Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-07-05

AUTO FACTS /!
An Exhaustive 1nvestiga.
;.stiOn Reveals Interesting
NeWssAbout Auto
mobiles.
CONDITIONS
PRICE
$500 F0rds a day and Still
...t, 100000 Orders Be-
~ hind.

An exhaustive investigation just
completed by the Jordan Motor company
into the market conditions governing
the production and sale of motor car
parts, accessories and complete cars,
reveals some interesting facts regard
ing the possibilities OF production, de-
Eyeries and price conditions in the
motor car industry for the ensuing six
months.
Owing to the restrictions placed up
on credit In certain sections of the
country, and transportation delays,
there has been a slowing down Of sales
in those localities, with the result that
some hold-nps have been received by
dealers representing practically all
factories. However, the demand in
other localities continues to be quite as
keen as before, with tremendous in
crease in the demand for roadsters
and enclosed cars.
The production of enclosed bodies In
America last year was approximately
100, 900, while the daily production now
Is not in excess of twelve: hundred. The
closed car demand is growing apace
and from statistics gathered, 1t is EVIL
dent there is q market for one million
enclosed ears.
Most of the leading companies, 1t
was discovered in this investigation.
have from two to ten thousand orders
on hand, while Ford, now producing
about $500 cars day, is about :aA',-
900 orders behind. .''l'
The investigation revealed athe efact
that prices cannot recede:: before the
transportation conditions: ARE ifmproy7
led, taxation schedules are revised, and
the tremendous expense::of handling
materials by express and: the cost Of
stock chasing Is reduced: .s,'il
The price of STEEL. according testhls
Investigation, is not likely: to change.
Good, labor, is still hard: tsi Jet; The
public apparently misleG bsTrebotts
Of reductions, ID lpsiee of.:silk. certain
kinds Of clothing, and Other, commpYo'd(liii;
ties, for which there was: inflated de.
mand, have been asking whether
prices would come down..
|, 1t is possible that some dealers
might unwisely mistake the seasonal
falling off in the demand for open cars
In July for fundamental weakening
of the market and expect cut prices,
but the manufacturers Of standard
cars which sell popularity are con-
templa ting no such action because the
ma rgins OF profit have been so reduced
by the. tremendous expense of doing
business under present taxation, trans
portation and labor conditions.
The, feeling among the manufactur-
ers seems to be that immediate action
should be taken toward granting tire
railroads, the rate increase required to
finance. their rehabilitation, grant a
fair increase to employees, and enable
the railroads to move the crop which
is piling up in the middle west.
Dealers throughout the United
States reported impending demand Of
increasing proportions from. the middle
western agricultural states, just as soon
as the railroads can provide means for
moving the crops.
The inventories in the majority OF
factories are pretty well balanced. the
companies are all In good financial con-
dition, and owing to their inability to
ship cars during the past few months,
the dealers stocks are exceedingly
low. a.. sz