Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-09
BY G. ADAMS HOWARD.
. HARGES that the motorists

ceipt of short gasoline measure,
made by Ernest N. Smith, general
manager of the American Auto
mobile Association, before the Ma
tional Conference on Weights and
Measures, meeting here last week,
puts the issue of this long suspect
ed leakage of fuel directly up to the
motorist class, which comprises
by far the largest single class in
the country.
Smiths charge does not sug-
gest, it commands, that something
be done about the situation, and
II anything is done, the motorlst
will have to do it.
Suggestions Made by Smith.
For the correction OF this al
legged situation, Mr.. Smith sug-
gestS the following:
Adoption of new legislation on
weights and measures where the
existing law is inadequate;
Changes in the Set-up of the
State and local enforcement or
carnations with personnel able
to administer the law;
Procurement of sufficient ap-
preparations by Legislatures to
enable the State organizations to
enforce the law.
Smith also took occasion in his
paper. which was read before the
conference by M K. Kimball Of
the research department OF the
A. A. A., to score the national
code of practices adopted about
year ago by the American Petro-
leum Institute. which is before
the Federal Trade Commission
for approval.
Code Means Little.
He declared that adoption of
the code means little toward the
elimination of undesirable prac-
tees in the industry, conditions
that have initiated against the
purchasing public. The code, he
declares, makes no mention of the
sterilization of prices, or the uni
versal adoption of standard me-
chanical facilities to insure exact
/ quantity and the quality asked
for.
Mr.. Smith based his figures on
! the short gasoline measure on
survey conducted by the A. A. A.
/ investigators in several large cities
/ of the country, where the investi-
gators actually obtained convic-
tions of gasoline sellers on short
measure charges.
The motorists duty to himself
and to his fellow motorist is plain.
He should take precautions to as
3 I1ipN1 calf full IF fV1nI
at the time he buys it, and should
/ report any discrepancies in the
measure he has received to au-
thoritieS able and willing to take
! action.
( The A. A. A. headquarters here
has urged the member organiza-
tions throughout the States to
take an active part in forcing
gasoline dealers to pour to the
top, and to have a strict regard
for the quality Of the fuel they
are selling.
American Motors Elsewhere.
Through virtual motorization
of the world, the United States
has taken long forward step in
tllC VI GIlG
Movement of the great automo-
bile manufacturers, now so far in
the lead in this great world in
dustry as to be beyond any chance
of being overtaken, into the
manufacturing fields Of all of the
great nations of the world rapidly
is making the American car the
standard for the world, and, by
t0 Iii ~
American standard of living, so
! long now tremendously Influenced
by the automobile, the standard
of living, If not attained, to be
sought for by the entire world.
The automobile has wrought
vast changes in the United States.
The industry of making automo-
bileS has created lucrative en-
ployment for millions. The prod
ucts of the automobile factories
have intensified the activities of
the people in their business hours
and thus have vastly increased
the individual power to do bust
| ness.
Developing Outdoor Life.
In the development Of the out
door life Of the people, the auto
mobile Is without peer. 1t has
brought the woods, which were
gradually receding from the ken
Of the people of the cities, almost
! to their back doors. 1t has opened
vast wonder-Spots of nature to
/ the man who in business hours
I sits at his desk in the city. 1t has
opened the lungs of the pentup
city worker, and shown him the
! wonders Of nature with full play
| for her powers.
! This same change in the status
of the people of the United States
is going to thousands upon thou
sands Of persons in the other
countries of the world as ship
ment after shipment of thousands
! OF American cars goes out over
| the seas and the railroads to other
/ nations to open up for the other
peoples of the earth the wonders
of their own countries and to help
+ them do a little more business so
that they can buy more American
motor cars.
An Even Greater Mission.
An even greater mission is being
performed by the automobile. 1t
is shuff1ing up the people of the
world as cards are shuf1ed in a
deck, and good deal is the only