New-York tribune., 1918-07-06
AutomobiHng
Changed Conditions Of Rail
Transportations Are Great
Benefit to Motor Cars
By c. E. 7. Scharps

1t is pretty we'll agreed that higher
railroad tariffs and shortened sched-
ules must mean n greater use Of motor
cars. ut is obvious that carriers other
than steam driven are essential for ef-
fective releasing Of national re-
sources" is the way the situation is
analyzed, for instance, by George
Stowe, an old railroad man. who heads
the Mitchell automobile agency in New
York. "Probably even greater than the
impetus to the motor truck industry
will be the effect on the passenger car.
Business and professional men will
make short business trips by automo-
bile on larger scale than ever before
Fewer trains and conveniences for the
travelling public will cause thousands
to switch over to the highways and
passenger cars,"- he writes to The
Tribune.
Large corporations and iobbers who
have provided automobiles for their
statesmen, as we'll as those persons con-
siderng this departure, as a means of
transportation for their field represen-
tatlves will enlarge passenger car sales
materially by their demands"
Very pertinent to the seasonable
topic of vacations are other remarks
made by Mr.. Stowe. He makes a COM
parison of expenses between train and
motor car travel to reach vacation
points. For example," he says, "a
family of four would pay in ound-trip
miles S24, plus, probably. Pullman
fare, as we'll as streetcar fare and
baggage transfer. The both-ways cost
by motor car, figuring gasolene, wear
on tires and depreciation on the car,
would be about $40 for tho family.
This is an average considering all
types and sizes of cars"
Aside from cost, there are considera-
tons of convenience and enjoyment
With the automobile there are not the
crowding or the cinders of the cars,
the delays in going to and from rail-
road stations and the transfer from
house to train and from train to the
resort place. There is no question that
the motor car is the ideal point-to-
point transportation unit
A correspondent inquiries the best
route from New York to Ogdensbure,
n. Y, which is thus answered by the
touring bureau of the American Auto
mobile Association:
"The best route to follow at present
runs via Tuxedo, Middletown Liberty,
Binghamton, Owego, Ithaca, Courtland.
Syracuse, Watertown and Alexandria
Bay. This provides excellent state
macadam, except for q short stretch
over fair dirt road between Chester
and Goshen, together with another de-
tour of about five miles Of dirt between
Candor and Wilseyvillc, on the road
from Owego to Ithaca. 1t is also pos
sible that another detour is necessary
between Windsor and Binghamton via
Harpursville, but this is over good
state macadam all the way
The local automobile dealers at n
meeting held at the Hotel Astor on
Tuesday began work on plans to CO.
operate with the Y. NJ. c. A. to get
work of the "Y" Emlen S. Hare, Of
the Packard company, was appointed
chairman of committee to interest all
dealers, whether or not members of
the local association, to enlist the re-
uuired men. Owners will be canvassed
as to the chances Of getting them to go
abroad, if qualified. AS the Y. M. c. A.
pays no salaries. only merely expenses.
making allowances for the families Of
those who go across, enrolling me-
chanics probably will have to depend
in part for support on the dealers
them selves.
The canteens and the motor trans
port service of the Y. NJ. C. A. are
greatly in need of men. Participation
in this is a very direct and helpful
piece of war service, both by the men
who go and those who help support
their families while the men are away.