New-York tribune., 1907-12-23
AUTO INDUSTRY ABROAD
BUSINESS CAR PROGRESS.
Al Reeues, Back from Europe, Tells
of Great 1dUanceS Made.


motor cars for business: decided tendency toward
small pleasure cars with continued demand for
the big, luxurious ones; feeling of conservatism
among foreign makers and dealers awaiting tho
readjustment of financial conditions In this coun-
try, and desire in the European trade to have
future exhibitions more as business shows, with
the the prominent attractions, and less of
the electrical and decorative displays and the
sequent decreased expense. among the i'm
pressions gained by Alfred Reeves, general man
ager of the American Motor Car Manufacturers
Association. who returned the Kaiserin AugtIste
Victoria Saturday. after a weeks trip
abroad Investigating automobile conditions in
Europe. A detailed report OF his Investigations will
be made to the ffty-one members of the associa-
ton.
With him on the trip was Howard c. Marmon.
OF Indianapolis. member of the associations
technical committee and mechanical engineer of
prominence in the West. The trade and sport
were studied In England. France and Italy. Mr.
Reeves sad
One OF the most interesting things, to my mind
%6 eae SFea Sde RF9srss % that 1 has been made in
wonderful changes in the traffic conditions abroad
in that short tne to sMppant a' so many ma horSo
drawn vehicles with naotor-drfven machines Par
eToWdi9g the horse drawn rig In Paris the latter
the proveba of s Pa sn
Is 5,,y only history There are hundreds of motor
future ones will have one deck only. so as TO
handle han easier The terrific test to which motor cabs
CARDS clutches; gears and brakes There are about
hundred in London. Almost every vehicle in Paris
even the horse-drawn cabs and coaches. have pneu-
trucks is @ rarity Power trucks Of steam M , and
Of or ranene from tb eo aa Of foF av W
senSers or five tons of coal to delivering hats and
Among the pleasure vehicles the tendency is
toward
horsepower or less. Most OF the concerns that
OF the small ones have only one cylinder, but none
of them sell within the price Of our small 1t
the foreign markets with the small types OF cars
and handled in way entirely, different from tho
hard race for the motor, car trade while England
fS9 heard of tb a ana IN fact e 5 is
fore we sailed it was announced that Berlin would
not have show next year, but would go over
The motor car trade in England France and
italy seems to be largely waiting on America, 1t
IS clearly understood that money situation here
of regular American tourists refrain from goIne;
10 for All ade The @ n III IS
however, as regards America. and IT is agreed
Although there has been some discussion regard
ing the adyisability of continuing the shows stu
hold shows would be a serious blow TO the trade;
have one in a different city each year. England
has arranged for shows at Olympia in 1903 and
for America discontinue its national asltornobile
shows; one or tW6 Dig sxr2sItions' oonductea on,
on tie makers. Would be tonic that the trade
Of any Kind that does not have at least one ma
tional exhibition OF It's products l am certain
mobile shows is Injurious to trade The expense
country. as they do not have uniform decorations
and each maker spends thousands of dollars in
lions The fselaE Is Fenera 81 that the shO should ID
other foreign exhibitors are overcharged for every
thing in France.
Preparations are under way for another Grand
Prix race. probably the old course. and there
@ be plenty OF s and h eSs a e fers @
who appreciate their value 10 the industry. Tour
It's motor union. ard France besides the Autono
bile Grub has Sta, its Touring I Club with TaSab mem0eT
the roads are narrow in England, France ana italy
the age Of the country. is picturesque in the ex-
We enjoyed a 19oTns ride in szGy5indfs
nonstop fame. Bianchi;; in Italy. is building "a a
the next Vanderbiit cup race They would al
like TO win that event. Most OF the makers are
over for the races II Florida IN March DarrIsa
TO try the speed of their cars on that famous
We visited the Bianchi. Darracq. De Dion and
other factories. Many Of them have women work,
al ey in the foreign factories is OF amercan
manufacture without it they would be unable to
we saw twenty-sIx hundred employees come out OF
the De Dion factory The wages DO not 59 o
about half as much on an average. Women
paid about 60 cents day for attending automatic
mac chimes
While in Paris some interesting expert
nlents with the aerOpanes. Incidentally. France is
making great progress in building light motors for
airshps. We the Vile de Paris. now owned
bv the War Department. circlng over our heads
out at Versailles day, and II was sight
rather startling 20 ar American. We saw Henry
Farn,au fv about thousand feet with his aero
plane in unsuccessful effort TO capture the s1OG"
nrize offered for an aeroplane TO 1900 feet in
one direction then turn and go back to the start
ing line.
tbe death of George RI. Day. His death is un-
Fortunate for the American industry, as a whole.
Not only was he a man OF the very highest char
ecter and one whose friendship greatly esteemed.
but IN NV Judgment, hs OF the master
n,t tte indu