Omaha daily bee., 1914-04-26
GREAT COST OF MOTORING
Gross Expenditure Calculated at
Three Billion Dollars.
LABOR TAKES HALF OF THE wAD
Three million People Supported, Dl-
rectly or IndirectIy-AnaIysi
of Huge Industry by
state official.

'ovtr 1.145,Ooo motor cars of all de-
scriptions in use In the United States
were registered in several states last
year, and OF this number ss per cent we're
pleasure cars, and the remaining 70 per
cent commercial. this proportion being
based upon the registration returns in
New York state. where OF the total
registrations OF 135.Oo0 motor vehicles,
upwards OF 1900 we're commercial" says
Mitchell May secretary of state of New
York.
"As may be inferred from these fig
ures, motoring has been the means OF
building up a vast industry. The United
States Commerce and Industry Report,
recently made public. shows that the
number Of foreign cars imported into
this country during the last three years
has been negligible. less than 1000. while
tho number exported has been enormous.
figures which speak well for the sound
ness of the American product. especially
when It is to be remembered that It is
but threee or four years since our ex-
port trade was Insignificant, while
large number Of the motor cars in use
at home we're of foreign make.
"As a matter of statistics, "a per cent
of the cars used in this country are of
American manufacture, and II a COM
parison we're made upon values, this per-
centage would be still higher, for II can
be safely computed that the motor cars
owned in the United States aggregate a
present value of nearly 1900, 10000, an
estimate placed upon a basis Of rating
ope-half OF the total number OF cars
registered last year at 900 each, and the
remaining half at 5000 each, both fig
uies being exceedingly conservative. as
the price of motor cars varies from as low
as $500 to as high as $500 for the SIX
cylinder limousine. The statistics further
show that close to 100000 was spent
upon the purchase of new cars by Amer
ican motorists last year. and to this sum
is yet to be added the value OF the
accessories. the supply of which forms
very substantial branch Of the motor
ca trade.
License Fee n Great Expense.
But the annual expenditure for new
machines. large as 1t lie, is not all the ex-
pense, as the cost of running Is heavy,
witnessed by an industry which motoring
mas buiiN ny AdAhNAst NhS
ing whcih ia becoming almost as large
as the otor-car-building trade itself.
Next to the tires is the cost of gasolene
and lubricating oil, which is among the
heaviest in the motorists expenditures.
Besides the cost in repairs, renovation.
and periodical 'overhauls' amounts to
many millions, while added to this is the
sum of the annual registration and IL
cense fees. which. since 1911. when n
careful collection of statistics from thirty
six states was made by the secretary OF
states office, amounted to exactly $S,746, :
1885. Since that time, especially during
last year, over twice this license record
was shown, totalling approximately So
500. 900 in license fees.
while many owners keep their cars
In stables converted to a new use, a
large number of motor vehicles are stored
in public garages. or in buildings espec-
tally rented for that purpose, and tho
cost of this service must appreciate a
large sum. although perhaps the heaviest
expense of all is in looking after the
driving and care OF the cars. the need for
which has opened new calling of vast
extent The actual number Of profess
during 1911 was 174.Os7. and since that
time the number In this country has In
creased four-fold. II the wages OF these
chauffeurs were fixed at rate of Slb
per week, and the compensation Of 9TH
ers employed about the car we're added
the total would reach upwards of N1,00O.-
900 annually and thus the running ex-
penses OF the motorists added to the pur-
chase cost and incidentals, would reach
the enormous aggregate OF some billions
of dollars.
But these figures cover only the d.
rect expenditure upon cars and their
operation and do not take into account
the moneys expended indirectly in con-
nection with motoring, such as the cost
Of suitable clothing. hotel and travelling
expenses while touring. which must add
several millions TO the total amount.
The spending of this money benefits.
directly or otherwise. a great number of
people, especially the industrial classes.
The proposition OF direct labor expended
in the actual production of the car
varies greatly according to conditions
under which It is produced. II is low
where highly organized machinery Is en-
gagged in the production Of the standard
iZed mechanical details OF the chassis,
and eorrespondingly high in regard 10
the parts of the body TO which stan
dardization cannot be applied.
Indirect Cost of Motoring.
THE average OF direct labor upon the
car is small, but this does not by any
means cover the entire cost to the manu-
facturer, as It only covers the labor d.
rectly employed upon the construction IN
the motor-car manufactures. There arc.
in addition to the items OF rent, rates,
and taxes, heating. lighting and power,
the wages of the unskilled labor through
out the works, the salaries OF the mana
gers and the staff OF supervisors, the
highly skilled draughtsmen and the test
ing staffs, and the clerical assistants who
deal with the supplies and keep check on
the work. Moreover. the manfactur-
turers' purchases are high In the way Of
material which is not raw but the fin
lshed and party finished products OF other
trades When n machine is finished.
still more labor is required for its dis
tribution and sale, and there Is a large
staff OF clerks I'm commercial depart
ments OF several firms managers, traV-