The Washington times., 1920-01-31
By L. J. FAULKNER.

The Chicago Auto Show which closes today has made
the greatest retail selling record OF any show in history
sales been made during the week just past than
ever before were recorded either at national local
exhibitions
Most of these sales have been made with promise Of
tentative delivery before the first day of spring but
without any absolute guarantee In previous years il has
been the practice give order at the shows for car
with the expectation of almost immediate delivery, but
times have passed. and facing today the great
est shortage of experienced in the indus
try and unfortunately this shortage is most acute at the
very time when cars are most in demand will be.
The fond optimistic hopes OF six months ago that by
early part of 1920 the industry would have returned to
nearly normal condition have been dssipated This con
dton has been due contrbuory causes the chief
one being the steel and coal strikes which had immed
ate the time of their inception and continuance as
of the manufacturers had stock OF steel at
the time.
The effect of the strikes VIII be felt in the next three
months when this reserve will have been exhausted
Another factor been the fact that these reserve
stocks obtained only by the payment OF large pre-
mum to enable the manufacturers TO sustain the pro
duction that is now proceeding and this stock will
not under ordinary conditions be sufficient to take care OF
the first three months OF 1871.
Therefore it is absolutely certain that higher prices
must prevail before spring Each succeeding year up to
1917 the increase in the manufacture of automobiles
has been of 40 per cent In the latter there
were built and sold 100000 The year 1918 saw this
reduced to OOOOOO due the war; and the production of
the first nine months in 1919 barely exceeded the production
for the period in 1918
Then came the steel and coal strikes and contrary to
experience of other years. not single factory the indus
try abe to produce anywhere the scheduled
duct on during the months of November and December
This has resulted in dealers being unable to accumulate
stock scent to warrant anything like immediate deliv
cries.
At the rate of increase in the per capita registration Of
automobile ownership in the United States the time is not
far distant when to every twelve inhabitants will
be the average.
What the ultimate will be is hard to determine
but there thing certain the automobile OF today is
absolute necessity and the the people come to
realize it the greater the demand will become.
The increased per capita wealth of the United States
would make the qualification of the desire to acquire this
necessity easily satisfied if could only obtain the
car upon which ones mind is set.
Skilled labor in the automobile industry has almost
reached it's limit Wages have increased therefore,
mousy This coupled with all the other factors absolutely
prohibits the lowering of of standard machines
for months and months, if not years, to come.
Fortunate today is the who obtain delivery of
the car he wishes within the next three months and he
should fail to take advantage of the first opportunity
that is offered him do 1t is not theories but facts
that the manufacturers face any dealer any
facurer VIII substantiate.