Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-08-24
PASSENGER CARS MADE
IN FIRST SIX MONTHS
Ninety Nine Factories Contrib
ute-98 Per Cent Made In
Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
BY J. Edward schipper. in "Automobtle''.

BY j. Edward Schipper, In Automobile.
When January 1. 1917, marks the be-
ginning of a new year, more than $780,
600 passenger cars less han a year ola
may be travelling the roads of the
United States, or will have been
shipped to other lands. This prediction
is not based on estimates but upon the
fact that during the first six months Of
1915 or the period closing on June 80,
at midnight, 754,902 passenger automo-
biles had been completed in American
factories.
In all factories throughout the coun-
try practically without a single eNcep-
ton, the rate of production is being in
creased at the present time. During the
year, from July i, 1915, to July l, 1916,
many production records were shat
tered by concerns which had installed
machinery. During the year period
mentioned 1900, 600 cars were COM
pleted, and this enormous production
was made in spite of difficulties which
| were more severe than those ncoun
tered for many years. This is partic-
ularly true regarding the shortage Of
, raw materials and the difficulty of Sc
curing adequate qualities of labor.
Ninety-nine automobile factories pro-
duced passenger cars during the first
six moLths of 1916. OF this number 81
are located in Detroit and immediate
vicinity. Twelve are in Ohio, ~ in In
diana. and the remainder scattered
about the country almost from coast to
coast. OF the 754,902 cars made during
the first six months Of 1916, SO per cent
were made in the three states of Mich
igan, Ohio and Indiana. OF this, of
coures, Michigan claims the lions
share. with the great plants centering
about Detroit. Seventy-nine per cent
of all the care made in this country
from January to July were made in the
| " 1r,er i,,n ~{n ~ q = in I'm
figures.
Ohio ranks second as a car producing
state, having made is per cent of the
total, or 111.946. Indiana made 2 per
cent during the first six months, giving
a total number of 1910. The remaining
q per cent Of the factories were we'll
scattered, with a fair share in Illinois,
New York and Wisconsin, where the
natural railroad facilities lend them
selves to the quick delivery of materials
and also render possible good shipping
facilities for the finished product. Both
IF these factors are extremely neces-
gary to the big producing concerns,
particularly as regards shipping the
cars. because each car takes up such a
arge percentage Of space in a freight
Ear, thus necessitating a great number
If freight cars to take care Of wen the
daily product of some Of the large con-
Germs which have schedules up as hi.,h
as 1000 a day and more.
Ford leads the list of big producing
concerns with q record of 9 5000 cars
in the first six months Of 1916. During
the one year period of July, 1915, to
July, 1916, more than ATT, 900 Ford cars
or the parts to assemble them left the
shipping department of the Highland
park factory. Second in order Of pro-
d%uction. as far as quantity is concerned,
Is the Willys-Overland plant at Toledo.
This concern produced 94,477 cars dur
ing the first six months of 1915 and
more than 10000 during the year end
ing July /, 1916. Third i'll production
order is Maxwell, with more than 100000
FOR the six months period and approxi-
mately double that number for the IL
months ending July ], 1916.
Other big producers are Chevrolet,
Buick, Dodge and Studebaker, with
more than 10000 for the first men
toned ana between $1,000 ana $1,000
for the others for the six months pc
Rod. There are a great many con-
Germs ranking between 10000 and
among them ma be mentioned Chal-
mers, Hudson and Saxon. With prac-
tically all these companies production
activities have been such that during
the first six months of 1915 many more
cars were made than during the last
half Of 1915, so that the total produce
ton figure for the year endinT July /,
1916, is less han double that of the
six months then ending.
Statistics Of Industry.
Some Of the statistical figures of the
automobile industry are enhancing.
They form a romance of big business
and p%rodigious capital that has never
been eQualed in the history Of the
world. When it is noted that one
concern alone turns out in a half year,
over $119.000,0 600 worth of cars, it seems
almost beyond comprehension that
there should be any room for other
manufacturers, and yet there are 9s
others not turning out as many but
practically all prosperous and all with
definite manufacturing schedules. Dur
ing the year of 1915, from January l to
December 30. S92.6 lS cars were o