New-York tribune., 1922-10-14
Freight Service
Hampers Output
Of Auto Makers
Intermittent Schedules in
Some Departments; See
Gradual Tightening in
the Next Few Weeks
Special Dispotch 70 rb. rr,,.,,.

DETROIT, Oct. 13.-Railroad freight
service in and out Of Detroit has
reached point where 1t has begun to
interfere with production schedules. at
ieast to the extent that automobile
makers are obliged to work intermit.
tentiy in some departments and daily
ere finding it more difficult to COM
tely equip cars for shipment. Ex-
cept for the boat service en the lakes
factories would be obliged to drive
away all finished cars to destinations
within thousand miles Of the Detroit
district. wy
trucks are being used in railroad
Terminal cities and in steel centers to
ges materials part way to the factories
IN Flttsburgh trucks are being used by
some companies to get shipments to
railroad yards lying some distance out
OF the city, where loadings can be made
TO freight cars without the delay of
hauiing the car into the city. Trucks
are also being used to large extent
~ getting steel and materials to lake
cltles, where boat connections can be
made to Detroit.
Hampered by Embargoes
Emeargoes are serious factor in
holding up shipments. Pittsburgh un-
1er present SC conditions is ten days from
Detroit Shipments from cities in the
I: nast are being held up for days at a
tlne owing to embargoes and lack Of
freight cars. Companies with parts
supplies in the East and in New Eng
land are especially affected by the SIT
uaIon,, but have managed to keep GO
ing. Where small parts have been
snort automobiles are being sent on
by freight incomplete with the neces-
sary parts following by express.
reduction of schedules in most fac
tories makes the railroad situation
less acute, but there is still a, large
volume OF manufacturing and an ade-
aua.e railroad service is important.
Ira1lic departments in the factories
look tor gradual Tightening of the
rail situation for the next few weeks,
ana then the return to normal con-
ditions as the coal and crop movement
peak is passed.
Retail sales as reflected by factory
orders continue to maintain a better
pace than in former years September
with total output of about 100000,
exclusive of Fords, was approximately
20 per cent lower than August, but
ran over 80 per cent in excess of busi-
ness last year. October is looked to
run about the same figure as Septem-
Der and some factories will make a
better showing in this month than in
any month of the year. Cars in the
high priced field maintain relatively
higher sales ratio than in the lower
prices. b..
Uneasy Over Price Cuts
Changes in models and reduction Of
prices are reported to have created a
feeling of uneasiness in banking cir
cles and will probably result in a
rapid sterilization of prices as nSw
fixed. Feeling on the part of bankers
that there is need for this before
financing Of the customary winter
stocks has been brought home to lead
ing manufacturers and has checked the
fluctuation in price. There are some
who feel guarantees of prices as now
fixed may be necessary to overcome
the gathering feeling of uncertainty.
= Truck manufacturers, like car
makers, have been disappointed in the
volume of business from farm districts.
Where the car men report business
running 25 to 80 per cent of normal
expectations from this source, truck
makers report demand not exceeding
5 per cent of their original expecta-
tiohs. Budding bus lines in the West
ern states are bringing some business.
but practically all of the business con-
tinues to be Industrial. Truck sales
organizations have been severely hit in
the past year and efforts are being
made to line UP retail sources on
fairly representative basis. Truck
makers are going in for factory
branches more extensively than ever.