Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-03-26
MAKING AUTOS IS
A GREAT INDUSTRY
Few Years Ago 1t Was
Called the "Automo-
bile Game

1n twenty years the automobile bus
incs. iu th, United States mas growr
from no insignificant pigmy TO d
giant
n few Yeats ago It was spoken oi
as M, 'autumDhIl, game" Now u
is an Industry and the experts RAM
II after steel and iron and cotton
N, third most important Hduuiac'
turing industry ia the Emitted States
Onl, q worry few years ago conserv-
atitc bankers looked upon the pusi
ness with some suspicion dcemIug i
a mushroom growth and unsafe as d
place TO put money mat was not 9TH
erwisc secured NOW bankers are
lending money ON automobile com
pany stocks.
,diusimcrt Of Industry.
Tssros reason for both attitudes
In years gone hy there was "A great
deal OF reckless automobile financing
The business grew so fast that some
OF tho makers lost their sense OF pro-
portion Instead 90 financing eSten-
sions conscryauyaly out OF earnings
some OF them put whole counties
under roof on borrowed money
The result vas inevitable Tre
reckless manufactures were forced
out o business. their bankers took
hold 20 striightcn out their tangled
finances and with the conserf alive
element in tho industry brought i 10
iis present high standing
Truly n is now an industry and 40
Longer a game ana II mas won the
approval ana confidence of the busi-
ress world.
They Were RattIctraps.
From the few rattletraps that par
ticipatcd in tho very first automobile
race In 1895 the business has 80 eX-
tended that ne output of motor We
hiclcs in this country this year is es-
timated hy authorities in the trade at
from 100000 10 l.200.000 and the
Nalu, OF the product will not be far
from $1,000 0oD.
There has been an increase in pro-
ductiOu every year. The number of
cars turned out hy An erican factories
in 1905 ten years after the birtn of
the industry 33, ,S36. In 1903 the
production went far above the 100
eco mark--l.5.593. Fifty thousand
more were made in 1910. In 1871 the
number was 20q.P51. in 1912 the
number of i50.oO0 is given. and In
1914 there was an increase To SIS. 900
new cars.
The greatest Jump in any year
however. Was made In 1915. when
Si-24g passenger automobiles and
5o.369 motor trucks were sold In the
nitcd States The retail value o;
this product is stated by the Automo-
bile Chamber Of Commerce As 1892,
COO 600
Tor much OF tho motor truck man.
ufacture the European war was re
sponsibio. several truck manufac-
tuers nl'ing rich orders for various
sorts OF vehicles ordered by the bel
lisorcnt nations.
Increase in the Cars.
Tho Increase In passenger cars,
however. and part of the increase In
truck manufacture were due To the
rapid extension of the use of auto
mobiles IN American business.
one reason Tor this increase Is that
with improved engineering ana man
utaCtur.ug processes and larger pro-
duction the automobile manufacturers
have been ahlc To- turn out much bet
ter cars than formerly at much lower
prices with a great many users the
automobile has passed the luxury
stage and become an absolute noccs-
sty
I'm building the industry in this
country the foreign trade has had an
importlnt hearing In the early days
American cars would not do for the
"hloods" who had the most money
to spend They thought they had to
have European made cars, and the
French and German makers pockctcd
much American profit
The case is different now, Amori-
can cars furnish everything that
could be- desired by the most fastidi-
ous driver.
The United states is exporting cars
COW virtually to every country on
the face ot the globe. and the value
ct the ears imported is insignificant
in comparison with the value OF the
exports.
Naluc OF Motor Cars.
The value of the automobiles i'm
ported pv the United states in 1907
was $4,000. and the year after II
went slightly above $400o.000. In
1909 the imported cars were valued
at only s2.9C5,o00 and the figure
sank gradually 30 $6'0,to0 in l9l T.
Last wear IT was mp to >l371,4l2.
The export figures travel on as
ccnding line From value of S9iS,-
SOC for the cars shipped out of the
United States in 1903 the figures rose