Evening star., 1940-01-07

proceed on factual basis as regards
current and future road needs. The
surveys, which approached usable
stage in 1899, will be guide for fu-
ture road planning in all States and
in the drafting of Federal highway
legislation. Thus 1910 will begin a
new era Of highway progress, both
from the standpoint of new roads
and modernization of the existing
system.
3. War in Europe, closing travel
gates abroad, served to give new
stimulus to travel during the closing
months of 1899 and indicates that
1910 will be one of the biggest motor
vacation years on record. Travel,
hotel and resort interests are al
ready taking steps to meet antici-
pated demands and the services of
the $50 A. A. A. motor clubs and
branches are being geared to several
millions of vacation bound car own
ers.
Better cars, better roads and great
er use will naturally exert an in
fluence on the traffic safety move
ment. While the reduction in traffic
fatalities for 1889 will not be as
great as in the previous year, in
creased highway use was undoubted-
ly factor. However, with the traf-
fic safety effort better co-ordinated,
with traffic safety eduction in schools
expanding rapidly, with stronger en-
forcement by trained personnel WIN
ming favor and with public support
forthcoming in greater measure than
ever before, motorists can expect
new gains toward improvement in
traffic safety records:
Any review of the year should
take into account that motorists
generally are becoming more pro-
ficient highway users. 1t is indi-
Gated in the better understanding of
road directional signs and constant
demand for their betterment, it is
indicated in the increase in calls for
A. A. A. maps and routings, sign
that there is less travel on a hit
and-miss basis, and it is indicated
in the steady increase in motor club
membership, already referred to in
terms of a new alertness to the need
for motorists to organize in the in
terest of more efficient highway use.
Now is the dealers side of the pic
ture.
The responsiveness of the motor
ing public to the products of the
automobile industry was demon
strated again in 1899, said a New
Year message from Walter E.
Blanchard, manager of the National
Automobile Dealers Association.
Following the sharp setback of
1898, dealers sold approximately
three-quarters of million more
cars in 1899 than they did the year
before, and the continued demand
has provided on optimistic outlook
for dealers as they enter the new
year.
THE real basis of an active mar
ket. of course, is the ability of the
public to buy. According to figures
released by Secretary of Commerce
Hopkins. the income of the coun-
try was $4,000, 900 900 more than last
year. Added to this, the low level
of outstanding installment paper in
dicated the widespread ability on the
part of prospective car purchasers
to buy on credit.
The dealers set the stage for an
active new car market with an ag-
gressive reduction of used car in
ventories in the fall of 1899. In spite
Of the high production level of the
factories in the fourth quarter, it
failed to boost the inventory of cars
in dealers hands to excessive levels
Although the situation is not as
acute as it was, the used car re-
mains the chief problem of the au-
tomobile dealer. For every new car
sold, he must sometimes handle as
many as three used cars. With more
than 100000 motor vehicles in
operation. and each potential
trade-in to add to his inventory, the
automobile dealer is constantly
faced with the puzzle of keeping "a
saleable number of used cars on
hand without impeding his new. car
sales, in market that has no def
mite formula of pricing.
During the past year dealers
have reconditioned approximately IS
per cent of used cars to preyide
transportation to buyers in all in
come brackets. At least 60 per cent
of this reconditioning is labor cost,
which has been an important con-