Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-01-06
Tire Grabber
Likened TO
Horse Thief
Courts Should Give All
Law Allows Now
BY wESTBROOK PEGLER

EAPT. JOE PATTERSON, the
~ publisher of the New York
News, led off his Sunday edi.
torial with a reminder that in
the Old West the horse thief was
regarded AS the social equal Of
the murderer and, in many
cases, was lynched.
There was good reason for
this harsh attitude" said he.
ITO steal a mans only means
Of transportation In those vast
and almost empty spaces was IN
condemn him To death by starya-
tiOn and thirst.
I'VE are reminded Of this old
western philosophy by the rub
her crisis which has suddenly
cracked down on the United
States"
l thought the captain was
going on from there 10 say some
thing about the modern equiva-
lent Of the horse thief but
instead he slowed of into q gen
eral discussion NJ rubber and
our great necessity and a recon-
mendatlon that We start produc-
ing erSaN rubber right now and
damn the expense which Is a
good idea. too. but. thanking him
for the analogy. ! suggest that
tho tire thief will now become a
very serious nuisance and that
his crime no longer he measured Q
by the petty larceny value Of his
loot
The automobile tire has ceased
10 he a familiar article Of COM
merCe easily available 10 all that
have The price and has become
with Us almost As important as
the piainSmen'S plug.
Not only will the value rise
but once the tires are gone or
one tire * gone from set of I
four tho preSent-day jalopy is
useless and George Spelvin.
American. is set down where he
j. without transportation 70 his
Job or on the errands Of the
business by which he hustles a
living for bis family
The automobile is mans best
friend today
our communities were ar
ranged with the idea IN mind
that tho jewellers naturally
would drive 70 work and the dis =
tance 10 be covered simply can.
not be travelled on foot
MANY NJ the suburbs which
VI nave arisen since The first
World War we're spotted 20 As
10 offer far detachment from
the cen,erS Of industry and
trade and 10 relieve urban con.
geStion
And the competition ~ the
private automobile was 50 great
that ,houSendS OF miles Of old
street car lines were ripped up.
the rails and the scrap of the
cars themselves being sold 10
the japanese. who are shooting
them back 10 US
They even abandoned the pc
iureSque old bonneville Trolley
Of Palham although there were
some who would have kept her
rolling for old times sake 50,
without new tires 10 our auto
mobiles We are going 10 be in
quite blt Of fix and any one
who steals a tire or set from q
car parked IN street or public
garage or on lot Is guilty Of
something much more serious
than the mere theft and should
be punished accordingly.
The individual owner. ~
course. viii have 70 he careful.
bat there seems 10 he little thal
he can do
In Washington. for example, >
almost every one parks all night
outside his door. and the people
there can't find garage room
now and certainly can't he ok
pectcd to stand watches behind
tho curtains all night TO drive
off thieves
The crooked garage owner
and crooked employe Will be
more alert than ever 10 the op-
portunlty to switch tires on cars
entrusted 10 their care. sub
shutting ragged old castings and
porous tubes for better rubber.
MY FRIEND Ernie Pyle dur
4u ing his gypsy days once
wrote piece about garage
racketeerS who switched tires
on tranSlents passing through.
revealing that almost all drivers
simply Jump IN and roll of with
out ever inspecting their tires 10
make sure.
II would be hard 70 win an
argument IN such cases but as
precaution the driver should not
hesitate TO call attention 10 the
make and condition Of his tires
when putting up the car and 10
check them over in tho presence
OF the garage man on leaving.
/ Just don't know how a man
could check up on his tubes but
think the police could help nv
watching dealers in secondhand
tires and checking their sources
of supply.