Evening star., 1920-09-12

Dealers should select with care the
personnel of the crews which drive
their cars from the factory to sales
room. Complaints are being received
daily at the headquarters of the Ma
ttonal Automobile Dealers Associa-
ton to the effect that crews are not
only crfmfnally careless with the new
cara but otherwise are not compe-
tent.
Harry q. Moock, general manager
- tho association. says:
MANY . dealer could not have kept
his place OF business open in recent
months If he had not driven his cars
ffom the factory. The railroad situ-
alton has been acute It will continue
t. be serious and drive-aways offer
the only method by which large
number Of automobiles can be de-
livered from producer to purchaser.
And with that fact squarely known
to an, there are conveys whose con-
duct IL such that a continuation of
their practices for six months will
mean that conveys virtually will be
latures OF many states meet next
year.
vfoaate speed LAWS.
n b we'll known that If new cars
.Afo driven from the factory at high
spAed mechanical difficulties will oc-
cur later: however, this seems to be
jgDsRsa by those in charge Of the
drfve-av1y, who have desire to
covac - much mileage in day as
po01ihle. Some force their mounts to
dc hstteS than forty-fve miles per
>he1r in many instances. This is a
vielAt1on OF the laws almost every
where and has aroused localities
through which conveys pass to the
extent that whole conveys (Which in
ones) are being delayed All this
because of disregard of public rights
by those whose sole aim Is to get
over the road in as short time as
possible. regardless of consequences.
Recently a convoy leaving town
IN northern Ohio was trailing, at twenty
nve miles per hour, convoy ahead.
Suddenly the back convoy received word
from the leader to speed up. taking
the ditch to pass the convoy ahead.
Il was estimated, in view Of the twenty
dve-mile-an-hour rate maintained by
the convoy on the road, that the cars
passed It, some thirty in number,
travelling at rate of not less than
forty miles per hour. In this same in
stance a little girl, who was frighten-
ed by the onrush Of cars, left the
road. ran fearfully to the fence along
side OF the road, when car in the
speeding convoy knocked her down
and seriously injured her. The driver
was held until the extent of the girls
injuries could be determined.
Incompetent in Charge.
"A middle western dealer recently
sent crew of twelve men to the factory
to drive away cars. The first night
out the leader aroused the,ire of every
passenger in the Pullman by his con-
duct. This same man was seen the
next morning trying to instruct those
IN his immediate charge how to
handle 100000 worth Of automobiles
that the dealer expected to sell to
customers who were entitled to a
square deal.
I'm another instance a dealer placed
In charge Of drive-away a mere
strip of a boy to lead nine drivers OF
new automobiles to the dealers sales
rooms. These nine drivers had no
respect for this boy and Immediately
after reaching the road began their
speeding and capering. which resulted
in complaints reaching various ma
= tienal headquarters
TO such an extent is the common
courtesy Of the road being violated
and positive laws of the variou.
states. counties and villages being
broken that we are assured that ev.
cry effort will be made to impos.
haysh restrictions on drive-aways
Heavy fines and Imprisonment surely
will result II there is not a decided
effort made by those in this work t
be more considerate, and the use OF
better judgment on the part Of those
in charge Of the conveys.
Sounds General Warning.
~rhis Is issued to dealers, who will
nnd 1t more and more necessary t1
drive from the factories, as a genera
warning. that every care should b<
used to select leaders for fleets, in.
vesting II necessary a little more
money in compensation for a bette,
leader who can lead and who car
1oatSal the drivers of the respective
cars Of the fleet of which he is in
charge Dealers who are thus pro.