Arizona republican., 1918-09-29
SITUATION IF
 AUTO MAKERS
 |S NUT SO bAD
Manufacturers Trying to do What Government Wants
 And Are Still Turning Out Cars by Thousands

WASHINGTON. Sept. eS.-t is an odd thing that nearly any one who comes 10 Washington to get something ln Inc way of materials that are lack Ing to build one thing and anotbc. when he fails to get it savs. "AnI AcI they're letting the aufomobiI1 people have the steel Co build a million lleasure cars.' So that, even if inc automobile folks themselves may have "n Idea they arc getting the worst of l' tne outsiders are all sure that the motor car industry is getting all fho close ones and all the breaks. If de- lends upon where you sit what inc show looks like.
 NS matter of fact, the automobile people are getting the same treatment "' Vncis Who come to Washington. -Nhd why should they not? They don't want any more than does any other h'"up ul patriotic men. to do anything tllat VIII interfere with the war pro- HI"h or the country. What more hei'hcr they nor any other group is sung 70 be permitted to do so. There ioIe' it IS all waste time 10 say that "nN lhdustry IS being favored over any other. lt simply isn't being done
 Inc program of the automobile manufacturers is going along in ac cordance with government wishes No one m the government has any idea mat the automobile is anything but a necessity. The important men in thc government use automobiles for their own purposes as time savers of the iirst grade. All that old idea about non essentials has vanished. But the authorities say: There are 5,OOO. COG automobiles to-day in the country. II ls all right to build more. if building mem doesn't interfere with wal Mork From this idea arose the plar ui limiting production for the last hal tt 1918 Co DO per cent.
 Nnd that measure. by the way, af- tccts the large manufacturer only There is no such limit upon the maker who built, in 1918. 1900 cars or less lle Is permitted 10 go on to the full 'Ntont of his abilities to get materials slways Of course without conflicting Nith the war. And what with the per mission Co huiid cars for the rest oi and to get square with tho inventories it is safe to say there will be some new automobiles dribbling along al Through the first nine months of 1919
 -Na" ANA HNtfN NA NNh AAltAAAui dtNNi tl Ss tltl are limited 10 one-third the produc. ton of the past eighteen months, whicf iS not bad thing for them either un. less they made very few trucks il 1917. and a whole lot in the first hal oi 1918. They are limited as far a! sales go. 10 pepper users of trucks. ant the government idea is that they shal encourage those already truck users {, employ the old vehicles to the linn before attempting to sell them ney ones.
 Soliciting New Business
 Incidentally, the government doesn' look with favor upon the solicitin Of new business, believing that this i io stimulate a demand where none eX ists. For this reason the automobil salesman Is probably doomed and vii have to move into some essential busi ness. Thus far. however, drivers O motor trucks and of passenger car have not been called upon to chang their occupations. This applies { Chau'fcurs of private cars where thi is their sole occupation, where they q not act. for instance as gardeners O as helpers in any other way.
 As to the rubber situation. it look now as if there would hardly be
 shortage of tires for automobile use. l addition Co the 100000 tons of rubbe permitted to be imported there was considerable stock on hand or in tran sit Co this country. Rubber was ike al 60 cents a pound. the lowest it ha been in ten years, those familiar wit tho trade say. And what is more, tn same authorities do not look for an increases in the price of tires in tn