New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-13
AUTO NEWS OF THE DAY
Motor Car Industry Is of Great
Benefit to Railroads.
HARTFORD RIGHTS UPHELD
Camera Called In as Aid to De-
termine Strength of Vari-
Gus Headlights.

Apart from the general public. which uses
motor driven vehicles both for pleasure and
business. the greatest benefits from the
rapid development of the automobile have
been enjoyed by the railroad and express
companies.
THE railroads Of the United States earn
more than 100000 a year carrying auto
mobiles. supplies and accessories says
Clayton Z. Bailey, vice-president OF the
Abbott Motor Company commenting on the
recent dearth Of freight cars in the city OF
Detroit.
IAN automobile factory pays for ten times
as many freight cars al a much higher
rate than a carriage factory producing an
equal number Of horse-drawn vehicles. and
something like l25.Oo0 freight cars leave au-
tomobile factories in year. These snip
ments 20 to every part of the continent and
thousands Of carloads abroad.
MANY big plants give the roads an nv
erage of a train load day. Shipments OF
raw material and accessories also bring I'm
a constant stream OF cars. The express
companies come in for large share OF
profits, earning over 81 ,ooo"o0 on rush orders
Of tires and other accessories Hundreds ~
thousands of people take the trains 20 visit
factories, shows. race meets, etc. all of
which traffic is directly traceable 10 the nu-
tomobile, so that the figures given are not
at all large"
In answer to many questions regarding
the advantages Of racing from sales point
OF view w G. Poertner, the local distrib-
utter Of National cars. says:
1T has helped me very materially, prin-
cIpally because every one loves a winner
Our car has been a constant winner for the
last three years. competing with the best
| American and foreign cars. Winning ihe
5OO-mile race at indianapolis, our first start
| of the year. has placed us again In the
lead, especially as the average of IS72 miles
| establishes a new worlds record The re
suit Of this event alone sold every car
available for the present and our future
| business looks immense.
| Once more the courts have decided that
| the patent for a shock absorber held by the
Hartford Suspension Company Is basic
and that any shock absorber using rotary
friction is liable TO prosecution for infringe
ment. The latest decision was handed down
on NAV 4 last. when the District Court FOL
the Southern District OF New York affirmed
the validity Of the Trauffault patent. hold
| ing that the Foster shock absorber was an
infringement and issuing an injunction re-
straining It's manufacture, sale and use
The camera as an aid In choosing fittings
| for motor cars has been called into success
| ful use at the Pierce-Arrow plant. at Buff
fslo. II was necessary to make a choice be-
| tween several kinds OF head lamps. and
| road tests at night were not considered in
| fallIble in result. because Of the possibility
Of differing weather conditions. So the
| camera was called upon. on the night Of
the camera test a large screen was placed
against n blank wall and the car from
which the test was made was stationed
some little distance away. facing the screen.
The camera was placed in fixed position.
AS each set of headlights was fixed 10 the
supports on the car and the lights switched
on two photographs were made, one OF the
screen alone, TO show the projection of
the LAMPS rays. and the other Of the
ground between the lamp and the screen
to illustrate the diffusion. All the ex-
posures were made under exactly the same
conditions, the plates were all developed
| together and the prints made together. In
| this manner the resulting Photographic
prints gave an accurate Idea or the COM
narrative lighting power of the various
| lamps tried out