The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-05-10
WHO USES
THE BIKES
Novel Census on Percentage Of III.
cycles In Different Lines IL Taken
by Manufacture.

In order 20 determine the per.
ccntaga of bicycles used purely for
commercial and transportation pur.
poses, thereby establishing the claims
OF tho bicycle as AN essential war.
time Industry and It's Importance
In the Industrial world. large hi.
cycle manufactures recently put
thru "A simple but effective plan for
determining the various uses Of bi'
cycles. as described in the following
report:
AS bicycle dealers know. we have
In our files at the factory "a Euaran'
tee card for practically every bicycle
sold. Among other information
found on these cards are the age
and occupation Of the purchasers.
This gives very dependable basis
for determining for what tho bicycles
are used For instance. man az
years old who IL a skilled mechanic.
uses his bicycle almost entirely ms
a means Of transportation TO and
from his work-mcn OF this age very
rarely buy bicycles for pleasure.
ITO insure a fair proportion. we
shuffied the cards returned To us
durin. 1917 and tho early part Of
1915, and from the lot drew at ran
dom 500 cardH. We then claHsed
each purchaser according 20 his &C
cupatlon and age.
'of these 500 blcyel. riders. 275
or 55 per cent used them as a means
Of transportation 10 and from their
work. Al OF these men except 30.
who gave their occupation as clerks
etc. were doing work classified un.
der the Work or Fight rul. AZ
necessary productive labor, tho ma.
jority OF whom were skilled mechan'
! les and workmen In manufacturing
| Institutions, workers In shipyards
carpenters. railroad men ana execu'
tives.
The United Cycle Trade Director
ate estimates that there are 1000 900
/ bicycle riders In the United states.
/ Applying this percentage. there are
e. 900 900 men who are performing
work necessary 10 the winning OF
I tho war who rely upon their bicycles
AZ their means OF transportation.
Tn. fact that the government has
Interested in manufacturing ccniers
where street car strikes have oc-
CURED IL evidence OF tho importance
tina, In attributed 10 the trnnrporta'
ton % workmcn from their homes
90 the factories
Twenty Of the go bicycles were
purchase for delivery vehicles.
This means that there arc 100
90 bicycles in this country that
arc taking the places of motor We
hlcifs for the delivery OF mcrchan-
disc. Think OF the economy Ia
KanoIIn. that this makes possible.
| Thirty. seven Of "a Per cent
81 IN. 600 btcycl~a were purchased
by the Western Union and other
messengers. This means that in
the United States $4,000 bicycles
arc conserving either gasoline or
rnanpowcr TO an extent worthy Of
serious consideration Ia the delivery
OF kilograms alone.
These three CLASSES OF 1mslneNu
Bicycles include a total % GA
per cent Of the coo bicycles. Again
applying this classification 10 the
four million bicycles " gives the
very accurate estimate that there
are ASIA 600 that arc being used
mainly for necessary transror,a-
ton.
Pleasure Bicycles-Oue Third
''One hundred and sixty-elght. az
- . per cent. signified tina, their
occupation was going TO school.
II taxes but one glance at the bi-
cycles standing In the school yards
10 give evidence that n majority
Of the boys and girls who have
liAcytl~s ride them TO school In
cities this relieves the street CAT
congestion 20 a considerable extent.
In the rural districts 4, saves either
the automobile. Old Dobbin' or the
boys time--ali Of which count thcss
days.
I'VE must also remember that q
large number OF these boys uss
their bicycles for carrying newrpa-
p~rs or other work after schoo
hours. SO we will have TO sa,
that 33.G per cent OF the bicycles
owe a divided allegiance 10 plcaEur,
and business
~ very earSfui census tina, VIA,
announced In the trade papers re.
Gently stated that only ~ per cen
Of the bicycles were used solely fol-
pleasure.