14
GASOLINE PRICES
NOT IMPORTANT
More Than Offset by Lower
Price on Cars and Tires
"1 can't see the reason for all this
excitement about the price of gaso
line," says Horace T. Thomas, chief en
gineer of the Reo Motorcar Company,"
nor can I understand why some folks
who ought to know better, take the
matter so seriously.
"Of course, if there were the slight
est chance of '4O-eent' gasoline in the
near future, or even a chance that the
present prices would continue, it would
be different. Hut anyone with even the
most superficial knowledge of condi
tions knows that is impossible.
"No one worries about the price of
aluminum—though that is now twice
its normal price. Nor brass, nor lead.
"The price of steel is high—but no
body supposes for a moment that those
prices will obtain after the European
war is over.
"War conditions and war prices is
the answer to the gasoline situation as
to the others.
So tar as New York is concerned,
that city is an exception to everv rule
anyway. At this time it is impossible
*'2 f, re 'ght into New York, so most
of it is hauled from far-distant points
•—and the rest is shipped in by express.
That is the reason for New York's 30-
cent per gallon, and, of course, it is
for the moment only.
"We are exporting tremendous
quantities of gasoline to Europe. In
Tact, since the Gallcian, Rumanian and
Russian fields are inactive, we are sup
plying the world with gasoline as well
as all other petroleum products.
'I noticed the other day that twelve
r»ipr tank steamers had cleared on the
same day—the biggest day's shipment
ever made. And every available tank
fhip is in service. The Standard Oil
Company is rushing work on thirty of
the largest tank steamers ever built.
Why, just think! Practically all the
cooking at the front is done with gaso
line. Then there are 40.000 motor
trucks to be fed, as well as myriads of
r [reedy aeroplanes. Every automobile
n Europe is doing double duty—and
little attention can be paid to economy
In that service. Tremendous quanti
ties are destroyed, too. in storage places
by enemy aircraft and shells.
"Surely there's ample reason for the
present shortage and for the present
prices. They are war-time conditions,
that is ail. And they will end with the
■war. In fact, we are at the peak now
• —prices will go no higher and may be
expected to come down any day.
"I ncid on tally, i have it on pretty good
authority that oil producers, like men
In other lines, have been quick to take
advantage of the situation and to tem
porarily advance prices just because
they could. In fact, I am told that in
<>rde rto uphold'prices and for specula
tion purposes, a very large proportion i
of the oil wells of this country are
actually 'plugged'—they are not pump- '
Jng. Nor are these wells controlled bv
Standard Oil.' They are independent
for ssj? OSl 0 ! 1 part - Right now there
are 300.000 barrels of crude petroleum
Jn the big reservoirs on the hill at Oil
f ity, held for '53.00 per barrel' anil
speculators are paying that and mor».
There s 'war brides' for you:
"Of course, that condition cannot
last. In fact there is evidence that it i
Is about, over. Producers have been
taking the long prices of late at a rate
that will surely readjust matters.
' But you say, could not the producers
Keen prices up by a continuation of
those tactics? The answer is that in
normal peace times, just as soon as I
gasoline in this country approaches
twenty cents per gallon, Russian and
Asiatic oils come In in floods. Oil. like
•water, soon finds its level—economically
lis well as physically.
"Some will recall that, just before the I
■war broke out, people on the Pacific
coast became alarmed at the soaring
prices and feared they would continue. I
A company was financed to brina Asi- !
atlc gasoline over—and Immediately
thereafter Pacific coast points got the
cheapest gasoline they had had for ;
years. In short, just as soon as the i
price of gasoline reaches a certain i
level it begins to flow back this way
• —and to stop competition before It set's I
pcrious. otir distillers cut prices That
■was the real reason for the various
price cuttings in the past: not the sup
posed 'war' between the trust and inde
pendents. Only the war prevents that
lIOW.
there is an Impression abroad thai
the supply will some time run out. [
can't sec it that wav.
'•'"or example, .lust consider this:
hereas. formerly only 7 per cent. »f
the crude oil was available for gaso
lino .to-day. because of Improved meth
ods of distilling and improvements of
carburetors ami motors, o,"i per cent, of
crudo oil Is rendered suitable for
engine consumption! And new wells
by hundreds are being: opened up everv
day. and better proeesses or distillation.
• Ml experts tell me 1 lint the need for a
Kerosene carburetor 1 has passed— that
they now know how, and it only re
mains to Install the equipment, to break
np the kerosene molecules into gaso
line molecules, to render ail that Is
now sold as kerosene, available for
power purposes.
