Evening star., 1937-04-11

to plan vacations-when and where.
1t is thoughts in these directions prob
ably that cause the catcling of that
well-known germ or disease called
Spring fever. However, this illness is
of short duration and very likely the
best of all to have.
This planning has actually begun.
From many reports many motorists
have already signed up for accommo-
dationS at the resorts where bathing
boating and fishing abound. Large
crowds are expected everywhere. After
the conflning Winter months the pop
ulation of every large city anticipates
being out in the warm sunshine and
open again. And it is the automobile
that takes the majority there.
X X X
Although the automobile industry is
still in the peak months Of the 1887
selling season, the major engineering
work is nearly done on the new models
for 1888, according to North Amer
ican Newspaper Alliance dispatch.
While few radical changes are ex-
pected for next year, there is much
speculation about unusual transmits
sion developments. A number of new
transmission changes are under lab
oratory scrutiny at present, according
to Charles B. Bohn, president of an
aluminium and brass corporation.
There is a continued endeavor to
eliminate useless dead weight from
both engine and chassis" Mr.. Bohn
said I'VE find growing use of alumni
mum forgings for important parts such
as the hydraulic brake system. There
is also a great deal of interest in en-
gine design for lighter and more COM
pact power plants delivering high
torque at low speed However, these
engines are more in mind for 1889 and
1910 projects than for 1898.
Rear engine talk has not by any
means died down. In fact it Is hav-
ing a new lease on life and We know
of one manufacturer who may still
have 1898 car on the market with
the engine at the rear of the chassis.
1t is possible this particular model
will be announced quite early in the
Fall, if present experimental work
turns out satisfactorily"
Automobile manufacturers insist
they have nothing to fear in the
thorough study Of installnent buying
and selling contemplated by the De-
partment of Commerce.
"One of the fallacies which have
been much in vogue" says Milan V.
Ayres, secretary of the National Asso-
citation of Sales Finance Companies,
''is the theory that installment selling
induces false prosperity, which con-
tinues until everybody gets loaded up
with installment contracts, after which
there must be depression until these
tnstallment debts are paid off.
This is held to be one of the i'm
portant factors in bringing on and
prolonging the recent depression.
Data in the automobile field ex-
tending over II years indicate that the
ratio of installment sales to total
sales was substantially the same during
the depression as it was during the
preceding boom times"
Caught off step by the rapid growth
IN the number of house trailers, legis-
lators in many States are striving des-
perately to catch up with the problem
of regulating these rapidly multiplying
rolling homes, the American Automo-
bile Association reported
On the basis of survey of trailer
legislation which has been introduced
in score or more States, the A. A A.
said that the trends are in the direc-
tion of special licenses for the house
trallers, imposition of taxes, compul-
sorry sanitary and safety equipment
and strict regulation of house trailer
camps.
In some instances" the A. A. A.
report stated, "bills introduced would
place trailers under a form of die
tatorship by giving wide powers to
the motor vehicle commissioner or
other State authority, while in at
least one State municipalities would
be granted power to regulate or pro-
hibit the itinerant bungalows.
Taxes ranging from IS to $50 have
been proposed. So far, although some
OF the tax schedules are high, there
does not seem to be any disposition
to tax the rambling domiciles off the
roads as had been feared in some
quarters.
1T is in the field of safety equip
n1ent that the legislators seem to be
most prone to pass the buck on to a.
trailer dictator In Connecticut the
motor vehicle comm iSSioner and in
Indiana special safety commission
would be armed with power to pro-
mulgate rules and regulations which
have the full force and effect of law,
In Indiana trailer authority would be
composed of one member of the Public
Service Commission, one member of
the State Highway Commission, the
State director Of safety, the commits
sioner of motor vehicles and the secre-
tary OF the State Board of Health"
Maryland is to be penalized S341,-
666.66 by the Federal Government
This State, where some of the roads
are so impossible that pony express"
has to be relied upon to get the mail
delivered, has incurred this penalty
by continuing to divert its gas tax
and other motor vehicle revenues to
uses disassociated with the building
and upkeep Of good roads.
Authority for the action to be taken
by the United States Bureau of Public
Roads Is lodged in section II of the
Hayden Cartwright act of 1884. The
penalty provided for constitutes up to
one-third of the Federal-aid appor-
tionment coming to a State during
the year in which the diversion takes
place.
In the case of Maryland the penalty
will amount to one-third of the
S1,025,000 allocated to Maryland for
the Federal fiscal year to end June
80, 1887.
In a letter addressed to the Mary
land