Evening star., 1917-09-09
Still More Expense.

SClll MORE Expense.
But the annual expenditure for new
ma chimes large as it is. is not all the
expense, as the cost Of running is
heavy, witnessed by an industry which
motoring has built up-namely, tire
manufacturing. which is becoming al
most as large as the motor car building
trade itself. Next to the tires is the
which is among the heaviest in the
motorists expenditures Besides. the
cost of repairs, renovations and period
ical overhauls amounts to many mil
lions. which, added to this, is the sum
of the annual registration and license
year, would amount to a sum exceeding
s35, 900, 900. Statistics reported by the
United States bureau of roads indicate
that approximately $S0,000,000 was ex-
pended for highway improvement last
year by the several states, and largely
for the benefit of the motorists.
Garage Cost, Too.
while many owners keep their ma
chimes in stables converted to a new
use. a large number of motor vehicles
are stored in public garages or in build
fngs especially rented for that purpose,
and the cost of this service must aggre-
gate a large sum, although perhaps the
heaviest expense of all is in looking aft
er the driving and care of the cars, the
need of which has opened a new calling
of vast extent The actual number of
professional drivers licensed in this
country during 1911 reached nearly 49,
600 and since that time their number
has increased twofold. If the wages OF
this number were fixed at the rate OF
sIJ per week and the compensation OF
others employed about the car were add
ed. the total would reach upward of S5,.
000,0 annually, and thus the running
expenses of the motorists. coupled with
the purchase price and incidentalS, would
reach the enormous aggregate of billions
Of dollars.
But these figures cover only the di-
rect expenditures upon cars and theiI
operation and do not take into account
the moneys spent indirectly in connec-
ton with motoring, such as the cost OF
suitable clothing, hotel and travelling ey.
penses while touring. which must add
several millions to the total amount
The spending of this money benefits d.
rectly or indirectly a great number OF
people especially the industrial classes
The proportion of direct labor expended
in the actual production of car varies
Of course. greatly. according to the con
ditions under which it is produced. II is
low where highly organized machiner,
Is engaged in the production of the
standardized mechanical details and cor
respondingly high In regard to the parts
to which Standardization cannot be ap-
piled.
The average of direct labor upon the
car is small. but this does not by any
means cover the entire cost to the man
ufacturer, as it only covers the labor
directly employed upon the construc-
ton in the factories. There are. in ad
dition to the items of rent and taxes
the heating, lighting and power the
wages of unskilled and skilled labor
throughout the works. the salaries OF
the managers and the staff of super
visors, the highly skilled craftsmen
testing STATS and the clerical assist
ants who deal with the supplies and
keep track of the work. Moreover. the
manufacturers purchases are high in
the way of material. which is not raw
but the finished and partly finish ed
product of other trades. When a ma
chine is finished still more labor is re
quired for its distribution and sale
and there is a large staff of clerks l.,
ha oiaJ dom ay.tr Of