Runk—--that stuff about a shortnpre—
Pure bunk It's like the tales of ex
hausted coal tields and timber forests
•N.o Feneration now living will see that
shortage. lime was when those com
modities were wastefully used and sold
S .w tban lho,r .\aHie as compared
vith other commodities— but that is
the whole story.
us , ''""sider it from another
angle—-that of the atunmobile user lie
no concern over the present
vblrh ( , wa " satisfied with that
.V,T obtained, say. three vears ago
He is getting more miles per dollar
■?#» y n !' Kot despite the
i HpJ? nr ?„I", prw—-even at war-time
ft u o fo , 't'xuybc news to him. but
ii srettiriK more
miles per gallon out of the low-test
fuel to-day than he got from his high
test gasoline then. And there is less
Maste from evaporation, ete
"Reason of course Is the tremendous
Improvement In carburetors, motors
«nd in automobiles generally. Whv, we
us to think nothing of It when our mo
tors spit and coughed and back-fired
on starting in cold weather—with
real gasoline,' too. Who ever experi
ences that trouble now? Why cold
■weather Is the same as warm to a good
automobile motor nowadays.
"\t. won<l . Pr how m »ny buyers consider
another phase of the matter—that the
maker has. as a matter of fact, donat
ed all the gasoline he can hope to use
flve or six years, when lie
sold him the car?
"Just credit against the 'temporarily
iiitrh cost of frasollne the 'permanently*
lower cost of automobiles—and there
is a large margin on the side of the
user.
.v," F 2.r».t xam ,n lp ; fr> " r . vears aco Ileo
the Fifth sold for Sl,S!>r,. Tn-clav tlio
price of that model Is sß7.">. And It Is a
vastly better ear, because of Improve
ments we have been able to work out
In the meantime.
• o /vK ynu have to pay 52.750 to
53,000 for a ear the size of the New
Tleo Fix—and every motorist knows It
was not possible to produce present
flay qualltv at nny price then. To-daV
that seven-passenger car sells for $1 '-
InO—five hundred dollars difference In
both eases. At twenty cents per gal
lon that would pay for 2,500 gallons of
w,l,ch would men 1,000 to
•10,000 miles. Ts gasoline hltrh? And if
so, what matters It when the cost per
mile Is less than one-fifth of one cent
per passenger?
"I on Indefinitely showing
that the Increased efficiency of automo
biles and motor trucks, due to Im
provement In design and manufacture
has more than kept pace with the price
of and more than offset the difference
In cost of gasoline, and will continue
to do so.
AUTO STORAGE—
First class, fireproof garage
open day and night. Rates
reasonable.
Auto Trans. Garage
SATURDAY EVENING, v »- HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH MARCH 25, 191(5.
Empire Model Stays
at About Same Price
Nearly eight years ago the first Em
pire car was built. It was a twit-pas
senger roadster that sold for $950.00
and achieved remarkable popularity.
I .Since that time the cost of material
! has been greatly reduced as improved
! machinery made cheaper the manufac
turing of the various parts entering
into the construction of motorcars.
This lowering of production cost left
two policies open to the automobile
btiiider, either to continue the use of
the same parts with a reduction in the
! price of the car or the maintenance of
l about the same list price, enlarging
and refining the finished product by the
use of heavier and sturdier parts. This
latter policy was adopted and rigidly
adhered to by the Empire Company.
The result has been a continuance of a
four-cylinder model refined and en
| larged, season after season, always at
a list price between S9OO and 1960. It
was not until the beginning of the pres
ent season that the price was exceeded
and then with a big six-cylinder type
of car at less than $l,lOO.
"This season has shown most em
phatically the wisdom of the adherence
to this policy. We laid out our pro
duction schedule for a four-cylinder
type with more refined and roomier
body than we had ever offered, and with
longer wheelbase and-more powerful
motor the price was maintained at
about the same that had heretofore
prevailed In the four-cylinder Empire.
The popularity won by this car is re
markable, but is even surpassed by the
demand for our six-cylinder type, a big
car that has been held light in weight
and therefore economical in operation,
and we are to-day carrying orders for
practically ever one of these cars we
can build this season," says K. J. Hor
witz, general manager of the Empire
Company.
Winter month production that ex
ceeds the most active selling months
of ariv previous season in the company's
history indicates the popularity of the
new Empire models. Since the begin
ning of the season all manufacturing
activities of the company have been
centered in the Indianapolis factory.
Vastly increased production facilities
were thereby provided, and this, with
the fact that the company, forseelng the
conditions to prevail, ordered all ma.
terial contracted for delivery as quickly
as possible, has placed the Umpire
Company in a most advantageous posi
tion to care lor this greatly increased
business.
Women Benefited by the
Good Roads Movement
"Who has said a word about what
good roads are going to do for women,"
asks C. E. Hoin, of the Miller Auto
Comnany, distributor for the Haynes
"Eight Six."
