The Washington times., 1912-05-11
FACTS AND FIGURES

~ - well recognized faot that "BecOnd
Growth Hickory tsupposed 70 be used n
the manufacture Of automobile wheels and
felioes) 10 fast becoming a rare article.
We are living in the Steel Age" and the
logical conclusion 10 that steel will soon sup
plant wood in the manufacture Of automobiis
wheels. The Berntson Spring Wheel Company
h the Pioneer in this most important fndus-
try.
1t cannot be denied that the Automobile
industry in this country 10 no longer q fad;
IL has come to stay.
lie record reads like O dream OF wealth
gone mad-a Golden Dream that would have
crased King Midas himself
The World Wide Magazine under issue Of
recent date. is authority for the statement
That Walter Z. Flanders started in the
automobile manufacturing business with q
capital OF 1s5,oOo.0o and sold out In twenty
months for 5000. 600 0o-a pront OF nearly 900
per cent In less than two years"
That The General Motors Company. with
a capital Of $4,000 90. earned dividends OF
$4,000. 600 90 net in the year 1909"
That The Chalmers Motor Company In 1870
declared dividend OF 90 per cent In cash
and l.ooG per cent In corporate stock"
That The REQ Motor Car Company hss
paid 90 per cent annually on Its stock In tn,
That * year ago The Cadillac Motor car
company was sold to the General Met6rs
profts Of this concern for 1910 were R,ooo
1890. or about 80 per cent on the amount
paid for the plant which Il considerabfy
more than the amount Invested By the orig
inal company"
And yet the automobile business IL in its
infancy.
There were 10000 cars put out last year
total value s24o, 1000 10000. Yet the stupendous
sum OF $780,, sss. 100 was spent on horsss
The automobile is finding new uses every
oayIagrlcultural and Industrial; and careful
statisticians compute that today only 5 per
cent Of possible business is being done by
automobile manufacturers
This means that twenty times az much
business could be done than 10 done; ana It
also means that the man. company or cor
poratlon that controls the manufacture and
sale OF useful commodity in Connection
win the automobile industry has q fortune
at command.
What commodity is more essential to this
trouble7 ~ viz
The he..,ser Rerntson Spring Wheel Company I. IN
sale OF such commodity. II does not OK.
pect TO sell all the wheels used In connection
with the automobile industry. On the oon-
trary. even per cent OF the actual demand
for automobile wheels would enable II 10
pay handsome dividends to its stockholdefs
According to reliable statistics. there ara
at the present time in actual use in the
United States alone over 100000 automobiles,
least 10 per cent Of the owners OF these auto
mobiles Will be obliged to buy new tirea and
inner tubes during the coming year. This 10
very conservative estimate, and the Bernt-
son Spring Wheel Company proposes within
the very near future to be in a position to
equip at least one half OF this number Of
automobiles with their patent spring wbeels
in connection with any style OF standard tire
desired. which would mean that not less than
3,W0 owners OF automobiles at the end
OF the second year OF the Companys exist
ence, Will be using the Berntscn spring
wheels, and that the sale OF said wheels
during the year, viz, for wheels to each
automobile, will represent a total sale Of At
least 100 900 wheels. at an average proht Of
not less than So for each wheel, or q total
profit Of $50, 900 or 25 per cent on the par
value OF the entire capitalization Of the Com
pany.