
ment; he needs alertness and re
sourcefulness of mind.
Delicacy of touch, which gives
the pilot complete mastery of his
airplane and conveys the "feel" of
the machine to his brain in time
to correct a sideslip or a "stall,""
is the gift of nature alone. So are
eyes that can judge speed and
distance with unerring accuracy.
By the latter qualifications the
novice learns both to "takeoff"
his machine and to make a safe
landing.
Navigation is a science. Before
a cross-country flight the pilot
ascertains the velocity of the
wind. He then calculates its ap
proximate strength at the height
which he has chosen for his
flight, say 2000 feet. The velocity
at this height is just double the
velocity of the wind on the
ground. It also blows flf-a slight
ly different direction and the pi
lot must allow for this "veering
angle." He then obtains the mean
compass bearing to his objective
after adding or deducting the an
gle which represents the force of
the wind. . ,
Clouds envelope an airplane in
a steamy fog. They should be
dodged when possible, because the
pilot cannot trust his sense of bal
ance the "bumps" upset that.
He depends upon the indicating
Instruments alone. Hail or rain
is very unpleasant and may dam
age the propeller. When the sun
is low on the frontal horizon the
pilot finds it very hard to see.
Year by year difficulties are
surmounted. Perhaps designers
will evolve a machine which has
the self-righting properties of a
life-boat. Safety at slow speeds
must lxe obtained and the controls
musfbe simplified before the man"
in'the street can expect to fly.
A motorist may commit many
glaring mistakes during his ap
prenticeship, but the learner in an
airplane knows that his first
slight error may be his last.
Bat it won't be long before air
Bat it won't be long before air
planes will be as common as auto
mobiles.
Construction of Good
(toads to Be Started
Responding to popular enthusi
asm which greeted the opening of
the first link in Mexico's not
nation-wide highway system, the
government officials have decided
to push the construction of good
roads throughout the republic to
the .limit ot funds available. This
is the report brought back by T.
L. Lawrence, a Californian who
recently covered more than 10,
000 miles of Mexican territory in
a Star car.
Lawrence is a mining man and
for the past eleven years he has
spent much time in Mexico and
knows the country well. At pre
sent, he says,, the Mexican -roads
are. for the most part, nothing but
widened trails where motor travel
is difficult at all, times, . But "with
President Calles road . building
program under way.' motor travel
Is deHned to.bcgrcatly Increased
now imi
I Dodge Brothers, rnc., announc
es the addition of a distinctive
new car to its line a convertible
cabriolet with rumble seat which
will be a companion car to the
present sport roadster. The new
coupe is unusually smart looking
and with its rumble seat, utility
and style are admirably combined.
The body lines are long and
racy and the color scheme is ex
ceptionally attractive, according
to Ernest Bonesteele. local Dodge
Brothers dealer. The body is
lacquered in armory green and
contrasts strikingly with the tan
top and lustrous black fenders and
shields. The belt mouldings
around the body is black, striped
with armory green and cream ad
ding materially ' to the coupe's
smart appearance.
The top is of tan colored water
proof material of unusual durabil
ity. The braces are so construct
ed that in folding itj down the ma
terial will not be cfacked or worn
by rubbing. A boot can be used
to protect it from dust and water
when it is folded.
It is very easy to lower. It be
ing only necessary to unclasp .two
latches at the upper corners of the
windshield. When raised it fits
the windshield in such a manner
that no water can entel, even in
the worst storm.
The deep comfortable cushion
and back of the rumble seat like
the upholstery in the front, are of
green Spanish, genuine leather,
ronstfueted over spring frames to
assure maximum riding ease. The
back Is high and tilted at a com
fortable angle.
The deck is so constructed that
when the seat Is folded down the
rear compartment is absolutely
waterproof.
The interior of the car Is leath
er upholstered and the appoint
ments are finished in nickel. The
glass covered panel on which the
instruments are mounted is fin
ished in green gold, harmonizing
with the colors of the body.
The wire wheels, with which
the car is equipped, are green to
harmonize with the predominant
body color. A fifth wheel is in
cluded as standard equipment.