"We have had dinned in our ears that
good roads are going to profit the gen
eral public by cutting hauling costs,
vivifying the country, booming real es
tate values, but no one has so much as
intimated that good roads have bene
fits in store particularly for women.
They might well feel that they have
been slighted.
"Women and automobiles have been
marked as boon companions. A few
women drove cars when they were
cranked by hand. But since the advent
of the self-starter, and improved steer
ing devices, the connections between
milady and her automobile have been
especially close, for women may non
take their cars and go where they
please, so long as streets and roads are
good.
"There is no getting around the fact
that the automobile has made a pret
tier, healthier, and more self-reliant
woman. The woman driver to-day can
thread through traffic expertly," and
she is heating chauffeurs at their own
tricks in city driving.
"Just now few women venture tak
ing their cars out over country roads
alone. Thoroughfares outside city lim
its have offered rigors and discom
forts, that she is unwilling to put up
with on a pleasure spin. Uusuallv tin
trip out through the country Is post
poned until Saturday or Sunday, when
a man can preside at the wheel.
"Level and solid roads, kept up the
year around, are going; to place the
Sunshine and good air of the country
at the feminine driver's pleasure every
day in the week. Highyay Improve
ments will make a wholesomer woman
by extending: her touring; radius In
parts where she needs most to go. There
Is nothing that will smooth out a tangle
oi household affairs like a dash through
fields and woodlots for a good breath
of fresh morning air.
"The man of the house will find that
a morning spin will place a pair of as
sparkling eyes and a face as flush with
color opposite him at lunch as he is
likely to see for days to come."
Jackson to Increase
Production on Fours
The splendid reception Riven Its light
weight high duty four-cylinder motorea
model "3 4" has caused the Jackson Au
tomobile Company to double up the
production of this model to meet cur
rent demand.
"On every side we had heard that
lite 'Four' was doomed —that it would
only be possible to sell 'Kour' cylinder
motors to people who wanted a cheap
ear. Hut it seems that there is a
large body of motorcar buyers who
are not all interested in multipiicit.\
of cylinders," states Howard K. Mat
thews. sales manager of the Jaeltsou
Company. "These careful, conservative
purchasers are seeking quality of work
;»ii>'ship. llexihility of power, mechani
cal excellence and stamina rather than
figures. And witli these buyers model
'34' has made a great hit.
"Two years ago we would have
thought it impossible to secure such
freedom from vibration and such
smoothness of operation from apy four
cvlinder engine. But perseverance anil
skill have wrought wonders and this
Jackson '.l4' motor, a long stroke 'four'-
cyllnder high duty motor is vibration
less at 2,700 revolutions per minute or
at a speed of lifty-miles an hour. This
balance, which is really unheard of In
a 'four' gives a new conception of four
cylinder possibilities.
"To illustrate what I mean when f
speak of flexibility it was only the
other day that a customer who was
taking his lirst ride in model ':S4' re
marked It was the smoothest running
'six' lie had ever known, and turning
to me said he didn't know we were
making a 'ijlx.' When I lifted the
hood and showed him a four-cylinder
motor he was simply amazed."
25,000 Cadillac Eights
Shipped in 17 Months
The shipment of a seven-passenger,
eight-cylinder Cadillac to the Boston
distributor from the Detroit plant on
March 16, marked the delivery of the
25.000 th Cadillac Right since produc
tion of this type began.
It is only a little more than seven
teen months ago that the Cadillac Com
pany worked one of the greatest revo
lutions yet witnessed in the automo
bile industry. This was in the produc
tion of a car equipped with an eight
cylinder, V-type engine. How great the
intluence exerted by the Cadillac was
evident at the automobile shows the
past winter by the number of cars ex
hibited with V-type engines.
Figured at retail prices, the value of
the 25,000 Cadillac Rights built thus
far reaches the stupendous total of
more than $50,000,000.
Motorcycles Play Big Part
in Military Maneuvers
The Indian motorcycles which were
engaged in dispatch service at the
businessmen's military instruction
camp at Plattsburg, N. Y„ last Fall
astonished many of those attending,
who had not previously seen much of
motorcycle operation, it was stated
upon the breaking' up of camp. Cap
tain Raynal C. Boiling, who organized
and commanded the motor machine
gun battery from squadron A. says
that the Indian machines were invalu
able. Differences in speed of the vari
ous motorcars and motor trucks made
It necessary to divide the dozen or fif
teen cars into two or three sections,
and sometimes twenty miles would In
tervene between the first and last di
visions during the day's run on the
way to camp. In making a noon or
night stop the motorcycles made it
possible to keep In touch with all the
different divisions and ears, so that
the problem of communication was
well solved.
