The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-29
TIRE MAKERS TO
HAVE HANDS FULL
Stocks on Hand Limited and
Immense Demand VIII Be
Made During Year.

United States has, perhaps. never
'ouhd Itself In a more peculiar posi-
lion than hat with which Il is con-
tfonted at this time. Only a few
months ago the country was at war.
and all manufacturers efforts were
modified by conforming 10 a govern
mental "win-the-war' program. In
most lines OF manufacture this went 50
laf as TO mean a government rerula-
ion upon the manufacturers outpvt
ihese things, coupled with a large
'o.t'ls OF buying movement on the
&C. pL the government, which was &C.
cahloheu by the war, resulted, quite
naturally. in great depletion OF The re- |
'ttFe STOCKS Of manufactured foods of
AT blnds, which are usually on hand
Ahe ~cohdttlon mentioned above has,
81 course, had its effect uuon the tIre
business, which for some time was
.uuilnB under government regulation. |
anu ~. therefore, entering uppn it's |
lsls season with comparatively no
St y ~ hahd, as against former years
"neh normal conditions prevailed
The manufacturers. up to the time
nc war ended, were operating under
restricted production program, which. |
was intended by the government, |
should Just serve the immediate every
gay needs of the country. The tenta-
1--WE program which the government
nad ready to install against the 1918
season would, perhaps, have limited
me use OF tho automobile 50 that Inc |
Iestricted production program under
%orking' would have resulted in ample
Production Big Problem.
However, the sudden collapse OF the |
German fighting machine brought with
II tremendous ppOuonia raantt1, ur;tL |
practically all restrictions off, tire
manufacturer Of the country now find |
themselves confronted with the very |
serious problem Of building against the |
needs OF the unrestricted automobile |
arlvlhg OF the coming season, and, |
because Of the conditions they have
Just lett behind, they are forced ID
meet the coming needs with little or
no advance preparation.
The seriousness Of this situation has
been sensed in a great many quar-
ters, and there was, and. perhaps still
Is, a growing tendency to feel that the
scarcity OF tires during the summer
Of l9l9 will be very acute. Because
TInl Wwhat mas ALREADY been written here
~, this kind Of feeling Is not without
Justification, and, perhaps, not entirely
out Of place.
However, 1t Is an almost foregone
conclusion that the ~well-known ingenu-
lty and resourcefulness OF the Amer
WI AtDhiN III VII I
means OF speeding up production that
VIII carry the country through the
crisis with which It is now confronted.
In view Of the condition briefly out
hned' which has indirectly been given
some emphasis by current conversa-
ton n certain advertisements that
nave appeared recently, a great many
automobile owners are expected to look
az the tire production situation so
closely from a standpoint Of their own
tntRrnEtQ that fhaH will anflptpatn that
tire requirements for the next six
months, and place with dealers orders
Tor the minimum requirements,
Perhaps the car owner who Is most
apt 70 indulge in this practice is that
Individual who Is very keen In his par
tisanship for a certain brand OF tire
and who will therefore look ahead and
take steps that will insure his being
able to have that particular tire for his
service this season,
The stand taken by many car owners.
and tacitly supported by some manu-
~tacturers. Is easily justifiable by %statis-
tics, which, whenever referred TO, serve
only to magnify the tire manufacturers
Of the country.
Heavy Travel Expected.
The starting point Of such statistics
Is always the car REGISTRATION list, which
this year will include almost six mil
lion motor-driven vehicles. These, of
course, are all going to need some tire
equipment this year, and II is freely
predicted by those closely in touch with
the automobile and its use, that prac-
tically all the six million will see a
great deal more use in 1919 than they
did In the year Immediately preceding.
This added use will be contributed
TO by the constant improvements that
are being made in roads, and which
will be made more especially now, In
order to utilize the services OF many re- ]
turning soldiers: also, because OF the
turning to civil life will resume the
driving of the automobiles of their
parents, and the result will be a much
freer use of the car than was true last !
year.
Furthermore, the motor driven vehicle
of all kinds is coming to be used more
freely as a general, all-round trans
p%ortation medium.
In addition to the immense car popuI
lation and the increased mileage per
car which will come about for the rea-
sons mentioned, the opinion seems to
prevail that more tires will be needed
because of the fact that there was a
tendency during the year 19l8-entirely
approprlate--toward all possible econ
omy, which affected the use of tires to
a point whore every car owner eXerted
himself to the utmost to get every last
mile out OF his tires. The fact that
these tires are now beyond repair will !
contribute another element to add to
the total that will nave to be built for
this years market.
Regardless of how we try to inter-
pref their probable effect by a study \
of facts or theories, 1t IL obvious that !
Il combination of the most unusual cir
cumstanCes with which the world has
been confronted has placed the tire in
dustry In a peculiar position, which
position ran easily result in causing the
various manufacturers some little diff
ficulty in supplying all OF their Gus
toners with just the size and type tires
at the exact time they may be wanted. n
simplify this entire problem very much
II the tire manufacturers were able. In
a measure, to know in advance What
the actual tire requirements of the
country win be.
RRoUGH SIGNS BILLS.