Evening star., 1923-05-28
MfO PRODUCTION
0AtI HIGHEST SPEED
Eothing Other Than Seasonal
Slump So Far Noted by
Big Manufacturers.
BY j. c. ROYLE.

SpeeiaEDspst tch TO The Star
" NEW YORK, May 2S.-The largest
Factory in the automobile business to-
day is the rumor factory. The output
of rumors of a slump in automobile
manufacture Is tremendous. prompt
ed, 1t is believed, by the recent slump
in the stock market. Yet a survey
today of leading plants Of the country
does not bear out reports that serious
changes are taking place. 1t is true
that a number of smaller concerns
Ind one or two Of the larger fac
fories have felt a recession in orders.
'but the losses recorded are being
more than Offset by the gains in other
plants.
Sales are holding up strong with
u.s." H. NJ. Jewett, president or the
Paige-Jewett Company, said today.
I'VE are obtaining many new orders
from the west and southwest. There
may be the usual seasonal let-up
during the next sixty days In the IN
Qustry as a whole, but there is noth-
D. hg to Indicate 1t yet.
Big Gain I'm Export Sales.
President Hastings of the Hupp
Motor Car Company agreed with this
exposition of the situation and added:
Our export sales this year will be
last year: Export shipments for the
first four months of 1928 were triple
those of the corresponding months
of 1922. Business is good with us
and we see nothing to make us
change our minds s to the future.
Taken by and large, the industry
S1as only slowed up in those plants
whose products has not carved out
an individual sales demand for itself.
1t seems now as If the vigorous sales
campaigns of the leaders are taking
business away from the followers,
competition Is keener and plants are
this trend continues thirty days we
may expect price reductions in one
or two instances
May Production Soaring.
I 1t seems likely that the May auto
mobile output will exceed that of
April by at least 5 per cent Making
full allowance for a possible falling
Off in one or two plants, the total
for May is estimated conservatively
at 10000 vehicles. compared with
365,000 for April.
The Ford May output will exceed
the April record of 100000 by several
thousand cars. Chevrolet will touch
$4,000 in May. compared with $4,000
On April. Packard and Hupp are
5going strong and are still behind with
orders. The Buick factories will show
record Of possibly $4,000 to $4,000
cars. Studebaker. with its capacity
output of $40 day, in both the De-
troit and South Bend plants, will not
fall behind April. Five thousand is
predicted as the May output for
Paige-Jewett
Dodge Brothers stated today that
the peak of Dodge sales will not be
reached for another thirty days. Con-
trafy to reports, Dodge executives
say. they are not storing any cars or
releasing employees. The Dodge out
=, day.
Slump In Industry Denied.
Taking the corporation as a
whole, we are planning on increasing
output rather than decreasing it," c.
s. Mott, vice president of the General
Motors Corporation. said. II am sur
prised to hear comments that the in
dustry has begun to slump. 1t Is not
true in General Motors, although some
divisions are experiencing the usual
spring lull.
Gus condition are found in demands
made by some Of our divisions for
authority to contract for materials
beyond four months in advance. the
period in which they may make such
contracts without special approval of
the appropriations committee. If
business were slumping these for
ward commitments would be on the
decrease"
Harvest money Is beginning to
get into circulation in the south
fwest, and the lull in retail business
>has passed as a result. Merchants
for a time did little business out
side of the big towns, but with thou
sands of workers getting into the
oat and wheat fields of Texas trade is
increasing in the rural districts. Cut
ting of grain now is active in the
central districts of the state and the
first call for workers from Kansas
and Missouri has been made. Texas