Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-05
In the Motor World
BY q. ADAMS HOWARD.

required to yield the right of way
to vehicles elsewhere in the streets
and roadways. The latter require
ment, however, does not relieve
the motorist from the duty Of ex-
ercising care in midblock for the
protection of pedestrians. The
language of the ordinance is not
that the operator of the vehicle
shall take the right of way, but
that the pedestrian shall yield it.
A consistent effort has been made
in the preparation of the ordi-
nance to afford a basic municipal
traffic ordinance simple in its
terms, easy to. understand, and
easy to apply to actual traffic con-
ditionS.
Value of Auto Dollar.
Engineering research in the au-
tomotive industry is responsible
for the continuous rise in the
value of the automobile dollar"
Harlow H. Curtice, leader in the
automotive industry, said recently.
Mr.. Curtice said the car manu-
facturers have from year to year
improved automobiles at no cost
Or with even lower cost to the pub
lie. These economies do not come
out of the blue sky" he declared,
but are a result of engineering
achievement, which is responsible
for improved cars and improved
methods of making them.
IF we produced today's car with
yesterdays methods" he said, 1.-The
cost of car would be SO prohibit
tive that they could be enjoyed by
but relatively few persons. If we
produced yesterdays car with to-
days methods, the result would be
more or less the same. I do not
intend this as a disparagement of
the early efforts of the engineers.
On the contrary we know their
efforts made possible the high de-
velopment of today's car. Our vet
eran engineers today occupy, of
course, as high place in the in
dustry as any who came along
later.
There have been all-around
improvements in practically every
part of the car. Quick drying lac
quer and the self-starter will al
ways stand out as some of the
history making major achieve
ments in the industry. These
developments with their multi
tudinouS benefits were a mighty
influence in the progress Of the
industry.
Developments.
"After this, development follow
ed development. In 1927 the fuel
supply system was revolutionized
by introduction of the fuel pump.
Besides its mechanical advan-
tages, it made possible savings of
millions year to purchasers Of
automobiles. This savings was
important, but, far more impor-
tant than this, the fuel pump
made possible increased horse
power at much lower cost. So de-
velopment of the fuel pump
played a most important part in
making most AUTOMOBILES more
efficient and at lower cost.
eff the motorist would compare
the cost of various units on his
car today with those of 10 or Is
years ago he would be amazed.
The instruments on the instru-
ment board alone would today
make O most interesting COM
parison. Speedometers, many
times more efficient today, are
much lower in cost than years
ago, so are ammeters, thermo
gauges, oil gauges, gasoline
gauges. The total savings to car
owners over a period of a few
years that engineering science has
made possible through develop
ment of these instruments would
be staggering.
There is no wonder that the
value of the automobile dollar to-
day is about twice the value Of
the cost of the living dollar in
terms Of 1914 purchasing power"