The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-03-13
AUTO INDUSTRIES
AHEAD OF ROAD
: BUILDERS IN us.
Outlook Bright for Car
Makers, but What Of
OWners7
BY JOIN W. GLENN
Manufacturers News

Observation-Disclosures sANVOS
This is the open season for mo-
tor shows. The biz ones--New York
and Chicago--have come and gone.
Within the next two months there
will be others. And during each
one OF these we will no doubt hear
the same recounting Of the glowing
prospects for the automotive indus
try in 1925.
It's good to cheerful. And the
automotive industry Is not alone in
feeling that 1926 holds forth promise
of industrial and commercial &C.
tiHty.
Motorists Grumble
But here AMI there the grumbling
of motorists seems to be growing
more frequent as they are stalled or
delayed by congested traffic. True,
there are almost 100000 miles OF
MN-called highways in the United
MAates. CT these some 100000 miles
%kave been improved in some fashion,
and the byways are not crowded.
Perhaps human nature is response
BILE Tor the fact that more than
100000 motorists want to ride on
the best road they can find, for
human nature is not built on the
You're first, my dear CASTOR" plan.
Even in Illinois, which has been
making rapid strides in paving a
State system Of highways, we are
suffering from highway congestion.
Fortunately the people of Illinois
had vision long enough ago to in
augIirate a comprehensive State
wide plan for. road improvement and
some day perhaps we will catch up
with the new order in transportation.
New PerpIexities
However. the perplexlties OF con.
st-lcuon were no sooner well under
way to complete settlement before
new perplexities arose. The pave
ment already laid has so increased
the use OF automobiles that they are
getting in each others way. Those
whose interest lies primarily in the
roads themselves have done valiant
work to enlighten the public as to
the need for more and wider roads.
But the automotive industry has
been too fast for them. It's pace
has outstripped the road building
forces OF the country.
There is still a great deal OF buy
ing power among those who do not
own cars. Several nationally known
manufacturers have predicted that
10 day when more than S0,O00000
TOR vehicles will be registered in
this country Is only from three to
i've years distant. Certainly in some
places the availability of paved roads
seems to be the limiting factor of
automobile sales What the auto
motive industry will contribute to-
ward removing this barrier is yet
to be seen. But Industrial history
records practices that may be taken
as q precedent.
New Roads Solution
Manufacturers of photographs
realized that they had to make the
armament of operatic stars twinkle
OF the sale of records was to show
an upward curve.
A nationally known manufacturer
of knitting goods realized that if a
swimming hole were to be built in
each city park, there would be a
larger market for bathing suits.
A more classic example is that of
the railroads, which IN the early
days found their tracks running
through a rich wilderness. They did
tue obvious thing. They advertised
the possibilities of the wilderness to
the people, and with what success,
the loaded platforms of freight and
passenger depots from the Alleghe-
MES to the Pacific soon attested. Cali
fornia and Florida are simply two
OF many examples which even now
are being promoted by the railways,
and no doubt with excellent returns
to the railroads, as well as to others.
Just how the automotive industry
@tl remove the barrier Of too few.
Wbtor roads for its everincreasing
output may appear in some future
historical record. 1t may be that
iAhe more farseeing ones will adver-
tisc to the people that we must have
more paved roads.