The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-27
MOTORING AND GENERAL SPORTING NEWS /
Motoring Notes
Good Road News
and Trade Matters

NEW YORK. Dec 26.--More than
$1,000. 600 worth Of automobiles have
bAen stolen in New York city in the
last ave years. Fewer than half OF
these hays been recovered and the
situation In growing 80 acute that in
surancs companies which have been
obliged to stand the loss have hired
private detective agencies to appre-
bend the hands of thieves who are
seagued with the owners Of disreputa-
BILE garages.
The police. according 70 q represen-
tative OF q majority Of the Insurance
concerns, have been poweriess to stop
the depredations Numerous arrests
have been made bat remarkably
small number OF convictions secured.
Unless sorre inca ns IL devised to end
the traffic soon insurance rates VIII
take o big jump. Only the keen COM
petition among the fifty-f five compa-
MES which now do that sort of a bus
crease already.
An insurance man said yesterday:
Apparently the police can't do thing.
We have appealed to them repeatedly
but We get no results. Now We are
going to take matters into our own
hands and SEE what we can do
Recently the police department has
adopted q new method TO recover stot-
en- automobiles and apprehend the
thieves. A census of all cars n the
questionable garages in the city has
peen taken and each day every po-
iiceman In furnished with descriptions
OF cars stolen In the previous twenty
four hours. The policeman then Is
supposed to inspect the garages in
his district, and II he finds machine
that tshouidn't be There. according
to the csnsus he sees TO II that that
automobile Is Tot removed from the
place until II has been Identified. A
few recoveries have been made I'M
der THE plan, but 1t ia still far from
satisfactory the insurance companies
claim.
conservative estimate OF the
number of machines stolen In New
York city alone In the present year,
was made yesterday by an insurance
adjustef. He said that at least lie
cars, Of IN average value OF $4,000,
have been taken 30 far. and that
been recovered. The total loss for
the last ave years he places at $i.-
100000, Of which more than $685.
GOO has been met BY tha insurance
companies. The present month OF
December has heen the worst on
record and more cars have been
stolen In the past twenty-stx days
than In any previous period Of twice
that length.
Edurating Broadway.
Showing visitors through the fac
tory 10 . pleasure for the up-to-date
manufacturer who n anxious to put
his product on an advanced footing
with the public; the visit to the fac
tory not only affords the manufac-
turcr an opportunity Of winning the
callers esteem through courteous
trea tim emit, but It presents an occa-
sion for impress4ng the sightseer with
the aeiidity.. thofoughness and relia-
biiity Ut the company, and hence the
desirAbility and safety I'm showing its
product. Many factories extend per-
refuai Invitation to interested and
uniuserested persons to inspect the
plant
The Chalmers Motor company. OF
Detroit, Mich, however. has gone this
personal visit one better, as 10 evil
denced by this company's metropoh-
tan distributor. Carl n. Page h Co.,
OF Broadway and West Ffftleth street.
New York city. As Page cannot take
New York to the factory. he has
brought the factory to New York
that is. he has brought a fairly good
substitute and II daily educating
Broadway in the workings OF the bis
Chalmers plant.
The plant. although II occupies sew
eral acres In the Automobile Capt.
tai" Ia, In New York. contained In one
Of Pages show windows. and he is
getting value received for the money
invested In window space The fac
tory In the window Ia nothing more
nor less than . large paper machine
picture In relief. allowing the entire
factory, detached structures and all,
Just ~ It Ia ssen by bird hying over
the establishment The windows are
translucent and the throwing OF An
electric switch In the background
gives an exeeilent imitation OF the
factory IA II appears when the night
force ~ y, work. From the street the
picture is seen In attractive perspec-
tive and 81 itself 10 sufficient TO win
attention.
But the scheme does not end here
lin fact. the picture may be said 20
be . minor part Of the plan. Between
the picture and the window Is an up
right standard carrying = book of
photographs taken in the factory. the
separate pictures being mounted on
linen and capable Of being let fall
over the top and at the back OF the
standard. just ~ maps are handled
In schoolrooms. On the floor near the
windows arc q quantity Of automobile
parts The remaining figures IN the
scene are pointer and y man.
The man ID the teacher in the
public school" Turning the leaves
Of the book 10 = photograph Of the
paint shop, for instance, he points
to the explanation, printed on the
photograph In letters large enough
to b Fead from the sidewalk. in
dictates the operations described and
then, with the pointer. touches the re-
lief picture Of the paint shop at the
rsar OF the factory premises The
next photograph may be that OF a
man drilling + connecting rod big end.
The explanation - indicated. the
teacher pushes his pointer through
the hole in Z real connecting rod he
has picked up from the hoor and
holds the part up to the photograph
as nearly N possible In the same
position as the rod Is held by the
mechanic in the picture Next may be
man turning a camshaft or a
crankshaft, and similar procedure 10
followed Tha demonstration serves