East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1922-02-25
GOODRICH FIGURES
INDICATE BIG GAIN
MADE N CAR OWNERS
More Than IS Percent In
crease in Number of Trucks
and Cars Found for 1921.

Statistics compiled by the B. f..
Goodrich Rubber Company give to-
tai of 10.524,3s5 cars and trucks reg
istered in the country during 1921.
This is an increase of I,29s,023 or 1872
per cent over 1899 when there were q
2s5,S72 motor vehicles registered.
The gain made during the past year
warrants the consideration Of the au-
ltomotiye pessimsst. The automobile
business has gone through its supreme
test. It has emerged victorious and
there is no longer any room for pes
simism. Authorities coneede that over
lone-third of the cars running are own
ed by farmers. Despite the fact that
six large agricultural states show o. de-
crease over the previous year. the in
dustry has forged ahead. 1t is re-
Imarkable that so few states show a
decrease. Wheat and corn in 1921
sold at extremely low prices, frequent
|ly far below the actual cost of produc-
ltion. This of itself would tend to re-
|strict the use of automobiles by farm
|ers yet in such astates as Kansas. Ne
tural depression was most acute. the
number of cars has increased. Motor
vehicles are becoming as essential as
farm implements,
New York again leads the field with
1916, ,010 cars and trucks. an increase of
1885, the largest made in any state
over the previous year. Ohio is second
with 726,700, gain of 10S,70O over
1920. Pennsylvania clings to third
place with 6S9,5Ss, while Illinois is
close on its heels with 670,434.
The largest percentage gain was
made by West Virginia where an in
crease of 1871 per cent is recorded
,over 1920. California and Florida re-
fleet the popularity of their climate
land roads with respective gains Of
1875 per cent and 24.S per cent. FIJI
1t Is interesting to note that six
states account for over one-third of
the years increase in registrations. IL
linois. Indiana, Michigan, New York.
Ohio and Pennsylvania accomplish
| this with combined gain of 573,347
cars. Any one of these states has more
cars than the entire European conti-
nent. Their aggregate total Of S,7s1,-
$40 is greater than the total registra-
ton of the country in 1916, and great
er than the present world registrations
Excluding the United States. '
Nevada Is on the bottom rung of the
ladder with 10,S00 cars. Delaware is
only one step above with 21,413. BY
comparison these states are not as
badly mired as it seems for either one
of them has more cars than the entire
Chinese empire.
There was one motor vehicle for
every ten people in the country in
1921 as compared with one for 1l.S In
1920. II this average were ilaiptain-
ed throughout the world there would
be- 10. 100000 cars in use. 'rhe world
registration today Is approximately
l12,500,000. California ami Iowa lead
| in the number of cars as compared to
population with one car for every 5.2
South Dakota has third
place with an average of 5.3. Nebras-
ka the 1920 leader dropped TO fourth
place with 5.4 people for each car.
Alabama makes the poorest showing
IL, this respect with 2S persons for
each automobile. New York with the
lgreatest number of cars has an aver
age Of 1871 people for each one N use
| If the leaders per capita average
could be maintained throughout the
country we would now nave 20,S2t,-
000 motor vehicles in use. The sattT-
alton point has hardly been reached