The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-04-08
AUTO INDUSTRY
and OTHER LINES
Interesting Figures That
Show Widespread Bene-
= fit From Motor Cars.

L. ]. Ollier,, vice president and d.
rector OF sales OF the Srudebaker Cor
poration, has compiled the following
data bearing on the value Of the auto
mobile industry to every other wind OF
trade-agriculture manufacturing or
mining. These figures furnish spsc:iic
reasons why people 10 longer rails:
the claim that the purchase OF autos
takes money out OF local circulation:
More than 100000 motor vehicles
were produced in the United States
during the fiscal year ended June 80,
1915.
The aggregated value of these vehi-
Giles was more than $523, 100000.
The az erage value Of these cars was
about $500.
Ing the last year were bought by tai
mers ard others living in rural com
nun ties.
Shipments of automobiles during the
( first eight months OF 1915 amounted to
109,82l freight carloads.
In tile four years from 1911 to 1915
the number OF cars registered IN the
nine Ernin states-Lllinois, Iowa, Mis-
souri,, Wisconsin, Minnesota. North
aa1 South Dakota. Kansas and Okla
homa- increased from 10000 TO 5GO,
OOC and one-half Of them are owned
NJ farmers who paid quarter oil
billion dollars for them.
More than 100000 motor cars were
registered In the various states, ac'
cording to q census taken In july,
1915, as compared with about 100000
passenger horse vehicles i'll use IN 1910.
/ There are 10000 automobile dealers.
garages. repair shops, supply houses
and charging stations in the country.
These include 1850 dealers, 1880
garages, $500 repair shops and 1000
stores that make automobile supplies
their principal business.
| Fully 100000 barrels OF gasoline
and 1o,000,000 gallons OF iubricating
: oil are consumed annually in automo-
biles.
I The first cost OF car is only part
Of the amount spent on it by the mo-
torist during the several years he ope-
rates it. Each year he spends fair
sum according to the extent the car is
uscG to operate and maintain It, and
most OF this amount is epent locally.
\ Supplies to run Tho car and acccs-
series are bought locally. These In
clude gasoline, oil. tires. rain coats,
! busters. gloves, robes, tools, etc.
| Every automobile that is not stored
| in public garage Is either housed in
barn or in small private garage.
Many OF these garages are built OF
material bought from the local deal
ers and all are erected by local labor.
The S12.000,0O0 to S15,000.000 paid
to state treasures for licenses. etc, Is
! spent OH road repairs and construc.
tions which are local improvements
made largely by local labor.
| H. Is estimated that not less than
5000 tourist cars made the trip from
cast of the Mississippi to California
last summer. They averaged three
persons to the car, spent $50 per day
on the average, and averaged So days
1 from the trip. making a total OF ST..
! 100000 expended along the routes.
Practically all parts of the country
are drawn on to supply these mater
iais sod parts. Orc for the manufac.
ture OF iron and steel comes from
Northern Michigan, Minnesota, Ten.
nGGsee and Alabama; aluminium is
r;:1"d and sme'$el III :ie Carolinas:
nickel comes from Colorado: copper
from the Lake Superior regions and
! western mountain states. and lead and
zinc from Illinois and Missouri. Cot.
ton used in tire fabric and for trim.
ming is raised IN the south, and wool
for upholstery is grown in Montana,
Idaho, Oregon and other states.