The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1922-05-12
MECHANISM Care
LENGTHENS LIFE
Average Owner of Car Knows.
lust About Enough to Put
Foot on the Gas.
PROPER INSTRUCTION NEEDED
Course in Driving and in Automotive
Mechanics viii Be Money and Time
Well Standardization
Book viii Help.

With about 100000 automobiles be-
ing produced in this country annually,
It can be taken for granted that about
5000 cars are sold every business day
of the year. 4 lot of purchasers are
fairly green when it comes to operat-
ing their cars, to say nothing of taking
the proper care Of them.
OF course the buyer receives a GER
tain amount of instruction as to run
ming the machine from the man who
sells it to him. That is to say, the
owner when he finds himself alone
with his newly acquired possession is
apt to steer the thing well enough to
keep between the two curbs of the
street and to negotiate Il corner by
some hook or crook. He may know
how to step on the gas, where at least
one Of the brake apparatus is and
something about shifting gears.
Should Know His Car.
But there are Il lot of things about
car that he should know, and if
he doesn't know them he should get
busy at once to acquire some knowl-
edge. The best thing for him to do
right Off the bat is to take O short
course in driving from some expert
enced man or In some recognized
school, and longer course in auto
motive mechanics. This will be time
and money well spent in the long run.
At any rate, he should take the
instruction book that comes with his
car and learn 1t by heart. A good
deal of it will be Greek to him, and
it will be necessary to consult an ex.
pert to get an explanation of this
technical information and make 1t
somewhat understandable. This book
should be reverenced next to the Bible.
It is Indispensable.
Doubtless the owner will find that
the manufacturer has, for instance,
given certain instructions concerning
fabrication, perhaps has specified GER
tain kinds of lubricants. Now, no
matter how mitch you may know
about the subject Of fabrication, rest
assured that the manufacturer has
had an engineer study out the lubri-
cation of his car, and what he writes
concerning it is the last word, and
it should be followed implicitly.
Service Depends on Care.
The same thing is true as to tires,
brakes or steering gear, Or any other
part of the mechanism.
The owner, whether he possesses q
l0w-priced car or an edition de luxe,
has about as much money tied up in
his auto as he feels he can devote to
that particular form of pleasure or to
business. 1t is an investment which
will or will not bring commensurate
returns in money or moments we'll
spent It can be made an indispensa-
Die aid to both business and pleasure
or it may become an insufferable nui-
sance. The actual value of a car
depends not so much upon the amount
of the purchase price as upon what
can be gotten out of it; its service, its
dependability and general reliability
that and the low cost Of upkeep and
operation.
1t is reasonable, therefore, for the
owner to give rs much thought and
study to the machine which propels
him and his merchandise as to the
machine in the factory which pro.
duces the merchandise. He ought to
understand how and why and where
fore it propels him-or why not.