Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-04-20
Optimism Keynote of Auto
Industry, Says Redmond

America is at war for the first time
since the motorcar proved itself q
practical vehicle, but the automo-
bile is too important and essential a
factor in our daily life to be garaged
for single minute in these days of
uncertainty and stress.
This is the verdict of the 1918 au-
tomobile shows, according to Andrew
Redmond, local distributor for the
Oakland Motor Car Company, manu-
facturers of the Oakland Sensible
Six"
There are many reasons to be
optimistic over the future of the
automobile industry" he said. "The
demand for the efficient, economical
car is greater than ever, with the
unusual times putting a premium on
manpower and precious hours. This
was conclusively proved by the at
tendance at the automobile shows
held in New York, Washington, Phil
adelphia, Cleveland, Milwaukee, De-
troit and Chicago, and by the large
number of orders for immediate de-
liveries that were booked at these
large distributing centers.
And not only are there thousands
of prospective purchasers with
money to buy cars; but the oil wells
of the country are furnishing the
6dSOllllS Will WIlCll W run /.
All petroleum output records were
shattered last year. when the produc-
ton totaled 341, 100000 barrels, an
increase of fourteen per cent. over
the yield for 1916, and there is no
probability of a gasoline shortage.
for the surface reserve of crude oil
at the first of the new year was es-
timated at 53,OOO,OOO barrels.
The automobile manufacturer
and dealer, in fact, have only one
serious problem to solve. That is the
problem of deliveries, made more
acute than ever before by the freight
congestion on the railroads, the
shortage of cars, the priority orders
of the government and the paraly2-
ing billiards. of December and Jan
uary. The manufacturer can build
the cars and the dealer can sell them
If they can be brought to the point
of distribution.
present transportation problems
have put the wonderful resourceful-
ness of the automobile industry to
the acid test, but. the resourceful-
ness of the automobile industry has
yet to crack under the most severe
strain. Hardly a day passes in the
Oakland plant but new and novel
means of moving automobiles is de-
vised and deliveries are being made
in the face of the worst obstacles
There is a train of three box and
twenty-seven fiat cars running be-
tween Kansas City, Omaha, Minnea-
polls and the factory at Pontiac,
Mich. The equipment was leased
from a wild west show while the
circus is idle in winter quarters. An
other train of thirty fiat cars,
doubled-decked to double their
carrying capacity, is operating con-
tinually between the factory at
Pontiac and Chicago, the Oaklands
being unloaded at Elsdon, twelve
miles outside of the city, to avoid the
congestion and delay in the main
freight yards.
"On the first of the year, a train
of fifty new automobile cars, built in
Chicago shops for the Northern Pa
cific railroads started on their maid
en- trip with a cargo of $50 Oaklands,
consigned to Seattle, Spokane, Port
land and other distributing points of
the Pacific Northwest.
Such resourceful means of ship
ping cars is a guarantee to the Oak
land dealer that he will have Sen
sible Skies" to sell and assures the
prospective Oakland buyer that he
will have his automobile to use with
a minimum of delay.