Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-13
AUTOS SHOW RECOVERY
OF EUROPE FROM WAR
Increased Registration Points to Return,
ing Prosperity-Balkan Nations Lag.
England and Germany Lead.

power of the public. This condition is
disappearing, however, and the pros.
poets for 1927 are that money Will
be available at considerably lower
rates Of interest, thereby placing
more capital in circulation and in,
creasing the country's purchasing
power. Industry also is picking up,
and the labor surplus gradually is be.
ing reduced to normal numbers.
Germany Is one OF the countries Of
Europe where conditions are excep-
tionally favorable for the development
of the automotive industry. The land
has an exceptionally good system OF
highways. including more than 200 900
miles of hard surface roads and more
than $4,000 miles of dirt roads which
are In good condition and suitable for
automobile traffic
Eastern Europe and the Balkan
countries are the most backward I'm
development of the automotive indus,
try. There are several reasons which
may be said to be responsible for
this. The former Russian provinces
out of which Latvia, Esthonia and
Lithuania were carved have suffered
much from the lack of improved high.
ways.
Poorer Class PredOminates.
Under the czarist regime little was
appropriated for the building of roads
in these districts. and the few which
did exist were destroyed during tho
great war campaigns on the eastern
front. Added to this is the fact that
the vast majority Of the population is
OF the peasant class, which IS pre-
dominantly poor.
Lithuania, the largest of the three
countries, both as TO population and
area, has the least number Of cars,
about 500, ratio of one car to every
1870 persons. The other two coun-
tries have ratios of one motor vehicle
to every 500 persons.
Those countries which remained
neutral during the war all show a
relatively high ratio. Their commerce
has been stable. and they have man.
aged to maintain their general level
OF prosperity. Sweden, Denmark.
Norway, Holland and Switzerland,
which all have been thriving for the
past few years, show ratios which
vary from one car to every 81 in
habitants, as in Denmark, to one car
for every 128 persons in Holland.
Switzerland has been actively de-
veloping her system of federal high
ways, and along with this she has
established extensive postal automo-
bile routes across the Alpine passes.
Relatively Small in Italy.
Italy. which long has suffered from
a degree of poverty among the masses
of the people, as well as high taxa
| ton, shows a relatively small number
of cars. both as to total registration
and ratio of persons per car. The
total registration is slightly in excess
of 10000. which gives proportion
Of one car to approximately every
$50 persons.
Road conditions in Central and
Western Europe on the whole are
favorable to motoring. France. Bel
GUM, Switzerland, Germany, Holland
| and, to a certain extent, Italy and
| Spain have considerable mileage of
roads in good shape and extensively
| used by motor tourists. These coun-
tries also are appropriating funds
| annually out of the general budget
for road maintenance and construc-
ton and In several. notably Spain,
extensive building is to be under
taken during the next few years.
| The best roads in Europe are to
be found in the British Isles, Germany
and France, where much care Is given
| them each year. The main highways
| of England and Germany are prac-
| tically all macadamized and stable
sums are appropriated for their up
keep.
High Taxation Felt.
One of the drawbacks which must
be considered in accounting for the
| lack of development of the motor
industry to such proportions as it
has reached in the United States is
the high rate of taxation which is
in effect in practically all countries
in Europe. England pays at the
| rate of / pound per horsepower.
| making a tax on a light American
| car approximately $97 per year
Other countries tax by horsepower
and weight. fixing varying schedules.
usually increasing with the power of
the car. A schedule of taxation in
effect in Germany in 1925 fixed the
tax on 14horsepower cars at $3.50,
16-horsepower cars at 5000. 1S-horse-
power cars at $3.50 and 20-horsepower
cars at 1895.
To many who might be able to
afford a car, such tax is prohibitive
and it has done much to hinder the
industry's progress.