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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (May 8, 1927)
THE OREGON STATESMAN. RAT,ETV!. OR ECON SUNDAY" MORNING, MAY 8, 1927 WHIPPET Rl l IES TO HEW RECORDS Famous Small Car Estab , lishes Reputation in Un- usually Long Journey sr: With hood locked and sealed by Mayor Fred Mery, chief executive of the city of Toledo, a Whippet stock coach has just completed a seven-day-and-night non-stop econ omy and stamina test over the , highways of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, establishing an average of 27.13 miles to the gallon of fuel during the 4,915-mile journey. This gruelling 168-hour test vi-a s made under the official, ob servation of a Toledo newspaper, an accurate check being kept on the amount of fuel consumed. The fuel average includes the gasoline consumed when the mo tor idled during the numerous stops in the various cities visited. Before the long grind was start ed a definite route was set and a schedule worked out. For seven days and nights the Whippet coach traveled over ttiis route, a change of drivers made every six hours, four drivers being used during the test trip. Day in and day out, night after night the Whippet pounded over the -roads of the three states but nob for a moment was the motor, allowedto stop. Two of the sven nights on the road the drivers encountered try ing conditions but the Whippet never faltered and arrived at the finish line promptly on time. Storms were encountered in south fern Ohio and Kentucky and the Whippet was forced to make its way over the rain swept hills In the blackness of night. This forc ed the Whippet to slow down and when the storm had abadted five hours time had been lost. How ever, within the next 24 hours the drivers increased the Whippet's speed and made up the time lost during the terriffc storms. No attempt was made by the drivers to establish a speed rec ord duringthe trip, all traffic regulations of . city and country being complied with. A final check-up disclosed that the Whip pet had maintained an average of 29.23 miles an hour. On the steep, rain-swept hills of southern Ohio and Kentucky where the severe storms were en countered, the Whippet 4-wheel brake equipment proved its effi ciency. Time and time again these brakes were called into use as the car sped down the slippery grades tft? rounded dangerous curves.' whls brake equipment, the drivers said, gave them an unusual feel ing of safety as the Whippet fought its way through the wind and rain storms. When the Whippet glided up to the finish line at the Toledo city building, just 168 hours after the test trip started, hundreds were on hand and gave the drivers and observers a rousing welcome as the sensational journey came to a close. Mayor Mery inspected the lock and seal on the hood and pronounced them Intact. Despite the severe test of the Whippet during the long journey, the Whippet motor purred along as quietly at the finish as it did the day the test was started. The drivers and observers -declared that at no time during the trip did the car require any adjustments, a tribute to the Whippet's stam ina. Hupp President Reviews Road Construction Pro gram in Greatest Year By DUBOIS YOUNG, President of the Hupp Motor Car Corpora tion. , More than a billion dollars will be spent this year for highway construction and Improvements, according to figures received from government department. It is planned to construct 2S, 811 miles of new roads. For new bridEes $56,000,000 will be ex pended. Another 127,000.000 will bo used for reconstructing existing roads. , Not only is the nation wisely spending larger sums of money for good roads, but the Jjighway en gineer is building more expertly. The modern roadfiuilder builds for safety. No longer does he depend much tm warning 'signs and de vices. Instead, "it necessary, he eliminates' curves avoids railroad crossings and reduce steep grades. In doinfso he minimizes greatly the possibility cf accidents at those Places. It is interesting" to note that 527.000,000' Is available j for the reconstruction of good road The necessity for building .wider -highways for widening roads is most evident. Tratfic must continue to it'ovb rapidlyotherwise" congestion' becomes more ,and more a prob lem. For the upkeep and mainten ance of 239.847 miles of roads, 1126.000.000 is available and ex pected to be used by the various states. The total 'expenditure' pro- viaea in tne state programs through their : highway depart xnenta is placed at f 648tS3t00. In BILLION DOLUS GO INTO HIGHWAYS .lA A. vU ,rttsi H;Xivl -- y -A -Kr -i ii, V'"r .