El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-28


makes a good profit out Of the bust
ness is revealed by the fact that one
[ firm in New York City recently has
/ entered into a lease for quarters for
a period OF 10 years. during which time
I IL agrees TO pay rental OF 3t0OiV0V-
7 In many cases the retail man gets a
commission of 20 percent on all cars
sold. 1t is probable that in some
! cases the margin for the retailer IS
| much higher than this. 1t IS predicted
/ that the total number Of cars sold for
the season OF 1872 viii approximate
/ 100000 which would be an average OF
| something like 25 cars for each dealer
I OF course, very large number OF the
| 10000 dealers in the United States
3 handle only q comparatively Few ma
chimes. and these figures would not
\ be representative Of the business done
/ by the retailers OF the larger cities.
New York Best Market.
! 1t is said that the best market for
automobiles in the United States Is
New York Next comes California,
where the dealers sell two cars every
hour OF the day. One OF the develop
ments Of the retail automobile trade
is the growing favor with which the
motor car is being received in the
southern states. With warm winters
the motoring season in the south Is
practically perennial, and the building
Of good roads in most of the southern
states is affording opportunity for
the use Of automobiles which has not
been possible before
1t has been estimated that fully
one-third Of all the automobiles sold
In the United States may be traced TO
the direct influence Of women Here
tOfOre, manufacturers have been wont
to neglect the little matter OF Xix
ings' Whihc would take the eye Of the
women, but the 1912 season has seen an
unprecedented effort to bring out cars
pleasing TO WOmankind- Especially Is
this true Of the inside-driyen coupes,
in the majority Of which one may
find upholstery Of the most delicate
hues, cut flower holders. dash watches
and the like. While the women usu-
ally defer to the men in the matter
OF mechanical equipment, all else be
ing equal, they choose the attractiFely
decorated car over all others.
Women sell Autos.
Not only are women influential in
the buying OF cars. but many Of them
are engaged in selling cars A suit IN
the courts Of New Jersey in behalf OF
a prominent woman automO bile dealer
Of that state. reveals the fct that some
OF them take large contracts. and also
gives a little inside information as to
the matter Of marketing motor cars.
She had been required 10 deposit ST.
600 to be applied on cars consigned to
her, at the rate Of $50 per car She
sold is OF the 200 she had agreed TO
take, and then the manufacturer de-
cided to take the exclusive selling
rights away from her. She thereupon
brought suit, and recovered the money
she had put up as a deposit on cars
In the country districts many men
who In former years were engaged In
horse trading are now selling autouO-
blles- In some cases these men viii
trade machines for cattle. or hogs, or
horses, which they sell and thus get
In the matter Of motor machinery for
the farm, one sometimes encounters
the same old methods OF exploitation
which were in vogue some 80 years
~
machinery Some OF the states have
enacted laws, placing a tax Of one
percent upon all automobiles sold at
retail The automobile manufactures
constitutional, and have sought to
overthrow IL By seemingly Wiping out
the selling agencies. A Pitusburg firm
sold automobiles for a large factory,
which was transmitted to the factory
and the building OF the car ordered
thereon The Pennsylvania courts held
that the selling OF an automobile by
Interstate commerce and required the
payment OF tax. The dealers ap-
pealed from this decision to the su-
preme court OF the United States,
which recently held that the states
have the right and the power 10 levy
such taxes and that when the cars are
handled BY an agent they cannot be
construed as entering into interstate
commerce.
The manufacturers OF the country
have heretofore been very arbitrary
with the dealers, as a rule They have
framed up contracts. reservlng unto
themselves the right OF cancellation up
on notice, but not extending the same
right 10 the dealers. A dealer in New
Jersey decided to test this matter in
the courts, and It has been held IN
the United States courts that a contract
OF this nature cannot be binding. since
the right Of cancellation must lie in
each of the contracting parties, OF
else with neither OF them.
If the same sort OF laws were in
force in the United States as those
which prevail in France. the buyer OF
an automobile might feel reasonably
safe. no matter what make Of car he
purchased The French laws are ex-
tremely strict, as is revealed by q case
carried up to the French court OF cas-
satiOn by a French automobile manu-
facturer, much TO his own sorrow. He
had deposited 1000 francs for it. When
the Hungarian tried out his car at
Budapest he found that the steel used
in the machine did not come up to the
representations OF the manufacturer.
He demanded the return OF his money
Ia demand which the manufacturer
refused to meet A suit was then
brought in the Hungarian courts, and
the buyer won. The manufacturer con-
Cluded that he had not got a square
deal in the foreign courts and ap-
pealed to what IS regarded as Frances |
most impartial tribunal-the court OF
cessation This tribunal upheld the
decision Of the Hungarian court But
It went even further than this It
imposed fine Of 1000 francs and a Jail
sentence Of one month upon the man
ufacturer for selling a car which did
not come up to specifications.
Money Question Serious.
In view OF the heavy output OF auto
mobiles many Of the weaker factories
often are hard pushed for funds 70
meet their obligations. All sorts OF
methods are resOrted to TO secure ready
money, and, at the same time to pre-
vent the sale OF new cars below list
prices In some instances they 20 so
far. ii is said as to take a new car
out, run il through mud for a while so
as to give &c the earmarks of a second
hand machine. and then they sell it for
whatever they can get out Of It. In
spite of all the heroic methods which [
are sometimes pursued in efforts TO
save factories from financial embar-
rassment, they often get caught and
one can seldom look over a trade pa
per without reading Of one or more !
factories going to the wall.
One of the recent Developments in the {
selling end Of the automobile business
is the establishment OF a sort OF keep I
your car in order service This service I