Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-20
YEARS OUTPUT OF AUTOS
Factories Expect to Turn Out 100000
Motor Cars.
EXPANSION OF THE INDUSTRY
ThiFteen Times Greater Than Five
Years ARo-Over Five Thousand
AGeBts Falling for the
Business,

The development OF the motor car indus
try In America has been 30 rapid In the
last five years that It has actually out
grown statistics. The trade associations
which keep in closest touch with the sltua-
tlon are unable to furnish adequate figures
OF the production Of cars for the past two
years. Estimates compiled by both asso-
Citations show that in the year 1910 1t is ex-
pected that 10000 automobiles will be
made in America
AS near as estiipates can make II, there
we're produced in 1909. 10000 cars. This
Yves an increase Of 5000 over the produce
ton Of the previous year. when the output
Of cars in America was exactly doubled;
1907 practically doubled the output in 1906.
and 1905 showed a gain of 90 per cent. over
the previous years production. In other
words. in the past five years the output or
cars has increased seven-fold, while in 1910
the production planned Is thirteen times the
number OF cars made in 1905.
Remarkable PrOSreus.
The manufacturers OF automobiles in
America in five years has not only ad-
vaneed remarkably in numbers, but the
improvement In the product has been even
moro striking. Five years ago the Europ-
can car markedly outclassed the American-
built machine. With the production OF
modern automobile machinery and the in
creased knowledge Of metals, the American
car IL now built even better than the for
elgn-made machine, Hand work employed
in foreign factories may produce a finer
finish Of Individual parts, but the advance
of American manufacturing methods and
American design has more than counter
balanced this foreign advantage There
continues to be a market for foreign cars
in America, and doubtless in a certain
class a market will always continue, but
the yearly increase Of imports is small,
and the probability is that IT will diminish
from this time on.
. Five years ago the selling of automobiles
was largely restricted to urban and east
erh districts. Today in the consumption of
American product the west TAR outranks
the east. This western demand is largely
responsible for the great number of low
priced cars hat have recently been intro
duced, so hat the average cost Of auto
mobiles has been reduced to about $1,000.
There has been no diminutlon in the de-
mand for h~igh-priced vehicles. Most Of the
prominent factories which have made repu-
tations for their products nave greatly in
ceased their output, but where the increase.
has been 10 to Is per cent in high priced
cars, the low priced product has been in
creased from ten to twenty-fold. Exper-
fenced automobile manufacturers hold the
priced cars Is little greater than the pro-
belief today that the demand for high
duetion, but in low-priced cars the demand
is nearly double the capacity of the manu-
featuring plants.
Army of Agents.
There are engaged in the retailing Of au-
tomobiles throughout the United States
300 agents today. These agents have
placed orders with the various factories in
excess of 100000 cars. The manufacturers
viii not be able to fill these orders. The
absorption Of cars by the public Is a slower
process, but there is small doubt that any
well-made car will be largely oversold.
II is not possible to increase the produce
tlon. First, because Of the difficulty in Sc
curing material. and second, because the
makers of parts are unable to supply the
demand. Few cars are now made in toto
In their own factory. Such manufacturers
as do make the essential parts OF their
cars, buy frames and springs and other
parts from parts makers. In addition there
are many so-called manufacturers who as
semb e their product-buylng the parts from
various subsidiary manufacturers and as
sembiing them as their finished product.
The inability OF these subsidiary manu-
facturers TO increase their facilities and 10
secure material will be responsible for the
failure of the factories to sun
ply the demand.
1t is expected when conditions are re-.