The radiator, motometer. hood
clamps, front and rear bumpers,
and top props are finished in
nickel, adding to the coupe's dis-
tinquished appearance.
All models ot Paige cars are
now turned out in "de luxe" fin
ish and appointment, the company
having altered its policy of offer
ing both a "standard and "de
luxe" finish.
DOWN THE ROAD
O I!r r TO LET ONE LONE PEDESTRIAN
! , Xy LEISLJRELV CROSS THE' STREET.
'
v -- f -rTT!i!!-!TTT7! - !- -' ( ,;' -!- -. ' n. i m wMiMbLJ
' - L popular Policemen . ' ' ' i ;
OUTLOOK FOR YEAR
APPEARS PROMISING
Western Sales Manager of
Oakland Company Tells of
Plans for Season
Highly enthusiastic over the
Oakland - Pontiac merchandising
outlook for this year, George F.
Vick of Vick Brothers, the Local
dealer organization. returned
home recently after having attend
ed in Portland one of the most
important dealer meetings of
1927. He heard E. M. Lubeck,
western sales manager of the Oak
land Motor Car company, tell the
assembled dealers, who numbered,
approximately 60, about the ad
vertising and merchandising plans
of the factory for 192 7.
The present trip is Mr. Lubeck's
first to the Pacific coast since his.
appointment to the high factory,
position of this popular division,
of General Motors corporation.
W. M. Buck of the sales develop
ment department of the Oakland
Motor car company is accompany
ing the western sales manager.
The executive spent several days l
in mu riautisiu uciuie I'uuiiug to
the northwest. They were met in
the Oregon metropolis by W. M.
Waff en, district manager of the
Oakland organization, who went
with them. Mr. Warren acted as
toastmaster at the luncheon in the
Benson hotel before the business
meeting took place.
"Mr. Lubeck and Mr. Buck
spent two days in Portland discus
sing business conditions before
going to Seattle and Spokane,
where they are to hold dealer
meetings before heading eastward
to the factory," said Mr. Vick on.
his return here.
In his address to the PaciTfc
northwestern Oakland - Pontiac
dealers. Mr. Lubeck pointed out
that with the completion of the
new $15,000,000 Pontiac factory,
which is now in full operation,
Oakland-Pontiac today has a man
ufacturing capacity of 1110 cars
per day.
"A schedule of 200.000 cars for
this year has been set, and the
middle of April saw us 22 per cent
ahead of our contemplated pro-
'Continued on I'aye .1.)
More Dirt Track Racing in
the United States Today
, Than Ever Before
The majority of followers of the
speedway sport are of the opinion
that the day is past when stock
cars have any part in automobile
racing in America. Since the ex
pensive racing cars have been de
velopedf.by Harry A. Miller, the
California master automotive en
gineer, and the Duesenberg Brothr
ers, world-famous builders of
speedway creations' it is true that
the automobile built for transpor
tation service has no chance in
competition on the speedways; but
there is more dirt track racing
in the United States today than
ever before, and the champions
of the American Automobile as
sociation daisies of the present
are the "sand lot" drivers of a
year or two ago.
Frank Lock hart, the California
boy who won the international
sweepstakes the annual 500
mile race of Indianapolis speed
way, and several other sensation
al victories of the 1926 A. A. A.
championship series, is a gradu
ate of the dirt track league. Only
three years ago, young Loekhart
(Continued on J'.
1.)
Vick to Ask Increase
in Cars for Territory
George Vick. of Vick Brothers,
distributors of, the Oakland and
Pontiac automobiles in Marion.
Polk. Benton, Lynn and Lincoln
Georjfe V. Vick
counties, left Friday evening for
Detroit and Pontiac. Mich., where
he will ask for an increased out
put of cars to meet the demand
in this territory.
Since the introduction of the
Pontiac, about a year ago, -sales
in the Salem district have amount
ed to 500 cars or over, averaging
about 60 a month.
Mr. Vick will Sjtop to visit a sls
tr. Mrs. Fred Zeise. in Wadena.
