The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-29

communities of 100 counties, con-
Quoted during the second week of
November by the U. S. Census Bur-
eau in the most advanced poll tax
ing technique, making 1t as accurate
as any such survey can be. The in
formation 1t contains will be used
in figuring what to do about civil
ian shortages in the coming year.
The survey showed the parts and
repair situation to be worst in the
far west, easiest in the east.
On the average civilians exper-
fence in trying to obtain services,
difficulty in obtaining auto repair
work was the sixth most frequently
reporttd, being exceeded only by
difficulty In obtaining shoe repair,
dry cleaning, laundry service, radio
repair and watch and clock repair.
Trouble In obtaining tire recapping
service was reported tenth on the
list and difficulty in obtaining tube
repair was thirteenth.
SCIENTIFIC SAMPLING
Numerically, of the 1887 families
checked by the poll-takers, $50 re-
ported having tried to get service
within the previous two months. OF
| these, 351 reported no trouble, SIT
reported trouble in obtaining serv-
ice and 81 reported trouble in OBJ
tanning spare parts. So scientific q
sampling is this survey that the
polltakers believe it will give an
accurate national picture of the
auto repair situation If each of
these numbers is multiplied by
factor of 7,400, since one family out
of approximately every 7,400
families in the entire nation was
interviewed for this survey.
Carrying out this calculation, the
Office of Civilian Requirements
comes up with the finding that in
the survey period SO million auto
owners tried to get service, 2.5 mil
lion got 1t all right, and 4.3 million
had trouble.
Project those figures on the total
number of passenger cars supposed
to be still running and maybe it
will give an idea of how serious this
is.
At the beginning of the war there
were % million cars on the road.
Today, 24.5 million cars are sup
posed to be in service, 25 million
having been strapped and a mil
lion cars having ben stored. And
If 4.3 million of the car owners are
having difficulty in getting repairs,
that's more than one car out of
every six. Degree of trouble is of
course not Indie tied. 1t may be
forced wait to geo grease job, and
therefore unimpo tant.
But these delays can easily be-
come important, later OF the 245
million cars on the road, IS million
are now over seven years old, which
is a good long life for any jallopy.
Office Of Defense Transportation
estimates there will be a million
fewer cars on the road this time
next year than there are today.
STOCKPILE DOWN
They could be replaced by forcing
the million cars out of storage. The
stockpile of new autos, being held
for rationing to essential users such
as doctors and police, is now down
to between 10000 and 10000. When
they're gone, the only hope for re-
placement would be to force sales
by teh estimated As million non-es-
sential drivers still operating cars
The minimum number of autos
needed for essential transportation
of war workers is estimated at 20
million.
American Automobile Association
reports it had 81 million road serv-
ice calls in 1941 and 80 million calls
in 1912. For 1943 1t estimates the
calls will number 40 million and will
be up In 1914.