HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
The Motor Car Industry
EVERY few days something happens,
to call the attention of the think
ing men to the tremendous growth
of the motor car industry, fifteen
years ago an automobile was a toy.
Ten years ago it had been so far per
fected that far-seeing business men
had becomo interested in the business.
Since that time thousands of engineers
the world over have devoted their time
and intellect to the building and per
fecting of motor cars, trucks and trac
tors so that now almost every man,
woman or child knows something about
the gasoline driven vehicle.
Automobiles and trucks, to say noth
ing of motorcycles, have become so
common on the streets and roads that
they have ceased to attract any par
ticular attention. But even with all
this there are few people who realize
to what an extent this industry has
already grown.
As near as figures can be gathered
according to the leading motor maga
zines whose authority is not questioned,
there is in present use practically a mil
lion and a half automobiles and the
amount of money invested in this
enormous number of machines could
hardly bo estimated. Probably fifteen
hundred dollars as an average first
eost would be low, but this amount
totals more than the entire produc
tion of gold since Columbus discovered
America.
The Automobile Trade Journal in a
recent issue, makes an estimate in it's
editorial column that the amount of
money spent this year, 1914, for pleas
ure machines alone, will be six hun
, dred . and ninety million dollars, and
this takes no account of trucks or trac
tors. This is almost seven dollars per
capita for every man, woman and child
under the American flag. It is surely
a wonderful business to be built up in
practically ten years.
The same authority goes on to state
that at least one hundred and fifty
million dollars of this enormous sum
is being expended this year for light,
cheap cars, of the class represented by
the Ford, and it is interesting in this
connection to follow out the reason
for this great demand for cheap cars.
Primarily the small light car is not a
pleasure car, for while there are thou
sands of them sold for that purpose,
they are rather an all purpose car de
signed for business uses and utilized
for pleasure incidentally. The cheap,
light cars like the Ford, Metz, Hup
East Third and
Burnslde Streets
Princess Hotel
. Portland, Oregon.
FIBEFROOP.
Rates 50c, 75c, $1 and $1.50 per day;
12.50 per week; with bath, $3.30 and up.
All outside rooms.
Under Personal Supervision of Owners.
, THE HOUSE OP WELCOME.
., WHEN IN PORTLAND
atop at the incomparable
Hotel Benson
CENTRAL, FIREPROOF,
MODERN, LOW RATES
Bend for free book.
Carl Stanley, Mgr.
tlonal Livestock Exposition, Union, Stock-
yards.
Dee. 7-13, Portland, Or, Oregon Poultry
and Pet Stock Show.
and the small studebaker and Buick
have built up their business because
there. was a demand for the cheap
car. This has been especially true of
the Ford, which was the first cheap
automobile made that was a real auto
mobile. The result has been that they
are expecting to turn out 300,000 cars
the present year.
This movement, or the development
of this industry, is along the lines of
evolution. All business is built up in
response to a demand, otherwise it
would not be a staple business. Prob
ably no one thing has caused as much
study and thought as the question of
rapid individual transportation. It
was this that built the bicycle, then
the safety and then the automobile,
but after the automobilo had been me
chanically perfected the tendency in
price was up instead of down, so that
the poor man or woman was little bet
ter off than before until the cheap
automobile came into use. This is the
feature that creates the demand for a
still cheaper car and that will build up
the cycle car industry even faster, in
the opinion of most authorities, than
the automobile business itself has been
built up. The cycle car business will
in no way affect the general auto
mobile business it is a new branch of
the industry.
The fact that there is a demand,
and an enormous demand for cycle
cars, is fully borne out by the state
ment that there are already nearly
thirty factories in the East, all of them
being offered all of the business they
want, and one of the latest in the first
four months has sold 6,000 cars. These
little cars sell in the East at $350,
and up until the establishment of the
Elbert Motor Car Company in Seattle
there have been no factories on the
Pacific Coast Tho new company is
building a car that sells for $295, and
is receiving inquiries for cars and for
agencies from such widespread sources
and of such a character that they arc
firm in the belief that they are going
to be offered a tremendous volume of
business.
The geographical position should give
the local factory firdt call on tho
business of the far East, much of which
has heretofore been handled in Europe,
and much of which is new business.
Naturally the European manufacturers
are at the present time unable to de
liver the goods, and there are very
few of them that manufacture narrow
tread cars.