Minn. He plans to return in about
two weeks. '
THE COP VHO
. -. 4 exports
1p 3
TO LET ONE i LONE PEDESTRIAN
The Whippett Six Sedan Is a "doggone" good car says George
Lewis and Dorothy Gujlier whose exploits in Carl Laemmle,
Jr's. "The Collegians," are giving the "knee frock" generation
a great "kick."
REAL mil
GIVES MOREQUflLITY
Style, Quality' and Perform
ance Bi Items Making
for Auto Sales
Stylo, quality and performance,
are the big items making for mo
tor sales, with the overseas trade
of 92 countries demanding prac
tically the same elements in mo
tor cars as American buyers, is
the view of Alfred Reeves, gen
eral manager, National Automo
bile Chamber of Commerce, speak
ing before the General Motors Ex
port club recently. Spring trade
is active at home and abroad, Mr.
Reeves pointed out. March car
iiifreased 18 ptT'Ct'HI and
trucks gained 18 per cent over
February.
Mr. Reeves deprecated the sen
sational statements that are be
ing made about frenzied competi
tion, because competition in the
motor field is simply on normal
basis as in other lines of manu
factured products.
"Competition." he insisted, "'is
friendly but not frenzied. The
real competition in the motor car
business is to give the greatest
possible value to the car buyer.
"In a semi-public business like
the motor inductry, every move
of a prominent manufacturer sup
plies a news item. It is unfortu
nate, however, that some people
hysterically proclaim as facts th
rumors that are current from
time to time about the plans of
different manufacturers.
"As the making of "a motor car
in any great numbers takes from
eight months' to a year from the
blueprint to the completed ve
hicle, rumors of changes are dis
turbing to tb.e trade, as well as to
the individual company.
(Continued on Page 2.)
By FRANK BECK
HOLDS UP TRAFFIC
ENGINEER EXPLAINS
CUT IN VIBRATION
Btiick Motors Use Heavy
rour Bearing Crank Shaft
for Elimination
"An "automobile engine cannot
vibrate if there is no vibration In
the engine," is the obviously
truthful statemedt of E. A. DeWa-
ters, chief engineer of the Bulck
Motor eompany, who has spent a
large share of his many years as
a member of the Buick engineer
ing staff in study of this important
phase of performance.
Mr. De Waters, in explaining the
steps which have been taken by
I his company io .eliminate vibra.
tion as the result of this study and
research, has used the above ax
iom as the basis for certain engi
neering' developments which are
incorporated in the Buick chassis.
"There are two methods used to
prevent vibration in an automo
bile," Mr. DeWaters states. "The
most general is to try to confine
vibration by various means. The
Buick principle is to seek out the
causes of vibration and eliminate
them. For this purpose we em
ploy a heavy, four bearing crank
shaft complete with counter
weights and torsion balancer.
"A balancing machine develop
ed on an entirely new principal by
the General Motors Laboratories
is used in our crank-shaft division
to balance every shaft' assembly
both statically and dynamically,
more perfectly than has -ever be
fore been possible. This, of coarse,
reduces to a minimum any vibra
tion resulting; from an out-of-bal
ance condition in the shaft; The
torsion balancer has'no moving or
wearing parts and smothers any
vibration which might occur as
rapidly as it developes. Counter
balances are used to help keep
the shaft in perfect alignment.
"These methods, each of which
serves a definite purpose, are sup
plemented by engine mountings of
resilient rubber which prevents
any traces of engine tremor which.
might still remain from reaching
the frame, and hence the interior
of the car. In this way we elim
inate vibration rather than confine
it." .
n n ii .
dui us wiciriun aiiu rui.
Distributor for Truck
So strongly has Wl E Burns-
Dan Burns (not brothers the
sarhe man) become associated
with the parts business, .tbiere are
many people who do not realize
that' he Is also the Marion and
Polk county distributor for the
CMC truck.
This was the first truck to In
troduce the famous seven speed
transmission, and like all of the
products, of tho GMC corporation.
It is built through-out in ship
shape manner.
Many of the trucks that we arc
most familNr with are CMC's.
For instance the large red truck
that cleans Salems streets Is a
GMC. . : C"Jl-:i-' ''."
