The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-18
Car @m0
Highway

, statesmen at car exhibits In both
Garden and Palace declared last night
they were sure that many distin-
guished persons visited the show
| yesterday, as there was quite a
| noticeable reluctance on the part Of
| many interested visitors to leave their
| names so catalogues could be sent to
them. Quite few of the exhibitor
told Of orders they had received yss-
teroay during the day or the even
ing when the buyers had asked that
their names be withheld from publica-
ton The week is now nearly over
and beyond a question We are hay.
ing the best automobile show ever
held" said Hugh Chalmers yester-
Gay AFTERNOON. We have had q greater
attendance than last year, when all
records were broken, and believe the
present show has had the best buy
my crowds of any year. The most
wonderful thing about these annual
shows. to my mind. In the steady
drawing power The strength of the
motor cars hold on Americans can
not be better illustrated than by the
Thousands OF people who each year
spend money simply for an oppor-
tunity to spend more money
Answer to the Pcssdn,ist.
The motor car show is the answer
to all those who see u decline In the
automobile industry. The buying pub
lie certainly does not support any
industry year after year-whether It
be motor cars. theaters, books or any
thing else--unless 1t finds something
In that enterprise which liz needed.
say needed advisediy. for the motor
car La needed. Think what New York
would be without motor cars. one
OF the marvels OF the city liz the rapid
expansion northward. made possible
largely through the automobile. II
New York were totally deprived of
motor transportation the city would
be instantly thrown backward fsfty
years
Ali this wonderful industry has
grown up within the memory OF the
present generation. It liz iess than
were unknown. Today the manufac-
ture Of motor vehicles has become the
third larsest industry IN the United
States. Can such thing be built
upon a fad! think not. This means
lot. for during 1918 the world will
buy over 100000. goo worth OF Ameri-
can made goods. 1t means that more
than quarter of a million skilled
workmen are directly employed max
ing cars, while allied industries en-
p,oytns nearly 100000 men are made
possabis. In a word. 1t In true be-
POND q doubt that the motor car has
revolutfonixed our civilization.
Great Growth of Industry.
TT Ia not 50 long ago that there
were not more than three or four
companies which actually built their
own cars. Parts were bought outside
in a machine shop here, q carpentry
shop there, and 50 on. There Was
no definitely responsible person whose
name went on car. Today that In
largely changed. and IL In rapidly
changing everywhere.
Detroit will illustrate my point.
Ten years ago Detroit was a world
leader in half do.en lines This
city made more drugs than any other
city in the world, and their value
was about $4,000. o06. Detroit built
more freight cars than any other city.
and their value was about $4,000
600. II WAS thought that these in
dustries would never be sxceiled.
"Now Detroit builds mors auto
mobiles than any city In the world.
and their value is between $4,000
600 and $500. 900. 600. Why. our com
panv alone builds about 81. zoo. 600
worth OF cars a year. and we are not
the largest producers Three OF the
great automobile companies today
build goods worth more than all the
goods Detroit manufactured ten wears
ago More than ore-duarter of the
entire population OF Detroit city
OF nearly 600. o9a--is engaged direct
iy or Indirectly In the building Of
cars And because OF these facts
Awhile the eAicstry stands third
among the nations industries. liz II
not. after all. perhaps the most won
AarR,.i inHnutrr ~ AL %