Evening star., 1924-07-20
SHOPS INDEX
OF Us. PROGRESS
Factories, Compared With
Those of Europe, Sure In
dication of Prosperity.

Yards adjoining American manufac-
turing plants, when compared with
those of European factories tell a
complete story Of American pros
perity-of the advance this country
has made over European countries in
manufacturing methods and of the
tremendous boon to the people of this
country that has been conferred by
the automobile industry.
This is a comment of Alvan Macau-
ley. preSidcnE OF the Packard Motor
Car Company on his return fspm Il
combined business and pleasure trip
TO Europe.
The yards about every manu- Gactur-
ing plant in Europe" said Mr.. Macau-
ley look juFt like the yards about
American 3nutacturing plants did
fifteen yearst ago. They all contain
pergola-like , structures under the
shelter of which. in working hours,
are long douhqe rows of bicycles. their
rear wheels held in racks under the
center OF thf sheds There are no
automobiles lin sight unless it be
those in charge of chauffeurs waiting
in front OF the general Offices.
Surrounded by Acres of Space.
Every largte American factory. on
fne other haEd, is almost surrounded
with acres nd acres of parking space
in every away liable part of which are
closely pack&d rows of motor cars,
the personal tproperty of the workers
OF the factory. No working man in
Europe ridef in an automobile He
is fortunate ff lie possesses q bicycle
10 furnish him transportation. Hardly
any working man in the United
states is without an automobile. it
would seem. twhen one surveys the
parking spacf about the typical large
American fSctory. Provision for
parking the fears OF the workers is
one of the real problems facing all
American manufacturers. 1t will be
many years before European manu-
facturerS facf the same problem.
Taxes tell a part of the story.
However, thf great public of Amer
ica owes the Fauick personal transpor-
tation IT now possesses in both bust
ness and the pursuit of sunshine and
fresh air. witlh the pleasures that go
with them, very largely to the meth
DDS of u.facturing which were
created and developed fully in Amer
lea. our qua arhtity production system
has made possible the building of mo-
tor cars as fin e as the hand built cars
OF Europe, an a cost which makes
them available to nearly all people
OF the country.
European countries have been
heavily burdeTbed with taxes for CEN
turieS and since the great war the
load has beeN almost impossible for
the people to carry. Taxes on auto
mobiles and the first cost are such
that even thote of the smallest type
are hopelesslyi beyond the means of
any but the Wealthy. Taxes on fuel
lend a still further burden to the
owning Of a c ar
This compal lrison alone would con-
vince the most Skeptical-if there are
any, except professional skeptics in
such matters pow-that this country
has a prosperity that exceeds that of
any other; that the United States is
just about l,0po Per cent better coun-
try in which to live, than any coun-
try in Europe, and that the American
workman has greater prosperity.
greater comfort, greater happiness
than the workman of any other coun-
try in the world"
For the larger motor cars. built
with a view to maximum comfort and
more speedy travel Europe, said Mr..
Macauley, has definitely fixed upon
the six and eight cylinder in line mo-
tors and nearly all cars. he added.
are fitted with four-wheel brakes.