(T '. ii mil"' iT-r iVTBia tiiBij.i'i t""t' .caahaM ESaSgjap &&i$.;r . "Land legs" of Captain George W. Steele commander of th sailed for Chmese waters where her guns are now protectin formerly the battle cruiser Pennsylvania, is flagship of the President's yacht, Mayflower. addition to that figure, approxi mately $477,000,000 is expected to be spent by counties and other lesser subdivisions of the govern ment. Estimated total road mileage to be built by state highway depart ments includes 6,957 miles of im proved earth roads; 12,395 miles of sand, clay, gravel and macadam roads, and 7,489 miles of asphalt, concrete and brick highways. Millions of dollars for good roads! The economic influence of improved highways is a story that would fill a book. Think of the effect on real estate values alone that such road3 will have. Such highways will result, also, in a further disintegration of urban life and further development of suburban and rural life. In truth it can be said that as a country improves its highway it progresses socially and econom ically. . TESTING 0AUDS TREMENDOUS Visiting 100,000 Machine Going Strong After 163 Days' Grind Some notion of the tremendous labor required of an automobile engine in ten years of normal driving may be gained. by figures compiled by Oakland engineers re garding the Oakland landau sedan which recently completed a "100,- 000 mile-enduranee run at De troit and is now on a tour of the country. , . . During the 163 days and nights required to complete the 100.000J mile run, the crankshaft of this Oakland mads 325 million com plete revolutions, the generator 488 million revolutions, the fan shaft 318,000,000 revolutions, and the rear axle gear 68,800,000 rev olutions. The six pistons travel ed a total of one billion," 54 2 mil lion feet.. The total oil consumption for the run was 130 gallons, and the gasoline consumption, 2933 gal lons, averaging 34.09 miles per gallon. The rtin started July 29, 1926 at 6:0 1 p. m., with Hon. W. Smith mayor of Detroit, pressing the starting button, and finished Jan uary 9, 1927 at 4:40 p. m. The total elapsed time was 39.22 hours and 3! minutes, for an average speed "of 25.49 miles per hour. Thl.$ car, one of the first Oak land sixes built with; the; rubber silenced chassis is upholding the claims made' for this advanced en 1 gineerlng feature pioneered by the Oakland Motor Car company Despite these impressive fig-ores,- the necessary replacements during the entire run were only of such nature as any driver could make for himself. 'Their total cost was 14 8.28. and the labor cost s, for replacing them was $26.75. " ' ' Another solid train loaded with Star cars left the liabeth. N. plant early Jast" week. Fifty car loads of Star fours and sixes went into the Dallas, Texas, territory. The , week . previous, two . train loads of Star cars left the Eliza beth plant. One went to Denver l&n& the gtuex to Kansas, C?Itf, - SIM American Guns Roar SAFETY FEATURES IWILLYS-KH Horn and Light Dimmer on Car Now Controlled From Steering Wheel The convenient arrangement of the lighting and horn controls on the steering wheel of all Willys Knight models- has. won the ap proval of women drivers of the nation as well as the men, accord ing to Willys-Overland officials. They declare, however, that this is merely one of the features of these Knight powered cars which has struck a responsive note from the motor buyers resulting in sur prising sales records. The present system of controll ing the lights and the horn from the steering wheel was adopted not only' as a measure of conven ience for the driver but as an added safety device as well, en abling the operator of the car to brighten or dim lights or sound the horn without removing the hand from the wheel, which is necessary where those controls are located on the instrument panel. This system is comprised of an extension arm on the steering wheel which runs directly to the finger tips of the driver. A mere touch is all that is required to turn the lights from bright to dim or vice versa. In night driv ing on country highways this system has been found a big saf ety factor sinre it is no lorer necessary for the driver to take a hand from the wheel, reach for the lighting switch on the instru ment panel and thus divert his at tention from the road. Double filiment bulbs are used in the headlamps. . These provide safety lighting, not only for the Willys-Knight driver but for oth, er cars on the highway since a turn of -the switch on the steer ing wheel cuts down the power of the bright lights but still