The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-01
AUTO MAKERS TO
FORCE SANCTIONS
Trying TO Make Dealers Uphold
American Automobile AS
ISOLATION Authority
May Result in Future Contests
on the Coast Being of Purely
Amateur Nature
BY r. r. L'HoMMEDIEU

!. The officers Of the American auto
-ynabiie. association. are undoubtedly be-
SHINING. 8. campaign to force the recog-
milton: Of their authority to govern au-
tomabile: contests. Some time ago,
J through b. 2. Lowe, their, local repre-
sentative, those holding contests on
.@gze coast were notified. that they should
secure a sanction or else be in dis
favor with the A: A. A
AT that time il was insinuated that
tAe competing events that were not
sanctioned. might bring trouble through
he dealers taking part, as they would
likely get III disfavor with the manu-
1aetnrers Of the cars they represented,
as the action Of the. A. A A had the
support of the big motor car manufac-
Curersys* The present season in Cali
-fornja has seen a decided opposition.
p: on the part Of the clubs and associa-
LIONS giving the contests. TO paying
h Efbute 70 TIE A. A. a. in the form Of
sanction: fees, The local clubs and as
sociatioas have been willing to support
The A a. A.. by meeting the require
uents. of membership. They have also
: been. willing 10 support the A A A. by
: lllak{ng applications for sanctions, but
: they have Objected to paying any sane
:. on fee where the event did not bring
. IN amy financial returns. They have
:. felt 3 was asking too much for an as
ISOLATION TO .denland that, besides pay
ing 1he cost Of giving an event which
&aEsneed the interest of the automobile
1ies.. would ALSO have 10 pay a fee for
4 TIE privilege rct. receiving official recog-
IN rtl ION: from an association whose head
quarters and interests have been CEN
Tered on the atlantic coast. Some time
ago Vice. President Clifton of the
: Chalmers company sent out circular
letter. as chairman Of the contest COM
. rnittee Of the manufacturers advocating
. the. sanctionlng. Of contests by the A.
A A. La: this letter he gave a glowing
> account of the big events east and
" then suggested that something of this
order should take. place on the Pacific
coast, holding out that if such contests
: were held and. sanctioned that IL would
: bring out. the big racing cars of the
g. eastern lanufacturers. Closely fol-
lowing this suggestive letter of Cliff
tons CONFESS circular letter issued by
the: -ChalTae rs- Detroit motor company
which reads:
" We desire to call your attention to
the tolloXlng matters of mutual in
= reres4: The American manufacturers
OF meteor cars and the importers have
long recognized the desirability and
the necessity OF a supreme control of
autonlobile contests in this country.
: T]feVs appreciate thoroughly that such
, g s! tIoi. YOU'D nor be possible without
IN united support and cooperation of
3Ie. makers tkeTns elves. This finally
. resulted in the formation of the man
q1acflTers contest association in Chi
.seag o.- last February, membership in
E Eghi9h Is open TO bona fde manufac-
, +tnrers. or importers without regard to
=. na@ affiliations which they might have
Sgith- other trade organizations
= BY action Of the. manufacturers con-
: test association, which action has
been ratified by the representatives of
:" tire Licensed Associationof Automobile
: Man facturerS, the American motor car
e., manufacturers association, the Ma
: .tlonai association Of Automobile Manu-
.~4seSOrers and; the automobile import
e rs. sal OG,-+ an agreement has been
made and entered into with the Amer
lean: autonrobile association whereby
that -asSo cfation has assumed the gov
. .ern raeIrt1Of all motor car contests, with
- full power 10. grant or withhold sane
items ard with full power TO disoualify
from further competition in such con-
In: support Of the policy outlined we
- requests you, as our representative. to
: refrain from competing in or from IN
. any way supporting any motor car
D .-contest. which has not the officisl sane
ton Of the American automobie $3.50
clation and which is not conducted
under the rules Of that organization.
--EDtrE in any unsanctioned event will
lead not only TO the disbarment or dis
and the driver from competition in
future: sanctioned events. but may
cause our. own disquaIif1cations as
swell. = We desire. therefore. to urge
upon you that you exert every effort to
have all: competitions run within your
territory with proper sanction and that
you refuse 10 support in any way any
:Unsanct1Oned: events.
II. can: be seen that a decided stand
on the question of sanction is likely
TO be made. And II will be interest
ing to see what result it has on the
sport Of the Pacific coast An enthusi-
ast, in discussing the present condition,
said that If local automobilists stand
by the position they have taken. and
the manufacturers, through the A A. A.
force the local dealers to Withhold from
king part in unsanctioned events
X may be of the greatest benefit
TO saNtomobiling as a sport; that the
% contests VIII hereafter not be adver-
tising- mediums, but competitions that
may do more good than can be con-
ceiyed at the present time.
II the. dealer and professional cease
70 be competitors it will mean that the
contests viii have to be participated in
bg private owners Of automobiles. This
win mean purely amateur contests, and
10 the public viii be fully as attractive
IS can be appreciated by the hill climb
at the Mitchell jubilee held recently in
San Jose. where so contestants partici-
pa.ted Such. amateur contests will be
fully is profitable to the dealer as the
present professional contest for, like
yachting, trotting and amateur horse
racing, re viii increase the enthusiasm
between. owners TO own the fastest
motor car in the classes where their
finances viii permit them to be com
.-petitor. The great interest TO the pub
lie at road races, at hill climbs, and
even in track events is not centered
so much in the record breaking quail.
ties of the automobile as 1t is in the
competition between cars. A record
breaking speed test Of single cal
wifi not raise such cheers and enthu.
siasm as viii two or three much slower
cars fighting 1t out for supremacy
one Of the attractions of the Mime.
sofa state fair. which viii be hele
during the week Of September to II