New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-07
.rCe Profits in Past Have
70 Caused Extravaganza,
Says II. o. Smith.
noWN WITH PESSlMlSM
IS HIS SLOGAN NOW
o..,onmental Stage Is Left Be-
hind. and Clear Prospect
Is Now in View.
- n suIrH PREMUER

~
oss there a time when the auto
-. business promised more health
,..,re than now. In the past there
80, rbst secmiusly had been 2 large
-, o. eros profit but rs is almost
.-,b,v the case when the apparent
.,,,in is abnorrslly large. it breeds OK
.s,cc and induces many 10 rush
sgsincss unprepared and without siv-
the necessary thought and con-
s.-.,,on. To IS fortunate that there was
e,mparauvoly large margin between
=, costs and selling price.
v.,b this industry the Development
- through which the automobile has
-, rsss.nc was costly. great deal oil
...r,s being covered IN few years. the
-, ~ which. however. IS amply borne
d, the commercially perfect cars OF
~ developed from tho few crude and
-. IDEAS which were the Inspirations
,.,.inS 10 the perfection Of the most
..sern. practical and wonderful trans
-.-,,ion medium or all time.
~. .uforobic 90 today would not
-. hs,n a possibility and the automo-
al, bssiress could not he where 1t IS to-
- 3, This industry had fallen into the
-. q pessimists. IL required optmists.
..,,s vho could see visions Of the future.
!, hss attracted the most alert and skilled
...,r,srs Of tho world. as IS amply veri-
"a Nv the great accomplishment IN de-
-,,,,-ren.s over q brief ten years
review Of what has been done. the
,,-ous IDEAS which have been taken up
- ,,rloited. will reveal the fact that
-, ,ban 3 rer cent Of the ideas intro
80 into the several makes Of cars ~
,,,loys times have survived in any form.
al N the other hand. II is startling to
..s how many Of the features which
,.,1eierize the most up-to-date cars or
,os,v made their appearance IN the
,,-v STAGES Of the development Of this
Industry
This reflects due credit upon those en-
ro,sr, Who through foresight and genius
IA 4 wonderful conception Of conditions
/, ea met Al that carly time, with so lit
4. experience carved out and presented
h. IDEAS which have proved the basis OF
..,uructfon 81 the latest and most up
,,.d,,e automobile. This cannot he at
,rsgted 10 intuition or luck. especially
rt,r, practical engineers had foreseen
and carefully worked ont these ideas
rore than ono iJes-wnich stands out to-
s,rs.s standard in the latest and most
MODERN car.
shtalthy future can safely nc predict
ID f.r the automobile business. as II has
hilv found its place among the large
,-i important industries Of tho period
me EXPERIMENTAL or development stage
rfh us extraordinary expenses has been
rs.el and FOR the future We can only
r.dic. such changes iu the fundamentals
n MOTOR car design rs tend toward fuT-
tier refncmcnts and economics. The
BUSINESS may be said TO bc safer because
o' IN, fact that It's gross margins have
ben reduced 20 normal and il no longer
''incis the get rich quick.
Inc public was never offered ~ ~
value as are prevalent today. and i
would b. almost impossible for 2 new
frodB,i 70 make q start. since. with the
TIsndid and economical manufacturing
examinations which have developed and
marketed the lower priced cars Of won
derful value. the newcomer would not
sand a chance with those already Or
ssniIed and established i'm this field while
With The better and somewhat more costly
cars the standard Of perfection already
attained is so high that an improved
prcd.ct has little chance.