Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-03

Two meetings will be held in st. Louis
this week which will possess unusual In
terest to the American public. The Auto
mobile Association OF America will meet
Thursday in annual convention, and the
third National Good Roads congress will
convene on the same day. The growing
popularity Of the automobile has had a
remarkable influence on the road question
in the United States, and It Is fitting that
the automobile interests and the good roads
interests should meet together in their
annual deliberations. The wonderful inn
provement in the roads Of the United States
during the decade now closing Is attribut-
able to the great amount Of automobile
travel throughout the country, and to the
enthusiastic efforts of automobile owners
to induce the state authorities to provide
better highways.
l., l.. Whitman, who, on August Is fin
ished an automobile journey from New
York to San Francisco in ten days, fifteen
hours and twelve minutes, tells the story
of good road Improvement in a most elo-
quent way. In 1903 It required sixty-one
days to make this same trip, and in 1904
it was done In thirty-three days. When
Mr.. Whitman completed his recent Jour
| ney he deducted four days. ten hours and
fifty-nine minutes from the former record
| made by him in 1906. Thus II will be seen
that the running time for the 1857 miles
between New York and San Francisco has
been cut down to nearly one-sixth of what
| II was only seven years ago While some
| of this reduction is due to the Improvement
! in the automobile, much more Of IL is the
result of the pioneering work OF the ad-
vocates Of good roads.
Another long automobile journey, which
speaks volumes for the great Internat iona
movement for the improvement Of public
| highways, recently was completed by Mrs
| Harriet Clark Fisher of Trenton, N J.
Mrs. Fisher is known as the anvil queen,
being one OF the largest manufacturers OF
anVils in the world. Last year she started
out on globe-sirdling tour, taking will
| her man and man servant. In thirteen
months she completed her trip around tn,
world. $4,000 miles Of which she made II
her car. During the whole Journey sh,
had no serious accidents, and although sh,
penetrated far into the uncivilized regions
of Asia, she experienced little more diff
Guilty than II she had been touring 4,
| America.
| The automobile manufacturers are pre
pairing for the greatest season of 1911 tina
the Industry has ever seen. The sunni,
OF 1910 models already Is exhausted an,
the agents are now talking about the ad
vantages OF the 1911 models. II is esti
mated that there may be as many as 2OO. %
cars turned out during the coming season
The great difficulty manufacturers will ex
perience is In securing a sufficient suppl
of the accessories for the equipment O
their machines. II is feared that the bust
ness OF 1911 will be limited, not by tn
capacity OF the factories, but by the sur
ply OF the accessories There will be
larger number of low and medium price
cars turned out during the coming yea
than ever before. The popularity of tn
automobile in rural districts has brougt
demand for cars retailing at less tina
$500, and the large majority of the ne,
factories are preparing to devote their a
tention to the production of cars for TIL
demand
At recent meeting of the Associate
OF Licensed Automobile manufacturers.
was decided that the system Of dating use
/. In the designation OF models ought TO |
a discontinued and a system of lettering sui
e stituted therefor. Heretofore, cars hay
been spoken Of as 1907 models, 1909 model
{ and SO forth. This has resulted in an G,
E ceedingly low value being placed upo
D secondhand cars by purchasers. Und,
the system of lettering. to be followe
a hoiSSAtSEt tHe machines OF given yef
' will be called model A. model 3, ana |
forth. 1t is believed by automobile deaIei
that this will result in secondhand ca,
A having a sales value more in proportic
! to their actual worth than Is the case u
day. OF course. this is based upon the a
a sumption that the buyers Of second -har
cars are not informed as TO the real sign
= ficance OF the lettering system.
Perhaps the most notable legal dec
: sion ever made in the automobile wor
was that recently handed down by judi
: Hough Of New York, affirming the vail
Q ity of the Selden patent. In 1879 George
Seiden OF Rochester. N. Y, filed an app
cation for a patent covering automobil
s driven by gasoline. In 1895 his patent Wi
g issued. Since that time there has be.
8 a series of suits pending. and the matt
9 now IL to be carried to the court of la
resort. A large proportion OF the autom
bile manufacturers of the country ha,