The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-06
Statistics Asserted TO Be Flo.
quent Refutation of Charge
Against Auto.
IMMENSE SUMS SAVED
In BUSINESS ECONOMY
Motor Car Has Undoubtedly In
creased Value of Property,
Says Authority.

The high cost OF living, or as some ono
has more properly termed IT, tho cost oi
high living. might in measure be ac-
counted for and tho causes attributed
10 the motor cars, judging by the impress
SlYe array OF figures az to money invested
in them and the number OF cars used
We're these figures correct presentation
OF the facts. writes Harold Smith. The
slctUai circumstances are interesting and
no doubt the public Is looking for &
proper statement OF them. H. should be
realizcd that It Is difficult TO distinguish
between necessities and economies and
luNurles and cxtraYagsDces.
The telephone today ~ seldom ella sSed
as an extravaganza and rarely as lux
ury: on the contrary, it is an economy
and a necessity under modern conditions.
Tho railway train and the electric car
havo also become necessities and arc now
recognized economies ii time is. in
deed. consideration. The argument
;!Iat these modern means OF Transports
tlon encourage moro travel and the on
peudfturc OF greater amount of money
in travelling Is refuted by the fact that In
effect they reduce distance, save time,
and make. possible undertakings other
wise impracticablc.
"A recent article from the Technical
World estimates the cost uf opera ting
motor cars. including that of mileage.
While conservative. these estimates rsck-
on tho entire cost as "a luxury rep
Tescnting an outlay for pleasure and an
expense only. which is obviously unfair
without taking into account the facts.
The true situation was presented BIZ
Acting Mayor MacGoNan OF New York
recently In n statement that the uso of
the motor car had increased tho ca
psclty OF city streets siS-foId over that
Of horse drawn vehicles What does
1he saving OF such time. or the reduc-
tion OF distance AS II might be consld-
cred. mean 10 the public and TO those
whose capacity is limited by the tlrno
available? Would not travel by motor
car be economy even with the mileage
withstanding. the fact that the ease In
travelling and the saving OF time might
'nduca an increase in travel?
Other Considerations.
Accurate compe erisons with statistics
representing other expenses In modern
iife, a, realisation OF the enormous amount
I money which Is distributed through
the channels of the motor car indus
tty, and a. proper consideration OF the
VAST economic advantages OF the auto
convince the logical mind Of the value of
The whole industry and its effect and 70
depreclate the attacks which have been
made upon IT,
1t cannot be disputed that the motor
car mas greatly increased property val
les. making accessible remote localities.
prInging the city to the farm. and the
farmer to the markets IL encoura Sss
moro time being spent in pure air nv
tnose confined TO offices under the great
stress or modern business. II would be
as reasonable and practical 10 consider
apandoning the electric car to return TO
tne horse car. or giving up the steam
Ieiirodo car to return TO the prairIe
seTponsr; rbs er,;.9 as 70 abandon the motor car.
Inc spirit OF The age is 10 keep abreast
with the march of progress and II would
oe diricult to conceive OF even q banker
lefu5ing TO make Il loan on O. resuonslhje
business merely on the ground that some
,,.r..
1or an article which has astonIshed Yhc
world on account Of the practical way in
which II has effected a marked saving OF
time, being the equivalent of reducing
II is perfectly true perhaps that men
nave peen known TO mortgage their
MONIES or to borrow on life insurance poll
rles 10 buy machines, and as an jndI-
cation of reckless extrayueance and SHIFT
Tess iooliSnnesH such a performance is TO
pc depreciHted, hut there is no logic In
blaming the automobile maker or his
business as the Cause OF silly act
AS matter OF fact there ia less of
ms going on than some critics would
nave the. public believe. A farm located
an nour from the market reckoned on the
basis Of horse travel can be brought one
tnird nearer In effect by the saving In a
practical way of two-thirds of the time
necessary TO travel the distance and why
farmer censured for employing q modern
sgent OF economy any moro than for the
use Of the modern self binder in the har-
vesfing OF his grain.
eausc for charging the cost Of high living
10 the motor car. and the most conylnc-
ing Proof @ can be cited in a compsri-
Son S,. OF tne ySop, ,ooO, 600 representing total
!ist price or the 115,000 motor cars sold
IN me last twelve months. and the i'm.
p!easiye and enormous amount OF az. 500
eoe.oo2 gus expended during the same tins
same time the motor car is an Investment
representing an asset, which can hnrdIy
be said Of the investment made by the
consumer of the two commodities above
referred to.
Unofficial statisties have been obtained
which are interesting, for they Indicate
that a possible 7b per cent OF the motor
cars cars purchased are bought by those who
ancos. or are using the former In q com
riercial or seni-commercial way: Il has
Also been shown that the wealthy almost
than one car. and, on fair estimate. as
per cont or the money invested In auto
nfohilesfs expended by this class.
Notwithstanding many contrary reports,
), is a fart that the mileage. cost OF
mileage Of horse-drawn vehicles, while
the mileage depreciation of the motor
ear ls not anywhere near that of the lat.
AXE into account the whimsical fam
cje5 or those buying motor cars annual
y, and causing depreciation by u1ak-
ing new cars second hand. It Is reck-
oned on the basis of a car capable OF
Iise Or ten years Of service and travel Of
from $4,000 to 100. 900 miles.
Or al the interesting phases there Is
me that Is OF supreme importance be-
cause there are few articles marketed,
ile list price Of which represents so great
n percentage Of labor pay roll as the
automobile, which means that substan-
iisi portion OF the money expended goes
directly to the laborIng man and ia
promptly put into circulation again. II II
we're possible 10 do 30. and the auto
mobile industry were entirely eliminated
ior tinle, We would be amazed to learn
OF. the channels OF American industTiaIis.ri
WHICH would sllSer and suffer SERIOUSLY.
and do not believe that any flnancier
would go on record as being willing 10
discriminate against an Industry wllici,
'sas forced recognition ss has this one.
and an industr; which weatHrrod tfe
s.ornf or 1907 depression. and in reality
had worre-iui innuenro upon the re-
naval of confidence and the return to