Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-05

The automobile industry appears to
be the largest manufacturing INDUS
try in the world.
Thirty years ago, Bryce, in his
classic treatise on the American com
monwealth. referred to Americas
great railway system as the means
of communication that held this
country together and rendered it n
for all social, political and commercial
purposes.
During the past decade says the
October issue of the Automobile
Trade Journal, another great adj
vance in INSTRUMENTATION has been
made. The automobile marks the most
successful attempt to provide 'lndi-
vidual transportation since the first
caveman harnessed the p~rogenitor of
the modern horse and thereby supplied
himself with a means of travel afleld."
Value In Billions
The value of the 1922 automotive
output will be approximately as fol-
lows:
Automobiles ..........Sl,330,O00 900
tires bl5,OO0,0O0
Replacement parts -. 520,o00,Oo wv
AotaA Pr -cJObVtOou
This total is 33 per cent greater
than the value of the output in the
second largest industry, the refining
used by a~utomobiles), 80 per cent
greater than the value Of the iron
and steel output, and more than
twice the value of all cotton goods
produced in the textile mills of the
country.
Affects Basic Industries
The automobile business is the
most essential of our manufacturing
industries, because it directly affects
q greater number of what might be
termed basic industries, than does
any other manufacturing enterprise.
Annual imports of. crude rubber
into the United States are now 600,-
100000 pounds per annum. OF this
total, 81 per cent, or 49o,oD,ooo
pounds, will be required this year for
automobile tires.
Production of plate glass this year
should total about 6S,o00,00 square
feet. Nearly one-third of this, or 81
for automobiles.
This year 5,4o0, 100000 gallons of
gasoline will be produced. About
.s)@t.tUb,cp SdliuLISI VI o' ~ N|HN
of this total, viii be used in automo-
biles.
While over $50. 1000. 900 gallons of
Iubricating oil will be refined in 1922,
only 5000, 900 gallons will be re-
quired for the domestic consumption.
About $50, 900, 900 gallons. or over
40 per rent of the domestic consump-
ton will be needed for the operation
of automobiles,
About $4,000 bales of Egyptian
type, long staple cotton will be
grown in the United States this year
while 400, 900 bales will be imported
from Egypt. About IS per cent OF
this total, or 10000 bales, will be
used in the manufacture of automo-
bile tires.
ANY weakness in the market for
| automotive products will be immedi-
ately reflected in the business Of all
of those industries which depend
wholly or in part on the automobile
business for a market.
influences Labor Market
With its various subsidiary lines,
| the automobile business influences
the industrial labor market to a more
pronounced extent than does any
other great industry.
In addition to these there are 935.-
900 other wage earners, who derive
their income directly from the au-
tomiobile business. These are driv-
ers and chauffeurs and workers. in
industries supplying raw materials
to manufacturers of automotive prod
ucts. Figures for workers in these
| industries we're obtained by multi
plying total workers in each of
these industries by the percentage of
the total output needed for automo-
tive products.
Employees 100000 persons
Directly and indirectly the auto
mobile industry influences the en-