The Washington times., 1917-02-10
Frank Discussion of Motor
Matters by The Times Auto
mobile Editor
AN UNPREJUDIcED OPINION
A Column of Judgment on Is
sues Vital to Motor Car
Owners.
By MONTE w. soHN.

play the piano.
And after we had mastered the
Little Fairy Waltz it was in the order
Of pOliteness for any hostess to insist
on our playing.
We were pretty rotten in spots, but
we improved to such an extent that
by and by we got to fits OF Chopin
and Beethoven and Liszt.
Interpretation didn't mean any
thing to most hostesses, who raved
over our finger gymnastics. So we
got By.
One day we visited a home where
two little boys were learning. The
piano was sticky with candy and the
keys were dirty. At the north end
of the keyboard a piece of chewing
gum had grown hard from neglect.
The name of the piano doesn't mat
ter.
But it has stuck in our mind ever
since.
So has the name Of the hostess.
Fade out
Hun1s 30 Doesn't Matter.
"a short pause to indicate the pass
ing of tims.)
We rode in a 81, 800 car the other
day.
1t 10 eight months old.
And 1t looks like u
From q smart green the color Of
the body has become q muddy brown.
The owner whines that he hasn't
time to have 1t washed
He's too busy. He thinks that 60
long as it runs all right it does not
matter.
What" he queries, "do care how
IT looks? AZ long as don't have any
engine trouble and there is no trouble
otherwise, what's the difference?"
Owner Il Not Consistent.
None. we think, so far as most
automobiles are concerned.
But the automobile has no con-
science, no pride, and no feelings.
Humans worth while have all those
things.
The owner we quote is not con-
sistent
There are no soup stains on his
vest NOR grease spots on his trousers.
His clothes are immaculate-al-
ways.
His car is q disgrace when he uses
il commercially.
And Sundays, he admits, TITS like
pulling teeth to get the wife out for
ride. She doesn't care about motor
ing. much"
We don't blame her.
His car looks four years old. And
there are many cars older than that
which look better, brighter, cleaner,
than his 1916 car
Nothing makes him care sufficient
ly to give his car the little water
and polish 1t needs.
other Things Happening.
Besides the peeIing of the paint
other things more serious are begin
ming to happen. He is bothering the
life out of the service man of the
local - agent. He insists, like
all other bIamefuI compIainers, on
the ineffciency OF their cars, that
the car was never right in the
first place"
He doesn't see the loose nut be-
cause It is caked with mud. Because
he does not bother cleaning axlss,
springs, and Eresse-cups, he forEets
grease and oil altogether.
The body protests vigorously in a
dozen soueaks from radiator to tire
rack.
In six months more this car will
sound like a truok-load OF tin cans
on q cobbled street.
There may be an excuse for such
sloven neglect, but # must be a
secret. We for one are utterly un-
wise to IL
Like the piano, the impression we
have Of that car sticks with us. And
we think piano or car, neglect of its
appearance is an insult to his Judg-
ment Of splendid mechanical worth
for the owner OF either to suffer upon
u such slaovenly treatment
Every once in a while We slin
But are we discouraged? No!
1t merely goes to prove how close
10 intall libility We are nine in ten
times at bat.
For instance. last Saturday we &C
eused Louis Hartig, the new AJAX
distributor, Of being the Hsrtig Mo-
tor Company.
Or
We accuse the Hartig Motor Com
IgSlLLI IIllLlllLLlE ySIIILI