The Washington herald., 1913-10-03
MOTORING NEWS
AND VIEWS.
FOR THE CAR
OWNER AND
THE TRADE
BY AUGUSTUS J. FERTIG.

Is the automobile industry soon to cele-
brate the passing of the tester?
The suggestion would have been
laughed to scorn a few seasons ago.
What. Send automobiles direct from
factory to consumer, without first seeing
that they will really run? Rob the in
dustry Of its most romantic figure. one
that has so long stood for the very
highest type of motor mechanic? Perish
the thought,
Nevertheless. the possibility is a live
topic OF discussion in Detroit right now.
Perhaps the tester may survive for sew
eral seasons, zen in the most scientific
and largest plants. In plants where vari-
Gus units OF construction are bought out
size. and assembled at one headquarters.
he may last longer. But steadily and
surely his work is being simplified and
his scope narrowed. In general belief, il
is but matter of a few years before he
will exist in a very modified form only
As one OF the big Studebaker coterie of
expert drivers puts Il. They call US
testers and we're still testers on the
pay roll. But we're fast coming to be a
bunch OF pleasure riders. There's moth
ing to do now but take a car round the
course. o. X. it and climb into another
one And the veteran sighed for the
days when testing was testing and called
tor judgment and executive ability.
The man who has so narrowed the du-
ties Of a tester is the individual who,
Will micrometer or gauge. accurate to
less than a hairs breadth. passes stead
iy on the work of each man and machine
in the shop. insuring accuracy in every
operation Of manufacture. In the Stude-
baker plants he exists to the number OF
more than 500
His work begins with the raw material.
which is tested for accuracy to specified
chemical formula. He follows the ma
terial through every step Of its manufac-
ture, sometimes inspecting the same part
after each of more than a score of
operations. he tests its performance in
the assembled unit, removing now and
then part for test on intricate ma
chimes, capable of trying il to a state of
destruction. He inspects the completed
car, scrutinizing finish as we'll as me-
chanical perfection. Last of all, he goes
carefully over each automobile on the
shipping platform, as it enters its box
car, and sees to it that it is COM
plete with every detail of equipment
There are even inspectors who inspect
the work OF the other inspectors What
chance is there for the poor road tester
to bring in anything but a favorable
verdict on cars built to such plan as
this?
Speaking Of saving money on your au-
tomobiles, Rudolph Jose, of the Cook &
Stoddard Co, local representatives OF
the Cadillac Company. can save you
money on few Csdillacs Of 1910,
1911. 1912. and 1913 models. He also has
OF hand Rauch & Lang electric road
ster. 1t is worth while looking into these
cars
r. J. Skilton. secretary and treasurer
OF the Meeley Rubber Company. of Phil |
is in the city for the opening
Of the new quarters of the Meelev Conn
pany, local agents for Firestone tires, at
S2i Fourteenth Street Northwest
The dinner of the Washington Automo-
bile Association will be held at the Com |
mercial Club on next Monday.
slipped out of the auto-dropped on the
up by a ser-by-adver- |
tised-recovered. That's one Herald lost
story in hrief