The New York herald., 1922-07-17

The whole subject. therefore, is be-
ing approached from two angles; one
with a view to protecting the auto
mobile owner and the industry gen.
orally and stamping out the thievery
because Of its own evil. and. second.
te ending it as contributory to or CO.
ordinated with other crimes.
Even the automobile trade has not
tried to compile complete figures show
ing the nationwide extent Of thefts
for a given period, but State and mu-
nicipal authorities have been assem-
bling the statistics. The National
Automobile Dealers Association has
covered twenty-eight cities. which are
taken as an index to the country.
Neither the American Automobile As
sociation nor the National Automobile
Chamber Of Commerce has gone in
detail into the subject. But by gather
ing the figures available from all these
sources. together with the reports Of
municipal and police authorities. the
general results are obtained.
Figures for Only 2S Cities.
The associations report published
last week for 1921 shows that 37,554
motor vehicles were stolen in the
year. The figures for 1919 were 3d.
sos and for 1920 were 30.046. There
were 21.273 recovered last year in the
twenty eight cities. The report in
reality covers only small part of
the country and indicates that in all
probability an estimate of 100000
thefts OF cars not recovered may be
far too conservative. The recoveries
last year amounted to 40 per cent Of
the thefts Twenty-one cities show a
greater number stolen in 1921 than in
preceding years. The cities in which
there is decrease are Cleveland
Portland. Ore; Seattle, Salt Lake.
Columbus. o.. York. Pa. and Rich
mond, Va.
The reports all show that the aver
age value of the stolen cars is be-
tween $1,000 and $1,000. Taking the
lowest estimate. which Is 10000 stolen
cars worth $1,000 each, and the total
reaches ss0,000,000. In truth, the top
figures are more likely nearer to the
facts. If those were taken, the total
would stand for 100000 stolen cars
worth $1,000 each, or $120, 200. 900 In
motor loot claimed by the gasoline
bandit of 1922.
In an official statement to the Com
mittee on Ways and Means of the
House Of Representatives urging the
need for Federal regulation District
Attorney Banton placed the average
value of all cars stolen at $1,000 and
the total for the country at upward
OF $70.oo0.O00.
Percentage of Cars Recovered.
The percentage of cars recovered
varies in different localities. 1t runs
all the way from 20 to 70 per cent.
and in few instances to even more.
The losses are covered In part by in
Surance, but that is one of the handi-
caps to the business. To meet those
losses the insurance rates have been
going UP until they have become al
most a penalty. and the automobile
owner Is the one who suffers and pays
Every. man who owns a car is con-
tributing in one way or another. and
perhaps in several ways, to meeting
this loss. He is paying directly in the
price of cars and insurance and in
directly in the tremendous policing
cost made necessary to catch the
crooks.
To meet the situation one hundred
of the principal insurance companies
have organized their own detective
agency, known as the Automobile
Underwriters Detective Bureau. with
headquarters at 140 Nassau street.
Under the direction OF II. M. Shedd
this agency has been developed as one
of the most influential in the country