Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-19
SAYS, OUTLOOK
GOOD ON COAST
THOMAS MAN SEES CHANGE
FOR BUSINESS
FINDS AUTOMOBILE TRADE is
FLouRlsHING
All Through Western Portion of the
United States, Ray D. Chaplin
Declares, Things Are on
Upward Trend

Roy d. Chaplin, treasurer and gen.
eral manager of the f. r. Thomas De-
troit company, has just returned from
western trip and expresses hlmsei
as being very we'll pleased with the
situation on the coast ana IN tne
Rocky mountain section OF the coui-
try. on the coast a slight erect OF last
falls depression is still felt. oWlhs "
tha fact that ii reached them later
than it reached the eastern portioli VI
the country, and therefore lasted long
er. The rebuilt San Francisco, now :
over. is one of unusual modern tyPe
and the effect of these new buildlhgs
and other industrial activities has more
offset the financial depression.
The outlook for business on tne
coast is better than 1t ever was pes
fora. and all of the manufacturers OIL
high grade cars are doing larger
business there than was done during
past season. ~,
Through the central west from Cni-
cago to Salt Lake City the autoIlloplle
business is probably in more nour-
ishing condition than 1t is in any otner
portion of the country. Inc RESIDENTS
of this section felt very little of the re-
cent financial depression, and as tne
crops were good last season anu
finances are in an unusually stable
condition. Men who have in the past
owned one and two-cylinder macnlnes
are now discarding these for modern
four cylinder machines of the hlghest
grade. while those owners VINO nave
had four-cylinder machlpes IN tne
past are replacing them with new We
hicles. The tendency which has peeh
prevalent in the east for som time'
but which is only growing in the west,
that for a new machine each season,
seems TO have taken decided hold IN
this section of the country, and MT.
Chapin reports that without doubt the
business of this section will surpass
bv far the business ever done III TINS
section heretofore.
Outlook Bright
On the whole. the outlook throughout
the entire western portion OF the
United States is unusually bright, ana
Mr.. Chapin was unusually pleased
with the condition in which he found
the industry. Upon his return TO De-
troit manufacturing facilities were
considerably increased, a night snht
being added to the already large gay
force. and large numbers of the
Thomas Detroit forty will be shipped
westward within a few weeks.
In the Thomas factory at BufIalo
another car is being manufactured TO
represent America in an fnternationa!
contest. This contest will be one OF
speed rather than of endurance, being
the annual grand prix of the Automo-
bile club of France This is the classic
event of continental motoring and sees
the best vehicles in the world repre-
sented in a speed contest.
The only American entry is the
Thomas and. most fittingly, it is Amer
lean from the motor to the aXles De-
signed by F. p. Nehrbas of the Thomas
engineering force. every part has peen
made, in America of American ma
terial and American workmanship ana
has been designed manufactured ana
adjusted in the Thomas Buffalo fac
tory.
The greatest interest, however, at
taches to the fact that it is stock
car, such as is being turned out from
American factories every day. rather
than a special racing machine. Aside
from a slightly larger cylinder than Is
found in the ordinary Flyer, 1t is in no
way different from the cars which are
turned out by the hundred from the
big Thomas factory in Buffalo, and
the parts of this car were taken from
the regular stock which enters all
Thomas Flyers.
Shipped to France
The vehicle is expected to go out
for it's initial road trial in the near
future and will be shipped to France
accompanied by Montague Roberts,
the driver, some time this month. There
it will be tried out on the French
roads for some time previnous to the
race and nothing will be omitted which
will in any way advance its chances
of winning this greatest speed contest
of the year.
The grand prx will therefore be
watched with great interest by the
American public this year. for this is
the first time that prominent Amer