'Anyone who is planning the use
of a truck,, whether new or re
built, will do well to associate the
name of Dan Burns with, trucks,
as well as-with parts. . -.
Dan i Burns spent" Friday, in
Portland looking over the Vnew
light jtruck that has been Added
to the CMC line, .This truck is
the. fastest truck on the ma'rkct,
and Is especially designed for the
needs of any one using & light
truck.' -' : ' ' " "
; J.. L. Benton and F. M. Travers
of Tortland, Oregon, recently com
pleted a 13,000 milo tour in Bon-
Schnor, Endurance Oak
land Operator Compares
Traveling Conditions , .
Oregon highways are the best
in the country. ; ,
This declaration was made last
week to George Vick, general
manager of Vick Bros., Oakland,
and Pontia dealers for Salem, by
Karl R, Bchnorr who is driving
the endurance Oakland on its
coast-to-coast . and border-to-border
run, and who piloted the
car here last llonday for its re
ception by Governor Patterson and
the parade of downtown Salem.' v
"We have covered more than
12,000 miles in the past three
months with the Greater Oakland
Six," Schnorr said, "traversing
the Eastern, Central and South
western sections of tbecountry.
and nowhere have we found roads
equal to the Pacific highway from
the California-Oregon state line to
Salem. j
"This is true pot only In regard
to the smooth, hard surface of
the road, which I have never seen
surpassed,, but also for the bank
ed, curves and the way the sharp
comers have been cut away to
give the driver vision sufficiently
far ahead to see what he is ap
proaching, in addition to this,
your roads' are adequately marked
so that . a visitor unacquainted
with the highways has no trouble
finding his route and holding ' to
it."On top of this the drive to
Salem from the-state line is one
of the most picturesque I have
ever seen.
"Our tour' with the 100.000
mile Oakland has taken us
through about half of the states
in the Union, and we will, go
about a dozen more before thin ,
tour- is ended. . Our first 7,00.0
miles was practically" all on con
crete roads, for they are being
built generally by all the Eastern
states. However, the oads often
are too narrow, too rough. , not
banked, or have no intelligent
signposts to guide the traveler,
such as you have here.
Through the Middle West ttafr
main traffic arteries are mostly of
sand or gravel-; excellent roads in
dry weather but terrible irC the
rainy season. The only paving
through that section Is done .by
counties and not by the state high
way departments. As a result
you often find an excellent 'paved
highway for I several iles and
then in the next county an abrupt
jump into the worst kind of mud
roads. In one section of Kansas
(Continued on Page 3.)
CHROIUM PLATO
FINDS Hf USES
OldsmoBile, l). S. Bureau of
Standards Adopt Metal for
Importance
iThe features that have made
chrominum plating attractive to
motorists since Introduced on
Oldsmobile radiator shells during
the past year are being put to
work by the tfnited States govern
ment in manufacturing money at
lower cost. This ultra-hard plat
ing Is now being used to improve
the protective surfaces of the
plates from -which our paper
money is printed. Its use has re-
suited In & substantial saving to
the gorernment. . .. .
Until" recently the currency
printing plates weeo made by rol
ling the design into, a soft steel,
plate which was then ; case-hard- :
ened. These yielded from 30,000
to 70,000 impressions before the
fine lines of the. plates were spoil
ed by the abrasive particles of pig
ment in the inks and the heavy
pressure used in printing.
Electrolyte plates composed of
layers of copper and; nickel were
tried. "These were cheaper to
make bat did" 'not last as long.
Then experiments were made with
chromium plating. A report from
the United '; Engineering socletv
states that-this plating," deposited
on the nickel surface of an elec
trolytic plate in a film only two
ten-thousandths-of an Inch thick
increases the useful life of tl
plate at least four times that of a
a nickel surface and twicp t.a-.
a case-hardened steei tar face
.-Tests made by the u. S. Burea
of Standards of scratchfr,,. ,-. "
ium. with a diajuond hov tvat :"
Is the hardest metal thus far f -amlned.
ll -wts the bureau t
in the very near future.
ton'a Star six sedan.