The Washington herald., 1911-09-10
PRICE OF AUTOS
NOT TO DECREASE
Will Remain Staple Until
After Election.
srUDEBAKA's FINE PLANT
All AGENTS Are Shown Through
Place Every Season - Royalty
Entertained by the Company
While Visiting Detroit - How
Automobiles Are Manufactured.

viii automobiles become cheaper?
This is a question that has been asked
about them ever since they were first
placed on the market and to certain
extent 1t has already been answered
by the manufacturers themselves. Ma
chimes to-day are much cheaper and far
more dependable than they were ten
years ago. Whether or not the price
will fall still lower during the coming
season is a question. Automobiles can
be purchased to-day for most any
amount, from $500 on up into the thou
sands OF dollars.
Many students of the automobile sit
uation are of the opinion that machines,
and by that they mean cars which are
built by reputable manufacturers who
stand back of their products, have about
reached the rock bottom price. In sup
port of their contention they point to
the fact that some of the manufacturers
of the medium priced machines have re-
Gently increased instead Of decreased the
cost of their product. The high cost
Of skilled labor and Of raw material are
the most potent reasons given why ma
chimes will not be materially cheapened
during the next year at least. Economic
conditions may change with the Presi-
Dental election, but until after the next
Chief Executive is installed in the White
House there does not promise to be
much change in the automobile situa-
tion.
The Studebaker Company.
Every automobile factory, like other
large business enterprises, has been
striving since its infancy to outdo its
competitor in one essential particular:
that of having a loyal crowd of repre-
sentatives, men who will stand behind
what they sell at all times. We read
about the employment of experts to re-
duce the cost price and install a system
in big plants. Few automobile factories
have adopted this principle of employing
outside help to perform this task rather
do it themselves.
One of the best examples Of unity of
operation and system is the Studebaker
Corporation, manufacturers OF the EN-
F and Flanders cars. Though the name
Studebaker was known long before auto
mobiles were dreamed of by the wagons
the company built, 1t was less than three
years ago that the present organization
was formed. The EMF car Is but
three years old and the Flanders is still
younger. However within the past two
years there is probably not an automo-
bile on the market that has been more
in the public eye than either one of these
machines. A factory organization that
is second to none has been built up
The factory is one of the biggest in the
world. Every part of the car from the
smallest nut to the carbureter is built
in this factory. Automobile machinery
has displaced hand labor everywhere.
and there are portions Of the factory
where one mani is taking care of half a
dozen machines that do the work of
twice that many men. Each and every
employe has but one thing to do. The
moment that he completes his task the
particular part is passed on to some
one else who, after doing his allotted
task, passes 1t on to the next man.
Agents Closely Allied.
In order that its representatives might
more properly appreciate the magnitude
of the factory and see for themselves
just how automobiles are built, as we'll
as what system means, this concern is
now putting into operation one of the
biggest undertakings ever assumed by
any business corporation, that of bring
ing all its representatives to Detroit and
taking them through the factory. In all,
the company has about 5000 representa-
tives in the United States.
The plan as 1t is now being carried
out. is to divide the country up into sec
tons. Representatives from closely al
lied sections are brought to the factory
at the same time. Special trains are
provided to carry them to and from
their destination. These trains run di-
rectly into the factory siding at Detroit,
where the parties are greeted by the
factory officials. AS every crowd IS
scheduled to arrive early in the morning.
breakfast is the first thing on the pro-
gramme.
Then the party is taken to the Flanders
plant, and there split UP into crowds of
eight and ten. Factory men act as
guides for the parties and show them
through the plant, explaining everything
in detail from the drop forging of a piece
of molten metal into a front axle, and
the heat process and oil treatment of
metal after passing through the gear
cutting room.
After seeing how automobiles are made,
the party is taken to lunch Then the
agents go for an automobile ride around
Detroit. A visit to the Morgan & Wright
tire factory is made. There the process
Of building an AUTOMOBILE tire from the