Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-07-05

standard cars nowadays
rarely give any trouble to their drivers.
"While manufacturers are constantly
building better and rendering better
service, it is fact that there is de-
creasing need for service on each years
production Of cars" says Chalmers.
There is no question that motor cars
are today much better built than they
were few years ago. 1t is rare eX-
ception nowadays to see car laid up
along the roadside by engine trouble
But, however much may credit this
improved condition to the better de-
signing and better building of cars we
must attribute a large part of 1t to the
education of those who drive cars.
THE automobile, generally speaking, |
is the most abused piece Of machinery
in the world The manufacturing limits
in a motor car are as accurate as those
in a watch yet we drive this finely
built piece of machinery at high speed
over all kinds of roads II often goes
for long period of time with insuffi-
cient fabrication. It is not cleaned as
frequently and as thoroughly as 1t
should be. And yet the almost univer-
sal attitude Of drivers has always been
that this wonderfully fine and woefully
mistreated mechanism should render
perfect service
"The people who drive automobiles
are becoming more reasonable, how
ever. They realize that a motor car
repays in service every attention 1t re-
ceives. And in exact proportion as
those who drive cars appreciate that
they cannot get uninterrupted service
without proper care, does the usefulness
of the automobile increase.
"A big Mogul locomotive, Weighing
/ approximately so tons, spends eight
hours of every "a in the repair shop.
Locomotives are built for endurance.
/ They are heavy for service. They run
over scientifically built roads on heavy
! steel rails. Yet each locomotive spends
one third Of its period of service being
/ overhauled and repaired. The railway
companies don't complain on this ac-
! count. They recognize that any piece
Of machinery must receive careful at
tention to keep it in running condition
Contrast this with the average au-
tomobile, however. If the owner of an
automobile has to put his car in the
| shop for overhauling eight hours in a
month, his attitude is one of condem-
nation.
1T is human nature to shift respon-
sibility whenever possible to another
/ person. 1t is even more human nature
to shift responsibility to an inanimate
object which cannot defend itself.
Troubles often Owners Fault.
"And so It used to be almost univer-
sal for automobile owners never to ac-
knowledge the responsibility for car
troubles as their own. They invariably
blamed it on the car. An owner fire.
quently will neglect to Intricate his
car for hundreds Of miles, and for in
stance, blame the car because the mo-
tor overheats Not infrequently an
owner will accept his chauffeur's word
that a car is giving constant trouble
when, as a matter of fact, the chauf
feur pays practically no attention to
the mechanism. But drivers are be-
coming more and more familiar with
automobiles, and there is a natural
tendency for them to give better care
to their cars. AS result motor trou-
bles are decreasing.
Actual repairs to the average car
cost very little. There is, however, a
tendency among owners to charge all
of the expense in connection with their
cars up to repairs. I have seen state
ments in which tire maintenance gaso-
line and oil were charged against the
car as actual repairs.
THE separation of tire and gasoline
expense from the repair costs will con-
vince the average owner that he gets
mighty good service from his car al
very little cost.
But the fact remains that there was
never an automobile built that at times
the owner would not sell for almost
nothing. Those who drive cars are sc
I used to receiving perfect service tina
any kind of a mishap which interrupts
that service makes them intolerant
Sometimes on account of bad tire al
owner viii condemn his entire car. DC.
q casionally on tour a driver will ge
+ bad gasoline. When out on the roaC
If he has trouble with his motor, hi
Z first thought is to blame the car, bu
! 1t never occurs to him to Investigate
the quality of fuel he Is using
"A careful consideration of the caus
Y Of the trouble, however, will make /
( clear to the driver of any standard ca
i that his machine really gives him won
n derful service A well built car de
q mands only reasonable consideration
n 1t will do almost any task it Is calle
a upon to perform with efficiency, |
Il given the natural attention required b,
4 any finely constructed piece Of ma
n chinery."
n DR.. w. G. NJ. Allen purchased a,
q Overland from the Inter Mountai
q Auto company this week.
X -