The narrow tread car seems to be
absolutely essential for the Chinese and
Japanese trade, principally because
they must follow narrow trails. The
car must be cheap in first cost, low in
upkeep, simple in construction and have
sufficient power to go anywhere there
is a fair road.
There does not seem to be any limit
to the business that can be built up by
a factory on this coast. Many author
ities are iirm in the belief that the,
light car business will within five
years equal the present volume of the
entire industry,
This does not seem unreasonable
when we take into consideration the
fact that there are over 100,000,000
peoplo under the American flag. Cer
tainly not all of them could own even
a cheap automobile, but that many
people will count for more than 25,
000,000 families, and surely one out of
each five families could afford a mo
tor car that only costs $300 and can
be operated at an expense no greater
than street car faro. We have then
five million possible customers, or more
than threo times as many as there are
motor cars of all descriptions now in
use. Figuring on a basis of $300 per
car we come back to the figures fore
casted in tho Automobile Trado Jour
nal.
One excellent exercise for bringing
into play unused muscles is that of
steadying oneself by holding lightly to
the back of the chair and then kicking,
not exceedingly high, eight times with
each leg twice to each side. It is said,
too, that besides exercising unused
muscles this exercise frees and stimu
lates the large nerves of the lower por
tion of the spinal column, and this, of
course, makes for health. This exercise
may be repeated every day or every
other day to advantage.
PACITIO NORTHWEST PAIRS.
Oct. 1617, St. Johns, Wash., Harvest
Carnival.
Oct. za-Nov. 14. Portland, Or,, Manuf c
turns' and Land Products Show.
Oct. 28-31, Tneoma, Wash., Washington
Boys' and Girls' Agricultural and Induatrial
Contest.
Nov. IB 21, Spokane, Wash., Spokane Na
tional Apple Show.
Nor. 25-28, Walla Walla, Wash., O.-W. R.
ft N. Com Show.
Not. 80-Deo. 5, Lewiston, Idaho, North
west Livestock Annual Show,
Doc, 7-13, Portland, Or., Puciflo Interna-
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Booklet describes this and 60
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Modern School of Correspondence
Underwood Bldg., San Francisco.
Lewis Audible Speed Indicator
A simple contri
vance which at
taches to the
crank handle of
any separator and
is adjusted to the
required speed.
Until the right
speed is reached
an alarm bell
rings; when the
right speed is at
tained, the bell
stops ring, but there is a clearly audi
ble click to be heard with each revo
lution. When the proper speed is passed
and the machine is turned too rapidly,
the click ceases.
COLUMBIA DAIRY SUPPLY CO.
Portland, Oregon.
Profitable Trade
A practical trade makes you inde
pendent. Takes, only a few months to
learn. Positions guaranteed.
WATCH MAKING ENGRAVING
OPTICAL SCHOOL
216 Commonwealth Bldg., Portland, Or.
I HAVE SPECIALIZED 1
I IN THIS WOEK FOB I
V YEARS V
WILSONS
AUCTION HOUSE
166-8 First St, Portland, Oregon.
LARGEST AUCTION HOUSE ON
THE COAST.
SALES DAYS
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Goods Sold at Private Sale at All
Times.
Auctions conducted in any part of
the State.
J. O. WILSON, Auctioneer.
WORK
12
YEARS
GLASSES BY MAIL
12.00 1
The same kind you pay others four and
five dollars for. By our new method we can
make you the best pair of reading glasses
you have had.
Send us your address and we will send
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child can use them. Our glasses are of
good quality, gold filled, warranted for ten
years. After you have used them for thirty
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Roger's Optical Institute.
134 Killing sworth Avenue, Portland, Oregon.
!''",-Jim r;u'
' - : - -
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Low fare Eomeseekers' Ex
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2nd and Cherry, Seattle, Wash.
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Portland, Ore.
188 East Eighth Street
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HOTEL BUTLER
SEATTLE, WASH.
Under new management entire
change in all departments all room
redecorated and refurnished. Particu
lar attention is now being paid to
prompt, efficient and courteous service.
DAILY RATES
$2.00 Up With Private Bath
$1.00 Up Withont Private Bath
Hotel Butler Cafe
THE FINEST IN SEATTLE
Service the Best Cuisine Unexcelled
BOBEBT J. ROBINSON
Manager,
Wh en in Seattle
EFRYE
in tiaaiajsa
Seattle s Greatest Hotel