New-York tribune., 1919-11-17
Detroit Now
Claims Place
AS Fourth City
Mayor of Automobile Me-
tropolis Asserts Only New
York, Chicago and Phila-
delphia More Populous
Five Thousand Cars Daily
Output of 81 Factories
Reaches That Figure and
the Industry Is Expanding

STAFF Correspondence
DETROIT, Nov. ls.--Automobiles are
now springing into being in Detroit at
Il faster rate than before. Five thou
sand cars leave the thirty-one factories
in this city every day. it is said.
Alth 'ugh this year will mark the
peak of production in the motor indus
try, the output of cars here will be
increased by more than 20 per cent in
1920. 1t is expected the expansion Of
this industry. which grew from an in
fant to giant in a score of years, is
making Detroit pass all its close rivals
III population.
A survey just completed by the De-
partment of Water Supply placed the
number of inhabitants of the city at
1086,00 compared with 465,000 in
1910. Mayor James Couzens to-day as
serted that Detroit had become the
fourth city of the United States and
Is exceeded in population only by New
York, Chicago and Philadelphia. Only
lack of housing facilities is holding
down the population to the present
figure. according to the local Board Of
Commerce, which predicts that the
city will have 1000 900 inhabitants by
1925. Virtually all the automobile
companies here are adding new wings
to their plants to enable them to catch
up with the unprecedented demand for
cars. The factories which in the
months before the armistice made only
25 per cent of their normal output Of
automobiles are now at least six
months behind in their orders.
Four New Concerns
Four large new automobile manu-
facturers are in the process of organiz-
ing here, and besides the Lincoln Motor
Company. which was formed during
the war to make Liberty motors, will
place an eight-cylinder passenger car
on the market in 1920. Moreover. the
Wills-Lee Company, is now erecting q
$4,000 600 plant for the making of rel
atively inexpensive cars. The Cadillac
company is adding a S7,000,000 unit.
and like all the rest, the Packard. Ford
and Maxwell plants are growing larger.
The physical expansion now under way
will be reflected in the production fig
ures of 1920 and 1921. which. it is pre-
dicted here, will carry the principle of
mass output to new extremes.
Record Building
Moreover Detroit's other industries
and business men here insist that this
is not a one-industry town. More
lid G. it is asserted are under way
than in any other American city except
New York. In the first ten months of
this year $4,000 permits for new build
ings were granted involving an invest
ment of S63 100000. OF this aggre-
gate $i5,000,000 is being spent for fac
tory construction, compared with S6,-
600 900 in the twelve months of 1916,
which was the record year. To allevi-
ate the housing shortage, which is
making many families live in tents
in the outer rim of the city, enough
dwelling places for 1880 families are
now under construction. In the $500
industrial plants in this city 100000
men and women are Employed and at
least 50 per cent, according to esti-
m tes toll in the automotive shops,
where wages are relatively high.
Retail Business Prospers
The prosperity in the motor industry
is reflected in the business of the retail
stores here. Old conservative citizens,
who have watched the city grow up,
are shaking their heads and wondering
where what they call the extravaganza
of the working people and the reck-
lessness of the enterprising classes
will bring this lake port.
Although the conversion from war
work to peace activity was relatively
simple in Detroit, the factories here
were unable to reach maximum produc-
tion until the spring. 1t is therefore
difficult to estimate what the output
will be for the calendar year. A sta
tistician, who has the reputation of un-
derstating rather than exaggerating
predicts that the number Of cars pro
duced in Detroit this year will be more
than l, 100000, and that their value at
the time they leave the plant will be
between S750,000,000 and 81 900 900 900
Near.y y so per cent OF the citys output
OF cars are produced by the Ford Motor
Company.
a significant trend in the industry
Is the leapng of the motor truck into
more important relative position
UP to this year 1916 marked the high
point IN production. In that year
$4,000 cars, valued at $10,0OOOO0
were turned out. The total amcun,
invested in the automotive plants
here is S750,000,000. according to esti-
mates. Besides the plants of the
iio'ol Sai companies l0Z factories
here are engaged solely in making
parts and accessories for cars.
The auto mobiles produced here are
not exclusively for domestic con.
sumption. The Bureau of Foreign and
Domestic Commerce recently reported
that seventyfive foreign countries and
colonies are buyers OF American cars
Members of the inter-Allied com.
mere al missions from Great Britain
France. Italy and Belgium, who
reached here last week, therefore
were especially interested in meeting
local manufacturers and in visiting
their plants.
Aside from it's automotive industry
Detroit is the second city in the
country, it is said. in the volume OF
Its brass products. has the largest
single pharmaceutical plant, the larges
manufacture of adding machines, ane
is ais al Important center for paints
stoves and other heating apparatus
The local factories also inc udc meta
ana ""od construction, few textile
'ntils. md makers of leather goods
chemicals and electrical devices.