Arizona republican., 1919-03-23
WORLD WIDE AUTO
 FAMINE PREDICTED
 BY LOCAL DEALER
By CAL MESSNER


 The entire world will not be able to produce enough automobiles to supply the demand this year.
 On ecember 3l, 1918. 1t was esti- mated thatthere were only 15,545 finished ears in the hands of auto mobile manufacturers. This represents only three days normal production three days normal sales.
 The market literally has been drained by the first wave of the con- stantly increasing tide of prosperity which is now sweeping over the country. The situation, already acute in many cities, is bound to grow worse this spring.
 Owing to the relatively small pro- duction the last two years. there is shortage of 100,000 automobiles in the United States at the present time, according to government figures.
 In 1918, the total production of cars was 1,044,754. as against l,731151 the previous year. In 1916 the production was 1,49S,617. So last years produc- tion was the smallest since 1915.
 Normally, the output increases at the rate of 40 per cent Q year. Had rate prevailed last year, the output would have been two and three quarters of a million cars. or more than double what it actually was.
 In 1915 and 1916 there were ab- normal increases of 50 and so per cent respectively, but in 1917 the increase dropped to r per cent. So there is an apparent shortage at the present time of 100000 cars. being the difference between actual production and what it would have been under the normal 40 per cent increase.
 Because of the slowness of the re- turn to normal production, it is esti- mated that the output of cars in 1919 will be about half of the three million which would be needed to make up the shortage
 The growth of the automobile busi- ness has been one of the marvels of modern times. In 1909 only 121,S61 cars were produced. In 1917 the pro- duction had increased to 1,7S7 900. The total capital invested is S1,2S7.- 500,000, which is three times as large l as the outstanding stock of the entire Standard Oil group of 8 companies and exceeded the capital of all the national banks at the end of 1916. The wages paid in this industry Which is now the third largest in the United States, exceeded by s100 00O, COG all the gold in circulation in the United States in 1916. and was equa' to three-quarters of the government ordinary receipts.
 ! There are now moro than 4,OOO. OOC automobiles in use in the United States alone. These cars develor 1 10D,OO0,000 horsepower, or ten time: l the total power of all other kinds 1T the country. In passenger miles trav. eled and passenger capacity these car: l exceed those of railways and stree cars combined
 The reason for this is that transpor I tation is the greatest business in tht world and automobiles have becom, i a supreme factor in modern transpor tation. Aside from all other consid erations, they fill an economic need
 The present shortage results di rectly from the constantly increasin, need for the automobile, the unpar alleled wave of prosperity expert enceda by all parts of the country am the reduction of production durin the past two years.
 The Hudson factory, the larges builders of fine cars in the world
 has never been able to keep up wit
 the demand for super -sixes. Hudso
 production was to have stopped en tirely on January 1. Then, suddenly
 the ban was lifted. As result, nor
 nal production cannot be resumed be fore June
 The moral for all intending pur chasers of motor cars is clear It il Buy NoWi"