Evening star., 1927-12-04
yHlLE itself engaged in a
general and successful ef-
tort to sfanda rdize and

simplify its products, th
automobile industry is giving one o
Its most important allies small op
portunity to do likewise. The alice
industry in question is the manu-
facture of tires, which, according t
economists and engineers, is suffer
ing rather acutely from the demand
tor an altogether too wide a variety
OF products.
The extent to which this demand
is carried is revealed in figures thai
undoubtedly will amaze those no
directly connected with the tire in
dustry. According to the head O.
the laboratories of one of the largeSt
tire manufacturers in the country
there now are l03 different sizes ot
tires manufactured, some of so slight
difference in dimensions as to make
the whole process seem unreason.
able.
Of recent months the United
States Department of Commerce ha:
taken cognizance of the situation in
connection with its program of in
dustrial simplihcation and standard
ization. 1t has submitted a request
to the automotive industry to con-
slider the plight of its ally and steps
by which it may be remedied. lr
this connection the department has
pointed out with the utmost signih-
canoe that so per cent of the tire
production of the country is confined
to FIVE sizes.
That the remaining 20 per cent are
split up among 90 different dimen-
stoned tires is startling fact when
considered in relation to the general
efficiency of the automotive indus
try and its allied endeavors. Room
for real simplification in this sphere
is seen by many economic observers
and chemists. In one way, this might
appear to be beneficial to the con-
sumner in that he may exercise his
choice in a wide field with the result
that, regardless of the size tire his
car requires, he may rest assured
that it will be available when re-
placement becomes necessary. This
consideration, however, is far out
weighed by those that can be mus
tered in favor of the opposite view.
In the first place, it is obvious that
the tire manufacturer is required to
scatter his fire over a wide area.
Shooting at so many targets, he is
failing to attain the accurate marks
manship that was so noteworthy in
the period Immediately prior to the
introduction of the balloon tire,
which type, incidentally, is blamed
for the situation in which the indus
try now finds itself.
Just preceding the debut of the
balloon tire and following its intro
duction for about a year the tire
makers laboratories were producing
some remarkable results in the form
of tires of much longer life and at a
much lower manufacturing cost. In
fact, it is this latter point that is
generally credited with keeping tire
costs down to reasonable proper
tions, even while rubber, the basic
ingredient, was soaring to high-price
levels.
Once its popularity was proved,
motor car makers began demanding
the balloon tire in an ever increasing
number of sizes. How this has affected
the tire maker since 1924 is to be
judged from the figures, which show
that only three sizes have been able
to remain among the first ten in
quantity supplied to car makers
since that time. One size would
prove satisfactory for a year, get
ting right up near the top of the
production list. The next year it
would fall far back, indicating that
it was on the schedule only to take
care of requirements.
The three sizes which did manage
to hold their places in the first ten
are the 81 by SIS. the 50 by and
the 80 by SIS. The gyrations that
these have followed, even though
fairly consistent in popularity, is
indicated by the positions occupied
by the last named, the 80 by SIS.
In 1925 it stood tenth. Last year it
moved up to fifth place, and in the
tlrst flve months of the current wear
it has held fourth position. Since its
introduction, in 1925, the 2o by 44O
size has headed the list, for the OBJ
vious reason that it has been stand
ard on the two fastest selling small
cars in the United States.
Of course, not all of the 1903 differ
ent-sized tires now produced are bal
looms. High-pressure fabrics and
cords of all sizes are necessary for
many of the older cars still in serv-
ice. Trucks require a number of odd
sizes, but, at that, the 103 do include
nothing but pneumatic..
***
The most baneful effect of the
situation, from the point of view
of the economist, is the waste in
volved in covering too large a ter
ritory.
The engineer and chemist COM
plain that their energies must be
concentrated upon the design and
production of new sizes in constant
ly larger number, instead of giving
their attention to the development
OF a better tire, as we'll as one that
may be produced at lower cost.
These are not simple matters. The
design and composition of an auto
mobile tire are to be arrived at only
after long and deep study, as wit
messed by the fact that il has re-.