Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-23
AUTO EQUIPMENT
FACES BIG SEASON
Record Demand Expected by
Trade During This AL
tumn and Winter.

The automotive equipment industry
faces the Autumn and Winter OF 1928
and 1929 with the comfortable certainty
that there will be the greatest demand
for motor vehicle transportation the
United States has ever known. A SINH
lar situation is developing IN South
America, which, of course, is cheering
news for the export trade. Coupled WIN
those two factors is the third construc-
tive element that never has business IN
fha limited States been less perturpeu
nor more serene in the facc OF WnaC
promises to be one of the most intense
presidential campaigns in American
history. This is the opinion OF b. W.
Ruark. commissioner OF the AutomoClVe
Equipment Association.
'The only two possible economic dis
tllrbing factors seem to be meaSuraply
under control" said Mr.. Ruark. Inc
Federal Reserve banks are taking GEL
mite steps to regulate the flow OF money
into the security markets SO as 10 guar
antee a sufficient surplus LOT the Az
tumn movement of agricultural prod
ucts and for the cash requirements Tor
manufacture and distribution OF indus
trial products Unemployment is not
definitely on the increase, and more
thought and effort seem to be given
to this subject now than was the case
last Spring, especially by those ofticlal
agencies in the best position to solve
the problem.
Problems Being Studied.
"The intensive study which is now
under way of the problems Of the whole
caloc efficiency Of the re.
taller have proceeded far enough to in
dictate that the wholesaler is fulfilling
an economic function and is apt to be
a permanent element in the scheme CT
distribution, while, on the other hand,
the retailer who adopts sound mer-
chandising methods is less menaced by
the chain store than was thought to be
the case year ago.
Competition and various changes
which are taking place in distribution
are naturally creating the demand Tor
new methods in some instances and i'm
proved methods in others. The whole
saler and the retailer who are thought
full, alert and energetic will adapt them
selves quickly to these new requirements
and derive greater profits from their
volume this Autumn and Winter.
Future Of Aviation Bright.
Aviation is quietly gathering ire
mendouS momentum, and sharp in
crease in the number of planes manu-
featured and miles flown can be looked
for by Spring. In the meantime the
automotive equipment industry has
breathing space in which to study the
requirements of this coming business
and to arrange the service of supply to
meet them Aviation is already furnish
ing automotive equipment business at
seven points in the United States and
two in Canada, with several other ter
ritorieS Offering promise of development
In the near future. The principal need
o. present is for more airportS, built and
maintained according to Government
aeronautical standards. AirportS bear
the same relation to progress in avia-
ton that hard roads had to automo-
biles.
THE steady progress in the building
or extension of hard-surface roads in
the last year has made 1t certain that
the Autumn and Winter of 1928 and
1929 will see the greatest volume of
touring this country has ever known.
This will create new all-year-around
demand for service equipment and re-
placement parts which the industry
should definitely cultivate and for
which it should be prepared.
Save-a-Life Campaigns.
1.-THE save-a-life campaigns will be
vigorously extended in a number OF
States, and in addition to greatly pro-
noting public safety have produced in
ii States in six service items alone
volume of sales running considerably
above $5,000,000 Twenty States and
two Canadian provinces are in early
prospect for similar campaigns. New
York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania
are to hold second campaign, and it is
not unlikely that the movement, once 1t
becomes completely national, will also
become permanent annual affair.
with every line of automotive equip
ment showing gain of nearly Is per
cent during June, 1923, over the preced-
ing months of the year, the total money
value for export shipments during the
first half exceeded $4,000. 900 for just
IL lines, and including sales in other
products and claSsifications which are
legitimately automotive.
Coming into the last half Of the
year, the South American markets will
swing heavily into the buying column
for American export"