The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-16


the benefit OF that army OF prospec-
tive investors who are being tempted
b. the lure Of fabulous returns from
TIE motor truck manufacturing indus
try." says Charles f. Miller. general
manager OF the Shenandoah Motor
company.
ssThcre are now more than three
hundred concerns engaged In the
Manufacture OF commercial vehicles,
them. Promoters who know how
easy II IN to buy the principal units,
zach as motors. transmissions wheels
etc, from the various parts makers,
nnd assemble them into the completed
vehicle, arc enabled 10 dope UP con-
dliion on paper that Is almost irresisti-
bile to the man who has a few thou
M nds and who Is long on the get
rach-Quick stuff.
Aforesaid promoter is up against
an easy game. He says.
Hasn't Henry Ford made millione
ont Of the motor car industry hasn
Eo-and-so. and many other eo-and-sos
made millions under harder conditions
than you are asked TO 50 against And
isn't the motor truck industry gong
10 assume greater proportions than
the pleasure car industry ever thought
of doing?' Sure it is--NOT.
ITO the prospective iuvestor--to the
one should make a statement OF TACT.
THE statement should also be for the
benefit OF MANY investors who are al
ready in. and who should be spared
Gle grief of getting in deeper.
1t IS estimated by some dopesters
that the calendar year of 1918 VIII
witness the manufacture of 100000
pleasure cars. Eut that figure Is too
high. / estimate 100000. and, be-
Ieve me. even that small number viii
HELM the dividend Departments of the
rubber tire and the gasoline manufac-
curing com panies. Then what about
4he motor trucks numerically, by
Comparison?
governmental statistics Of. two
years ago--and they arc pretty re-
Iiable--hrought forth the fact that
during the preceding year this grand
old country of ours produced 100000
horse drawn wagone-~vehicles for
freight, general merchandise, farm
products and all other kinds of trans
pcrtation-all sizes. This included
those for export, say, 200. 600, Whicn
reduces our home consumption 10
soc 600 maximum. Next, let us make
ssip our minds to this fact: The horse
ss not going to disappear from our
sireets and from our rural and agri-
cultural districts as did the buffalo
from our prairies and the Indian from
our plains Horses are going to stick
around They are going to continue
sr our midst Let us assume that the
beet thing we optimists can hope for
II that motor trucks will cut the horse
wagon business so per cent, That
means we shall reduce the 500, 900
sfnree- drawn vehicle consumption in
fhts country 10 500, 900. Next let Ms
admit that one motor truck will do the
work Of three two-horse wagons. and
Gaze light delivery truck will displace
three horse wagons. That means
Sfifvide our 500. 600 by three, which
1cases q maximum motor truck con-
sumption of 100, coo per annum. NOW
lnt las he very fair TO ourselves ana
eli that possibility in two parts and
admit that so, GOO motor trucks-~all
weights and sizes--is about the rea-
senable limit 10 hope for.
.sTl,,es that mean that the motor
truck manufacturing industry is go
sssg to dwarf the pleasure car Indus
"In the pleasure car business the
irsaets, tfacturer produces his models,
ssfse-fe4 = ICES a corps of agents in the va
n.o5ss distribution Cpnters and~-wei
Nh all know how Il lot Of them got
ay 10 good start, and also that
are finishing strong, More power
- N.
D4t the truck business is vastly
4 erfat Htory. III means q tremen-
a iHvcetn1ent at the Eo-In. and 1t
Y.saaas much more thereafter, Motor
tracas are our transportation ssr-
sve ats. You sell one, or fleet. 70 "a
customer. and your real responsibility
fact. partner with that consumer,
and you must stand with him, and for
him during q during OF years that are
IL follow You must be big enough
10 protect him in his investment. and
you must arrange your END OF IL 80
49, aF
facilities all Of the time. It all means
outiay. 1t all means responsibility,
ana Ii means organization along ilnes
-of hcssvy financial strength.
eThe prospective purchaser who
thinks his problem Is solved when he
finds good truck Is apt to be jolted
In dne course. A good truck Is abso-
1afely necessary, 10 be sure. But who
fl back Of tho truck? Who are the
nen who designed IT. Who are the
men who built II? Who are the men
no stand sponsor for the truck after
at passes into the purchasers hands?
In a year. in Ave years, how shall he
carry that truck. or those trucks, on
his books? WIN they be assets or La
bilities?
That question can be answered be-
fore purchase. The prospective pur-
chaser should see To II that he gets off
ON the right foot when he makes his
initial investment in motor truck
quipmen
'sOf the more than three hundred
present and prospective motor truck
manufacturers. q comparative few
will be in the play, and the balance
are sure to be in the discard before
The Industry is three years older.
Some OF them are dropping out now.
Others are going 10 drop.
THE motor truck business fs never
going TO overshadow the pleasure car
Industry II isn't In the cards. There
viii In the last analysis. be a few big