Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-14

! NEW epoch in American auto
~ mobile manufa cture was inau
- gurated last week during the
II three-day meeting of the So
ciety Of Automobile Engineers,
held in Detroit, both as regards the inn
mediate field of the engineer and the
automobile industry a whole A great
step in advance has been made in start
ing the work of Standardization, or such
cooperation on the part Of the automo-
bile engineer amounts to the same
thing The automobile industry has
sprung up like mushroom, outstripping
the detailed engineering development
which normally accompanies gradual
growth The engineers have now come
to realize keenly that lack of concerted
work, of standard reference tables. dis
regard of uniformity in the specification
of materials. can only result in greatly
increasing the already existing large
amount of needless expenses, delay and
vexation of automobile production. All
things in automobile engineering which
can be will be standardized-those things
the uniformity of which will in no way
stif1e meritorious originality of motor car
design, but facilitate economic production
and benefit the public in both original
cost and replacement. Frank, open dlS-
cussion between automobile engineers re-
suits in their mutual benefit and the
benefit of the public. The free dlscuss
sion and adequately deliberate action or
practically all of the competent men IN
the business will increasingly result In
newer and better methods of automobile
construction. The technical value of the
society to it's members from the pre-
sentation of and de bate on theoretlcal
dissertations. research work, etc, Is De-
ing markedly increased. The convention
lo lnc
provement over any other previously heih
in the quality of papers read: the discus
sion had and the interest and entnuSlaSln
displayed. More than 200 prominent en-
eineers were present several times more
than ever attended before.
At present the work toward standard
izing tubings and bearings used in motor
cars is the immediate hope of the So
cety. There are today over LOCO sizes
of tubing specified in the hundred or
more motor cars at present being bulit'
and, according to the tube makers, hfty
sizes would suffice and give cars as sooo
as today. There is in many engineers
most unnecessary desire to have every
thing in their car different from That IN
the other mans car, and TINS mas eVl-
denced itself very much in the matter
of tubing There are engineers who nave
insisted on tubing of a size which varies
scarcely 1-H inch from the standard and
which size is not used by any other max
err The result is that special sizes nave
to be made, and with orders for special
sizes coming in from score of fastidlous
engineers the topsy-turvy state of the
tube factories can readily De imagined
With orders for over a thousand different
sizes of tubings the tube mill is not able
to make deliveries fast as 1t would
if it only had to make upward of sixty
standard sizes of tubes. Slow manufac-
ture at the tube mills means higher
prices, and higher prices mean higher
prices for the cars by the makers. But it
is not only a matter of price. but loss
of time on the part Of the car owner
whenever he has to replace one of these
special sizes Of tubing. When the replace
ment is needed it may be that he is miles
from his dealer or the factory, and worse
still, it may be that the car has not been
manufactured for a season or two and
that the tube mill has stopped making
that special size; at any rate. the owner
is going to have a much longer wait
for his piece of tubing than he would
have if only standard sizes of tubing were
used so that these sizes could be bought
in any hardware store the same as stand
ard sizes of gas piping.
X
The committee in charge Of the hill
climb August 30. under the auspices of
the Automobile Club of Washington, has
decided that all of the contesting cars
shall be given a flying start instead of
standing start. Considerable interest is
being displayed in this coming event.
which will be the first of its kind ever
held in this city. A number of private
owners have announced their intention to
enter their cars in order to test their
speed qualities. There has been much
discussion on the speed question between
dealers and private owners. and on the
date set all will be given an opportunity
to display their skllful driving, which will
be necessary on the hill which the com
mittee has selected for the event. Nay
lor road will be the scene of the contest
and is easily reached by going out Penn
sylvania avenue southeast, crossing the
bridge over the Eastern branch and then
turning to the right at the first turn. By
following this street two squares the foot
of the hill is then reached.
Bernard Dougherty and a party of
friends have left for an extended tour
through the New England states, Maine
being the most northern point which will
be reached.
America is to have national stock chas
sis races for the coming autumn, these
within forty miles of Chicago, August 26
and 81 and to be conducted under the i'm
mediate supervision of the Chicago Motor
Club, an organization which from the be-
ginning has been leader in the conduct
of events The national stock chassis
races come this year at a specially oppor
tune moment, when they will attract the
attention of the entire nation at time
when the business is rather slack and SO
prove an invaluable boost to the industry.
Road races have ever been big advertise
ments for the industry, and especially
when conducted within striking distance
of so big a center as Chicago or New
York. To the manufacturers the national
races for August have a special signif-
icance, owing to the harvest hull and what
might be called vacation lulls that are
sweeping over the country at the present
time. Several factories are temporarily
shut down to take the summer inventory
and in others the entire factory force is
not engaged.
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Some and family
have arrived at Atlantic City In their new
touring car and after remaining several
days will return to the National capital
via York Gettysburg and FREDERICK.
They left Washington last Saturday att
ernoon, spending the night IN Phliaoel-
phia and motoring the next morning 10
the seashore