Evening star., 1920-02-01
ONE AUTO OWNER
FOR EVERY A IN
U.S., IS ESTIMATE
34,229 Passenger, 5,975
Commercial Cars Registered
in D. C. During 1919.

Based upon the estimated population
of los. .253,4O0 year ago, there is car
for every fourteen persons in the
United States at present Moreover. ac-
cording to a canvass Of the automobile
situation and figures compiled by the
Boston News Bureau. N the forty-eight
states and District of Columbia, there
were 1902 900 automobiles. both pas
senger and commercial, listed Oh De-
cember 81, 1919. This, needless to say,
is high record in the way of a regis
try, and compares with an actual tabu-
lation of 6,225,192 cars at the end of
1918.
It is interesting to note. too. that this
increase of % per cent follows exactly
the same progress during 1918 despite
the general shortage of cars. The pro-
duction of trucks is expected. according
10 this authority, to reach 300. 900,
while passenger car production will at
tain a total of 10000 Total truck
registrations were placed between 700
600 and 100000.
shows Discrepancy.
Accepted estimates of the 1918 total.
heretofore, have been lower than the
-atal previously quoted by about so, 1000,
which would indicate a probable error
IN the 1919 estimate of not more than
10 per cent. AS the new information is
based on the experience of the state
registration bureau, respecting Decen-
ber registrations, as well as current
totals, however, it is regarded as being
close enough fer all practical purposes,
Including those of sales estimation.
A close survey of the entire country
reveals the fact that the density" of
machines is greatest in those states
having an even climate. and also
4. where farming is prominent among
the industries. For example, Iowa
leads with a car for every 6.2 persons
Nebraska has a rating of 6.5; Cali
fornia- sc: South Dakota, Z; Kansas.
Il; Montana, 81: Minnesota, 9 and
so on Note should be made of the
fact that CAlifornia's figures repre-
sent only actual individual fee regis
trationS and if all replacemcnts and
manufacturers and dealers cars were
included the total registration would
be well over 500 900.
Coming to the eastern section, New
York again leads in point of total
registrations with 535,O0O machines
yet the per capita number is only
twenty. or three lower than that of
Massachusetts,. Ohio is a close rival
with $4,000 cars, or one for every
1o.3 persons; Pennsylvania, with A75.-
900 cars. or one for every 1S.5 persons,
and Illinois has 40 00O
4O.2O4 in District.
In the District of Columbia there
we're 34,22S passenger and 5,s75 COM
mercial. or total of 40,2O4 cars reg
tstered during 1919. Basing the popu-
latlon at approximately 435 900 (police
department figures) this would give
the District car for every 1913 per-
sons.
Although the south shows only one
car for every twenty-five persons, it
Is noteworthy fact that its absorp-
tion of automobiles in recent years
outstrips every other section. Mis-
souri, for example, lis going to have
a registration of 245,000 automobiles
today (February u, or FIVE times
the total of five years ago, while
Georgia's registration has grown
from 5000 odd to 10000. This in
creased use of the automotive We
hicle in those states below the Mason
and Dixon line may be attributed to
the new road construction movement
which has unQuestionably been a
vital factor in popularizing both the
passenger car and truck.
Investigations made in the matter
OF production indicate that the out
put of passenger cars this year will
reach 100000, while the output OF
trucks will number slightly below
100000, despite the small production
of the first three months AS is gen.
orally known, this productive rate is
far below current requirements, and
the demand is constantly increasing
illustrative of this is the fact that
If the nation as a whole had Iowa's
automobile density" there would be
$500, 900 cars on the road today, OF
nearly 1o,000.000 cars more than the