Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-02-01
Automobiles in 1921.

South Carolina during the year 1921
totalled 9O,546 autos and trucks. The
number in 1920 was 93,e43; and in
1919 there were 7o,14S auto licens-
es issued. Between 1919 and 1920
there was an increase of 23,700 reg
istrations, or approximately "a per
cent. However,. a decrease of 1927
or approximately 8 IL per cent
marks the difference between 1920
and 1921.
The 18th census of 1920 gives l.
6S3,724 as the population of South
Carolina. Simple division shows that
during the year 1921 there was a car
for every 1876 persons in the state.
In 1920, similar figures indicated one
a to every Is people; and in 1919
there was an automobile for every
23 inhabitants.
Density by Counties.
Greenville county leads with an
automobile for every 1l.S persons;
Richland is a close second with 1ne
car for each 11.9 of it's population;
Anderson ranks third with 1872 in
habitants per auto.
In 1920 Marlboro was at the top
of the list with 1878 inhabitants per
auto; Anderson came second, and
Darlington third. AS shown in the &C
companying table, sixteen counties
rank above the State average. Dillon
county, with 1876 inhabitants per
auto is closest to the average for the
State, thirty-one counties ranking be-
low this figure. Berkeley county has
approximately 60 inhabitants per
auto, the largest number in any coun-
ty in the state.
G~reenville county ranks first in the
total number of cars, the figure be-
ing 1868. Richland is next with g.
ST. autos and trucks; Spartanburg
third with 6,07S; and Anderson with
5,7S2 occupying fourth place.
Value of Cars.
Though cars have declined in
prices considerably during the past
year, perhaps S1,10O would represent
a conservative average price. AT this
valuation, there is in the 9O,546 cars
a total investment of $99,600,600.
The corresponding figure for 1920
was S103, 227,30O.
That numbers of new cars were
bought last year, replacing those
worn out is undoubtedly true, but no
estimate of these is possible from the
data available.
Operating Expenses.
Figures secured from the State De-
partment of Agriculture, and based
on the eighth of a cent a gallon tax
on gasoline, gives 36,737,715 gallons
las the amount used in South Caro-
lima in 1921. At the average value of
rs cents a gallon, this item totals So
1~s4,428.75. The most of this was
used by automobiles and trucks. The
number of gallons consumed in 1920
was 41,225,067, indicating a decreas-
ed consumption of approximately five
millions of gallons in 1921.
Rating the average number of
miles per gallon at 13, there were
477,59O,295 miles travelled on this
gasoline.
1t would perhaps be conservative
to estimate the operating expenses of
a car at 10 cents a mile. This would
include gasoline cost, tires, repairs
and depreciation on car. Such an es-
innate would indicate approximately
$42,760,000 as the cost of operating
the cars in South Carolina last year.
Some Comparisons.
The total production of cotton in
South Carolina in 1921 according to
the National Ginners' Estimate of
January 16, 1922, was $4,000 bales.
The New York spot quotations of
December /, 1921, was 1855 cents
per pound. On this basis the value of
the 1921 cotton crop was S67,74S,-
900. After the automobile expendi-
lures of 1921 were accounted for, a
little less than twenty millions re-
NAMED for other purposes.
The report of the State Superin-
tendent of Education estimates the
value of public school property in
South Carolina at S19,965,267. The