fur nishes .sufficient glow to illumi nate the entire surface, extending even beyond the edge of the road. The convenient position of the horn at the driver's hand also is a great aid, especially in mountain and hilly country, on dangerous stretches and sharp curves "where all the driver's alertness is re quired at the wheel. To sound a horn warning on the Willys Knight cars the driver need not remove his or herrhand from the wheel thus giving undivided, at tention to keeping the car in its proper path. Report of Genera! Motors Shows Large Net Earnings Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., president General Motors corporation, made the following statement regarding the earnings of the corporation for the first quarter: ' r 'Net earnings of General Motors corporation, including equity in subsidiary operations, applicable to dividends for- the first quarter ending March 31, 1927, were $52, 53t.408. This .compares with $44,911,618 for the correspond ing period of-a year ago, an in crease, of $7,639,790. For the sake of, this: comparison there -has been 'included in the last year's earnings the minority interest la In Chinese Warfare (Photo by courtesy Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company.) e S. S. Pittsburgh, being hauled aboard before the ship g American lives and property. . The U. S. S. Pittsburgh, Asiatic Squadron. Captain Steele formerly commanded the Fisher Body corporation at that time outstanding. After deduct ing dividends on preferred and de benture stock, there remains ap plicable to common stock 50, -49.'5, for the current period as compared with $43,000,983 a year ao, the comparison being made on the same basis. The earnings in the first quarter of 1927 equal led $". SO per share of the com mon stock. In corresponding quarter last year, not including the minority interest in the Fisher IJody corporation, earnings amounted to $3 per share on the common stock then outstanding after making allowance for the in creased number of shares result ing from the stock dividend paid September 11. 1926. Current, conditions are satisfac tory. Detailed statement will bo forwarded to stockholders in due course. Tho first of the new "Silent" Star fours to rross the continent reached' Kan Francisco last weekK The car, a Star four coach, was driven from Altoona, Pa., hy Fred Fernbaugh, a railroad man who' is taking a vacation and traveling by motor car instead of using his pass. Klamath Falls Inland Publish ing company buys and will publish both "Daily News" and "Evening Herald." ... ' BECKE & HENDRICKS Insurance of All Kinds TeK 161 ' . IleUig Theater IiObby, 18 N. High SEMI The Pencil Incomparable Ask Your , Stationer : THE COMMERCIAL BOOK STORE 163 North Connucrcial Street, fialeuv Oregua General Pencil Company ' . . . Jersey City. ff. J. Seiberling Company. Makes Production Gain AKRON', Ohio, May 7. Sales of the Seiberling Rubber company for the first three months of 1927 show an increase of 61 per cent over the same period last year. Total sales oj tires in the first quarter of 1W2G were 111,300 units. This year the sales for the same period total 179,723. Be cause of the new dealers which have been added to the Seiberling exclusive agency list the sales to' dealers have shown a larger in crease, the percentage for the first quarter amounting to, more than 12 per cent. The Seiberling plant, which is being operated day and night, is producing tires manufactured,, by a new water-bag process. The Seiberling Rubber company is the first in the industry to adopt this process tor total. production. This is an improvement over the live steam method of vulcanization. The nw Seiberling tire, which will be announced shortly in na tional newspaper and magazine advertising, contains 25 per cent more cotton and 20 per cent more rubber than the tires previously manufactured. The above information was re ceived through Walter Zosel of Zosel's Tire Shop, local Seiberling dealer. - HEX Hexagon with . Rounded v Corners Insist Upon the ERECT ATTETITlQn TO MOVING PARTS Official Gives Plausible Plan , for Obnoxious Squeak Elimination DETROIT, Mich. (Special) Many of the obnoxious squeaks which develop in an automobile may be eliminated by a; little well directed attention to the moving parts of the body.' The cures for the body ills are so simple that all too often they are not con sidered at all. Albert V. Crump, body engi neer of the Paige-Detroit Motor Car company, points out that the body parts 'may be greatly bene fited by a few drops of oil or some slight adjustment. "A little care by the motorist and