The Washington times., 1912-02-11
MOTOR FATALITIES
NEARLY THOUSAND
IN THE LAST YEAR
Figures Not as High as Pre-
dicted by Enemies of the
Automobile.
By HARRY WARD.

ny nANNL "AND.
The pessinist must be disappointed
again, now that the Government census
'gures show the automobile did not kill
as many people as It vas credited with
DOING said George M. Dickson, a
pIonihent rnS Sn,itn figure in the automobile
IN fact" he continued, "the shock is
great to these anti-motorists when they
earn that the motor car killed only
cars cae haT Th as many persons, as the street
n cms' Inc street car follows a given
ran route, makes noise enough to be
@hea[n @ Lar away, and Is supposed to be
amHnea tandnn 1o oy men void of Joy riding
| there are about as many street cars
running around as automobiles. the fig-
ures .s for each being about $4,000.
Inc census ilglres for 1910 show that
this number the automobile contributed
$50, while 1919 people met death from
street car accidents. The figures ars
interesting as showing that the automo-
bile is not such tuggernaut as its enc
mics make it out"
Senator y. y. FLETCHER ia the bannv
possessor, of Hupp- Yeats electric
coupe. The car was sold to him yes
terday by Earle & Allen.
The latest purchaser of a Hudson
| 33," equipped with a sef-starter, Is
| Dr. Lewis Lehr. The car, which is of
| the roadster type, was sold yesterday
by the c. M. Storm Motor Car Com
pany.
Overland purchasers during the week
| included Joseph Walker. who bought
| hve-passenger touring car, and w. A.
| Copenhaver, who purchased a 30-horse-
power torpedo roadster.
A party of Washington motorists, in
Guiding George Weaver, Louis Weaver,
and w. II. Moses, returned yesterday
| from a trip to Panama. Other mem
oers OF the party included Major Jay
7. Morrow former District Commits
| sioner. and Major McAdoo. The party
! left Washington three weeks ago and
had most delightful trip.
| six weeks ago the Waverley Com
| pany announced a new type of electric
car, seating five passengers and giving
| an unobstructed view to the driver"
said J. A. Muehleissen, of the LuttrelI
cal that many experts in the automobile
world pronounced it impossible OF
achievement. Yet the Waverley Com
pany went ahead building ful-view-
rival makers soon began to take notice.
| The Chicago automobile show, which
| has just closed, proved the foresight
of the Waverley manufacturers, since
practically every exhibitor of electric
cars had on display a car of this type"
I Ine hlRh cost or nVlng EaS been un-
justly laid at the door of the automo-
| bile, said prominent automobile
dealer of this city. The fact is that
every pleasure car or truck sold to take
the place of horses does it's share to-
ward reducing the price of foodstuffs
1t takes seven times as many pounds
or food for horse as it does for a
man, therefore, an automobile truck
that GisElaces six horses gives to the
country food for forty-two men. There
are 24Oo0,0OO horses IL the United States
with these horses displaced by motor
vehicles there would be available
! 16S.0O0oO0 people. Does this look as
though the automobile is altogether re-
spcnsitle for the high cost of food?"
"Up-to-date physicians have come to
consider the motor car an important
a1diticn to the maLeria medica," said
w r. Emerson, Of Emerson & Orme,
in the city told me the other day he had
neT prescription for the business man
who complains of nerves I no longer
say Go abroad" but sey "automo-
bile" Ard. OF course, l recommend the
electric motor car. It's what use and
believe II is best for the ordinary man
and for the business man who first
and always wants utility. For me it IS
always ready, day and night
According to my doctor friend, the
rev prescription is making a big hit
with the business man, because he can
stay at the helm and sim the rest
recreation he gets morning and nigh:
going tC and fro in his own electric
conveyance, instead of rushing for
trains ard cars, are as good for him
as any ocean trip could possibly be-
It's gncu, too, because it lasts the year
around"
Eight events have been officially as
signed by the contest board of the
American Automobile Association for
1912, while sixteen contests have been
listed for sanctions, but not officially
; assigned, pending compliance by pro-
moters with the requirements of the
contest board According to the list of
contests sanctioned the outlook for the
automobile racing season is far from be-
, ing encouraging, and compared with
. former years is far below the average.
No application has been made to date
for the Grand Prize and Vanderbilt Cup
races although Dallas, Tex, will un-
} dertake to run the latter event provid-
ing a sufficient number of entries are
assured to make the contest a success
The members of the contest board make
no effort to disguise their disappoint-
t ment over the absence of applica tions
: for sanctions. nor do they expect the list
! to be materially increased during the
next two months, owing to the general
l lack of interest by manufacturers ir
racing.