New-York tribune., 1922-10-28
Considering the Season, |
Factory Operating Sched-
nIes Are Higher Than
in Amy Previous Year
speciat Dsspatch 70 The T-ssuns


DETROIT, Oct. 27.--Closed car pro-
duction Is dominating automobile man
ufacture at the present time and
Will continue to dominate from now to
the opening Of the spring trade. Sched-
uies in factories are running much
lower than in earlier months of the
year, but considering the season they
are higher than in any other year in
the history of the industry. Only by
comparison with the earlier months or
The present year Is the falling off now
apparent.
Dealers as a rule are taking cars
only to meet immediate sales require
ments and these are almost exclusive
iy for the closed car. Practically all
open car production now Ia for the
southern districts and for the export
market. Most of the cars going to
farmers are open models, but as farm
buying is light there is only limited
demand and there Is little prospect Of
quantity open model production before
spring.
Manufacturers whose dealers are .n
strong financial position are building
certain proportion of their usual oper,
models for stocking against the spring
buying, but stocking this year will
PROBABLY run much lighter than In
other years because of used car diff
culties. The country is wide open for
closed cars, however, and dealers are
taking practically every closed model
that can be made. Several factories
are running months behind on orders
Tor closed models and are unable TO
sell enough open cars to show an op-
Grating profit.
Packard Motor Car Company de-
ciared q regular quarterly common
stock dividend this week, the first since
october, 1920, and in addition au-
thorlZed the payment of an extra 21s
per cent dividend in view Of the com.
pany's prosperous condition and the
outlook for continued heavy manufac-
turing. Development Of new models
paved the way for the company's finan-
clal strength, with the establishment
OF supply sources which have kept it
wei! provided with all necessary parts.
AS was to be expected, the reduction
IN Ford prices has not caused any
tendency to unssettle the market, and
there Is no indication that other
makers, even those in the competitive
llow-priced field, will be moved to fol-
low. Ford prices were lowered because
the tremendous production volume the
company has maintained all wear
yielded returns in excess of normal
anticipations. The company declares
that the cut will have the effect Of
creating much larger market for its
products, and 1t undoubtedly will, judg-
ing from early results, but If volume
aggregsting that of this year can be
maintained the company will be suffi-
GENTLY rewarded and completely salts
fed.
Railroad freight service is affecting
the industry more in it's deliveries than
in its receipt of materials. Difficulties
in getting steel from Pittsburgh and
the Youngstown districts are being ex-
perienced still, but shipments from
points further east are causing more
disturbance. Many companies are
using trucks to push material along
to points where it can be placed on
railroads or boats, In some cases these
operating through from New England
to Buffalo. The closed body situation,
however, is the biggest source of dis
turbance and will probably continue
to be SO during the winter.