The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-31
The AUTOMOBILE IN KANSAS
sI1.DsO.OOO SPENT ron MORON
cars ~ rHREE IgARs.
Han - men 0~sea ~ Farmsrs me
Nuto - WRsh . Necessity - LaSury
Cash Pnymeuas ths muie rhe
Wsmsa 90 the Fasaily Issaeat ~ Theu.

ToSsSA. Kan. July - The reports
To the state rAs Commission. ~-hirh have
not 80 be.. p,iblishs !. show that Mar sas
po-s-As-l or March I last sJOi au,omo-
bils- and probably some Ept away from the
ASseSsorS
A fair estimate. of the rumber of motor
cars in the Stat. y Io.ooo. and practically
all ct them have lem PurehAsei within
threc years. IN" proportion belonging
70 farmers n hard to estimate, hut -
probably At lsas, half. a. In many % the
western counties the farmers are prac-
tically the only owners Of cars.
In oountie~ Of io.OoO population it y not
unusual TO find SoO cars and the streets
OF the principal towns on a Saturday after
noon are hllei with the machines. The
farmers do not a. q general thing buy
hixh pricei machire e.. though many cars
costing g. OoO and upward are on the
onurtry roads. Probably q fair average
Of the cars owned In the State woui Ee
81 30 each. making an expenditure Of
Si3 600 600 In thr~e years for this form
Of luxury and convenisnoe.
To the farmer the car IL - much neces-
aity a. luxury. for he hnds that he can
take the trips TO town while his teams
cont ne IN the field and thus he saves
both time and horseheeh. That he has
be.' able to buy a,oooooo worth of cars
. wear for the last three years speshs
we'll Tor his prosperity and Indicates that
h. u getting sh,-ad.
The dcaler- have found Il allow work
selling machines for the last two months
On account Of the shortage OF the wheat
c-op and the doubtful corn outlook. The
indications are that the farmer IN. except
in the favored counties. going To have q
slow wear and he IN waiting until he knows
what his income IL To bs before he makes
any Investments.
However. there In something pereiiasivc
IN tho fact that many farmers already
have them and their neighbo-s are eager
o. keen up with the Procession. II u
this way "a expressed by long whispered
fa-rre-:
We we're in town last Saturday. Il
was over lOo IN the shade and the horses
ws-r swcaty and Nv nestered. The dust
was thick between the hedges and We were
tired and cross
Then with a whi,z and leaving cloud
- dust went hy the man who lives On the
next farm and who ~ not worth mora than
hall - much a. | am. He was sf'eedinK
home at the RAJ" " twenty miles an hour
and WAS through supper before We
arrived
VIVA, would you do What did vas
- - down To the county seat the next
Monday and hTy n touring car
Tn. bankers say that few of the farmers
are compelled 20 borrow to buy their cars
Ind .ed most % them have more than
enough cash IN hank 20 pIrchas" When
rh"y do borrow u 10 only a few hundred
dollars and the note ~ paid within sixty
DAYS
There il no indication Of a slump in
the buving of cars IN the country soc
tIuns. though the activity will to post
puu"d until after corn gathering. hut
tn" class ~ cars purchased In ali the
time rising and hrtt"r motors are baing !
shipped mt 20 the Western counties !
than a year ago Very few two cylinder |
cars are being bought now four cylinders !
going 10 the farms
The women folks take an especial |
pleasure IN the cars and one may meet /
GA ia" country roads on SUNDAY after
noon farmers families that are thirty
or NOR. miles R'Say from home N adds
to a." visiting ha'lit that - characteristic
~ the Western farmers family The /
car has extended the rang. Of visiting
and the country roads arr alive with
visiting partie~
The fact that farmer can sell a thousand
bushels 81 wheat and get n car or can
lk" a few wagon loads ~ hogs 70 market
md do the same makes u seem easy.
and prospects are thai practically every
prosperous farm will have a motor car
u a part Of It's equipment before the state
= many years older II IL n large factor
n mating tn" farm worth having and il
Ieeping the farm boys On u