The sun., 1916-01-02
MANY CHANGES IN
AUTOS IN 10 YEARS.
Steering Wheels, Pneumatic
Tires and Licenses Almost
Unknown Then.
LAW BEHIND TIMES YET
~ rR RANC1s NJ. lluGO,
Secretary Of state.

Secretary Of state.
At the beginning of the automobile
movement In this country, 1t was natural
that none Of the participators should
have any idea Of the extent to which
mechanically propelled vehicles would
alter the habits of mankind. affect poll
tics and social development and intro
duoe new and difficult problems Ger
tainly none of them imagined that fif-
teen years afterward there would ac-
tuaily be more motor cars than horse
drawn vehicles. or 95 per cent. OF the
former to per cent. Of the latter, on
the streets OF the cities: that the record
speed Of a mile in less than one minute
would be achieved making the motor
car the undisputed speed champion OF
the world. and that the contrvances not
only Of animal traction but also Of rail
traction would be seriously disturbed in
1915.
But. challenged. these are every day
facts and the ardent enthusiasts who
started things fifteen years ago many
motor cars years before, are fully en-
titled 20 be classed as pioneers who have
welded q worldwide influence. Every
great change In the world which has af-
Escted the lives OF humankind has had
TO 10 through the same stages. First or
all comes the dncreduious but good hu-
uored contempt Of the public. The un-
thinking average man says TO himself
Si,o change is not worth worrying about.
Tor II is only q fashion or fad for the
time being.
Then comes the second stage. when
much illogical and Ill defined irritation
10 expressed to a large extent because
the invention. condemned in advance.
has dared to succeed. At this period
some Of the community, more progressive
than the rest. are beginning to adopt
new inventions OH account OF the fact
that Il saves either money or time or dis
tance or any or all OF these Closely
following this stage OF periodic orpo-
sition comes one OF violent and often
general opposition. This Is the fear OF
interested parties that they will be af-
faeted. their methods rendered obsolete
or their dividends reduced.
Finally the time arrives when the
innovation Is accepted IN grumbling
spirit as another evil which the human
race has to bear. till eventually the
force Of habit begins to tell and tolcr-
ance begins to appear. Thus the human
race benefits at last against its will
and this has been the history or the
fight made by the pioneers OF automo-
bilism.
The last enemy OF progress to surren-
der is Of course the law for here ira
dition and custom are all powerful. In
automobillsm as In some other mat
lao In IL, IN
mon sense and behind the needs Of the
times Tho Government has not time
to attend to all reforms and this much
is plain in the history OF automobilism.
II is almost forgotten that the require
ment calling for persons to advance one
half mile ahead OF every traction en-
gine on our public highways to give Sig
nal OF warning is still upon our statute
books. and that even now no car may
exceed thirty miles an hour even on
the loneliest and stra!gh;est road with
cut infringing the statute. no matter
whether the road he deserted or crowded.
To recall the position of motorists in
1901, when the first motor vehicle law
Of this State or country was enacted,
10 more effective than the enumeration
OF changes since that time. The maxi
mum speed has grown from fifteen to
thirty miles an hour, while, on the other
hand. drivers licenses. number plates and
taxes were unknown fifteen years ago.
With regards to the mechanical changes,
these are almost too numerous to men
tion. The steering wheel had hardly
come into existence. pneumatic tires
were also just beginning to be used and
solid tires were In vogue for certainly
half the vehicles on the road.
Electric ignition had in only few
cases come into use and In consequence
OF the starting handles being made de-
tachable they were sometimes left be-
hind by the needless driver and the on
g.nes had then to be started by running
the car downhill or by getting a tow
from another vehicle.
Looking back fifteen years. 1t Is won
derful TO recall what was done by the
skilled and intelligent driver with the
very unreliable cars in those days. one
re1son was that hardly any one owned a
motor car who was not TIE driver him
self and understood the mechanism. This
was an absolutely necessary accomplish
ment then. For constant adjustments
had to he made. often on the roadside
and mechanical breakdowns were qr.i,
common. Indeed century run witnout
stopping was considered then as an un.
usually good performance and few cara
could boast of having covered more than
few thousand miles on the road with
out returning to the shops.
From the financial point OF view the
change that has come over the industry
Ia equally startling. Some five or six
American firms struggling against heavy
odds and handicapped by want Of capt.
tai, constituted the whole of the motor
car In dustry OF 1900. nd few hun
dred men were employed. In 1915 the
manufacturers Of motor cars and ac-
cessories alone not to mention dozens