the body ordinarily will re spond with silent service," the Paige engineer declares. "For example, the door hinges should have regular' attention. They should be oiled from the inside between the two halves with lub ricating oil. "Door locks are 1 packed with grease when they are, assembled, but with constant use they dry out. Pull the bolt back to the face of the lock and oil through the bolt hole. A little lard grease applied on the inside of the door lock striker often makes the lock operate more easily and reduces the wear between the bolt and the striker plate. "Friction between the .bolt and the striker plate often leads the owner to believe that it is the lock itself that is working hard. An adjustment in the lock striker plates can be made by merely loosening the three machine screws that, hold the plate and moving it in or out as it requires. "In a majority of cases, rattling doors are due to the rubber door bumpers needing adjustment. If new bumpers are not aavilable, the old ones may be used by pull ing the, rubber from the retainer and inserting a couple; of thick nesses of cardboard betveen the back of the bumper and the re tainer. This will bring the door out so that the lock bolt presses harder against the striker plate. "Other possible annoyances may be eliminated by applying aj little hard grease to tne race oi the door bumpers and striker plates."1 Ten Years Show Large Gain in Highway. Work "In 915 there were only 31 state highway commissions," says American Highways. "Today there is a working, active state high way commission in every one of the 48 states. In 1915, the year before we began national aid to roads, there were only 24 9,291 miles -of improved roads in Iha I'nited States. Now there arc 467,933 miles, an increase in 10 years of 210,612 miles of improv ed roads. In 1915 there was ex pended $240,263,784 in Ml of the Many New Features Emphasize Extra Quality In the Latest Series The SEDAN I or BROUGHAM $ . . b. Detroit, phu Revenue Tax. 385 fliiinilt ' LfeMad 1 ' r , i i ( i i 1 - 1. . i. A.'- r z t - -uw wmiM ' i I i I r V DM You may safely use the new and finer Hupmobile Six Sedan as a guide in measuring die up-to-date qualities of any car you plan to buyHere is truly modern, closed car beauty, comfort and luxury, not . merely abreast but actually ahead, in many, instances, .: of current design In moderate-priced 1 ilx-cylinder cars. rii ,i i 1 EC '-11515 South Commercial states in road improvement, and 10 years later, in 1925, the sum went from $240,263,784 to $1, 176,000,000, a gain of J936.733, 216." Motor Chat. Automobile Freedom Breaks Down Barriers Automotive shipments abroad from the United State? and Cana da during 1926 approximated $376,000,000 in value, an increase of about $2,000,000 over 1925 the Come In And See Our FULL CARLOAD of HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES Every Machine ALL-WEATHER BALLOON TIRES A large amount of the increased safety and comfort of the present day motorcycle can be credited to the-equipment of Drop in and see Mr. Motorcycle Owner . 1 v Why not trade in your old high pressure tires on new OOODglSAEl BALLOONS and enjoy the extra safety and comfort these tires offer HARRY W.SCOTT "The Cycle Man' 147 'South Commercial St. Hupmobil Until you see and drive the new series Hupmobile Six Sedan you can have only a faint conception of the new beauty, style, rich equipment and refined mechanical qualities now offered in a Six listing at $1385. We have charted below a few of the many modern features added without increase in cost that make this Six unquestionably the closest -priced six in America and easily recognized as offering more quality per dollar of purchase price than any other six on the market. I U4. Inspect the Hupmobile Six and you cannot fall to observe the extra quality in design, finish and color; in rich, appointments; in wealth of high grade accessory equipment. Ride in this Six get behind the wheel and feel the extra quality in the car's amazing smoothness, aliry and overflowing test and "go". Gingrich Motor Street share of the United States being about $337,500. , Australia was the leading market tor all classes of automobiles, - followed - by Ar gentina, Canada, Brazil and Brit ish South Africa' in the passenger car class and by, Brazil, the Unit ed Kingdom, Denmark and Cana da in the truck and bus group. Motor Chat. i Multnomah county' starts $2, 500,000 road program with $245, 049 St. Helens road and $171,265 Sandy contract, ! Equiped With these latest models l Salem Ortraattac Kn Hmth Mta ' AimuJ Bil-Ba4 mi In. i Mote !93 Co.