New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-18
Freight Car Shortage Is
Hitting Auto Makers
Hard Blow
MATERIAL IS SHORT:
GOODS ARE HELD up
Machines Being Driven
Over Roads to Cities
Offering an Outlet

Inability to get the finished automo.
biles out of the cities in which they ar.
manufactured and the difficulty also o,
bringing in raw materials to the fac.
tories, az we'll as a decided under SUB.
ply of coal, ell due TO the freight car
shortage and congested traffic eondI.
tions, are not only seriously affecting
the motor car business to-day, but may
result in the actual shutting down o.
several plants. Production In 6 nun.
Der Of plants has been considerably re-
duced already by force Of circum.
stances, although the manufacturers
we'll realize that wherever they row
fall behind manufacturing schedules
they have no chance TO catch up later
Automobile makers are endesyOring
to meet the situation, where they have
cars ready for shipping, by encouraging
dealers to come TO the factories 70
drive them away. They also are send.
ing them overland 20 shipping points
that appear less congested.
The Chalmers Motor Company IL
driving cars TO Sandusky, Ohio, con.
Meeting there with line OF the
Baltimore g. Ohio Railroad, and thus
getting shipments to the East The
Olds Motor Works Is unable 10 ship
cars from Lansing 70 Kansas City a.
rect, and has to drive them into Chi.
cago in order to have them dispatched
from there to Kansas City. c. H. Lar.
son. the local oldsmobile dealer, re.
Gently had forty automobiles driven
from Lansing to Grand Rapids to ship
from the latter point.
The Packard Motor Car Company re-
Gently adopted a plan whereby motor
trucks loaded with passenger cars wer
driven about TO various freight yard
in the city, and wherever an ist
freight car was found the passenci
car was loaded into it. This did sSsl
with the necessity Of having frelgd
cars run up TO the loading platform o.
the Packard company.
Hudson cars are being driven 70
Columbus. Ohio, and 70 Fort Ssyrt
Ind, for shipment. "Horse cals' arc
used on twenty-four hour services p
st. Louis, to be forwarded TO ne
Southwest.
Dealers whose factories are In n
dianapolis reported there is less dr.
Guilty with shipments from that cry
over the Pennsylvania lines, slthougi
William Parkinson, the Stuh deslsf,
has had some automobiles on the roas
for three weeks.
The automobile business no. log
since passed the stage where ireigl
car shipments are anything to Woncef
at. Cattle cars and horse cars" srs
being used now, and II it we're no. 'o'
q rule against their use, gondola earn
would be employed.
Il is a serious situation which cor
fronts the automobile manufacturer
but merely anticipates the sltusu0o
that will come in the event Of var
Many will then discotinue the manu-
facture of automobiles, according
plans arranged for them by the lneSs
trial Preparedness Committee. In isel
Howard f. Coffin. chairman oil ta'
committee, has made the statement w.
in the event of war no more than W
teen or twenty Of the leading lVO sue
mobile manufacturers would con'll@
TO make automobiles.
But for the present AZ least ind'ef
tions are that there will be a shonsr
Of new automobiles for the spring sr
ing season, and those dealers Taoy,
factories are within driving distance :.
New York are likely 20 be IN pew.
position than those dealing Win NOV
remote manufacturers.