The Hendee Company furnished an
experienced operator, J. D. Krts, to In
struct soldiers In handling the Indian
machines, who, according to Captain
Rolling proved to he a first rate soldier
as well as a remarkable motorcycle op
ereior. The work of the riders at
Plattsburg consisted of scouting to
liuU if routis were in'ttcticublc for the
Quality First
f
The Gala Going of the 3400 r. p. m. Chalmers Will Enchant You
The peppery pick-up of this energetic car has balanced to the weight of a hair; a perfect balance
put color and tang into popular-priced motoring of power is required and delivered by each of her
that was neveT there before. six cylinders ; and finally all useless weight, pressure,
There's delight in every revolution of her en- ? nd friction have been removed from all reciprocat
gine—and there are 3400 revolutions per minute * n £ parts and bearing surfaces,
every time the crankshaft attains its maximum There is undreamed-of riding comfort in the
speed, which is the highest ever developed in an even, pleasant stream of might that flows at any
American stock car. and every speed to her rear wheels.
Her glad, gala going springs from the terrific One rejuvenating jaunt with your foot on the
speed of an engine that was built, however, for accelerator of this ruly, spirited creature, and you'll
much more than mere car speed. know why she has cast her spell over 740 American
Great force unites with obedience. There are cities,
sparkle and response in this 3400 r. p. m. Chalmers Until you know how it feels to release the
that you'll look for in vain in most cars with delicious rush of power from a 3400 r. p. m. engine,
high-speed engines. you'll never know the delight of real motoring.
By checking the awful kick of her motor down The performance of this engine gave me the
to a point that corresponds to 60-mile-an-hour suprise of my life —and I expected a lot from her
si-eed, her engineers were able to give you instan- She ' s off like a hare after every crossing stop
fl ' ght fOT with never a sign of effort or hint of fret. She slim
g s from speed to speed like a dream-car. She hits the
lou save $l5O to S2OO per year in gasoline bills hardest grade with the lightest heart. I know,
and many miles to the life of your tires by because I've put her to every conceivable test
driving the 3400 r. p. m. Chalmers. And what she>u do for me she ,„ do for yQIL
Her riding comfort matches her economy of .
performance—and both spring from the same causes. louring Car or Roadster, SIOSO Detroit.
ihis is why: her heavy, hardened crankshaft is Colors: Meteor blue, or Oriford maroon with gold stripe.
Ideal Automobile Co. Lebanon, Pa.
York Garage & Service Co., York. Pa.
Snyder & Wingert Chambersburg, Pa.
C. T. Romberger, Elizabethville, Pa. 7
A. D. Shatzer, Greencastle, Pa. *" / s
New Eberhart Garage, Geo. F. Eberhart, Prop., Gettysburg, Pa.
M. E. Sclilegcl, Thoinpsontown, Pa. 1019-1025 Market St.
motorcars or to open up a passage!
through the woods carrying messages ;
and telegrams from one part of the j
Held to another during sham battles;
as well as between the camp and town, i
bringing up fliers of the aviation corps
on the tandem seats of the machines
and similar services.
Since the season for field maneuvers
~aroftf»Am*rkm
ENSMINGER
MOTOR CO.
THIRD AND CUMBERLAND STS.
Distributors.
Mn
Ensminger Motor Co.
Third & Cumberland St#.
DIS'I'ItHJUTOIIK
ended last Fall the Hendee Company
lias received additional orders for ma
chined in the N'alonal Guard organiza
tions of both New York and Washing
ton, 1). 0., and has also Increased the
equipment of machines which the
Scripps-Booth
Roadster
Cost $800; electric lights and starter;
Houk wire wheels with extra, wheel' and
tire. German silver radiator shell; electric
door latch. A thoroughly up-to-the-minute
car, almost new. A bargain.
OPEN EVENINGS
The Overland Harrisburg Co.
212 North Second Street
"RECIPROCAirAuTOMOBILETNSURANCE
OTHERS HAVE S.WEI) 3.V„, WHY NOT YOU?
Pennsylvania Indemnity Exchange, Philadelphia
Ask For MtenUnrc A. lj. HAM*. Agt.. Patriot Bldg.
, United States Signal Corps installed
' | last Spring. The machines for military
! use are finished in olive drab to cor
respond with the prevailing color in
11 army Held equipment.
I
The Overland-Harrisburg Co.
Automobiles
ground,, FIREPROOF GARAGE
mf( \ |RI 1 10*14 Tcet. painted <7l flfl
II u r * °* b< faet ° r '' i,uu
I 24-gauge Steel—Rear Window Wire Glaaa
4||L C. FRANK CLASS
Union Trust Bld-g.