Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-18

a Single QeCdll, however Shall, Is over
looked in telling the many-sided story
of the part of the automobile in
American life. And in virtually every
chapter the District of Columbia earns
outstanding mention.
To the District, for instance, is
awarded the distinction of third place
in the national standing with respect
to population per motor vehicle. Were
the suburban area included-that is,
those cars which find their major dali
ly use on Washington streets. but are
registered in Maryland and Virginia
the District would be far ahead of the
rest of the country. These vehicles
are not so counted, however, so the
National Capital ranks Immediately
behind Nevada and California, the
former with one vehicle to every 2.92
persons, the latter, one to 3O2 The
Districts ratio is one to every sos
persons, that for the country as a
whole, one to 5.07.
In the percentage of increase in
registered vehicles last year the Ma
tons Capital stood fourteenth among
the 40 continental political subdivi-
sions. Registrations here gained SO
per cent over the previous year,
numerical increase of 1920 vehicles
The total number of cars and trucks
registered in the District at the end
OF 1884 was 163,07o, which gave the
city thlrty-seventh position in the ma
tlonal ranking; ahead of the States of
North Dakota, Rhode Island, Mon
lana, New Hampshire. Idaho. Utah.
ARIZONA, New Mexico, Vermont, Wyo-
ming, Delaware and Nevada.
The tabulation for the Nation as
whole shows that with a gain of
1,O89,8l2 motor vehicles registered last
year the country returned close to the
Zo'ooO,OOO vehicle mark for the first
Time since 1881. Aggregate registra-
lions were 24,933, 403, a percentage
gain of As over the previous year.
In degree of use of their motor We
hlcles, Washingtonians also stand
near the top of the national list This
Is indicated in the fact that il re-
CURED l47,6O7O00 gallons of gasoline
TO provide power for the city's huge
motor vehicle fleet, on which a total
tax OF S2,063000, after all deductions.
was paid. Maryland gasoline con-
sumption, according to the same tabu-
lation, was 207,652, 900 gallons, while
virginia motorists consumed 264l02 =
900 gallons.
The sale and servicing of motor We
hlcles in the District is an enterprise
giving employment to more than U.s.
600 persons annually, the compilation
reveals.
establishments engaged in the field
here numbered 1863 and their sales at
retail attained volume of approx
mately S40,000,000. BY far the ma
Jorlty of those earning their livelihood
directly from the motor vehicle in
Washington are engaged in driving
trucks and BUSES. IN this category
the industry and trade gave employ
ment last year to 1913 persons.
Statesmen and those engaged in serv-
icing establishments numbered 6,763.
Road work provided employment
Tor total of 1888 persons.
The stature of the automobile pusi-
ness establishment in the National
Capital is revealed in the fact that
the city boasts today of IS passenger
car dealers, 81 truck dealers and
total of ia independent repair shops.
In the wholesale field there are 20
dealers in automotive parts and an
other Is who handle accessories.
That the National Capital is not al
together a metropolitan area is
brought out in some of the incidental
figures of the volume dealing with its
motor vehicle fleet. One compilation
OF this character lists the city as
having five rural mail routes covering
@ total mileage of 203.
A total of 141 vehicles is listed as
being in use on farms in the District,
81 Of them motor trucks, the remain
der passenger cars. Additional figures
are given to show that comparatively
the motor vehicle is more popular
with local farmers than either the
telephone or the radio. Sixty-nine of
the former, IS of the latter are listed
as in use by the agricultural sector
Of the population.
The part of the motor truck in the
city is indicated in the fact that a
total of 1928 cargo motor vehicles
are in use here.
OF this number 9,197 are operated
by 1873 fleet owners. The remainder
are individually owned and operated.
Revenue BUSES operated in the city
totaled 373.
Like the District of Columbia, both
Maryland and Virginia exceeded
the national average with respect to
percentage increase in registered We
hicles in 1884. The latter, standing
twenty-first on the national list with
respect to total number of vehicles
registered, scored an increase of &c, OBS
over the previous year for percentage
gain of rs.
Maryland registrations gained 1858
to raise the States total to $780,
vehicles, a percentage increase of SO.
With respect to population per We
hicle, Maryland stands thirty-first in
the national ranking with one car to
every 500 persons. Virginia is thirty
ninth, with one car to every 6.54 per-
sons.
Have you ever wondered about filling
stations? What proportion of them
. are privately owned and operated and
low much business the average sta
does in the course of a year?
American Petroleum Institute
all figured out.
statisticians rise to remark that
s'' 1t of every five stations are pri-
.uoN> owned: that the company
~ stations merely seem more
s2ent because they are bigger,
Mter and more intellectually i'm
Ahg.
AS to business volume, the annual
sales of the average station total
slightly less than $4,000.
X X
Motorists gradually are turning to
the use of gasolines of higher volatility
and greater resistance to knock or