Evening star., 1915-03-14
USE OF AUTOMOBILES
NO LONGER A LUXURY
Business Men Are Finding Them
More and More of
Necessity.

Although a number of reasons may
enter into the unprecedented demand
for motor cars of the 1918 type. there
is one which stands out prominently by
itself and that is necessity. The auto
| mobile is a necessity and as such it is
being bought by hundreds of thousands
of people. a majority of whom have
never owned cars. Others have had
the experience and know what it is
to be without one. SO they have made
the best possible deals for their old
machines in acquiring new ones of the
latest type.
1t is figured by i man who is keen on
such things that any ambitious individ-
ual who believes that time is money"
and apportions his work and efficiency
i'll the right ratio should be able to
make a car pay for itself inside of three
years. Many can do this in much less
time.
Time was when the automobile was
rated as a luxury and not much more.
But that has passed The modern motor
car is not luxury with the masses.
and it will play even q greater part in
the business Of the future.
Its Use in Business.
| The big business man makes the cir
cult in a big car driven by chauffeur.
! The small business man or the sales
man covers the ground just as quickly
in small car. Naturally the greatest
| field is among the same folks and they
| have the satisfaction of just as good
! ride as the owners of the high priced
cars No jealousy exists: honors are
even.
| The industry itself consists of 450
| makers of motor cars employing hun
dreds of thousands of workmen. mostly
skilled and paid good wages. There
are more than 5000 local dealers in
the country and about 1000 garage
men who do not sell cars. There are
hundreds of makers of accessories with
their working organizations.
Ihen there are those who produce
. the steel, aluminium and brass which
enter into the cars, also the lumber
leather, glass, rubber, oil and other
things.
The automobile industry now ranks
third IN Importance in this country but
its influence is wider than that of any
other 1t has done more for Michigan
than any one thing and the fact that
cannot help growing is one of the
brightest omens for the well-being of
the commonwealth
Cars for All Weather.
As part of the necessity of auto
mobiles this is the day of the all
weather car. and the sale during the
winter of the inclosed types has been
| in excess of that of other years. This
car is a natural development of condi-
tions in America, and it appears this
season in greater variety of styles
than in the past, and the usefulness of
this type, combined with the reason
able price, has made it very popular.
Closed cars were rather expensive in
the earlier days of the industry, but
the makers have learned how to keep
down the excess which the body tackled
on the price of an ordinary touring
car. until the difference is not enough
to deny the average motorist of COM
fort in the worst seasons of the year.
In the gracefulness of the body de-
signs. as well as in numerous little
things which add to the new cars. the
influence of woman is evident. Woman
has taken to the automobile like the
proverbial duck to water, and her num-
Der is on the increase both in owner
ship and control of gas cars. From