Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-04-28
AUTOS NOT CLASSED
ESSENTIAL NOW
Cars Arc Allies of Railroads and
Horses Can Not Begin TO
Replece Them.
DICKSON STATES POSITION
President OF National Motor Car
and Vehicle Corporation
Analyzcs situation.

IN determining whether the Ru-
tomobne Is an essential or not--H
there stnl remains any question re-
garding the status OF the motor car
in American life and Industry the
burden OF proof rests entirely win
the inflnitesimal few who may hold
TO the negative belief, according 10
George NJ. Dickson. president OF the
National Motor Car and Vehicle cor
poration OF Indianapolis.
"Before the automobile can be
classed as non essential, salIsiac-
tory substitute mUst be offered he
said I'm support OF such a conten-
ton" and those who seek such
substitute will find their quest as
futile as II they looked for an atom
OF mercy in the heart uf the German
kaiser.
According to the latest antonio
bile census. there are i,Si2 l39 mo'
tor cars In the United States. or one
for every twenty four Inhabitants or
this country. that would have To be
replaced by some other means OF
nsportation II seif-propclled vehi-
cles were TO he relegated to the Junk
heap.
Is Ally of Railroads.
AT the very outsett, the railroads
can be eliminated from all cunsid-
GRAFTON. They have more than they
can do 10 handle the present un-
precedented traffic This Is being
demonstrated daily Incidentally,
instead OF the railroad being a sub
stitute for the automobile, the mo-
s.It
the passenger hauls OF - 600, 600
600 miles last year. figuring the
annual odometer reading OF the
average car AT 5000 miles This es-
innate Ia most conservative when
compared with the statistics Of the
National Automobile chamber OF
Commerce which give more than
double this 1917 motor mileage and
puts the value OF such passenger
carrying service at si.152,600.OOO
using the railroad rate of two cents
a mile as n basis OF computation,
while not comhonly used as
freight carriers. the electric railways
which might be offered as a sub
situte for the automobile, are not
In a position to assume such tre-
mendous burden. There Is hardly a
town or city in the country that
does not need more street cars at
the present time. Millions Of eNas-
perated straphanEers viii testify
to the truth OF such a statement.
The fact that street cars cannot pe
bought In large quantity due to he
shortage of materials, only compli-
Gates the problem.
Nccd Mort Horses As Things Are
III we could afford TO sacrifice
time, horse drawn vehicles might be
su bstituted for automobiles. but hc-
fore such "A substitution was made,
at least 10 100000 animals wltIld
have to be bred and raised, Tor II
would require at least two horses
to do work less efficiently and eco
nomically Of each motor car now
In use This is another most con-
serVatlve estimate A more reason-
able ratio would be four horses 10
one car, since statistics show that
the $4,000 motor trucks that were
. soperated last year replaced two mil.
lion horses and hauled 200 Ooo nan
tons OF goods at n saving OF cents
a ton-mlle
AT the present time with o,i,,
100000 horses in the Trt,ad
states. there Ia a horse famina i,'
ms country For more than three
years we have been supplying In.
allles with horses and mules FOR
mlhtary work exporting i.23295o
animals during this period. Now
win an American army In France
we cannot furnish General PershIng
win the horses that he need, and
IN such an embarrassing predicn-
ment he must purchase from Great
hrltain and France the worn-o,,,
naEs that they have discarded as
useless" "s