The Democratic advocate., 1909-12-24
AMERICAN CARS ARE NOW EQUAL
TO ANY.
This Is Opinion Of Russell HUI, Chief
Engineer Of Packard Company, Just
Back from Europe.


Russell Hun, chief engineer Of the
Packard Company. OF Detroit. who re-
turned from a European trip a few
days ago, was visitor at the London
show and looked into the foreign an-
tomobile situation generally. He did
not see anything abroad representing
o particular advancement on Ameri-
can mechanical practice.
There is very little that IA radical
ly new" Mr.. Hun declared. Auto
mobiles are being slmpllfled an much
~ possible. and the European tepden-
cy h toward small shaft driven
models, many of which have worm
drives. The chain driven car is going
out After looking over the whole
field ] ain convinced that the Ameri-
cnn average Of automobile construc-
t'pn is quite as high aa that of Europe.
10 volume uf business We are far
ahead OF any European country. We
have q larger population able to hny
automobiles than amy European coun-
try.
Further. the American in many
cases buys a new machine every year.
while the Englishmnn and the French.
man will use the same car. rspaintcd
and modified, for ave, six or seven
years. An American would be
ashamed 10 travel around IN some Of
the old machines that are still doing
good service IN Paris All this, Of
course tends toward increased husl-
mesa
Mr Hun is not believer In the
AIgeriean !.s:=:s=..ssi. Of the European
.maykrt SuTna Of the maRprs Of
cheap popular machines viii be able
20 do business over there" he said
but the market is 80 small that few
% the hlgh class makers will think
Il worth while to attempt TO sell. All
that Europe needs 10 fear IL oysrpro.
ductiou in the United States. with n
dumping on the European markot.
There are no present signs OF this.
however"
Mr. Hun is greatly interested in
good roads. lie ig convinced that
American highways will continue 10
improve until all the principal citlea
connected By perfect roads. Euro
pean touring, however. he says, ~
likely % continue 20 grow In favor
among Americans.
There is no such fascination about
touring IN Europe that II will always
increase in popularity, Independently
OF the Improvement of good roads. !"
no said This year there have been
more American automobilists In Eu-
rope than ever before, and next year
there VIII DO more Btill The trans
portation companies and the various
touring associations hays made the
matter 80 simple tRht every American
automobilist longs 20 travel over the
good roads OF Europe, TO visit the hia-
toric sites and to enjoy the peculiar
charm Of foreign travel Each auto
mobilist who returns is the means of
inducing a dozen others to follow his
example.
The automobile has reached such
a state Of development IN America
that the betterment OF our roads is
now bound 20 be rapid. People Ia
every class OF the community are
using automobiles; most important OF
All, farmers are buying them In large
numbers, and are naturally becoming
Interested In the movement for the
betterment OF the roads
IL Is now thoroughly realized that
good roads pay by enchancing the
value of the property they touch. In
Michigan we are rather backward In
the matter OF roads, but even there a
strong desire for improvement is evil
dent. Az roads are made or improved
farm land goes up In value to such an
extent that very soon the farmers
themselves, who formerly declared
that the dirt roads were good enough
for them, are most enthusiastic for
improvement.
AS roads are made better city men
are buying farms and country houses.
and at the same time increasing the
value OF the surrounding land. Just
as an example of this tendency the
general manager of our company owns
a farm twenty-six miles from Detroit
and travels to II every evening by
automobile, The farm originally was
worth only 500 an acre, now 1t could
not be bought for $500 an acre. The
increased value Is OF course dueY4s the
Hruf tt1oca ~ fsaaESd.yad rnaae,