Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-24

I 10th between the National Automobile
Chamber of Commerce and the War
Board, the War Board told the Auto
mebile 'manufa cturers that they were
| to take inventories of steel on hand,
| and report promptly and the board
would then decide regarding steel.
UP to the present time, the inven-
tories have not been made, or at
least have not been given to the War
Industries Board. This has caused
further bad standing for the industry
at Washington.
The board further charges that this
cooperation has been withheld, that
no one has worked with the War
Board, and ali the approaches of the
Automobile Chamber of Commerce
have been bargaining. and not CO.
operation. AS regarding tax, the Ma
tional Automobile Chamber of Com
merce opposed taxation claiming
that a tax on cars could not be psas-
ed on to the consumers and would
seriously injure the many factories,
and the effect would be disastrous.
Yet, three per cent. tax was i'm
posed because the Ways and Means
Committee was compelled to raise a
revenue from every possible source.
and the majority OF the people con-
nected with industries felt that any
industry the size of the Automobile
could well help win the war by pay
ing taxes.
The Chamber OF Commerce again
opposed taxation when a suggestion
was made recently that a further tax
be imposed on all automobiles, but
inasmuch as they had cried wolf on
the previous tax proposed, their OPP
position to the latter suggestion did
not carry any weight with the COM
mittee who threw in the face of the
Chamber OF Commerce u statement of
year ago that the tax could not be
passed on to the consumer, and would
be ruinous; and the National Automo-
bile Chamber of Commerce was COM
PEELED to admit that this was not
prooftrue.
This "bucking the line" on the part
of the Chamber of Commerce had
brought the War Board to the point
where they were antagonistic to each
suggestion made them. and only
through the. spirit of cooperation as
shown by the National Automobile
Dealers Association who not only
agreed with the war committee. that
they were not opposed to a taxation,
but threw their cards on the board.
and assisted the Ways and Means
Committee to prepare a bill which
placed tax upon horsepower of g..
100000 cars being run in this great
country of ours to-day. BY this CO.
operative spirit towards the War In
dustry Board. and a definite and high
er form of representation at Wash
ington such as the type as repre-
sented by men like Vesper and Peake,
we have obtained the approval of the
War Board. and the result was a
statement to the public press of this
country which is the first thing of
its kind that has come out of Wash
ington. 1t was done at the specific
request of the dealers, and declared
that no industry is nonessential. 1t
gave the Motor Car Companies the
state of legitimacy; it has shown and
helped clarity the much muddled
minds regarding the automobile in
dustry.
This War Board has the big job of
winning the war. and in sacrificing
industry if not necessary. and it is
doing the job to the best of it's abil-
ity. The members of the War Board
appreciate a spirit of helpfulness and
cooperation, and are willing to re-
pay in kind.
To our local dealers, the writer in
vestigated throughout the country.
and would suggest that dealers cut
down overhead. reshape their plans,
and get on a basis that will come
nearest to getting them by, even if
no cars at all are received. The big
city dealers will be the hardest hit,
but all of them-big and little
should think automobile thoughts
trucks, tractors, farm light. and the
rest-they should centralize in one
location, pay attention to the equip
ment business, and specialize on re-
pairing and replacing defective parts
or in ineffective parts.
The last suggestion from Wash
ington regarding nonessentials men
tions the fact that the accessories
business of the automobile industry
is not nonessential. and that employees
at these places will not be exempted.
We do not know what they refer to,
as the word accessories" has been
entirely thrown out or the automobile
industry. Parts that are sold by
Supply Companies such as that in
which the writer is interested in are
known as automobile equipment.
We are rendering service, and are
furnishing supplies and equipment al
most hourly for the purpose of aid
ing and winning the war. We are
sending to factories who are supply
ing us with materials on a basis of
twenty-five to fifty orders from the
War Department, issued to us through
the different divisions and contrac-
tors.
Yours very truly.
FRONT AND MARKET MOTOR