New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-11
Building Cars at Kingston
Now a Five-a-Day
Speed
Survey by a Neutral
Trade Publications Describe
the 10000 Car" Enterprise
as 1t Is To-day
Rv c. Z T. SCHARPS

going to build 10000 cars in 1917, you
will recall That was the figure on which
the huge profits 70 be made were based.
Later on r. A. Campbell, president Of
the company, said they would be build
ing 1000 cars a month "by the middle
of spring" He couldn't be bothered ex-
planning the difference in profit be-
tween building $4,000 cars and 1900
cars IN 1917.
Just what chance there is Of even the
lower figure being touched you will be
able 20 determine for yourself after
reading a statement in the current issue
81 Automobile" and motor World"
motor trade publications owned by the
Class Journal Publishing Company,
which have been accepting advertising
from the Emerson Company. 1t may
be the investigation was made because
people in the trade have wondered at
such advertising being published, IN
view Of The Tribune's complete OK
posure Of Emerson finances.
Whatever the reason, here is what 1t
shows:
Present production, five cars day.
1906 cars shipped TO March !.
Estimated March production, $50
cars.
Estimated April production, TO exceed
800 cars.
10000 sets of parts for car manu-
facture contracted for.
Delivery specified for 5000 cars.
At the rate Of five cars a day it viii
take only between fifteen and twenty
wears to build the estimated Emerson
output Of 10000 cars. In order 10 build
10000 cars in 1917 il will be necessary
to construct only 29.400 cars in the re
naming eight months from May /, IN
asmuch as deliveries and estimates do
not reach 600 automobiles by that time.
Tc build 1900 automobiles it Will
be necessary 10 construct more than
1000 in eight months. The trade
paper article says the company has
contracted for /, 800 motors. and IN July
will he ready 10 build its own engines
This will mean turning out l,5OO motors
month for six months, after the l,5OO
bought on the outside are received and
nut into cars In other words, about
so motors day from a plant which IS
now assembling five cars day com
plete.' 10 looks reasonable.
Here is most of the trade paper artl-
Gle as it ran in "Motor World:
Kingston. y. Y, March Ito
day we visited the factory OF the
Emerson Motor Company, here. for
the purpose of finding out first
hand exactly what this company IS
doing in the production Of motor
cars. We brought our own pho
tographer and took photographs.
Nobody connected with the Emer-
son organization had any intima-
ton Of our visit until we arrived.
The photographs taken were all
made according 70 our directions.
There was not a single chassis or
part moved into any position in
order 70 make q good photograph.
Everything was photographed eX-
actly as 10 was.
We wanted it so in order that
our readers might get a true
picture Of what is being done.
Our artists have not done any re-
touching on a single photograph.
We found the Emerson company
assembling cars and shipping them
on n schedule Of approximately FIVE
day. Sixteen complete Emerson
cars were loaded on the freight
cars TODAY; yesterday nine were
shipped, on Tuesday seven were
shipped and on Monday seven were
shipped. We were advised that JOG
had been shipped 10 date.
Through the factory VIC were
most concerned at seeing how pro-
duction was moving along through
the different departments We
n found thirty chassis in different
N stages Of construction, as follows:
At the start of assembly were
eight frames being fitted with
aXles. springs, etc; on the pro-
rressive assembly floor with its
two tracks for assembly, were nine
chassis in various stages of COM
pletion; in the chassis paint de-
partment were nine GLASSES being
painted and fitted with tires, and
four other chassis were completed,
waiting 20 have bodies fitted on
them.
We looked for bodies and found
nineteen cars fitted with bodies
and practically complete, ready for
shipment. There were four bodies
mounted on wheeled trucks, ready
TO be mounted on chassis; eight
others were waiting 10 be taken
out of the final varnish room and
thirteen others were waiting TO be
nut into the varnish department.
Looking around for other indi-
cations OF stock 20 20 into the
chassis. we found the following:
Rear axlcs, 230: front aXles, APP
proximately, 15O frames, a.;
springs 600; muifers. 20; radia-
tors. %: propeller shafts, 30; start
ing and lighting equipment 20. In
addition, there were small groups
OF other compOnents IN different
Dlaces--in the new stock room. I'm
ished stock room and in different
parts Of the assembly floor There
were eleven motors on the assem-
bly floor, which had just been re-
ceived and were being uncrated.
We were advised that motors were
arriving al the rate Of six a day,
which is only at half the rate the
company neds them.
Throughout the factory we found
activity ia practically all depart
ments along the percentage that
you would expect Ia a factory pro-
ducing and shipping five cars "a day
on an average. Thirteen wOrkmen
we're engaged on chassis assembly;
twenty were working on finishing
up cars for shipment. four were in
the chassis paint department;
three were wording in the paint
and varnish. there were i've DO the
sheet metal department. eight
were IN the machine shop, and wo
did not have an opportunity Of
counting the numbers engaged IN
unloading working 10 the raw
stock DEPARTMENT, in tho finished