The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-22

held in reserve increased 90, DOC, 600 bar
rels, reaching a total of 220, 900, 900 bar
rels. Exports of petroleum during
1915 were slightly below the figures
of the two preceding years In spite
of this, crude petroleum advanced In
| price from $1.35 per barrel in August
to $215 per barrel in December with
a, further rise expected. Gasoline has
almost doubled in price during the
past few months and further advances
| are predicted Why?
| Statistics recently gathered by the
New York city police department I'M
derthe supervision Of Commissioner
Arthur Woods shows that the traffic
policemen of the metropolis each day
handle Is, 600, 0O0 pedestrians and 2,
800 eco vehicles The statistics fur
Their shcI Gthat Park Row and Frank
| fort street is the busiest corner in
New York city, 296, 200 pedestrians and
6, 700 vehicles passing there IN a, single
day. On the other hand, G. c. Healy,
Chicago's general superintendent of
police, reports that 8,972 vehicles re-
Gently crossed Rush street bridge in
eleven hours, while the last available
census shows that the twelve-hour> re-
cord for London bridge is Z, 57S We
hicles.
The United States Government Blu
reau of Animal Industry estimates
that there are now in the world up
wards of 100000 horses, of which
$1,000 900 are owned by the United
States. The average food consump-
ton Of these animals is between H.
and $4,000 pounds per annunn,
which is the average production for
five acres of land in this country. 1t
costs approximately ninety cents per
diem to feed a large draft horse, while
ShO0inPr a,
service amounts to some $50 year.
It is estimated that the amount of
iron consumed annually in the produc-
ton of horse shoes would - enough
to make from 10000 to $4,000 farm
tractors or motor trucks.
ItNis estimated that in 1911 there
were employed in the actual manu-
failure of motor cars 49,, 600 workmen,
who turned out a total of 1877, 200 cars.
Even this rate of one car per men per
year is far ahead of the proportional
record of any other motor manufac-
turing country. Tt is probable that
today there are approximately 500, 900
men employed in the actual construc-
ton of motor vehicles as the produce
ton of the American industry for
1916, we find that each Of our work
men turns out about two and two
thirds cars per annJIm. So much for
the effect of the ingenious, laborsav-
enterprise of our wonderful machine
tool trade.
The official beginning Of the Ameri-
can automobile industry is usually
placed at the Tines-Herald race, held
in Chicago, ILL.,, in the winter of 1895,
when the machines of the Duryea
Brothers, Haynes and Apperson and
other pioneers concIusively proved
that they were really practical road
f1Io Isl--
itations. In 1895 the Duryea, Brothers
established another definite beginning
for the American industry by intro
ducing their Yankee product to the
European public. This they accom-
plished by entering one of their cars
in the London to Brighton race when,
they competed against some fifty for
eigp cars. Starting in the ruck Frank
Duryea passed all his competitors and
finished first by more than an hour.
The achievement esta blished the Am
er1can automobile industry in the
world wide kingdom Of motoria.
Few people realize the tremen dous
effect that the motor car industry has
on allied trades that must furnish the
materials used in the construction of
cars. Here are a few interesting and
significant figures in this connection.
In 1915 the motor car industry con-
sumed $40, 900 tons of fabricated steel
Toys. In the same year 2,141 tons of
manufactured brass was used and L.
068 tons of curled hair, with 1850
tons of moss. 1t required 67,232 hides
/ and 3,28O,000 square yards of irnita-
| ton leather to upholster the motor
cars built in this country, while the
sum of $917,542 was spent in up
hoIstering fittings Of various sorts
There was further bill for 6,56O,OOO
yards of burlap and similar materials,
while no less than II, 405, $50 yards of
top material and Innings cost the in
dustry something like $2,50O,OOO. The
industry required 100000 pounds of
sheet ceIluoid and 8,45O,850 board
feet of manufactured hickory and
other woods for use in the bodies and
frames Of cars. Then there were g.
446,78O pairs of hinges to be provided
and a like number of door catch fit
tings. Even the carpet manufactur-
ers benefited, as the motor car build
ers bought from them 4S9, 1853 square
yards of carpet and 642,9 08 square |
yards of inoleum.
No other similar period has been +
so prolific in expansion of the indi-
viduaI components of the motor car
industry and it's interdependent allies.
Conservative estimates place the fac