Evening star., 1923-03-18
AUTO DEALERS. win
} BANK FRIENDSHIP
Importance of Motor Car as
Necessity Recognized, Says
Hupp Official.
DAY OF SUSPICION GONE
How Business Is Speeded Through
Financial Aid Given In
austry Explained.
DAY OF SUSPICION GONE

In further evidence of the increas-
Ing recognition of the automobile as
a positive necessity in the. business
and social life of the community.
rather than a semi-necessity and lux
ury vehicle. A. Won Schlegen, vice
president of the Hupp Motor Car Cor
poration, points to the favorable
change in the attitude of bankers
concerning the industry, principally
in connection with the business OF.
distributors and dealers.
1T is to be expected that the bank
ing fraternity should represent the
most conservative business element"
says Mr.. Won Schlegell. himself an
economist of considerable note. "and
for that reason 1t may not be sur
prising that for several years many
motor car business-with not little
suspicion and DOUBT as to it's sta
bility u.
ground for that attitude when we
think of the craze that swept over
the land for what we then termed
pleasure cars. 1t was hard to be-
lieve that such an expensive medium
of pleasure could survive what was
then regarded as extravaganza. eX-
cept in the case of the very we'll
to-do.
Had it been strictly a pleasure
car, it would not have survived. But
what happened was this:
Doubling Earning Ability.
THE enterprising salesman soon
learned that he could more than dou-
hle his earning ability by abandoning
the horse and buggy for Is faster
means of covering his territory.
The aggressive merchant discov.
cred that he could reduce his deliv-
cry costs in an incalCulable degree
and at the same time give his custo-
mers infinitely better service through
motor car delivery instead of the
horse and wagon method.
And so it was with the profess
Sional men-phySiCianS for example;
the city man who longed for a sub
urban home, the sick who needed
the bracing air. and on and on into
every possible line of activity or ele-
ment of the human life.
The bankers could not help but
observe this. They. saw the old and
established leaders in the business
life OF their towns and cities give
way to the more aggressive young
merchant who invariably was utiliZ-
ing automotive equipment to its best
possible advantages.
But. most important, they suddenly
became aware of the fact that the
leading merchant in their community
was no longer the department store
man, or the hardware supply dealer,
but the automobile dealer Amazing
as 1t was, the fact remained that the
automobile man had in an incredibly
space Ol TIME DeCO1llc one Ol the
community's most substantial and
most prosperous business men.
Made Necessary Utility.
Because the dealer was selling
what developed into the greatest
transportation saver in the history of
the world-and that in itself made it
a necessary utility in every line of
endeavor-he sooh became a factor to
be reckoned with in all the affairs that
pertain to successful banking.
During the slump period of cou-
pie of years ago it did seem for a
time that the automobile dealer had
been singled out by some of the bank
ers for almost unfair treatment.
However, that situation has changed
TO a large extent. An incident that
happened within our own organiza-
ton will illustrate that change.
I'm a certain city there was a man
connected with a bank who had
gained the reputation OF being one
who would never give the automobile
dealer the slightest favor. He was
known as a man who thought the in
dustry was a bubble soon to be
pricked, etc. Eventually, he retired
from this bank and was made presi-
dent of the bank in which our local
representative had been a valued cli-
ent for years.
when the Hupmobile man learned
Of the new presidency he Immediately
conferred with another banker in his
city, VINO was glad to get his account,
and went. over to the first bank to
withdraw. Before his request was
fully complied with he was urged to
see the new president.
"Why are you doing this?' asked
the president.
"1'l be perfectly frank with you,'
our man replied. I'm taking my busi-
ness away from.you for the very good
reason that you have a reputation for
being, prejudiced against the automo-
bile dealer. 1t has been said that you
would never indorse a loan for an au-
tomobile dealer, and if that is the
kind of banker you are 1 will go
elsewhere.
THE president knew very we'll that
that was the reputation he had and
ne did not attempt to deny it What
he did say was this:
want your business, whether it
is in automobiles or not. I'll promise
You just as liberal a line of credit as
you ever had under the old regime
be glad to extend it, if necessary.
recognize that the automobile
mas become necessity. | have no
antipathy toward the automobile deal
or who is good business man and
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