The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-11-01


motorization of America is reveal
ed as one OF the greatest and most
astonishing of industrial and social
phenomena by facts and statistics
which have been collected and pub
lished by the National Automobile
Chamber of Commerce here.
Even though all persons over 20
years of age have witnessed the
whole process by which the United
States has been literally put on
wheels, one does not realize until
he considers these figures what an
enormous undertaking it has been,
or what great changes it has
wrought. Neither does he realize.
except by comparative figures. how
the United States has outstripped
all other nations in this regard.
Although Barnum and Bailey adj
vertised q "horseless vehicle" as
one Of their chief attractions in
1895. although there were motor
vehicle laws in force in New York
city in 1899, and course In "trac-
ton engines and carers" at Co.
lumbia university in 1900, although
| 500 different kinds OF automobiles
had been built or were being built
in this country in 1895, and the
United States mail was collected
in an automobile in Buffalo in 1899,
vet the real growth of the automo-
i bile as an industry and a social
institution did not begin until
about 1910. In that year less than
100000 motor cars were made in
the United States, and nearly ev-
erywhere the automobile was still
| regarded as a freak and curiosity
/ A 10.Year Marvel.
The actual conquest of America
by the automobile has therefore
taken place in 10 years, during
which time this nation has become
beyond doubt the most complete
ly modified people that ever ex-
listed on the face Of the earth. il a
few small horse-using tribes OF
| savages be, excepted. There are
now nearly seven million automo-
biles in the United States and more
than a million and half of them
were made last year. There is al.
most one automobile for every IA
Inhabitants of the United States
which means that with a little
more crowding half of the popula.
ton of this could get up and trave
at the same instant.
There are indeed several states
in which the whole population
could climb aboard and ride, leav.
ing not a single foot on the ground
This is manifestly true of Califor
mia, where there is one car fol
every 6.07 OF population. and O
Iowa with one car for every 6.1;
of population, and of Nebraska
with one car for every 6.54 of pop
ulation. Mississippi falls far be
low the average, there being bu
one car for every As of population
according to an estimate. In gen
teral the western states, where
wealth is evenly distributed, lear
in the proportion of cars to thu
/ population.
Thus, although New York is the
largest user of motor cars, New
York city comes close to the Mis-
sissippi mark with only one ca
for every 43.24 of population. TIL,
most completely motorized cite
; are Des Moines, Iowa, with one ca
} for every s.93 of population. AM
1 Nv, h. A~ah
4 7.e9. AS these figures show, it i
the automobile riding farmer o
: the west who brings up the aver
age, for the cities fall far below
| the averages. Nearly two and
half million passenger cars ar
, towned by farmers in the Unite
States. Some rural sections Of tn
: west are undoubtedly the mos
completely motorized places in tn