New-York tribune., 1918-06-04
Automobihng
Motor Car Manufacturers
Meet This Week for
Annual Confab
By C. E. T. Scharps

There will be important matters for
the directors and members of the Ma
tional Automobile Chamber of Com
merce. The directors will gather to-
morrow at the Offices, East Forty
second Street. The annual meeting
will be held on Thursday, June 6
There will also be conferences of the
export committee and of the motor
truck makers, the first on Wednesday
and the latter on the day following.
Labor charges in local service sta
tions are moving up, in company with
other increases in the cost of motor
ing. There are no less than -four
service stations which charge $125 an
hour for mechanical work. Practically
nowhere in the city is less than 81
an hour charged and the rates range
from. that up to $1.10 and $1.15 as
popular prices.
AT that, mechanics are so scarce that
even high prices do not guarantee the
very best of work. One of the dealers
whose service station is collecting
Sl.25 for labor says he is afraid tho
price may 90 up some time soon tc
as much as S1.50.
1t is no secret that government needs
have pretty we'll stripped the service
stations. One such, that at one time
had as many as eighty good mechanics
now has only four first raters. The
others have either been drafted OF
have enlisted or have sought jobs that
paid them even higher.
A report that originated somewhere
out West had it that the factory OF
the Mercer Automobile Company, al
Trenton. N. j.. had been taken over
by the government and that in con
sequence the making of Mercer cars
had ceased. A. H. Whiting, local repre-
sentative Of the Mercer automobile
said yesterday that there was no basis
in fact for the report. The Mercer
factory is doing some war work, he
said, but the manufacture of auto.
mobiles is proceeding and will go right
on as long a. materials, ETC., are avail
able.
The attitude of the United States
Tire Company, with regard to the
situation created by the governments
regulation Of crude rubber importa-
ton is set forth in the following let
ter just issued by that company.
AS there have been many rumors
recently of varying nature regarding
the effect on the production and sup
ply Of tires of the government
regulation of crude rubber importa
ton and policies adopted by some
people in the trade, which do not seem
to reflect the true situation, we will
give herein some facts, as we see
them, which we believe will be ac-
ceptable to dealers.
'In order to conserve boat tonnage
for military requirements, the gov
ernment has restricted the importation
Of crude rubber, the present order in
effect to cover period of three
months, at which time further con-
sideration of the matter will be given
covering another period.
"The rubber on hand in this coun-
try now, together with that en- route
is sufficient to take care of normal
requirements. covering the first period
of restriction, and if the trade and
public will refuse to become "panicky,'
due to all sorts of rumors, and refrain
from over-buying or boarding, it is
the best belief of this company that
unless some unforeseen circumstances
ar1se it will be entirely possible for
the tire production Of this country to
take care of the needs Of the trade
and public for the present year."