The Falls City tribune., 1910-10-28
AUTO MO S.
They Declare That Automobiles Do
Not Cause Hard Times.

very much disturbed of late for fear
that the automobile would prove the
downfall of national prosperity. They
are constantly %bemoaning the money
expended in the purchase and runnin
of automobiles, but might they not
turn their thought to the fact that,
while large sums have spent in the
development of the automobile in
dustry, there are many exceedingly
strong points in favor of this industry
and its value to the country? Might
they not, on the other hand, turn
their attention to the fact that his
country annually spends about $500
zoe, 600 for strong drink, which has
not one redeeming thing in it's
favor?
Are we financially going to the
dogs because we are spending per
chance a few hundred million dol
lars a year on automobiles, which are
helping to develop the country, help
ing to build good roads, helping to
cause the broadening of national life
by greater travel, and yet are not
v,,Ff,rinr ~ 1an.t uro nrn ,ot +olJ CO
by the same financiers and political
economists, from the money drain of
the 50, 500, 600, 900 spent on drink?
The automobile builds no jails, nor
penitentiaries; creates no necessity
for enlarged police force, and builds
no aims houses. The manufacture
of the automobile gives employment
to many thousands of skilled labor
ers, creates a demand for cotton
and iron and steel and aluminium. 1t
makes a market for the diversified
products of the farm, and it awakens
The whole country to a broader nat
ional life by the mingling of the peo-
pie of all sections through travel. 1t
is the greatest factor in the develop
ment of good roads, and good roads
mean advancement in education, in
religious activities, in business devel-
0pment, in enhanced value of farms,
in the better cultivation of land, in
Iessening the burden of transporta-
ton to and from the farm and thus
increasing prosperity of the farmers.
Good roads mean the elimination of
the loneliness of country life and the
turning back of population from con-
gestion in cities to country life again.
Good road building menas more than
material development; it is really a
moral issue, because of it's great ef-
feet upon land.
The automobile has these things
in it's favor. On the other hand drink
which costs the country ten times as
much as the automobile has nothing
in it's favor. 1t builds aims houses,
iails and penitenitaries. 1t is the
chief factor in requiring the mainte-
nance of a great police force. Instea
of building up health as does the
out door life of the automobile 1t
destroys health. 1t destroys life and
the cost of strong drink to the coun-
try instead of being two and a half
billion expended by the consumer, is
probably twice as much in the aggre
gate through the enormous expendi-
lures in the building and maintenance
of iails, aims houses and penitentiar-
les, the burden put upon the land by
this mighty curse.
We have not, however, seen any
agitation on the part of the great
rich about any panic coming by rea-
son of drink, though they are free in
their predictions of a panic by reason
of the automobile. Is this due to
shallowness of reasoning, which mark
many of the statements put out by
these so-called authorities? 1t is
due to lack of knowledge? Or is it
due to the fact that the man who has
been able, as a railroad president, or
a great financier, to ride in his pal
ace car, is not willing to see the or
binary every day man able to ride in
equal comfort in the motor car? At