New-York tribune., 1922-09-24

-HT hftieth annual convention Of che
Carriage Builders National Associa-
Il. tion is going to meet In New York City
early next month.
Carriage builderss Yep, honestl
And one Of the objects Of the convention Is
70 show the country that the carriage business,
9cspite the growing tide of the motor car, is
far from defuncE.
Statistics compiled by the careful stats
.icians hired for that purpose by the Carriage
Builders National Association have deter
mined that there are in the United States 27,-
10000 horses and mules-more than ever be-
fore. The carriage builders are engaged in the
peasantly profitable but ever hopeless task of
manufacturing enough vehicles TO hitch these
.nimals to. They haven't yet been able to get
asreast Of the birth rate. but they're doing
very we'll. This year they did better than last,
and next year they hope TO do better than that,
The forthcoming convention is billed as the
Fiftieth Annual Convention and Exhibition Of
L8fTIGRe
ubilee Of the Oldest trade organization in the
country. Il viii be held In the Hotel McAlpin
from October 10 to 12. One Of the attractions
Will be, az the prospectus puts It, "the annual
exhibition Of parts Of vehicles, automobiles,
models new inventions, harness, horse equip
nent and materials pertaining to the carriage,
r.
Unless you scan that carefully the automobile
item may escape you. To carriage man an
automobile merits billing with just that degree
of conspicuousness.
The feelings Of the carriage manufacturer
for his brother in the automobile trade are
thus expressed in a summing up Of the
riage outlook or the eve Of the convention:
ut has been demonstrated In recent months
that the demand for the horse-drawn vehicle
coming back--in other words, that there Is
growing desire on the part Of some to recon
sder their past offenses and to make amends
by once more using the type of vehicle that.
while It may not make as much speed as the
qualities.
Coming Back to Earth
And the Horse
we are getting away from the infamei
idea that became so manifest during and i'm
mediately following the war days. We are
coming back to earth and are taking note Of
'hlngs as they are, and not, as was too often
] demonstrated, of things as they seem. There
afe considerations being given to-day to just
'uch triVials as cost, duration, lessened speed
and to the desirability of the elements that help
make life more enjoyable. It is true that
mere are many who still maintain that life is
n@ worth while unless 1t Is filled with all that
makes hustle and rush and hustle possible. 1t
also true that there are some who will per-
I HS that the horse is too slow to meet their ad-
'ahced ideas Of modern civilization. 1t would
/ utter folly to stem this tide. So It would
Il well to let matters take their own course
A sad to get along as best we can without these
4 ~aiUduals. But there are many who are COM
agto see the folly Of their ways and to make
Aends by curtailing expenses and by again
4 s00psing the horse and the vehicles that are
/ dawn by him."
4 bit Old-fashioned, perhaps, but sound
4 s@'agn' unless one wants to argue that, on the
NV'e OF cutting down expenses, the argument
4 'aAs little. The man who wants horse and
'sage must buy the horse and the carriage
ss man who buys the gasoline gets his horse
Part OF his vehicle. He has no need for
A'aess or hitching strap, muzzle or blind
1 :" whip or net to keep off the flies.
efe are as many carriages manufactured
| 1"s' those who know say, as in the most
! s'pefous days of the industry. The business
= A0"eVer, with the passing of time, taken
"ay westward until its center is now I'm the
I '--1s West and ths Middle South rather than