New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-01
Manufacturers to Keep Or
CARNATIONS Intact Until
They Are Wanted
Output Is Reduced
Loyal Support Assured by
27,500 Dealers Through
out the Country
By {. T.. i. Scharps

DETROIT, Nov 30.-Fo lowing a call
from the National Automobile Chamber
Of Commerce, more than $50 manufact-
urers Of automobiles, in the Detroit
athletic Club. to-day voted to turn over
the vast productive facilities of the in
dustry to the government as fast as the
government can make use Of them. In
the meantime automobile makers will
keep their organizations intact.
Manufacturers appreciate that bust
ness cannot be entirely as usua! during
the war, as the principal business now is
making war and not making automo-
blIes, so that the industry cannot ex-
pect to increase production az in the
past.
A. W. Copeland and Hugh Chalmers,
OF the Automobile Industries Board.
who, with John r. Lee. were appointed
to coordinate the government war re-
qurements with the facilities of the
automobile industry, explained the
work going on in Washington. Their
need for additional engineers was an
swered promptly by nine manufactur-
ere volunteering the services of nine of
their engineers to work with the COM
mittee in Washington for the period of
the war.
II was felt that selling transporta-
ton for millions of people and thou
sands Of tons of freight, as supplied by
the modern motor car and truck,
coupled with the war railroads boards
request for greater motor transporta-
ton TO relieve the railroads of short
haul traffic, demands continued and
even greater productive facilities in the
industry, now rated as third among
those of the United States.
offer to Willard
BY unanimous vote of the meeting
the following telegram was sent TO Dam
iel Willard, chairman of the War In
dustries Board, in Washington:
1.-THE automobile industry, as repre-
scented by more than $50 manufactur-
ers, in session here to-day. volunteers
its hearty support to our industries
committee in Washington, and pledges
to the War Industries Board and the
War and Navy departments their
heartiest support. and TO man eX-
pressed their willingness to turn their
facilities over to the government as
fast as the government can make use
of them. In the meantime, We hope 10
keep our organizations intact, so as to
conserve the greatest possible poten-
tial strength to the present and future
war plans of the government"
Loyal support by 27,50O dealers was
indicated by reports from different sec
tons of the country. expressing their
willingness to help win the war by re-
arranging organizations for the new
situations created. The automobile
men expect to make cars to as near a
normal number as the material situa-
tion will permit, but it may be expected
there will be some decrease in the num-
Der of passenger cars, making them
harder 70 get, and which in turn may
result in higher prices.
General Manager Alfred Reeves, OF
the National Association of Chambers
of Commerce supplied the meeting with
figures which showed $50 makers OF
passenger automobiles and 372 makers
of motor trucks in thirty-two states
with a capital investment of s736,0OO,-
900 and with 100000 workers to whom
$275 100000 in wages and salaries is
paid annually. The production for the
year ended June 80 was l,8O6,l94 motor
vehicles. of which 200 were trucks,
the total value of both being S9l7 49,
938