Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-19

w Museum were thrown open last
Saturday night, ushering in Philadel.
nbia's twentieth automobile show. the
Ark yistas of business and the gloomy
recesses of industry were bathcd in the
iisbt of approaching dawn in the world
of trade, finance and commerce. This,
tbe greatest Of all motorcar exhibitions
In Philadelphia, has far deeper mean.
ipg than merely a dazzling display OF
motive power clothed in artistic stream
lines of metal. 1t means that the kings
~ the ever growing industry have con
6dence in America and the worlds
Commercial future in spite of the fitful
bursts of post bcllum economic bombs
and the sinister hand of bolshevism that
has cast its chilling shadow over CEN
tral Europe, When men of this type,
the chiefs Of vast manufacturing con-
Germs, are willing to expend huge sums
IN give the populace a spectacle embody-
ips at once the acme of mechanical art
and engineering, it is safe to infer that
they forsee speedy return to the
waves Of prosperity which were thrown
into turmoil by the maclstrom of war.
Nor is the automobile show Il
rngle handed affair with the interest
all on the side of the dealer and manu-
facturer. On the contrary, the buyers
or ultimate consumers are flocking to
the machine lined corridors in greater
numbers than ever. Prospective pur:
chssers and those otherwise interested
In automobiles are daily and nightly
amming the big building at Thirty
fourth and Spruce streets. They come
not only from Philadelphia, but from
New Jersey. New York, delaware
Maryland, West Virginia and both the
n,,tlxInU Rpnptipq
Pennsylvania. This means, in brief.
that the automobile show has radiated
its message of prosperity and that its
educational ripples will be felt fai
away carrying with them the firm be
lief that the year 1921 will blazen the
way up the trail of universal progress.
Record Display
Although Philadelphia show is not
national one, it Is virtually as large
as that which closed in New York Sat
urday night. At the Commercial Mu-
scum there are eighty makes of cars
with hundreds of models from the low
priced "fivver" to priceless limousine
The metropolitan show had but nine
more makes than are on display here,
proving what "A vast distributing center
Philadelphia IL and how high it is cs-
teemed in automobile ranks by the
makers and dealers. II there had been
more floor space, more varieties would
have been placed on exhibition. AS 1t
WAS the space was increased one fourth
from last year, making this years noor
space about l25,0O0 square feet. Inc
limited capacity Of the Commercial Mu-
scum Building also cut down the hst
Of accessory exhibits which each year
Ge increasing by leaps and BOUNDS as
the dealers realize more fully that the
manufacture of the car is only the be-
ginning Of its life.
A number of new makes of machine
not seen here before occupy booths THIS
year. These include the Cunningham,
Bidde, Sheridan, Owen Magnetic.
Handley Knight, Mona, Lafayette. II.
c. s., Rcnault, Lincoln and bort. Last
year was considered banner one at the
automobile show from every viewpoint.
but this year there are ten more makes
on exhibition than there were during the
middle of January, 1920. There are
about five times as many different makes
today at the Commercial Museum as
there were when the first show was
staged at the Second Regiment Armory
in 1901 hv II. Walter Schlichter and II.
D. lie Cato.
Has Many Values
The automobile show has many val
table assets, one of which is that 1t
permits the man who lives in the smaller
town or rural district to see in one
group, under ideal conditions, virtually
everything that is produced in the au-
tomotive line. He may see any style,
shape, size or priced car, and every
thing that il necessary for its upkeep.
10 be able to do this is an advantage
ior the prospective buyer that cannot be
oVerestimated. Should such a person
come TO Philadelphia at any other time
70 look over the various cars and ac:
ceSsories he might spend a month and
then not see half as much nor see it so
comprehenSively as he may in single
Gay at the automobile show.
Success Of the present show was In
sqred from the beginning, because the
pans were conceived and carried out by
experts OF the Automobile Trade As
ISOLATION Of Philadelphia. The com
Mittee that did the work and to whom
he credit for this years exhibition IL
Sae consists of Louis G. Block, j. Il.
Tomery, a. K. Maltby, James Sweeten,
n', ]. II. Fassitt, L. S. Bowers, Harry
d. harper and Ralph Cook.
Al ,NoV HlcH nave uoue everything IN
sGelr power-and they have been run
ulnS on hgh-tO make every detail OF
tne show a success. How well they
"aFe succeeded is shown by the throngs
al'h have been increasing ever since
we SHOW opened. After having been
assured that the exhibits would be there,
ue committee bent its effort toward
,LaAIhg everything pleasant and easy for
S,n spectator. The interior of the big
tSnp'ng was decorated by the best talent
th. hha. could be obtained with the result
that thbat thG background for the machines is
MOT, thoroughly harmonious, although al
Nus SVs' oriental in its splendor. To this
SaS. oeen added perfect lighting and
Mating and incidently the latter has
Ussa sa very much appreciated during the
sttooOrr diversion, music Is provided each
TSini @ and evening by Brinton's s
tho regiment band This band, by
way, was concerned IN a rather
tors,hg incident on Monday. A pho
Ss'apher wanted to take "shot" but
ns.I naI TO make time exposure and
Hs tty the moving throng prevented.
lac...u ..ueretore groped for an idea and
Sts' IT, He had the band play the
ons epahgled Banner and while every
$1,000 at attention he made his pho !.
cyes cyph OF a perfectly quiet, motionless
IHSmu, proving that necessity is the
tsst % .taae Mater of invention, or words to
FAHip $. Tyre was the man chosen