Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-31
Continued from First Page)

Continued from First Page)
dustry is further indicated In the
number of persons employed in the
manufacture of motor vehicles and
allied lines. The 1925 statistics show
that 100000 persons were engaged
in the various parts of the business
Since taxes always are good index
TO the production volume industry,
and the automobile industry is a high
ly taxed one, the taxation % the auto
mobile business during 1925 furnishes
a considerable commentary on the rec
ord of the last year. The special Fed
eral excise taxes paid to the United
States Government by the automobile
industry during the last year, the ma
tional chambers figures show, were
1926, 552 900
Production of cars. however, tells
only part of the story of automotiVe
progress Manufacture of cars is the
industry's contribution to the great
scheme of motoring. Factory expan-
sion, increased volume of production
and constant raising of construction
standards have been essential factors
in motoring progress. Without them
as a groundwork the SuperStructure
of growing popularity of the automo-
bile would have been impossible. So
many more millions today use cars be-
cause they are much more valuable
articles and much more useful ad
juncts to modern life than they were
even a decade ago. But to tell the
whole story of the place the automo-
bile holds as its own today, the extent
of its use must be accurately gagged.
! Figure is Startling.
! When one ponders on the number of
CT or in he
! States at present the figure stands out
| as q startling commentary on the posi-
! ton of Importance the automobile has
assumed in our own national life.
; There are 20.000,000 motor vehicles
! registered, and that means that they
are in actual use. Theirs is not only
an existence, but utility, contribu-
| ton to the business world as well as to
the convenience and pleasure of the
American people. OF the number of
vehicles registered 100000 are mo-
| tor cars while 900, 900 trucks are en-
gagged in doing the bidding Of the
! American business man.
| The relat tive position of the United
| States in the worlds production and
| use of the automobile long has been
| undoubtedly important. This becomes
! apparent at once When the figures
! showing world registration are
! studied. 1t is estimated that 24.600,-
! 900 motor vehicles are registered
| throughout the world. and the per-
! centage owned in the United States
! is 81 per cent
| Motor cars and trucks have proved
: to be of unusual benefit to the Amer
| lean farmer. This fact is reflected in
! the extent of ownership of automo-
! biles Oh farms throughout the United
| States. Nearly onefourth the total
number of vehicles registered, or
| $500, 900, are owned by the farmers.
| This figure Is divided into 4.l60,0O0
motor cars and 100000 trucks.
| In highway construction lies an
other sound reason for the develop
ment Of the automobile and its
| widened use. There are at the pres
| ent time 495,000 miles of improved
! highways in the United States. of
! which more than $4,000 have been
/ completed under the Federal-aid sys-
| TEN. When all types of roads, good.
| bad and indifferent. are included. the
! total highway mileage comes TO
! 5000, 916. All of which means that
! the automobile has become an i'm
| portant factor in the nations trans
portation and communication facili-
| ties, and has attained this position
! because road building has been re-