Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12
$26,1)O,O(O SPENT
ON AUTOS IN YEAR
Baltimoreans Expend Huge
Sum on Motor Cars, Sur
vey Shows.

That Baltimoreans during 1928 spent
more than $26,500,0 900 on their auto.
mobiles, or rs per cent of the $751;
$4,000 which was expended in the
retail trade of that city. is shown in
O tabulation Of the results of a distri-
button census carried on during the
past year by the United States Bureau
OF the Census and the Chamber of
Commerce of the United States. This
census was the first of its kind ever
undertaken, and was the outgrowth
OF the National Distribution Confer
ence held under the auspices of the
chamber in 1925. 1t included all busi-
ness establishments other than those
embraced in the census OF manufac.
lures and was divided into two classes,
those engaged primarily in the distri-
button of commodities and those
whose income is derived principally
from the performance of a personal
service.
The census disclosed the fact that
there were more than ! $50 persons
who catered principally to the automo.
bile trade. These were distributed
among 406 establishments. OF these
establishments, 1875 sold gasoline and
oil and employed $50 workers as well
rs 100 proprietors: 154 establishments
dealt in automobile accessories. en-
ploying a total of sos persons, includ.
ing 159 firm members or proprietors,
while 81 establishments dealt in auto
mobiles and employed a total of $50
persons. of which SIS were proprietors.
Dealers Take Large Sum.
Automobile dealers took the largest
volume of the money expended, hav.
ing total of sales amounting to
$15,225,000. Establishments dealing in
gasoline and oil sold $7,369, 800 worth
of goods, while automotive accessory
dealers disposed of $4,2s5,S 800 of mate.
rails. In addition to this must be in.
eluded purchases made by motorists
at department stores, these sales not
being separate from the general sales
OF the department stores.
Automobile dealers had by far the
highest value of sales per establish
nent, this averaging $267,iO5. Case.
line and oil establishments sold an
average of nearly $3s. 1000 per estab-
lishment. and automobile accessory
dealers We're third with an average
of almost $4,000 worth of business.
An interesting feature of the distri-
button census is the number of in.
habitants which support one estab-
lishment. While there is one gasoline
and oil vending establishment for
every 4,0S& persons, using the Baiti-
sus Bureau as of July /. 1925, there
are Sill persons to every accessory
dealers establishment and 1890 per-
sons to each automobile dealers eS-
Enlistment.
$SS.75 Per Capita Cost.
The automobile bill per capita
amounted to $33.75. OF this amount.
$is.12 was expended in purchases of
automobiles. 1925 in buying gas and
oil and $3.50 for accessories. OF the
total amount spent, approximately 10
per cent went into salaries and wages
of employees of the various establish
ments, thus making the average paid
by each inhabitant toward the salaries
of these employees about $S35 per
year.
Total salaries of those engaged in
catering to Baltimore's motorists ag-
gregated $2,593,200, an average of
$1,620.15 per employee.
Only four kinds Of businesses had
sales which averaged more than
100000 per establishment. Ranking
hfse were department stores, which |
did nearly 81 ,000, 900 worth of business
each and second in line were auto
mobile dealers, each of which, on an
average, did more than $265, 900 worth
Of business. Gasoline and oil selling
establishments ranked nineteenth and
automobile accessory dealers ranked
twenty-fifth out Of As different types
Of business listed.
Exclusive of Taxes.
The $19.12 per capita expenditure
on automobiles, however, does not in
cluda the various taxes, such as
drivers licenses, personal property tax
and automobile license tax. With
these added it would bring the ex-
penditure to about 81 more per capita.
Garage costs also are not included.
With the experience gained in Bal
timore as a guide. similar surveys as
TO distribution are being made in At
lanta. Chicago, Denver, Fargo, Kan.
gas City. Providence. San Francisco,
Seattle, Springfield, ILL.,, and Syracuse.
These cities were selected because 1t
tive OF the different types of popula-
ton conditions and various kinds of
business activity.
Viewed from the automotive stand
point, they will prove especially inter-
esting, and a summary of the find
ings should prove of interest to mo-
florists as well as to the manufacturer
and distributor of automotiye prod
ucts.
With an average of one car to
every FIVE persons in the United
States, Baltimore is not completely
representative, as in that city the av-
erage is about one car to every eight
parsons. However, the results of the