The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-06

Country wide advances in the price
of gasoline have put the average price
well above 20 cents a gallon and the
present indications point to still higher
prices. The advance is due to two
causes, primarily decreasing oil sup
plies and large increase in the de-
mands for gasoline.
The prediction is made in well n
formed quarters that 40 cent gasoline
is not SO far away.
Many engineers and other students
of the situation believe that 40 cent
gasoline would have a beneficial effect
in the designing of motor cars. 1t
would tend toward making the design
of the car such that the car would
operate more efficiently.
There has been a decided trend to-
ward light weight in the past two
years, because the average car owner
important relation between light
weight and the economical operation
of an automobile. Forty cent gaso-
line would unquestionably compel
manufacturers to go still further,
causing them to make their cars more
simple, with few parts and less fric-
ton.
Simplicity is something that gener-
ally comes to an industry after years
of development. Sometimes just such
a thing as 40 cent gasoline is necessary
to force the attention of all interests
upon simplicity.
What is said to be a new record for
continuous travel at low speed has
been made by a Cadillac in Seattle,
Wash.
For a distance of 1,211 feet, on a
level pavement, the Cadillac-in high
gear-average a speed of 1856 miles
per hour. AT times the Speedometer
registered as low as one mile, fluc-
tuating between that mark and two
miles per hour over the entire dis
lance After the car had been Lhrot-
tied down, the driver left his seat and
for an entire block walked backward
in front of the slow moving Cadillac,
which pursued its way without atten-
ton to throttle OF steering wheel
The time consumed in making the dis
lance of 1,211 feet was 8 minutes
g 3-5 seconds by the stop watch held
by one of the observers. This is said
to be a new low mark for a motor car
travelling in high gear.
Automobile practice of throwing the
ignition system on and off with Il key
that can be removed and put in the
pocket OF the driver has been adopted
in motorcycle design by the Harley
Davidson company and will, it is be-
lieved, result in greatly decreasing the
number of stolen motorcycles. Sep
arate keys are provided for the cleo
trio lights and ignition system so the
owner can be sure both are safe.
George c. Hubs, assistant general
sales manager of Dodge Brothers,
points out that if a person uses his
car all the year around that he auto
matically reduces the overhead en- his
investment and that the car is therefor
much cheaper than when it is only
used for the summer months.
"A motor car should be considered
from its utilitarian value rather than
as pleasure vehicle" says Mr..
Hubs. +.And in impressing this point
have tried to show the real economy
of buying car which can be driven
all the year round. While the initial
cost of a car equipped with a top for
winter driving is slightly higher, when
you figure the cost of all the year
driving compared with summer driv-
ing only, the advantages of purchas-
ing the car with the closed top is very
apparent -