The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-09-01

uFu>SOJ DINOvERWHEN , ~ u
~ TO ~ REP uRED.
Time ,hargcs for Labor That Rum 'n snd
~ sristions ~ the ArtfW
Touches TN the Detail Of the W;is
And There IL the dasolcoc Question.

- great deal has been written and sslt
about the ways Of the garage keeper sald
a man who once owned an automobile. "and
Il il a truth often expressed that the first
cost Of a car il not the greatest.
That IL all the more true il the car wasn't
new when you got il. The car ! had dated
back a couple Of seasons and when ! hat
u chance to sell it early his year. losing
only a little on the original purchase price.
! took the chance right away. The car
needed q little overhauling. In fact. |
mover saw a car that didn't IL the CARA ge
man was allowed to go over it.
In connection with that o~verhauling I
noticed some funny th~ings-for one. the
varying price paid for labor. In the last
months assortment Of bills there are -four
distinct charges for tine put in on the
cur.
The first item il for 12s. hours work.
Ter which the charge is ss,58. III my figures
are right, that il at the rate Of 7i.9s cents
an hour. Very well.
Take the frst item on the next hill.
That IL III, hours for work on the car.
The sum is Sl3. 10. a fatal combination.
especially as the bill is rendered on a Friday.
The rate by the hour is 7O,ij cents. SO
much for hat one.
Then on another pink slip is noted a
charge Of IA hours labor. for which the
charge is si.i3. That rate is 1888 cents
an hour.
"On another day il is alleged that the
men in the garage put in NJ hours on the
car. The rate figured OF the price of ss.G3
in the bill is 1904 cents an hour.
Now, inasmuch az my understanding is
that the real charge is IS cents an hour.
neither moro nor less, how is il that the
garage man can charge sums varying from
~ Is cents tn 75.1 cents and still not he
cheating himself or his enployecs2 Those
cents and mills may appear To he trihing
things. but I want to tell you that when the
garage man gets in his work they will
mount up.
For instance, there is a charge for a GER
ain number Of hours put in IN a car and
with that charge goes n long detailed list
of things alleged TO have been lone TO the
machine. Now, az n matter OF fact some
Of the items mentioned wouldn't take ten
minutes, were IL not Tor the system used
10y DE workers.
"A car il ordered of the foor for repairs
and it is taken upstairs or downstairs or
wherever the repair shop ia, h time
charge begins the moment IL is wheeled
onto the repair shOp MOOR.
The moment IL is taken Down the owner
cannot get il for his Use, h means the
car IL dead To him. II becomes a source of
profit to the repair department.
a man goes around and iiddles with il
for a few moments and then goes away.
All the time the hours of labor mount up.
Eventually some one gets gumption enough
to Snish up your car and yo get it back
with a hill AZ long IA your arm.
III you kick about the length Of time the
car has been held up because Of trihing
repairs you are told that there are so many
ears in the shops that yours has to wait its
turn. But as a matter Of fact, no matter
how busy they may he, they will take your
car down and make sure that you canno
get il out and then let il lie there idle and
charge time all the same.
Il have known all sorts Of bills 10 he made
Ip Just On his basis. For instance here IL
one.
~ hours l,bni nu,ting catch On door
undrr front ,rai STA
I NrSsN tpN rT,d rat h ........,.. l@
q Nut,, .. ..,........ Is n
Isn't that a work VI art1 Onc aud a hall