Evening star., 1923-09-18
AUTO FIRMS RUSH
NEW CAR OUTPUT
Active Winter Assured.
Lumber Demand Gains.
Passenger Travel Large.
BY J. C. RoYLE.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
Z NEW YORK, September 1S.-Signs
are multiplying that indicate that the
great basic automobile industry,
which gives employment to, or af-
fects, millions of Americans. will en-
JOY steady active production during
the coming winter. There have been
sharp increases in the last fortnight
in the orders from auto manufactur-
ers for finished steel sheets and
semi-finished bars and strips.
This demand made it's effect felt
even before the United States Steel
Corporation opened it's books for the
,Saurth quarter at the same level of
psices as had existed for the third
period and persisted in spite of un-
certainty growing out of the estab-
lishment of the eight-hour day In
the steel mills, Representatives of
steel makers in the automobile CEN
ters We're taken by surprise by this
demand. as q number of lines of au-
tomobiles have recently been reduced
in price, and any possible increase
in prices of raw. materials might
well have disarranged q production
program.
Plants Keeping Up Output.
Companies ordinarily begin to buy
some material at this season to pre-
pare lOE STOCKING cars IOF the SpTiuS
trade, and some of the recent pur-
rhases have been for that purpose.
nevertheless, nearly every company
that has brought out new models re-
Gently is experiencing fall demand
Rn excess of expectations, and this is
taken to indicate increases of pro-
ducton. Some of these air eady are in
operation. The Buick Motor Com
pany is running at capacity again
with the output for September fore
h.tn
in August.
The Hupp Motor Car Company is
running at the rate of $500 cars
month, which is at least 25 pdr cent
higher than was anticipated for this
season. The Hupo company will make
more cars in the first nine months
in 1923 than it made in the entire
twelve months OF last year. ;.
The Cadillac Motor Company -
making about 100 of the new models
q. day. and is expected shortly to in
crease that to $50 a day, while the
Ford company, with the change TO
new models entirely completed, is
continuing at the rate of 10000 cars
a week This rivals the spring rec
ords of the company.
Huge Sums Expended ON Autos.
According to figures compiled by
the Cleveland Trust Company, $4,000
900, 400 has been expended for auto
mobiles in the last four years in this
country. while new building construe-
tion has neceSsitated the expenditure
OF $4,000. .0G0, 600 in that time. The
trust company officials say they cam
not state yet whether this ratio of
expenditure represents healthy
business condition.
Demand for Lumber increases.
In connection with the building sit
uation, Fl. c. Berckes, secretary man
ager of the Southern Pine Assocta-
tien announced today a gain OF 30
per cent in the available volume of
, orders received by the mills for the
amounted to 679.796 feet per mill.
which is about per cent above nor
NAL capacity.
These orders were the largest book
ed since the week of February 16. Mr..
Berckes said. THE gradual Increase
+, in orders" he added, lis undoubtedly
IA reflection of good fall business
and the desire to complete before
winter a large amount of tls con-
stFuction now under way"
Some steel Lines Falling Of,
In spite of the activity in autemo-
bile production and building copstrue-
tian. however, steel business is not
picking up in many lines In the vol
ume expected earlier in the year.
Production during the summer was
ahead of new business and there has
been decrease in steel production,
which still remains, however. at rs
to 80 per cent average OF the four
postwar years. Labor in the indus
try apparently is satisfied with ad-
justments in wages and hours and
there is an ample supply of unskilled
and semi-ski1led workers.
Extremely Heavy Passenger Travel.
Stress is placed on the business ac-
tivity of the country in the report
of President Z. It. Carry of the Pull
man Company, issued today.
The revival in passenger tFhff1C,
which, began early in the fiscal year
ending July 81, the report says,
continued throughout the twelve
months, with the result that gross
revenue from cars operated amounted
to S76, ,906, ,66547. These results re-
9eet the impetus given to travel by
great commercial activity and by
countrywide prosperity
In the year 33,255,577 passengers
were carried an aggregate of 12,500,.
100000 miles President Carry said
there still was a deficit in the rail-
road equipment Of the country and
that his company had orders on it's
books which would keep it busy for
iFome time.