Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-16
BUY AUTOS NOW:
PRICES MAY LEAP
If War Lasts Year Longer
Shortage Will Be
Apparent
OUTPUT IS ALREADY CUT.
Dealer Predicts 80 Per Cent
Advance if War Should
Continue e
OUTPUT IS ALREADY CUT.

The wise man will buy his mo,erc.r
as soon as possible.
A big upward Jump In the pr,a, q.
automobiles is forecast for the war ySsr
Of 1918. due to q shortage caused By
the var.
The trend Of car pricss, which M.
been downward for several ysHs~ has
halted abruptly. The average prics for
passenger cArs--ths so-callsl ''plsAsurep
autonobilss--was about the eams During
1917 a. II was during 1915. the mean
being between s7fe and S73o. Thus -
the effect Of the war already Ssint fel,.
This surprisingly low average IN this
day Of luxurious limousineA and siab-
crate touring cars whose cest runs Into
mendoYs output of cheap cars BY lev
factories. cars designed Tor the nau Of
little means.
But all that is changed, according 10
the consensus Of opinion arnonU auto.
mobile manufacturers and dist3hvtspy !.
War. which has boosted the price sf
nearly every staple Article on the Aner-
lean market, has begun To afSsct the
automobile market now that this nation
has entered the world stru6gls.
ADVANCE ALREADY APPARENT
A present.day increase Of about 10 or
Is per cent over the average price fer
1917 is apparent That will not bN Oil,
automobile men say. The output Of can
will be reduced. ana the price win ts
increased as a natural result Of the i4w
Of supply and demand.
A boost Of 80 per cent In the cost Of
automobiles 10 predicted by one ssl6
manager. In case the war contanuss an.
other year. His view Is borne out BY
other automobile men,
II expect to see at least 4 50 per ssut
further advance In prices Of meteor
vehicles II the war lasts another year,
and IL longer than that--we,l the sky
is the limit" he asserts. with the
Increased cost Of labor and materials,
the scarcity OF both ana the stsatly Ia.
creased overhead due to reduced manu-
facture. prices must be sti,i further a.
ranced."
Should tho war last another year and
this prediction hold good. the average
price OF passenger motorcaH at the :
end OF 1918 would be In the neiShbsr:
hood Of $1,000.
The first reason for a big demanl for
all commodities Is plenty Of msnv In
circulation. Whom money Is In cirsula-
ton buying Is heavy. which stimulatIs
trade. In the next ninety days Or
sooner--as soon as the factories receive
the war orders for which they are pre-
pairing there will be more money In cir-
culation than ever was known before
either In this or any other country.
All the billions that have bsen sub
scribed for Liberty Loan bonds vi!i be
paid out for materials and labor, ultl-
mateiy for labor--for all materials are
the result of labor in the first instance
NATIONS FINANCES AIDED
All tho billions OF dollars that have
hitherto been sequesttred In sAstnts
banks accounts, yielding 4. .depositorD On
tho average an actual interest Of les
than 25 per cent. willie be In eiFcuisAisn,.
while the subscribers to the Liberty Lean
= will also be collecting their I per eept
interest. with the best security IN ths'
world TO suarantes the safe return lstsr
Of the full principal. K.
We hear Of shortaEes Of feodstuRs
and ali manner Of other articles IN the
warning countries, but have yeu ever
heard Of a shortage OF money!" Il Il
asked. We hear that the italians ars
paying 500 . ton for coal. But The
complaint Is not lack ef mensy, but
lack Of coal to bug. IN this country
there'il be a hhortase 81 few eommsti-.
ties. and one Of them will Be meteor
vehicles OF all kinds.
And that will bs due to the fact that
= this young industry has found itsslf
best able to produce those thinU UAeis
8 Sam most needs at this criAls-amy
= trucks, tractors for motorIxing the Ar-
Z ttllery for tanks and guns and muhl-
= tions--not to mention operating msehan-
. Ism for ships. and a thousand other war
a necessities that call for the same sDstd
D ana precision In manufacture ~ Do ~.
4 tomobilss and motortrucks."
SMALLER OUTPUT GOOD SION
Most automobile manufacturers Aays
!, already ma1e plane to reduce their cut
: put for 1915 anywhere from 20 pr
, cent 10 30 per cant. ThiA curtAiinent
10 viewed ss . healthy thing TOR The
!. automobile induatry. in that Il win
stop the pyramiding Of produetien that
: has been going on since the advent II
: the automobile IL viii have ths ear-
= reaching effect Of giving every one ep-
portunity to take account Of the future.
3 Even with the production eurtaltel ps
much a. 50 per cent. there shsui1 "
I enough cars preduosd In 1913 to en-
4 aole both the manufacturers and hs
Z dealers to heid together their ergsnisl.
lions ana. with strict economy. mats
. . good rroht Based on the new Dfes
. duotioh schedules, there Is little doubt
! that there will BE- more buyers than
y cars, so that dealers In general VIII
l not have to exert quite the Same sels
} lns snort. and selling expenses thea
I fors can be reduced. Dealers. a. veil
} a. manufacturers, DO not sx1soe 70
4 make as much money during the war
- they made prior thSreto.
AZ far ~ materials for the centtuu-
anoe Of motorcar building for rvtan
trade In tho United States are eonossxet.
!, 10 interesting to note that of an a.
nual production Of 100000 tons sf
. steel the automobile makers OF the na-
: tisn use less than per cent. There an,
: In fact. about 100000 tons Of steel ussd
|, . annually In the production Of American
! nnetorcArs. s5
The car shortage win extend TO thu
used car. with ths inevitable result that
the SECONDHAND automobile will b In
creased In price. With the new ears
. made more scarce BY the war. ths a.
! mand for the used car will be incrsatsd
; porpsruonstsly. according to the vitw
held by dealers. 3
. ~ -