The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-02
One Of the Buildlngx
1T which the New york
Autemobile Showwill
be held
SEES RECORD YEAR
FOR MOTOR TRADE
President Clifton Says 1919
Production Cannot Meet De-
mand Already Evident.
BY CHARLES CLIFTON,
President National Automobile Chamber

Of Commerce.
War with Its trials and fluctuations
is over, and the automobile industry is
concentrating its attention on the i'm
mediate future-it Is looking forward,
not back. Every effort is being made
. get 1t back as rapidly as possible to
IS accustomed peace time activities. To
90 this 1t Is necessary. however. to con-
slider the effects OF the war and It's sud
den termination on this particular in
dustry. on business and the public gen.
orally and on sales possibilities.
Normally the automobile trade is OPP
timstic: 1t never could have grown to
It's present magnitude II manufacturers
and dealers had not been possessed of
more than ordinary confidence in the
growth and prosperity OF the United
states. in the utility of the automobile
md motor truck, and in their own abil-
NY as bushes men. During the past
al and early winter circumstances
over which the industry had no control
such is the shortage OF material, re-
g'rictions of the War Industries Board.
and the sudden suspension. curtailment
and cancellation of war orders, taxed
mis- optimism severely, and for brief
pcrod tended to convert II into pes
'imisrn; but this period. Ike the war.
drawing to a close.
Has n Guardian Angel.
1t has been remarked within the trade
mat some guardian angel seems to
watch over the automobile industry"
il ia recalled that the automobile in
dustry was the first TO recover its
equilibrium after the first shock OF the
financial panic OF 1907, that the National
Automobile Show in New York. which
opened colncldent with that crash on
xPha rIner hn
proceeding week to dispel the gloom that
suddenly engulfed the industry and to
l"store a large measure of confidence in
he business world.
The shock that unsettled the world when
he great war broke out merely Jared
10 automobile industry temporarily. As
I dragged out its weary length 1t bore
more heavily upon 1t as foreign markets
were shut off by import prohibitions. in
creased tariffs, lack OF shipping and high
:reight rates. Still. the production and
sales OF cars and trucks increased at
Ilmost an unprecedented rate until last
year. when there was enforced curtail-
ment.
Manufacturers took advantage OF the
recent lull to put into effect improve
'nonts In car and truck models worked
out by their engineers during the past
Year, to reorEanze their distributing and
dealer organizations. to feel out market
conditions and forecast the future sales
probabilities and generally to clean house
preparatory to n new start. Manufac-
turers are getting hack into production
or both passenger cars and trucks more
quickly than might have been expected,
urged on by the desire 20 provide con-
tinuous employment OF their large force
OF loyal employees. who were confronted
with the danger of being thrown out of
work temporarily during the winter as a
result Of suspension of war work. Most
OF the truck makers are running at
nearly normal production-some. indeed.
at an Increased rate over 1917-while "A
few big passenger car companies have
IL, Continued on Second Pa1e.)