The Washington herald., 1916-01-11
MOTOR GOSSIP
By "sI, GROGAN.

The general trend OF the automobile
business away from price to quality is
evidenced by the large number of man
ufacturers who are maintaining, or
even raising their prices.
During the past six months, two Of
the best-known makers have raised
their prices. canvass among other
will be practically no important reduc-
tions during the next four or five
months, and that in a number of in
stances the new cars will be of high
er price than those sold during the
past year.
Charles T. Jerery. president of the
Thomas B. Jefrery Company, of Ke-
nosha, Wis, says the American public
has discovered. through experience.
that it takes a certain amount Of
money to produce a high-grade
quality automobile that will run
without trouble and at low cost over
a period of time. =.
I'VE have always believed that the
American public wanted quality" says
Mr. Jeffery. we have refused to sac
rifce quality for price and we will con-
tinue to maintain our. quality"
After a meeting of the board of direc-
tors. Alyan Macauley, vice president and
general manager of the Packard Motor
Car Company, announced that. in addi-
ton to the recent preferred dividend. the
company has declared. payable Feb
rusry /, a 10 per cent dividend on the
common stock Of the company. and also
"a cash dividend.
THE company" said Mr.. Mcauley. has
decided that. having now substantially
completed its program of plant expan-
sion, a reasonabl portion of its earnings
will be used to pay dividends on the COM
mon stock so long as conditions continue
TO Justify so doing. We are declaring a
stock dividend because. during the past
five years, we have devoted our earnings
largely to adding extensively to our
manufacturing facilities in order to be
able to produce our highest grade cars
and trucks in large quantities, and at low
cost. without in any detail detracting
from the quality that has always been
Packard. We have accomplished that
Our facilities. we believe. are second to
none in the automobile world.
Our plant is almost a mile long, from
north to south. and averages nearly a
thousand feet wide. There are over IL 900
employees on our pay roll and last month
we manufactured nearly 100000 of prod
uct"
panpIa inf 81 al In "a "a 1sf-
ness and the allied Industries have so
long since gotten tired Of gaping over
big figures concerning tires that 1t takes
something unusual to startle them. But
most people do not realize that the rim
Industry, too, has had to make immense
strides in order to keep within shouting
distance OF the tire business.
The Firestone Tire and Rubber Com
pany has recently issued some figures
which very decidedly talk for themselves.
For example in the month OF December,
400, 900 pounds of special steel were built
into Firestone demountable rims.
At the present time, the Firestone rim
plant occupies more space than the en-
tire Firestone factory did five years ago,
and in addition a new increase to the
buildings 500 feet long and 100 feet wide,
is under construction.
The Firestone Company announces that
seventy-nine Of about I25 car manufac-
turers in the United States who use de-
mountable rims as standard equipment.
The years output will be close to 1,O00.-
0co demountable rims.
One Of the big points being emphasized
by the Firestone Tire Company this year
Is the necessity for representation all
over the country IL the car-owner is to
be taken care Of With this idea In view
Firestone representatives have been in
creased until today they number over
loo welEchosen and well-distrlbuted
service stations throughout the country.
To this service and effectiveness OF de-
mountable rims may be attributed the
decrease of serious tire trouble. The
quick removal of a punctured or blown
out tire and its replacement by an in
fiated one is made a simple matter for
the motorist, no matter how slight his
training in mechanics.
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