The Washington herald., 1916-06-18
MOTORISTS NOT
BADLY ABUSED
Operating Expenses Are Much
Lower Than in Past Years.
More Car for Money.

II those persons who are alarmed over
the gasoline price situation will think
back" a few years they will discover, per-
haps to their great surprise, that there
Is far less cause for worry at the pres
ent time than may appear at first glance.
It was only six or seven years ago that
motor cars similar in carrying capacity
to those of the present day sold for
Just about twice the price that now
prevails. And it will be further renem-
bered, that the motor-car buyer of those
days despite the fact that he paid dou-
bic the present prices, did not enjoy the
advantages that are covered in the short
but very significant phrase found now
adays in all automobile advertisements
namely, completely equipped
II was just a few brief years ago
that the Iaotor-car buyer had only started
to spend his money when he paid over
the buying price of his car. First or
all he had to buy top, because the man
ufacturers were unable to include that
necessary part of the car as stock equip
ment. so tremendously high were manu-
featuring costs Then he had to pay extra
for a windshield, or glass front as it
was called in those days.
Lighting Material.|
Lighting material and equipment also
came extra, as did tire holders, horns, Ii
cense brackets. Electric self-starters
were undreamed of in those days, and
tires, which cost nearly twice what they
do now, would give no more than half
the mileage of the present-day tires.
mileage guarantee on tires was unhearl
of then whereas now a guarantee Of 300
miles is a common thing in the trade,
with rebates and adjustments for the
user il the tires fail to yield their guar
anteed mileage.
And in those days, after the user had
ha had
car that would give him just about
half the Wear that he can get from
modern car. He got the best obtainab BILE
it is true: but the best" Of that day
could not be compared to the present
product. Manufacturers have found bet
ter ways for tempering metals, better
methods OF manufacture, improved de-
sign, better methods OF painting and I'm
ishing, and a better car all round. Think,
for a moment, of the tremendous i'm
provements that have been made in mo-
tor cars There Is not unit in the thou
sands which enter into the makeup OF
present-day motor cars which isn't
vast improvement over Its counterpart
Of few years back. Take the electric
self-starter. for instance. In the old
days a motor car buyer could estimate,
almost with mathematical precision, his
chances for broken arm incidental to
starting his car with the old hand crank.
pain and suffering caused BY broken
bones, had to be figured as part OF the
cost Of the earlier motor cars.
seIf-stsrter Helps.
AL this has been done away with by
the seIf-starter. Motoring is an unalloyed
pleasure nowadays, whereas it was
pleasure diluted with no small amount of
mental and physical strain and stress IN
the days before self-staTters were de-
veloped. And yet. in the face of all these
improvements. the cost OF automobiles
has steadily descended, and that includes
both the first cost and the upkeep cost.
better car for less money has been the
constant slogan Of the makers, and that
this ideal has been realized none will
deny. Even the users of cars have been
amazed by the way motor-car prices
have parachuted downward in the past
few years.
While owners must view with alarm
the sudden rise in the price Of gasoline
one must not overlook the fact that the
Up-to-date motor of correct design will
carry its owner and a full load about
twice as far as the same sized car would
a few years ago on the same amount of
gasoline. And 1t naturally follows that
while motorists may view with appre-
hension the continued rise in the cost
OF gasoline the fact remains that the
cost Of the actual mileage obtained is
about the same as when gasoline was
one-half its present price Further au-
tomobile experts do not believe that
the producers of gasoline have any idea
Of permitting the price of this highly
demanded product to become prohibitive
The best informed authorities trace the
recent sharp rise in its cost to the
unusual demand that is being made at
the present time.
Warning Nations Buy.
ring nations OF Europe. and authorities
Overoptimistic when they insist that after
conditions throughout the world again
assume normal proportions gasoline pro-
ducts will be marketed on whatever basis
is necessary to still assure the producers
a tremendous volume, which they must
necessarily have in order to make their
elaborate facilities for producing gasoline
a paying investment, and It is the opinion
OF automobile authorities that oil produc-
have no intention of permitting the price
OF their products to become prohibitIve to
such an extent that necessity itself Will
demand and find a substitute-thus rob-
bing them Of a market and a revenue
which they have created at tremendous
cost, and which would necessarily b.
come a worthless asset instead Of one
OF their main revenue producers within
short time after such a condition be-
comes a fact
In other words, It is pointed out that
the oil producers want the gasoline bus-
ness and that they have no intention Of
killing the goose that lays the golden
egg