Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-02-24

occupies in the motoring field may be
gained when it Is known that the 714,oOO
cars in service in other sections Of the
world represent less than the total of
cars registered in the States of New York.
Ohio. California and Iowa.
WAR AN IMPORTANT FACTOR
There is one important factor in con-
nection with the compilation of these
figures which has to be reckoned with.
but which tends further to advance the
standing of the United States as a nation
of Automobiles This is the war The
leading nations involved in tins struggle
include the foremost of the European au-
tomobile builders and users.
In Great Britain, France. Germany, Aus
tria. Russia and Italy, practically all OF
the privately owned motor vehicles have
been requisioned for military service in
which their period of usefulness is decided
~ limited. The absence OF official fig
ures on the number of cars in use in these
countries makes 1t necessary to estimate
the motor population" using as the basis
for this approximation the number of We
hices officially recorded before the war.
adding the machines shipped from the
United States to the various countries
since the spring of 1914, and also includ-
ing a moderate allowance for the vehicles
that might have been made at home dur
ing the war period
In the latter consideration. it must be
remembered that in view of the fact that
the various factories are in effect govern
ment controlled. the number of cars pro-
duced for private consumption is. indeed,
very small. In Great Britain practically
all of the motor car factories have been
converted into munition plants. but in
France several OF the automobile COM
panies ire permitted to assemble parts
made before the war into cars for private
use.
GREAT BRITAIN SECOND.
Many of the countries recorded in the
accompanying ia BILE do not officially emu
merate the motor vehicles within their
borders. the figures shown having been
obtained from reports from consular Of
ficers and United States government eX-
ports statistics The United States, Of
course, ranks first having more than three
times as many cars as all the other coun-
tries combined. Great Britain comes sec
ond with it's 1850 cars, which represents
about one vehicle to every nine In this
country France and Germany, with
their net works of good roads and years
of advance over the United States in the
general manufacture OF motor vehicles,
occupy third and fourth places. respec-
lively. with $500 and 7l.45O. 1t is inter-
esting to note in connection with these
four countries that their standing in the
| automobile line is relatively the same as
that given above for consumption
ha ntha hap baS
been a quantity manufacturer OF automo-
biles. but has always been the heaviest
purchaser OF cars made in this country
Within the last few years several Ameri-
car manufacturers have established plants
in the Dominion where cars are assembled
Most of these cars, however. have been
made for export purposes. the Canadian
assembled machines getting preferential
tariff over the United States cars when
being shipped to the British colonies.
While Canada ranks fifth in the motor
nations with $500 cars Mexico on our
southern border Is we'll down in the list
with but 4.o9o cars. Australia is a coun-
try OF exclusively imported cars, a largo
portion coming from America. and con-
tans about 2O,3iO machines. OF the South
American countries. with their total OF
over % 200 cars. Argentina holds the lead
ing position with ESQ cars, with Brazil
and Uruguay following with 400 and l,slO
cars.
Russia until three years ago imported
all its automobiles. About a year before
the breaking out OF the war two motor
car manufacturing plants were establish
| ed, one at Riga and the other at Moscow.
but the little progress made along produce
ton lines was abruptly halted through
the war, Among the concerns that dis
| tributed the 1880 machines In use in Rus
sia arc several representatives Of Ameri-
can car manufacturers. Austria's man
ufacturing activities are also modest. a
ma jority OF the 1850 cars carrying Aus
trian license plates being made outside its
borders Italy. the home OF several cars
which have gained considerable prestige
in this country and the land where the
automobile owner pays, or at least did
pay. before the war, fifty cents a gallon
for his gasoline Is ninth in the list OF
motoring nations with 1900 cars.
The price of gasoline, not only in Italy,
but IN all Europe, has had an important
influence on the development Of the auto
mobile While Automobiles of the Uni
ted States are at present in furore over
gasoline nclnH Tctalleu at an average ol
twenty-five cents a gallon. it might make
them feel that their lot is not hard one
considering that before the war motorists
Of Great Britain were paying In the
neighborhood of twenty-six cents a gal
lon and car owners of continental Eu-
rope, from forty to fifty cents gallon
for their motor fuel. The great distances
from the American and Russian oil fields
to the European centers of population.
and the government tax placed upon the
gasoline brought about these high prices.
comparison of the six cents n gallon
levied on this fuel by the British governs
ment and the one cent gallon tax pro-
posed for this country. is also interesting
at this time The following table shows
the motor car population" OF seventy
one countries:
Afghanistan ,,..,,,,.,,, ,,.,.,..'.,,,' I'D
Algeria ,,,,.,,.,,',',, ',''..''.''''''' o'V