The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-04
A. A. A. IS NOW
TEN YEARS OLD
PRESIDENT HOOPER SENDS OIT
CONGRATULATORY LETTER
TO $50 Clubs.
------------
TELLS OF WORK DONE
AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION ~ NOW
ORGANIZED IN 4: STATES
WITH THOUSANDS or
MEMBERS.
TELLS OF WORK DONE

Automobile Association today Is or
ganized in forty-two States. possesses
some 800 local clubs. in addition to
several thousands Of individual mem
! bers. and is serving efficiently tho
needs Of automobiing. In his con-
gratulatory letter to the presidents
OF the State associations and local
clubs. President Robert +. Hooper
gives voice to these sentiments:
Never before in It's history has
the A. a. A. been better prepared to
serve the purposes laid down for IL
by its founders. who recognized that
in the growth of a great pastime and
industry-Mhere!n- heaithfui- recrea-
ton and the benefits OF commerce
were blended-there was need Of 4
national organization which would
assist In the general progress of the
HfetaF-dFiteff- vehicle by safeguarding
the interests OF the user and at the
same time aiding the maker in per-
I fecttng a better car. We are doing
a most important work in furthering
good roads, and our national board
Of this character Is accelerating the
movement throughout the entire
country L gIsiataeH- affecting the
use OF the ,notor vehicle itself has
not yet reached a finaiity, and there
Is an imperative demand to keep
thoroughly In touch Win the Iegisia-
tive mills that grind out laws both
good and bad, and sometimes pass lit
considered statutes.
In preparing and disseminating
Information required Dy the growing
volume of intrastate and interstate
travel. our touring Inromation de-
partment has amplihed Its facilities.
In the conduct OF contests the gov
ernlng rules were never more impair
tally enforced than at present. !
look forward TO multiplying of men,
bership during the present year. and
we will have well organized bodies
in every Commonwealth In the
Union
Nine Clubs Represented.
In the Chicago organization these
nine clubs had delegates present:
Long Island Automobile. Club. Au-
tomobile Club OF Philadelphia. Chi
eago Automobile Club. Rhode Island
Automobile Club. Automobile Club of
America, Automobile Club OF New
Jersey, Automobile Club OF Utica.
ISdp1ds &tuD.
Princeton University Automobile
| Club,
f. c. Donald. then president of the
! Chicago automobile Club. acted as
! temporary chairman. and appointed
! Frank !. webb as chairman OF the
committee on organization and con-
| struction. and Albert G. Bostwfck as
! chairman OF the committee on plan
and scope. On the following day the
committees reported. the constitution
was ado, ted and officers were chosen,
| the late Winthrop f. scarritt being
selected as the head of the organi-
zation. The. vice-presidents were:
r. C. Donald. Chicago: W. w. Grant,
| Long Island: w. q. Morris. Phila-
delphia: treasurer. Jefferson Selis-
man. OF New York, and 8. NJ. But
| Ter, secretary. Automobile Club OF
, America. as national secretary. The
| directors included Frank X. Webb,
, and A. r. Pardington. Oh the Long
| Island Automobile Club; F. C. Levin,
Automobile Club OF Philadelphia: A.
, X. Shattuck. Automobile Club Of
| America; DIR. Julian A. Chase
| W. ]. Stewart, Automobile Club OF
| New jersey.
Growing in Favor.
! While the pleasure car side OF the
| automobile business has reached q
certain degree of perfection. II has
/ by no means reached its zenith. and
| sun has room for world of i'm
| prereInesft In aat tn various sieHart-
/ mants The men who have fiursed II
| through all its developments are still
| working for greater Results On the
I ether hand. the commercial end of
hA ypHtp t,uA eNn hs...
| scratched. and Its field is far broader
and greater than that OF the pleas
! ure or touring car.
! The commercial vehicle IN grow
| ing in favor every day. al proved by
! the appearance of the trucks in our
! city streets and shipping districts,
and oNersst the greatesr field for fn-
I ture developments in the automobile
| business. Every kind of trucking is
now being done by motor vehicles
| Tho farmer uses the truck in rum
ming his farm machinery, and In
| practically every phase Of the trans
/ porte ton and shipping business the
motor truck Is fast displacing the
| horsee.
In. a well-regulated organization
| which manufactures pleasure cars d.
visions Of engineering. manufacture
| Ing. cost. selling. advertising, finance
J and various other departments are
! guided by men Of the highest eff
/ cheney and are filled with others
| equally keen in their line OF work.
! These are only a few Of the chan
nels that lead to success in the build
| ing and selling OF automobiles. both
| pleasure and commercial.
| VIII Develop Faster.
That the motor truck Industry will
! develop faster and open q far great
err field there can be,~no doubt. In
/ stead of selling one or two pleasure
| cars. the motor truck salesman viii
! sell q fleet OF from ten to twenty
| trucks and possibly more. 1t 10 mt
| uncommon to zee string of fifty nr
more trucks line up at large depart
lnent stores IN the bigger citses
| At this time II would be unfair TO
| the industry to attempt to foretell
| the future OF the motor truck, but,
! bosing an opinion on what II has ac-
eonplished up to the present t,nie.
there can he little doubt OF IT. pros
| poets, There are just the Same op-
| portunitioa in tho production OF
trucks right now ~ there were with
the beginning Of the pleasure car.
and the aeld II 1t least 100 per cent.
bigger. That the industry appreciates
the trucks future 10 svtdeuced by the
| fact that. wit shfew exceptions. every
Eraputahle hleh-etAn6tn9 concern a
buil1inx ~ intends 10 build truck
n - n tSafUGx1f - Sl e S sk ~ II