Evening star., 1924-11-16
SELF|SHNESS CUTS
AUTOMOBILE SALES
Non n-0wner Seeing Trouble of
Present Day Driving De-
cides to Stay Out.

Commenting upon the charge that
half the people are keeping the other
half from owning cars and motoring.
the Washington Automotive Trade
Association, through a bulletin just
issued by it's research committee.
agrees that selfshness has played. and
continues to play, conspicuous part
in preventing moro people from en-
ioying the advantages OF car owner
ship.
According to the dealers view of
the matter as expressed by their COM
,nittee. people who are enjoying cars
overlook the fact that their own en-
ioyment would be materially in
creased with a little more considera-
ton for the other fellow who does
not as yet own a car.
Text Of Bulletin.
In explanation of this point the
Washington Automotive Trade Asso-
citation bulletin reads:
Every selfish act on the part Of a
car owner or driver discourages the
non -motorist from entering the ranks
This slows up production to a point
where the man who buys cars has
10 pay a premium for his selfishness
All things considered. this premium
has been almost negligible up to the
present. owing to the enormous de-
nand for cars and the Willingness
of the average person to overlook
the selfshness of his neighbor in
order to enjoy some of the advantages
OF car ownership.
The situation changes as selfish
ness becomes a process in which 49,
100000 persons are prone to indulge
The man who doesn't as yet own or
drive a car observes conditions and
says to himself that If traffic and
parking are TO be mere opportunities
for display OF human weaknesses, he
wants to keep out-at least until he
has some assurance that when he
gets in he will get square deal
from his highway comrades.
He observes the great amount OF
unnecessary trouble which car own.
ers make for each other because they
think only of themselves when driv-
ing and when parking, and he feell
that the time is not yet ripe for the
sort of motoring and car ownership
he would wish to bring TO motordom
Naturally he fears that the sort OF
comradeship and cooperation he
would like to offer to motordon
would not be appreciated, perhaps
not even understood.
Big Market Ahead.
Less than half the people who are
physically and financially able to owr
cars now own them. There is a tre-
mendous market ahead for the auto
mobile industry, and the wise motor.
ist who knows that during the next
10 years he Will have new cars to buy
the vision of 100000 or more peo-
pie holding off on car ownership
means but one thing-higher price:
of cars.
III he is truly foresighted the
Washington Automotive Trade Asso.
citation believes that he will not wait
for legislatures to pass ideal laws
and regulations. but will take mat
ters in his own hands by doing the
right thing at every turn In his mo-
toring, SO that the -motorist will
see that there is still ample room fol
millions more cars and an opportu-
nifty for motoring that will be free OF
many of the present complica tions.
He will also see that by banishin 6
his selfishness and. through good ex-
ample. encouraging imitation on the
part of other car owners there will
be a steadier demand for first cars
from those who do not now motor
with continuation of the adyan-
tages Of volume sales as a direct con-
sequence.
Our investigation Of this matter