Evening star., 1939-10-22

trolled. 1t is 33 per cent greater
previous year. For general purposes
the September fiscal year may be
taken as the industry's annual
model year. OF the total outturn
2,892,000 units were passenger cars
and 695000, or 10 per cent, were
trucks. The wholesale value of cars
and trucks combined was S2224,475,-
600. of which sl,776, Isl 900 repre-
sented passenger cars and S448, 1924, :
600 was the value of trucks.
Total Is S3.467, I'LL 900.
If to the aggregate wholesale value
OF motor vehicles produced in the
United States and the neighboring
Dominion of Canada there be
added s1243, ,236000, representing
the wholesale value of parts. ac-
cessories and tires for replacement
and service equipment, the grand
total value of products manufac-
tured by the industry in the II
months becomes SO ,467, I'll 900, reck-
oned at wholesale value. There is
now an estimated total of 9425 900
motor vehicles registered in the
United States, of which 25,2l5, 900
are passenger cars and 4,2l0,000 are
commercial vehicles. Owners OF
these vehicles were assessed in taxes
during the year just ended the
= stupendous sum of Sl,601 900 900.
This is greater by S72000,000 than
the total for the last calendar year
and marks an all-time high.
Since 1929, motor vehicle user
taxes have nearly doubled. In that
year the total was S850,000 900.
Since 26,5OO,O0O motor vehicles were
then registered, the average tax was
S3210 per car. On the face of the
latest figures the average has ad-
vanced to $54.37 per car. In many
States taxes on passenger cars are
$50 to $40 year. Trucks in some
instances pay as high as $4,000 a
year in assorted taxes, while the
latest annual total for all special
motor truck taxes is S420,200 900.
That is roughly Sl00 a unit. Gaso-
line taxes, including Federal, State
and municipal, account for $102l.-
600, for the last IL months total.
Motor vehicle user taxes as whole
represent 114 per cent of taxes from
all sources, Federal. States and local.
Can any one say that the motoring
public does not pay a great amount
proportionately for just being car
owner?
Employment was stimulated by
the better demand for cars and
trucks in the period just closed.
Average employment in automobile,
automobile body and parts plants
was 100000, compared with an av-
erage of 337 900 in the previous year
Wages, in terms of the weekly pay
roll Of the combined production
forces, rose to S11,796,0O0 from So
100000 during the year before.
68 Per Cent in U. S.
The total number of American
motor vehicles sold outside of the
United States in the IL months end
ing with September was 474,000, in
cluding United States exports and
the output of Canadian plants
owned by United States companies.
The value of motor vehicles. parts
and tires exported from the United
States and Canada was $312 100 900.
World registration of motor vehicles
is now computed at 100000 units.
Sixty-eight per cent of that total
Is within the United States, which
has two cars for every three fam
lilies and one truck for every seven
families.
Relation of the automobile to
other business is of interest. The
automotive industry is the largest
purchaser of gasoline, rubber, steel,
malleable iron, mohair, lubricating
oil, plate glass, nickel and lead
Railroad carloads of automotive
freight shipped during the past II
months were 100000. Rubber used
IN the industry was so per cent
Steel used was 16 per cent. Lumber
hardwood, was 2 per cent. Copper
used was II per cent. Lead used
was 40 per cent. Zinc used was II
per cent. Tin used was 10 per cent
Aluminium used was II per sent
Nickel used was 20 per cent. Gaso-
line consumed by the automobile
industry was 80 per cent. Gasoline
used by motor vehicles was 20,550,-
100000 gallons. Gasoline used by
motor vehicles, retail value. includ.
Ing taxes, amounted to $4,000. 900 900
In the motor vehicle retail busi-
ness the number of car and truck
dealers total Al ,698. There are 49,
929 repair shops, 95,O63 retail out.
lets, 6,063 wholesalers and $4,000
retail gasoline outlets. These fig
ures show rather convincingly the
importance of the automobile in.
dustry and its necessary success or
which the prosperity of the Natior
50 greatly depends.
p A picture of recent happenings ir
individual companies and prognosti'
cations is we'll portrayed in a De-
troit letter published by the Amer
49,. = =