New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-12
One Million Cars To Be in Use
by May ! on the Word of
One Member of Show
Committee.
NEW YORK STATE IN LEAD
Alfred Reeves Says Gigantic
Strides in Industry Will
Now Centre About De.
velopment of the
Trade Vehicle.
BY Alfred Reeves, Show Commute.


1t is peculiarly fitting that the National
Automobile Show in Madison Square Gar.
den and the Grand Central Palace shoula
be the greatest exhibition of it's kind. for
It heralds the time when one million an.
tomobles will be in use In the United
States, and. what is more important.
without the slightest indication of any
decrease in demand for the wonderful
vehicle that has become so important
part Of modern civilization.
Almost every state requires automobiles
TO be registered, and the records show
almost million cars at the present time
From this, however, should be deducted
the number Of cars registered by non
residents, and consideration also should
be given to the large number of cars that
have changed hands and have been twice
registered during 1912. Trade authorities
admit, however, that there are now $4,000
cars in actual use In this country, OF
which about 10000 were made and sold
during 1912.
With a conservative estimate OF 10000
cars for 1913, and with the largest part
OF that number made In the spring, the
| first of May should see one million motor
vehicles in actual use for pleasure and
for utility purposes. which. at An average
| of $500 would give 100000 as the total
selling price.
Although statistics are generally unin-
terestng, those in connection with the
| motor car industry are most fascinating.
for they mark the gigantic strides OF an
| hiGfcrv
| easily overreaching as 1t does the records
of any other manufacturing business and
marching on toward the figures OF OIL.
| coal LUMBER, steel and the raw products.
The figures indicate that in another few
| months there will be a car tor every
! ninety persons in the United States,
! while an authentic list OF manufacturers
T, shows al companies producing pleasure
/! cars and go companies building com
mercial vehicles, although many OF the
latter have not turned out more than
few experimental trucks.
With electric self-starters making IL
easy for women to operate them, the
demand for cars is certain TO expand,
especially at the remarkable values now
I'm the market, as compared with a few
years ago, when the average car cost
S3.oU or more Greater values viii oe
offered at the shows than ever before,
whether in cars at $500 or 5000.
In thirteen years, since the first auto
mobile show was held I'm Madison Square
Garden the industry has progressed at
rate which cannot be appreciated by
any one that has not been in contact with
the captains OF the industry and the
| great engineers who have SHOWN sublime
faith in the ability of the nation 70 buy
and use the vehicle that is now as much
Of a necessity as II was considered
luxury a decade ago.
Contributory TO this wonderful advance
must be considered the efficient manu-
featuring that has made for lower cost
and the present moderate priced car
greater simplicity, which permits any
one TO operate and care for car the
increased reliability, and, most impor-
tant Of all. the fact that the motor car
like the telephone, the telegraph and the
railroad, is a time saver, and as such is
essential 10 American life.
Registration figures in the various
states show that while New York has
the greatest number OF cars California
leads In cars per capita. The final report
for 1912 OF Secretary OF State LazansHy
shows the actual number OF cars N New
York State TO be l06, $50. OF which $500
are commercial vehicles.
The State OF California has s4,2iO cars
registered, or one for every twenty
seven persons. while New York has only
one for every l41 people. because large
proportion of the population OF the ois
cities cannot afford cars.
! Maine Iowa, Nebraska and Delaware
have the largest number OF cars for their
population. while the Southern states, IN
GLIDING Virginia, Arkansas, Louisiana
Alabama and Kentucky. have compara'
lively small number OF cars per capita
the last named state having only one car
for each COZ persons. In many OF these
states Il is not so much question OIL
lack OF wealth as It poor roads. when
offer little nducement for the use Oh
motor cars
II will surprise many to Learn that there
are only 3s.ll2 commercial vehicles regis
tered in the United States. the heures III
dicating in a slight degree the uenehuous
future OF that branch of the industry
In total car registration New iorh
State is the leader with California seeoha
and Ohio third. followed by PennsylVai''H'
| New Jersey, Massachusetts. Illinois. lows
and Michigan. the last named state oelus
| considered the home of the automooi'e
| manufacturing industry.
AUTOMOBILES.