The Washington herald., 1915-12-23
MOTOR GOSSIP
By Isl" GR0GAN


"Saftey First" has more meaning than
simply look out for yourself. t means
also that others have some rights to be
respected. Day by day. trafic conditions
are becoming more congested and nat
urally the -anger from accidents in
creases in proportion. True, the streets
are common property, but they are .di-
yided into two zones. the sidewalk for
pedestrians and the street proper for
automobiles. wagons, and other kind OF
traffic It Is but right that the pedes-
train use his portion Of the highway. He
would be the first to object il the at
tempt was made to turn it into runway
for motor cars.
But to turn it the other way around.
this same pedestrian or jayhawker as
he is called in some cities. will cross from
one side Of the street to the other any
where in the block. and. II while SO do
Ing he meets u friend. will stand and
talk to him in the middle of the street.
Let q motorist come up behind him and
blow his horn for the right of way and
the look that this iayhawker gives him
would almost freeze the water in the
radiator.
Another common fault is for a jay
hawker to suddenly decide that he has
business on the other side of the street
and step from the curb to the street
wherever the idea hits him. This is dan
gerous, for 1t cannot be expected that
the motorist is mind reader. and II
is due simply to the fact that most cars
are equipped with very serviceable
brakes that more accidents do not oc-
cur. II the motor car owner fails to
observe the crossing policeman's signal
or travels faster than twelve miles an
hour, he is very apt to be given an op-
portunity to explain why he was so
negligent in police court the next morn
ing Not so with the pedestrian. He
can use the middle of the street for
meeting place if he SO desires, cross any
where and at any time he wishes and
nothing is said or done. 1t seems that
what is fair for one should be fair for
the other. But il he will only think what
the words Safety first really mean, he
will help himself and others.
As the year draws to a close. the rumor
that the price of automobile tires is
going up Immediately after January first
grows more persistent. One of the large
tire companies has notified the trade
that they will offer them usual protection
for sixty days, that Is. make a refund
on the stock on hand. II during that
period the price should go down. How
ever, they say nothing about an increase.
It seems but natural that there should
De a raise in price. Raw material has
,een going up for some time and Zinc
,xide. which forms one of the principal
Ingredients in the manufacture of auto
mobile tires. is now hard to get and
Utterly impossible to obtain I'm large
Quantities. 1t has to be imported from
Europe.
c. W. Martin, manager of the solid
ire department of the Goodyear Tire
md Rubber Company. who was in the
.ity yesterday. is of the opinion that the |
lay of the dcmountable truck tire is
,assed This is especially true in cities |
where they have service stations. Our |
Goodyear s. v. tire has done more than |
We expected of 1t and We are daily re- I
ewing letters from customers who hav- !
ng tried it state that they can never !
,c persuaded to buy any other. so
ong as this tire continues to do as well |
Is il has" said Mr.. Martin I'm speak |
ng of this type tire which his company |
markets.
That a good commercial name is OF |
Intrinsic value is evidenced by the effort i
nd money expended by some of the large
actorics tu protect their good name.
The patent Office has just issued copy I
i-nted papers to the National Motor
-ehic!c Company, of Indianapolis, !,
Viii III r7otects them on the name Of the
National Highway models is their latest
cries of automobiles.
Firms who spend large sums Of money
II advertising that product are afforded
by the government from
parties no might endeavor
O trade on the good name and reputa-
ion of a well known article.
Trade marks are the John Hancocks
f business said Mr.. George Combs. of
he Combs Motor Company. national rep
The revolutionary hero
igned his name to the Declaration of
with an emphasis which
howed that he was going to win with
he new cause-or hang.
The signature was unmistakable evil
ence Of his responsibility.
THE manufacturer who signs his name
o his goods-places his trademark on
hem-gives unmistakable evidence of his
usiness wins II the goods are not right
e will hang-commercially
Trademarks and advertising are the
wQ most valuable public servants in
business today. Their whole tendency
to raise qualities well as reducing
rices and stabilizing them.
Our new National Highway models
re establishing sales and performance
ecords throughout the country. The
ame National has been the means
thereby these cars have been received
o enthusiastically. For fifteen years
re have been endeavoring to make this
anne mean something and during recent
ears our entire sales policy has been
uilt around the slogan of buy a whole
ar. not a collection of parts BY this
'e mean that the name of an automo-
lie should be insurance that parts are
ght- The practice of building cars to
onform with this policy has proven sue
essful. as evidenced by the remarkable
lcreases in our sales"
Greenheart wood from British Guia na
said q oIifla st |