Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-24
AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY IS
PRONOUNCED ESSENTIAL AND
WILL NOT BE CLOSED DOWN
10 the Editor of the TeiesrOPh'

10 the Editor of the TeiesruPhs
You will kindly favor the Motor
Car industry both In the sales, and
the equipment by printing the follow
Ing article In the Saturday issue If
yeu think same is satisfactory.
The dealers had a hearing last
Friday, August 10th, before the War
Industries Board, and came cut with
the information that the third larg-
est industry In the world is not going
to be put out entirely, 1t Is believed
that. the factories wifi be permitted
to build about twenty-five per cent.
uf the cars that were built laSe
year, and there are many reasons
why they are justified in holding this
belief,
Tho War industries Board author
ICES the following:
"At n meeting of the War Indus
tries Board before which appeared
committee of twenty-five leading au-
tomobile dealers from various parts
OF the United states representing the
National Automobile Dealers Associa-
ton. II was statadi
~. While no order had been issued
by this board caneelfng motor car
production. and no definite order OF
curtailment could be given until the
automobile manufacturers had sub
mitted inventories Of present stock.
the board has already suggested to
automobile manufacturers that they
undertake. to get war work even up
to one hundred per cent. If possible
by January /, 1919. Automobile
manufacturers have already accepted
war orders aggregating between
IS, 1000, 900, 600 and $4,000. 100000.
"2. The War Industries Board rea-
Lies the Importance of continue
ton of all possible Industrial activity
so far as It can be brought about
without Interference with the war
program.
"3, All automobile dealers. how
ever, should put themselves as rapid
ly as possible on war basis so as
to be ready for whatever curtailmene
becomes necessary.
~. The War Industries Board mas
not classed the automobiles or any
other industry as nonessential. ana,
in determining the standing and posi-
ton of any and every industry II
will be guided solely by the war re-
quirements and needs as Distinguish
ed from the wants of the civilian pop
ulation.
"5. In view of the fact that war
requirements of steel and rubber ap-
parently exceed the supply, making
automobile curtailment necessary, the
war service committee of National
Automobile Dealers Association has
agreed to recommend ways and means
to stop unnecessary use of passenger
cars and increase their utilitarian
uses"
The cause of rumors coming from
Washington seem to be due to the
fact that the National Automobile
Chamber of Commerce tactics and
operations at Washington were more
or less antagonistic to the War In
dustries Board on account OF their
not being able to gain their conf
dence, which had been very clean
cut piece of bungling on their part
When Hugh Chalmers demanded
sixty per cent. of the normal steel
required and at q time when the
War Industries Board in the face or
the Germans advance, was trying to
give the war industry 20,000,OO0 tons
of steel in the period when there were
only being produced 100000, this
was a more or less OF an unpatriotic
attitude and after a session on July