Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-29
PROSPERITY LINKED
TO AUTOS GROWTH
Hupp Motor Head Says
Transportation Is Funda-
mentsl of Human Life.

Of human life. Every great materia
development of the world has beea en-
pedited by new or improved transpor.
tation methods. The new eraS thai
followed Columbus discovery of Amer
lea. the first steamship, the LOCOMOTIVE
telegraph. telephone. electric light
motor car. airplane and radio. serve u
illustrate this truism. according 10 Dt
Bots Young. president of the Hupp Mo-
tor Corporation.
The period covered by the automobile
industry's growth is the period which
has seen the greatest rise III individual
t,,yins power that the world has ever
known. The very root of American
prosperity lies in the fact that. with
improved manufacturing methods. this
c&intry has been able TO increase wages
and lower cost of its finished products
While wages today are MUCH higher
than before the outbreak of the World
War. the automobile industry is an out
standing example of producing its cars
actually at much lower price and with
better quality The 1914 dollar viii
buy practically twice as much motor
car today, and motor car much more
than twice as good.
The automobile has proved its USE
fitness from practically every stand
point 1t has doubled its appeal be-
cause it is personal transportation. The
desire TO travel is instructive.
Great Expectations.
Expectations are that 5000, 600 motor
cars will be built and sold in l92S-the
greatest number yet. There are u.s.
100000 motor cars in use America to-
day There will be 10000. 900 by 1910.
T1,n s..,S@ If hn
industry can scarcely be overstated.
From a comparatively small factor less
than score of years ago. it has grown
10 a point today where the business of
building, selling and servicing motor
vehicles is the largest industry in
America that can be classified. Its con-
di.ion has come to be universally &C
copied as leading index to general
business conditions. It is responsible
for 8 per cent Of our total pay roll.
That for motor car and truck factories
alone IN 1926 was $3.50, 900 900. At the
beginning Of 1927 more than 1000. 000.-
600 were invested in motor car manu-
featuring in this country-not includ-
ing that invested by parts, accessory.
tire and body makers The wholesale
value OF motor vehicles. plus parts and
tires built in 1926 was 81. zoo. OO0, 900.
The automobile industry employs d.
rectly 100000 persons. Indirectly it
affords employment to another $4,000.
The 1920 census listed approximately
100000 persons gainfully employed In
this country at that time.
Through this employment Of nearly
four million persons the industry also
means much TO many other businesses.
including many Of the country's larg-
est; II uses IL per cent Of all the iron
ana steel produced IN this country. half
the plate glass. SO per cent Of leather
upholstery, "a per cent Of the rubber, q
fourth of the aluminium, an eighth Of
the copper. fifth Of the tin, more than
fourth Of the nickel and four-fifths
o. the gasoline-to mention but a few.
Values on Increase.
Another index TO its magnitude Is In
figures which reveal that the wholesale
value OF motor cars and trucks built
In this country from 1903. when first
oenntte figures became available, 70 the
end OF 1926. reached the staggering
total OF approximately SIS ,0O0, 0O0, 900.
In the i've years beginning with 1922
and ending with 1928 the wholesale
value Of motor vehicle production was
nearly $4,000. 900 900.
These figures are 50 tremendous that
II Is impossible thoroughly TO compre-
bend their import. And the industry
continues TO grow. II win be only a
few more years before II viii be pro-
oucsng vehicles With an annual whole
sale value OF 5000. 0o0. 900. II win be
our nrst industry 70 reach that total.
The motor car has completely
changed our habits and standards OF
living. It's influence is felt every day,
everywhere you turn II and the radio
are easily the outstanding contribu-
tons OF this century. It has gone 50
Tar as 70 create two other tremendous
ly large businesses. These are the oil In
custry and the construction and main
tenance Of good roads
Road building, city planning. modern
living conditions In every SenSe-these
and many other activities OF our ma
tionsl life are Influenced every day by
the motor Car.
America on Wheels.
America today Is almost literally on
wheels. Transportation means more
than ever before. Columbus took 50
Gays 70 span the Atlantic from Spain
70 San Salvador. Col. Lindbergh took
less than one-thtrd that many hours
from Newfoundland TO France.
The 5000 900 motor vehicles now
registered IN this country represent an
increase OF more than 100 per cent In
the last five years. The entire poDllia-
lions Of California and Iowa can ride
a. one time IN the cars owned within
their borders. Ffty-fye per cent oil
our families now own q motor car
Eighteen per cent OF our car-owning
families have more than one We are
finding great new markets for motor
cars In this country among families
who have one car, but should own two
three and even more. The trend Ia
Developing rapidly.
The growth Of individual trangporta-
ton has done Its share toward making
this the most prosperous nation the
world has even known. II has broad.
ened this prosperity from the Atlantic
W the Pacific. spreading 1t Out among
the population as q whole. That SORT
III prosperity. America has found. Il
the only genuine prosperity there
can be.
The outlook for the industry was
never brighter. For those who realizt
that America typ.fies progress-de-
nlancing better living conditions. better
clothing. better Observation-Disclosures
everything, including better automobiles
the opportunity for continued prog
Tess is limited only by the capacity os
the Limitations VI each individual