The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-05
ITEMS OF INTEREST

Life is a valuable asset. OF that there
can be no doubt. The asset is valuable to
the holder only In this instance. 1t is
very valuable to him. This fact does not
seem to enter into the calculations of
many promoters of automobile events on
the track. end the fact seems to have
been overlooked by many makers of auto
mobiles. The latter make cars which are
pretty to look at, but far from safe in
hard drives. whether 1t be on the road
or on the track. The race promoters pro-
mote events and fail to take into consid-
Grafton life and limb and the value Of
these assets. The maker does not guard
against possible b~reakages under hard
driving. and the promoter fails to take into
consideration the chances of death be-
cause Of improper surroundings Of his
track.
In tours. in track races and In road
races and also In hill climbs, accidents
happen, and reports hav it that steering
knuckles broke, wheels collapsed, tires
burst or other things happen. The poor
drive passed to the hereafter as a result
of something which either the maker or
the promoter could have made right.
Weak steering knuckles are murder,
fences around an automobile race track
are murder, and many other things may
be figured upon as murder. The makers
fail to build strong enough parts for the
reason that this would make the car look
cumbersome. The promoters Of automo-
bile events fail to axe down fences n
fail to remove dangerous distractions be-
cause the expense .pight be great.
Life is snuffed out every day because of
the failure of the makers-pr the promoters,
and the events go on just the same. Some
claim that a car looks heavy and so on
because some parts are built strong, but
they fail to remember that the maker
realizes that some parts are ordinarily
weak. The George N. Pierce Company
has always taken into account the weak
nesses which usually develop in cars, and
the Great Arrow has parts strong enough
to stand. Broken steering knuckles. broken
springs, and so on, are unknown to the
Pierce, which seldom figures in the news
of the day when accidents make the news.
The Pierce does not take part in track
races, but were 1t TO enter the field of
competition on the track, it is hardly prob
able that like accidents which have hap
pened in the past would ever be laid at
the door of the Great Arrow, as that car
is built for service more than for grace of
outline.
WOOD Haynes, they first of American
automobile makers, whose factory was es-
tablished at Kokomo many years ago, says
~ ANhhA0 " tut iAtAlt VI liS odAOhAODsAc
business: 1T is rather difficult to form an
opinion Of the future conditions Of the au-
tomobile trade. but from the general out
look 1t would seem that the manufacturer
in general would do we'll to pursue a con
servative policy. The time has evidently
been reached when the supply is equal tc
the demand. and purchasers only buy after
careful deliberation. The conservative
buyers are now in the majority. l believe
that the automobile industry win continue
to grow amazingly, but the time for mush-
room concerns is past. The well-estab.
lished makers will care for the trade. ane
1t will be hard indesd to establish new
cars and gain a foothold in the business
with them
The Vanderbilt race when run last year
killed one man and actually injured bui
two others. vet the promoters Of this
event refused to allow the race to b.
run again without the protection OF sol
dierF. The recent twenty-four-hour race
at Brighton Beach track caused the death