New-York tribune., 1922-09-23
Rural Auto Sales
Fail TO Come Up
To Early Estimates
Many Producers Curtailing
Operations, but With In
dica'ions of Ample Fuel
Steady Output Is Expected
speesat Dtspo.ch to rhe rrtoan,


DETROIT, Sept. 20. Reniova Of the
government service order on coal ship
nents is taken by Industrial leaders
in this district to insure an ample coal
supply for the Immediate future and
supply which will probably be sufIi-
cient to carry the autom mobile factories
through fall and winter operation.
There is every indication that the Ford
factories will reopen soon after Oc-
tober J., a number of men be ng re-
called this week to keep the equip
ment up to a standard that would per-
nit almost overnight resumption IN
full.
The closing of the Ford factories has
had little if any influence on other car
manufacturing plants, though opera
tions have been considerably reduced
from those of last month and the
earlier months of the year. Business
is reported to be holding up strongly,
the demand from the farming d stricts
not inaterializing so strongly as was
expected earlier, but business from
other sections is keeping operations
on steady basis.
The failure of the rural business 20
come TIN ough in quantities anticipated
is regarded as wholly due 70 the inabl-
ity of farmers to reach markets be-
cause of the railroad situation. There
is considered lair likelihood of this
business coming through later in the
year, but if it does not the factories
are confident of its materializing in
even larger volume in the spring.
Factories are planning to lay in n
1yy pY MO- o$ar rt.1u H..
them through the winter on a set man
ufacturing schedule before the cold
weather arrives to aggravate the diff
cuitles of the railroad situation Much
of the heavy manufacturing duri:g the
summer months was designed to fur
nish stock for dealers later in the
year, but there has been no stocking
because there proved to be sufFicienf
buying to absorb all cars as fast as
they were produced
Commitments Increased
Commitments from factories for ma
terial Tor October have increased ron
slderably since earlier in the month.
and 1t IS now apparent that October
manufacturing will be on scale com
mensTate with the season and the
earlier schedules of the year. Parts
manufacturers in the district have laid
IN large supplies of raw material to
carry through the winter, but are with
holding manufacture except on definite
commitments so that no capital may b.
tied up IN finished production on which
shipments may lag.
Conventions of sales ORGANIZATIONS
held by factories in the period of the
last month show dealers enthusiastic
over the possibilities of continued
heavy business, and in many cases or
ders have been placed with the fac
tories which practically guarantee op-
Grafton through to January. This is
nartlcularly true in the high priced car
held, which has been affected but
slightly at any tine by the coal and
rel! situations. Three of the most
prominent manufacturers in this field
have definitely committed themselves
Tor material to. January, and at least
two companies in the middlepriced
field have also made similar arrange
nents. The tendency, however, in the
mlddle and lower priced classes is to
fold commitments on month-to-
month basis.
Struggle for New Business
The new year will witness CON
siderable struggle for business in the
lowest-priced market The day has
gone when the cUntrcl ot this field was
practically conceded, and General Mo-
tors is making plans which are de-
signed to give them much larger
share of this business than it has
previously enjoyed. Two new manu-
facturng plants will be erected bv
General Motors which will double Their
present capacity, and unless the buvine
held in this class is greatly enlarged
other manufacturers must Weld bnsi.
ness: The battle for this business
must unquestionably result in better
low priced car than has ever appeared
before, and also prices may be consid-
erably lower.
In Keeping with the growth in the in
closed car business, body builders are
making tremendous expansion. Nanu.
featuring and assembly plants are
beng located in many cities in the i'm
mediate Detroit district and also At
car assembly districts throughout the
country. The pinch In the closed hodv
field will come in finding workmen. for
though many former Builders Of omen
bodies will be changed over, there will
still be thousands Of vacancies for new
men. Ava "e"