Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-03-19
AUTOMOBILE is MORE
THAN PLEASURE CAR
Has Enabled Thousands to
Reach Sections Heretofore
Not Touched.
is POTENT FACTOR TO FARMER
Enables Tilicrs OF Soil Ia Get Their
Produce to Market, Thereby In
crcnsinE Production, According TO
George Graham.
ny George NJ. Graham.

We do not apologize for the fact
that the automobile is an important
+ medium OF diversion. This Is quite
legitimate. but 1t is important that
( IFS utility function be- properly rr-og
nized.
Those who think OF the automobile
: merely as a pleasure car" have per-
haps never contemplated wh7; .er.
!. rifle renl estate uphcnval thee -iouid
he IL the passenger carrying and the
freight carryi,G truck should sud
{ denly be withdrawn.
The evil consequences resulting
would affect both city and rural popu-
lation.
Within the last twenty years.
farmers have found IL possible TO go
beyond uaaroductive or Improbable
land. purchased originally merely he
cause II was contiguous TO steam
railways.
They have penetrated further and
6 frrther into remote rural sections.
because In the motor truck they hnve
connecting link between the poin,
of food production and the point OF
marketing.
Increase farmers nnuis.
Records of the United States Ru-
reau OF Roads show that the farm
er's haul to market has Increased
from 60 miles to lI,6 miles. an cx-
pansion based entirely on motor
truck haulaGe.
IL the motor truck should he elm
mated what would happen TO farm
ana values can he readily imagined
Similar would he the bancful CT
iect on city jewellers. The city man
no longer lHes in the city. lie has
gone far Into the suburbs
1t Will he found ny ANALYSIS Of con-
oi'ohs IN any great city that itS
central portion is more and more
given over to commerce and mann.
facFuring. and that the rcsidcnc.
section constantly moves farther i'm,
the suburbs.
The man of wealth. the man n,
only reasonable means. finds that tho
automobile gives him ready touch
WIN the heart OF tho city.
ne ever has ut hand medium of
iSd;v'dual transportation. In This
one point alone is tho assurance of
me pcrmanency OF the automohil,
business.
Therefore. tho automobile and tho
motor truck actually constitute a
KIND OF real estate insurance.
nave used the term individual
transportation" | should like Ia
hhaiSze that term TO some extent
.ho undertake TO show most in.
Hrcsting rcvcrsion OF methob
ID Generally speaking. the impulse
OF our life has been to progress
rom indiNidualism to ccntraliza-
non. oar country hogan AS an ns
ISOLATION OF individual States. bu,
4 Their boundary lines seem constant
to become less important and
The Federal idea more dominant.
Ihe experience OF the workman
y a"o manufacturing processes affords
Rfano,her example.
! Formerly tho workman's nroduc
{ tiveness depended u,on and was
: represented by his possession Of the
3 TOOLS OF his craft. The carpenter
+ With his saw, tho shoemaker with
Z his awl. the blacksmith with his
hammer the printer with his stick.
carried hi siraac with him wherever
he went Tina, was indvidualism.
Then came great modern de =
reiopmcnt Huge machines sup
= planted tho tool They enormously
q Increased the ratio OF production.
You illustrate the tendency of
\ generalization in your own home
every day
r"~rr /. Centralized.
You don't - down. to the pump
+ or TO tn" w"ll Cur Mater. You don't
y light tn. KEROSENE lamp. In many
( cases YOU don't even produce your
own heat. All these come from cen
trail power plants. This Is central
ization.
AT one period, for centuries. In
fact, individuHlism dominated trans
( purtation The man with horse
& and wagon, the man with boat
4 both are instances
Then great steamships, steam,
railways and electric trolleys tool
the transportation mediums from
the individuals.
This was combination, improve,
public service. and these great me
diums viii always lc with us I'm
place Of commanding Importance.
But transportation has also 500,
return TO the individual facilities
a most unusual development
In both freight haulagc and pas
sengcr transportation the motor vc
/: hicle has turned back the hands oi
the face of the clock OF time. ant
we now supplement- centralIzc,
s transportation with an individual
medium. subject entirely to you
s. o,rIi>tw within, preference or need.
This is q great economic develop
ment. IT is potent now and des
+ tined To nc sim more SO.
b As BACKGROUND. ] should like I,
draw you rapid picture OF trans
z portation
+ We. in this cou~try. are great ad
d mirers az the pioneer.
8 We revere n Columbus or q MaEcl
+ Ian. We thrIll a, the courage OF TN.
L Louis-Clarkn expedition. bat gentle
afmen. actually 80 do not carry oul
81 admiration far enough. because w.
seldom consider how Inadequate wcr
the mediums Or transportation viii
& which these men vcntufcd over an
chartcd oceans or penetrated !athom
rs less forests.
j should Ike 20 direct yonr attcn
f. lion 10 startling thought. Nothin:
& In the world has been so slothfu
t#in it's development as transportation
e Ninety per cent % all the year
+ that have elaspcd since the birth o
+ Christ saw in use the same primitiv,
/ mediums OF transportation that pre
walled during his lifetime.
Man sun HnuI> Cnrt,
In 1900 years the world has no
+ advanced beyond the point Of man
IlShauled or the beast hauicd wagon q
Kart, or the man-propellcd or wind
propelled boat.
II is an amazing thought when So
against all that happened In tn
world IN that time.