The San Francisco call., 1910-02-20

The registration Of the year 1909 was
greater than the registration for the
years 1905 and 1906 together. was al
most double that of 1907. being within
500 OF that period and lacked about
600 of being double OF 1908.
The statistics for the last three years
show that the buying season is grow
ing earlier. In 1907 and 1908. the high
water mark was in May and last year
in APRIL, and from the way orders are
being placed. 1910 undoubtedly VIII
record the largest registration even
earlier il the factories deliver the
cars
The table showing the licenses issued
Ia chsuneurs and those handling mo-
Tor cars. not owners, is Fexceedingly
interesting Outside Of 1907, when
2.5I7 licenses were issued, the remain
ing wears show that the highest regis
trstlon was in 1895. when 2,444 badges
were issued and the lowest registration
sn 1908, when there We're 2.293 badges
ISSUED. The month Of greatest regis
tratioD each year seems TO grow later
Evidently the course in the chaufeurs
school has changed, for last year Oc-
tober was the banner month, while
January. like most of the previous
years. recorded the Iightest registl a.
ti0n.
Few people realize what the regis
tratI0n OF motor cars last year means
IN dollars and cents. Taking from a
cp1s serVative estimate, averaging the
Cars at $4,000 each, ii viii be seen that
Sf>.l46-0eo represents the amount Of
money that tney cost. To that amount
3uay Dee added at least $1,000 000 more
:"r the lire expense. Allowing that
fa- conSumption of lubricating oil
amounts 10 To cents per day per car.
Hud about - cents worth of gasoline
= used per car for the same period, it
'an be seen that about Sl,350.000 is
tNDcnled this way. At least 500 is
sNpefhed bE the average automobile
owner on Ills motor car in the first
= months of ownership for sun
GrleS, SO That tais would make another
$ 100000. III is impossible 10 figure
the repair work, although this amount
s. growing less each year due to the
mechanical perfection Of the new mod
els which arrive from time 10 time.
about S2.5lm. 000 was paid 10 chauf-
1eurs duriuG the twelve months for
banding part Of these ears. making a 4
total OF practically s24.000.000 as the /
tuVested interest from a conservative 4
standpoint
1t has been figured that Of the cars /
registered uD TO the first of 1903 the (
amount ia actual service calls for the /
expenditure for tires and gasoline and /
OIL repairs and other outlays. some /
S-g.00o.009 during the j months /
of 1903. This, added TO the invested 4
money DO 1893 cars. would bring it up
TO St4.Goo.000 At the beginning OF +
1899 it was ngured that something over I
- ..sa d a.,.1 n
Interest in automobiles IN California. /
uot Including the stock on hand Of the
dealer the sUmdry men. CARA ges and /
repair shops. Add 10 This the eXpen-
ditures OF 1909, il win be seen that I
- the end Of last year the invested
interest could easily be estimated at
$i50,OO0.0eo. Yet with a business Of
This magnitude. encOmDassing only a
period OF GVe years, there is no rep-
reseutation at the conferences or unedf-
iations OF the big commercial bodies
OF this city.
III would be hard TO find many COM
3neroial propositions in san Francisco II
OF this magnitude When it is also
considered that san Francisco is prac-
ficallv the distributing point for the 4
Pacific coast. the islands and the far N
east. it may be seen that the state
Investment is only part of the large III
amount Of business transacted through n
san Francisco
Another interesting feature about
flo automobile in California is the fact 4
that during the year the registration
Z fees. transfers and chauffeur licenses
have amounted to S2f.239, which goes Il
10 the state 20 keep up the registra-
1ion department. The total registra-
sion TO the end of last year, the total
humber of licenses issued and the num-
Der Of transters made amounts 20 SS4,-
for fees for q period Of about five
years.
From the present indications the
OF 1909 Will be as greatly
eclipsed az that year eclipsed 1898.
The number Of sales already reported
hy the dealers and the vigorous selling
campaign that mas been inaugurated
tend ~ show that the invested interest
for the coming - months is likely to
reach s100.009, 600 in the state OF Cali
Tors-Ea