The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1920-03-05

Nobody knows where we are going
in the automobile business, but we
( are surely on our way. We nearly
reached the 10000 O point in the
number of machines owned in this
country last year and will pass it
If we average the investment at ST.
900 each, it shows that the people
of the United States have an auto
mobile property of $4,000, 100000
which did not exist at all a score of
years g and which has been created
almost exclusively within the past five
years. That is a tremendous sum to
invest in what for a large part is a
luxury, taken, it might be said. from
the savings of the people in that short
period. And that is but a suggestion
of what is to come. The number of
machines has been more than doubled
in four years. In less than five years,
if the present rate continues, we shall
have 100000 cars, or n for about
every nine persons in the United
States proper. Since the average life
of a machine is six years, this would
mean that 100000 machines would
then have to be constructed every
year just for requirements, which
would seem to assure prosperity for
the automobile business if the total
number should cease to gain.
Naturally the largest number of
machines are owned in the state with
the greatest population, being in or
der New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania
and Illinois. but the palm for the
largest number in proportion to pop
ulation goes to the agricultural states.
Iowa takes the lead with one for each
CO persons, Nebraska following with
6.5, California with 6.6, South Da-
kota with 7, Kansas with IL, Mon
tana with 81 and Minnesota with
8. This indicates that the farmers
are not at all behind the rest of the
country in placing their money in au-
tomobiles. What gives the agricul-
tural states their higher average of
automobiles owners than the indus
trial states is the congestion of pop
ulation in the large cities and indus
trial centers with annual incomes FAR
below the automobile stage.
The most important result OF this
tremendous increase i n machine own
ersh3,, especially among the farm
ers, is the development Of apprecla-
ton of good roads. It is estimated
that the nation will spend $1,000
600. 900 in road construction under
present county and state plans. The
saving in gas and tires alone would
more than pay the interest on this
expenditure. A bill now before con-
gress calls for the construction and
maintenance by the United States OF
two highways in each state, crossing
the state at right angles and connect
ing with each other, so as to make
great national highways. Such a
system would have mileage of 3d.
600 miles and at the rate OF $40.-
900 per mile would cost$1 200, OO0,-
900. Assuming that the federal roads
would serve a district ten miles IN
width only, they would provide hard
surfaced roads for 100000 square
miles, about one-third the tota! area
of the country. The saving IN the
cost of transportation of products.
emitting entirely the pleasure vehi-
cles. has been estimated at $34O,-
OOO. 900 a year, the saving III gas and
tires not included. Add 10 this the
saving from state road mileage and
we can get some idea Of the tremen-
dous agricultural development that
would follow the criss-crossing OF the
whole country with hard surfaced
roads. We have needed these roads
badly in the past for the ordinary We
hicle. 1t has always cost the farmer
too much to get his products to the
market. Yet he has been the chief
opponent of good roads because ne
had the idea that they were for the
benefit of city automobiles. Now
that he owns more machines and
trucks proportionateiy than the peo-
ple of the cities do, the farmer has
become a good roads booster, n that
that the good roads are sure
TO come.-St. Louis Globe-Democrat.