Evening star., 1938-03-06
NEWS OF THE MOTORING WORLD
National UsedCar Exchange Week Expected Auto Industry
and Put Recovery Wheels in Notion

pends largely upon the manner in
which Joint efforts Of dealers stimu-
late not only their own business, but
all business.
Immediately prior to the present
general business recession, cities and
counties depending extensively upon
automobile manufacture ranked among
the lowest in unemployment and
relief
The Automobile Manufacturers As
sociation today announced that a
tabulation made from the United
States unemployment census figures,
taken November 1920, ranking all
automobile centers and all counties
which we're over 250,0O0 population at
the last general census, shows that four
of the five counties which had the
lowest percentage of population unem-
ployed or on w. P. A. or other made
work were automobile production CEN
ters. All but two automotive centers
ranked below the national average
The table, showing this ranking,
with automotive cities underscored, is
attached.
These figures clarity the re-employ-
ment performance of the automobile
industry up to the erd of 1897 The
subsequent decline in employment all
over the country may have affected
the standing of various localities in
relative burden of unemployment.
hn ~
automobile cities in the more favor
able positions for meeting the problem
A recent edition of one Of the news
reels pictured the destruction of hun
dreds of obsolete automobiles as the
very latest in highway safety cam
paigns. These cars had been declared
unsafe for further use. They were
gathered together and literally doused
with kerosene. Set afire, they went up
in a gigantic blaze. Those present
at this exhibition congratulated them
selves on having rid the roads of
these defective motor vehicles which
had added to the dangers Of driving.
1T is too bad" declared Charles M.
Upham, director of the
American Road Builders Association.
that the obsolete, unsafe roads of
America cannot be gathered in one
spot and destroyed Getting rid OF old
and unsafe cars does away with only
few of the hazards of driving. The
most modern automobiles, equipped
with all the latest safety features, will
70 ha irxvN -,
traffic accidents unless safety is also
built into our highways. Defective
cars may be blamed for some of the
10000 traffic-accident deaths during
1887, but at least so per cent of them
could have been avoided by the con-
struction of up-to-date, safe roads.
The worn-out, antiquated road is the
most relentless of all death traps"
Factory sales of automobiles manu-
factured in the United States (in-
cluding foreign assemblies from parts
made in the United States and re-
ported as complete units or vehicles,
for January, 1888, consisted of 210,450
vehicles, of which 156,387 were pas
senger cars, and 54,063 were CONNER
cial cars. trucks, and road tractors, as
compared with 326,234 vehicles in De-
cember, 1887, 379,603 vehicles in jan
uary, 1887, and $685. vehicles in
January, 1886. These statistics, COM
prising data for the entire industry,
were released today by Director Will
liam L. Austin. Bureau of the Census.
Department of Commerce.
Cheering sales reports will hold car
and truck production firm at $3.50
units the week ending February Is,
with the likelihood operations gen.
orally will be speeded as preparations
begin for the indicated spring up
swing, Automotive Daily News says
in its mid-week survey of the industry
A. D. Ms projection compares with
a revised total of 58,073 units for the
week ended February l9, and los, ,909
units in the corresponding week of
1887.
Including the current weeks esti-
mate, February's total to date now
rests at 207,948 units. Combined with
around $4,000 units. which figure to
be turned out next Monday, the Feb
ruary grand total should hover around
the 100000 mark, which would COM
pare with 3S3.698 jobs produced in
February, 1887.
Likelihood of increased operations
on all fronts starting in March Is in
dicated in several quarters.
M cs II