Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-07-06

duced were a4 ton trucks, while in
1925 this class had been reduced to
i91s per cent, and on the other hand,
the one-ton trucks in 1919 were AZ
per cent of the total trucks produced,
in 1925 this had been raised to II per
cent
Now then we come to the matter of
the consumption of gasoline A great
deal of the increase in the consumption
of gasoline is due not only to the adj
ditional ears that are used, but also be-
cause of your better highways. Cars
that never were over 20 miles from
town a few years ago are making 100
and 200-mile trips on week ends SO
we find this reflected in the consump-
| tion of gasoline, for in 1920 there was
consumed in the United States 4,250,-
$4,000 gallons of gasoline, and in 1925
we find practically double that amount
of gasoline consumed, which is 1862,
! G94, 900 gallons. The consumption in
Arizona has increased faster, for in
1922, 15746,S73 gallons were consumed
and in 1925 this amount was more than
doubled, it being 34,51S,365 gallons.
In the. cities we found that the auto
4
rapidly, but sucR was not the case on
the farms, but today it is estimated
that there are 4,332,4S2 motor vehicles
on the farms. In Arizona it is esti-
mated that there are 12,247 motor We
hicles on the farms. This means that
not only are Que highways near the
cities receiving heavy traffic, but also
this will be supplemented by farm
traffic between the cities.
One point that will show that the
higher class of highways that are being
built today reflect lower repair bills to
the motorist is shown in the fact that
in 1919 the average cost of opreation
and maintenance o fa motor car was
S2S1.OO while in 1925 this cost had
dropped to $217.O0, or saving of $64
year on the average car.
Very much is said about the cost peri
mile of the operation of the average
car and one of the leading colleges has
made a study of this sumject and in
cluded in the cost that of gasoline, OIL
tires, maintenance, depreciation, inter-
est, insurance, garaging. and license,
and has determined that the average
cost is 10 cents per mile.
A statement that will show in a small
way where great many of the motor
lists go, is embodied in the statement
that SO per cent more motorists visited
the national forests this year than did
last year Most of the people, in fact,
THAT visited the national forests are
motorists for in 1925 in Arizona 443,-
O1S people visited our forests and ofs
this amount 434, ,529 were motorists.
! Io+i
visited the national parks reflect the
increased use of the roads, for in 1915,
29,35S visited the national parks, and
this last year 368,212 cars visited the
parks.
Not only are there more passenger
cars using the roads, but the motor
busses are increasing very fast. This
last year there were 10000 motor
busses being operated in the United
States, only about half of them being
common carriers.
All of these facts I am giving you
fso that you might visualize the ir-
creased use of our highways.
Then, too, the railroads are using
bus service in connection with their
lines and typical instances might bel
sighted, such as in Minnesota THE
Northland Transportation company, IN
Iconjunction with the Great Northern
Railroad company is providing bus
service. One hundred and twenty-five
busses are being operated IN conjunc-
tion with the New York, New Haven
and Hartford railroad, replacing un-
profitable rail operations or rendering
inew exrpess service. Thirty motor
busses are used by the Spokane, Port
land and Seattle railroad. Another in
/ stance 1 might give is the Southern
Pacific company in conjunction with
the Union Auto Transportation COM
pany of Phoenix, which operates from
10 to 12 motor busses for passengers
only.
Other facts that show the increased
use of the highways are that 81 rail-
roads in the United States and Canada
are not using motor trucks to supple
ment their shipping service, II rail-
roads are studying the possibilities OF
transporting freight by trucks, con-
Etemplating either the use of trucks Tor
the first time or the use of addltlonal
trucks 81 steam railroads or their sub
sidiaries use over 407 motor busses'
most of them having begun to carry
passengers on the highways Wlthln the
last year; % steam railroads not using
busses are considering the installation
i of bus service.
The Iowa State college, at Ames'
Iowa, has made study of the cost Oh
operating automobiles and busses at
various speeds over various kinds OF
roads, and this study shows that the
cost per mile is much less on the hlgh-
er types of roads. Taking the IN
! stance of an automobile that travels
at a speed of from 25 to 35 miles per
, hour over the best concrete road at a
cost of 93 cents, against the same au-
!, tomobile travelling at the same speed
over an ordinary earth road at a cost
Of 1876 cents, showing difference OF
over three cents per mile for the pet
ter type of highway. motor pus
would show a larger saving per mile
operating at "a miles an hour the dl1-
, ference between the best concrete roao
and the ordinary earth road is shown
at seven cents per mile. These are
savings that are reflected directly TO
1.-THE motorist in his operating cast, ano