Evening star., 1937-11-07

traffic Of Venezuela or the "a Der cent
American motor caravan of Finland. in
tne Land of the Midnight Sun. World
acceptance of our cars in such generous
proportions suggests the slogan, Amer.
lcas New Cars of Today Become ths
worlds New Cars Tomorrow" The
cars designed to carry one luxuriously
over the boulevards that criss-cross
tnls country are rendering Just as
spectacular a service to the people
OF much less developed areas. MANY of
wnom first experienced fast. comfort
aoie, modern transportation in an
American car.
AN interesting letter from President
roosevelt to Alvan Macauley, president
OF tne American Manufacturers As
soclation on the eve of the New York
snow opening appeared last week in
tne Automotive Daily News, a trade
publication. The letter follows:
With the opening of the Thirty
elghth National Automobile Show in
New York City, it is timely to review
developments in the automobile in
dustry which reflect the progress made
ny the Nation during the year.
Production this year, I am in
formed, Is five million motor vehicles
record second only to that made in
ls29. while employment in this in
oustry has exceeded that of 1929
This means that we have more vehicles
OF all kinds, travelling more miles TODAY
than ever before. With 30 million
families We now have nearly 25 million
passenger cars in operation.
1T is gratifying too that in world
markets this American industry sets
the standard with an increase of az
per cent IN exports this year over 1895.
Inc ef1ects OF this vast transportation
development upon our national econ
omy are obvious. They begin in the
helds, the mines. the forest. and carry
on through processes of production to
consumer use.
In establishing an Automotiva
Safety Foundation to continue tbe
work of minimizing traffic accidents.
your industry again has contributed to
constructive public service. Safety Of
human life must ever be prime con-
sideration.
The automobile industry has alyavs
believed that progress demands a con-
slant effort looking to, an improved
product. This policy is reflected in the
expenditure of large sums in research
and engineering development to pro-
ouce safer, more comfortable and
more efficient form of transportation.
L congratulate the industry on its
opportunities for service and extend
my greeting for successful show.
Yours very truly,
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT"
Mounting motor taxes. misuse of
these funds through diversion, the
national dearth of adequate parking
facilities. and the rising tide of traffic
congestion and delays are princiual
problems that will be wrestled with
When representatives of organized
motorists gather in New York CITY.
November 19 and 20. to participate in
the thirty-f1fth annual convention of
the American Automobile Association
Cities and villages throughout the
length and breadth of our land have
exnlplted an amazing lethargy in re-
gard to the parking problem" the
national motoring body,s convention
announcement says. generally speak
ing. urban communities have given no
more attention to the parking problem
than to erect no-parking signs. and
the national demand for ADEQUATE
passenger car terminal facilities has
found little or no response from CITY
officials.
The increased volume of congestion.
which in many places has slowed
traInc down to snail's pace, is
another matter that has received far
TOO little attention. We must find ways
and means of expediting motor vehicle
traffic and of providing space for the
car to stop when it reaches its desti-
nation. Clearly, these two problems of
parking and congestion are two of the
most dangerous threats to the develop
ment of motor transport today"
Among the prominent men in the
automotive, safety and traffic fields
who will address the convention meet
ings are: H. j. Klingler. president.
Pontiac Motor Co.; DR.. Miller Me-
Clintock, director of the Harvard Bu-
reau for Street Traffic Research: Paul
G. Hoffman, president of the Stude-
baker Corp. and president of the
Automotive Safety Foundation.
Both the morning and afternoon
sessions OF the first day of the con-
vention, Friday, November 19. will be
given over to business sessions. at
which time reports of officers and COM
mittees will be presented. The annual
banquet will take place Friday night
after the business sessions. On the
following day, Saturday. November 20,
there will be election of national
officers. and executive sessions of the
A. A. A. board of directors, particularly
for the purpose of appointing members
of the executive committee.
The steady and rapid growth of
motor vehicle tax revenues throughout
the United States in 1886 and 1887
indicate that gasoline tax reduction is
now possible in many States without
sacrificing present road programs. ac-
Cording to the National Petroleum
institute.
In 1886 the States collected a total
Of s686,63l 900 in gasoline taxes. a
gain of s69,780,0 900 over 1885 receipts.
For the first six months of 1887. gas
oline taxes for the country as a whole
were about IL per cent higher than in
the same period the year before. If
that rate continues, the Nations
motorists during the full 12-month
period will pay s8o.00o,o00 more in
State gasoline taxes than they did in
1885, and s15o,000,000 more than they
paid in 1885, an increase of almost Is
per cent. 1t is also estimated that
1887 registration receipts will exceed
by substantial amount those of the
previous year, and they may be l6
per cent higher than they were in 1895.
1t appears, therefore. that a re-
duction in the gasoline tax rate of