The Washington times., 1912-08-18
ALL RIVAL TRADES
JOIN IN BEWA|L|NG
MOTOR POPULARITY
Milliners, Jewellers, and
Leather Merchants Have
Hard Luck Tales.
By HARRY WARD.

"The cries that the automobile is a
luxury which bids fair to accomplish
the ruin Of the country should be ST.
fenced by the Press Association reports
for the past ten days" comments one
of the big men in the automobile In
dustry.
"One day We heard a New York mill
liner complaining to a newspaper man
that the automobile had hurt the ha.
trade. He said: 1.-The motor car has
hit the millinery trade hard. Perhaps
the other lines OF women's apparel are
also affected more or less, but millinery
most Of all. Almost anything will do
when n.ilady goes auto riding. In sum
mer she wears on her head nothing at
all, or a very thin scarf; in winter IT,
a warm hood, irrespective of what head
gear styles may be. Gowns may 6c
tomobiles rides comfort and necessities
of the weather rule. So expensive sum
mer millinery trade Is decidedly night
mare for the maker and importer.
"It was only a few days after this
that the jewelers. association met and
condemned the automobile manufac-
| turers. These men had sales records
to show that diamond sales We're %
per cent less than five years ago. WheI c
peopie used to puy big display jewels.
| the size Of peas, they now are contented
with diamonds for necessities, such as
engagement rings and fraternal jewelry,
We didn't more more tnan nan &c, E,oilaSHaID through
in some Middle Western States mace
the protest that receipts were less.
Men. before automobiles became ap
preciated, in hot weather brought their
wives and sWeetheaTts downtown u
the hotel cafes for dinners and late
suppers. o,, ,u-,so,
night stop at the big city hotel, If a
country Inn is not in the neighborhood
! "Of course, the theater men have lone
maligred the automobile along with
I the moving picture shows. About the
only comeback there has been In the
press were the dispatches in which shCe
dealers blamed the high price of foot
wear to the demand on the tanneries
for automobile leather"
There was a time when the auto
I mobile was a thing of mystery" said
Motor Car Company. up to few
years ago manufacturers tried to
make the motor car mysterious,
Mouth filling technical phrases and
vague statements of mechanical prln-
clples were used to describe the in
! ternal workings of car. The public
Vas supposed to take what was ot-
fered and find out how 1t was built
when the necessity arose for taking
things apart.
when Hugh Chalmers came into the
automobile Industry he started to dc
unique things. For one thing he be.
gan educating the public on motor cal
construction. He said the buyers haC
! q perfect right to see the wheels &C
| round, and so he built cut-out chasses
showing every working part and de-
Vised other educa tional features which
| were sent abOU. the country. Now
the Chalmers Company has gone 6
step further Gnd set out parts eX.
hibits showing how the moving parts
| Of a meter ca are built, how they are
tested. and of what materials they
| ar constructed
The Chalmers ey hibit is being ShowT
lin the salesTooms of the Zell Company
on II street, ana takes the sp;CtatOl
inside the Chalmers factory. The eX
hibit is attracting much attention.
| William d. West, former presiden
of the Automobile Club of Washing
ton, accompanied by Mrs. West anC
Miss Catharyn West, sailed yester
day for Europe, where they will spenC
the summer.
Among motorists in Washington tht
past week was Thomas Studebaker, o
touring car. he is making a triI
through the East. After spending
some time in Atlantic City, he will
drive his car overland to the Pacif
| coast
Harry Green, assistant sales man
ager of the Lauth- -Juergens Motol
Company, is spending a few days II
! Washington as the guest of Charles
Kloppmeyer, general manager of TIT
Warren Motor Sales Company.