New-York tribune., 1906-11-18
Many Problems Face 1t.
but 1t Has Come to Stay.

Little more than a score of years have passed
since Gottlieb Daimler, then director of the
Otto gas engine works, invented the first engine
worked by explosions of gas. In 1886 he
mounted this engine on a bicycle. suspendng it
vertically between the front and the rear Wheels
and making 1t drive the rear wheel by a belt. In
this primitive motorcycle, for such it now ap-
bears 10 u.s. was embodied the first real germ of
the petrol driven car of to-day.
True It is that in the literature of auto
mobism are found essays. more or less learned
on the early struggles for what is known in
automobilesc as "autolocomotion." Reference is
made to Simon Stevins wind carriage of 16oo
which was simply a square rigged sailing boat
on Wheels probably because 1t is noticed In
"Tristram Shandy." and a quaint woodcut of it
can be taken for purposes of illustration. Sir
Isaac Newtons mechanical chair. propelled by
handle operated by the occupant, and the early
steam vehicles are pressed into service. But
these references are merely in the nature of lit
erary artifce their connection with the true
subject is verbal only. and those who use the
literary artifce know perfectly we'll that the in
vention OF the explosion or internal combustion
engine. and that only. rendered possible the eX-
! istence of the overwhelming majority of motor
cars as we know them to-day.
What has been the development in the use or
motor cars and in their manufaCtufe " Iiedt
Rritain alone? In June 1904. the number of
motor cars registered 1880. and that OF
motorcycles 22O3; the licenses to drive issued
were "a 1863 Later figures might easily be OBJ
tanned but there is no doubt that the growth in
the use of motor cars during the last two years
has been very large and it is the common eX-
perience Of all of US, whether car owners or no,
that our friends and acquaintances have taken
to the motor car in great numbers. The same
period has seen the advent of the motor omni-
bus Motor lorries. light delivery vans. post
office motoy. vans. railway motor services in out
lying districts, are but part OF the movement
The development in the use OF motor cars has
been. in a word immense: and the money which
changes hands over them within year IS GER
tainly very large It IS, indeed. far easier to
believe this obvious proposition in general terms
than to discover whence all this money comes,
or from what channels il is diverted: for it Is
matter OF common observation that among the
owners OF expensive motor cars are many per-
sons whose reputed means are not equal to the
expenditure which they mus; have incurred
Large sums Of money have been invested in
the motor manufac acturing industry Of late and
the investors, for the most part may be pre-
su!ned TO know very little of the business Huge
works covering many acres OF ground. have
been erected in various parts of the country.
Are the investors on safe ground? The question
implies a doubt. The motor industry has sur
vived the mania to which all industries arc
subject and many fingers have been burned
through handling enterprises foredoomed to
failure in any event. Still. the doubt remains,
and the need for caution is urged for a deeper
and more distant reason. The motor trade is
only twenty years old anywhere. The manu-
facture of motors improves. in matters of detail
every year; hut the Improvement is in matters
of detail only. 1t Il impossible not to observe
and to lament, tendency TO res: assured tina.
far fundamentals concerned In rc,a-
ton to the Idea" of the motor car as Plato
would have said finality has been reached
Equally Impossible Is il not to conclude that.
humanity speaking it s in the last degree inn
probable that such fnalty has been attained IN
very brief period OF time. To assume that
perfection has been reached. apart from matters
of detail in a score of years Is to ignore all the
lessons of histors
This warning has been thrown out only by
way Of parenthesis. The first essential fact for
the present purpose is that the motor trade is a
great and growing national possession; and thu
next, and equally essential fact is that tho
motor car has entered into and become part Gf
orr national life. Go where you will In the coun-
try and you will find that there country
gentlemen who, except for hunting and for the
purposes Of agriculture have given uo "our
friend the horse" for the motor car and that