Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-07
BARBARA
WON BY SPEECH
HON. VIM. R. RUESS CAPTURES
TOWN AS ORATOR
Able Address Before Automobile Club
and Invited Guests with "Good
Roads" as His
Text

SANTA BARBARA, Oct. 5.-Before
a very large meeting of the members
of the Santa Barbara Automobile club
and their invited guests, William r.
Ruess of Los Angeles was the feature
of the occasion, and delivered an able
address upon the subject of Good
Roads" and the automobile in general,
that was listened to with marked at
tention as the speaker proceeded with
his address, which had evidently been
prepared with great care and much
thought, surprising even his most in
innate friends in the fervor of the
occasion and the eloquence of the
speaker, as he warmed into his sub
ject.
Mr.. Ruess in part said: 1.-THE sub
ject upon which 1 have been asked to
speak this evening is one of the broad
est Importance, covering, as 1T does,
one of the most important industries
of the United States today. Such has
| been the growth of the automobile
production that it has transcended al
most every Individual commercial
manufacture on the American conti-
nent and bids fair to more than equal
If not surpass the volume of any prod
uct in the world of gigantic figures
known to the field of business promi-
nence. Huge as are the figures tlat
might be dWelt upon this evening In
factures alone in this country-not to
refer to the importatiops of foreign
made cars, the production OF the fac
tories of automobile makers Is but an
integral part Of the momentous whole,
for we have yet to consider the enor-
nous figures assumed in the manu-
facture of tires, requiring the erection
of mammoth structures in the field of
tire manufacturing that seem improb-
able in their conception, for, while I
have not the figures at hand covering
the aggregate of the tire manufactures
of America, it is not O difficult matter
Of mathematics to arrive at a fair es-
innate OF this field in new cars alone
when the latest figures, based upon the
orders placed for every sort ana kind
of. machine for the season of 1910. is
estimated to exceed 200 900 new cars
Multiply this by four, FOR only the set
| necessary to equip the newly finished
car, and you have approaching mil
lion tires in that production alone. The
repairs and outcast tires, discarded
and to be replaced, will run this enor-
nous production well into the millions,
so that this essential TO the operation
of an automobile offers some thought
as to the prodigious field which the
| automobile has opened to the avenues
CT commercial expansion and trade.
"Then there are the lesser access
sories, almost innumerable in contem-
plation, such as the carburet ors,
speedometers, magnetos, horns, tops,
lamps, tire-irons, foot and rug rails,
rugs, covers, coats and busters, gog-
giles, gloves, caps, oils, all of which
and more, enter into the field of the
automobile.
Again, we find the automobile i'm
pressing more and more upon our Of
ficials the necessity of good roads,
one Of the most vital and important
questions that is before the people of
almost every community throughout
the land today. Everywhere, from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the
most northerly civilized part of the
continent to the Gulf of Mexico, is be-
ing agltated the improvements Of our
public highways, and nothing gives
me more pleasure than the commenda-
ble part in this direction that Santa
Barbara county and your splendid au-
tomobile club of this city is taking in
this most public action. In this the
automobile has been an educator OF
the utmost Importance. 1t has shown
to the farmer and the fruit grower the
economy of the haul of the products
of the farm and of the vineyard. No
longer is there the antagonism to the
automobile that for so long existed
toward it.
ADu III LllS COlAtlGCllOll IL 10 etloO a
pleasant matter of announcement to
me to say that each day, month and
year the thoughtless driver of an au-
tomobile who formerly enjoyed the
sport of seeing an approaching skit
tish horse play pranks and probably
break shafts, bringing injury to We
hicle and possibly danger, If not ac-
tual injury to the occupants, is fast
dying out. He is no longer popular
with even the owner or dealer in au-
tomobiles, and there is a general feel
ing of cooperation between the au-
tomobile dealer, speaking from per-
sonal knowledge, and the driver of the
horse drawn vehicle. Approaching
horse drawn vehicle the auto driver,
IL he observes the instructions of his
employer will, when the horse gives
evidence of fear, slow or kill his en-
gine entirely, until the team passes.
This and kindred acts have served to