NATION ON WHEELS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18526, 30 October 1925, Page 4

NATION ON WHEELS.

WHERE EVERYONE OWNS A CAR. HOW IT IS DONE. (SrECIAI.LT 7TKITTEN' TOR "THE TRESa. ) Bv Major F. A. G\ F.crbcs-Leith, F.R.'u.S. (aut-bov of ' By Road to India.'') Major Forbcs-Lcitli. who lias gone to America to lecture on his recent motoring achievement, here contributes an interesting c.rticle upon. motoring m tho Imttd Stales. yORK^ Motoring in America is nor, the hoi)by of a privileged few; it is the pastime of the whole nation. The United States, with lit.s 110,000.00.' people, owns three-fifths of the world' 3 entire stock cf cars. Just before I sailed for America, t .saw, ia a Midland town, n. chimney sweep with his tools, 'going from job to job in a motor-cyclo and side-car. This attracted the attention of nearly everyone who pa.sse.dj and <:ppoaied to he something extraordinary. in America a similar amount of attention, would bo aroused by the sight of a. sweep carrying his tools and moving, on foot. Here everyone lias a car, the milk is delivered by motor, the travelling pedlar uses a ear on his round, every workman, shop iiss'stant., and clerk owns a ear. \esterday, I encountered sonio schoolboys, sons of a friend, who are going to spend the summer vacation in a. second-hand car. They haiic purchased this for £s, and it is in good running order. . . Td Work by Car. On tn.v f.eeond day in New York I drove into tho country with friends, and I was struck by the fact that., wherever there ■were building operations in progress, scores of cars wc.ro parked, on the road alongside. Eventually' wo pulled up for petrol near to some building operations. Hero were seventeen, cars lined up, and, oti enquiry, 1 was told that they belonged to the men who wero putting up the building, a twelve-roomed villa. The 'cars consisted of every make, from the modest Ford to tho closed Cadillac. Sineo that experience, I havo made it my business to study tho reasons why such conditions obtain.

In tho first place, wages here' are very high; in fact, so high as to be: out of all proportion to those paid in Britain, and yet cars are surprisingly cheap. At first, that appears paradoxical, but investigation shows that tho very Tea3oii that makes wages high is also responsible for the cheapness of cars. Although every maker has a wonderful system of standardisation and mass production, this fact does not account for such an unusual situation. The secrot lies in the fact that cveryono really works hard. Inferior Caxs. The trade unions here, whilo protecting the workmen in matters of pay and hours, do little to interfere -with output. A man may earn 50s a day in tho factory, but he really earns it, and although he may work for only seven hours a day, and in some instances he may put in only five days a week, he really works for that time, and gives his best efforts to his work. I was told to-day, by a prominent personality in the motor business, that statistics showthat, in a certain factory here, the output per man is two hundred per cent, above that of the average British factory. Another factor that enables the man of modest means to own a car is the general system of easy payments. One scheme of easy payments, recently inaugurated, enables unyonti- to take possession of a car on a payment of 30s down and £1 weekl}'. Iu this instance the car is a Ford, but practically all makes of cars may be bought on most reasonable terms.

It is soon obvious to a British visitor that the general quality of all cars hero is far below our British standard. Nevertheless, this is due to a considered policy. The majority of cars made here are not intended to last for a lifetime, or even for any considerable length of time, and everything points to this as being a very sound policy. An affluent American buys a new car at the beginning of the spring season, uses it for. a year, and then buys another, probably surrendering the old one in part-payment.

Short Ownership. I was told by an American business man,that if he failed to change annually, his creditors would be calling to see what was the matter with his [business! This habit of short ownership creates a good and large second-hand market, in which the' man of moderate moans is able to purchase at a -reasonable figuro. This man, too, changes his car periodically, and sells to a poorer man. This "passing-on" process cannot, of .conrso, continuo indefinitely, and the countryside is strewn with huge dumps of serapped cars. Many of these nro in running order, and would be treasured by some of us at home.

Petrol hero costs one shilling per gallon, including tax, but it is of much poorer qiuility than the petrol wo use in Britain. Against this, however, all carburettors aro made to deal with a lower grade spirit and it is no incon-

resilience. Tho petrol tax goes entirely to the building and maintenance _of roads, and these highways are a joy indeed. • - All tW: trunk roads are mad© of concrete. They are fine and wide and | as smooth t>s a billiard table. The great I Lincoln highway, which stretches ths 3000 odd miles from New York to Ban Francisoo, is nearly finished; in fact, it is already possible to go from west to east quite comfortably in a&on.t twenty days. The American motorist, pays no horse-power tax, and the license for a low-powered car costs from about 3os to £4, according to size'' mid ear. Every driver must pass a test for driving, and swear -an affidavit as to his physical fitness. Gaol for Speeding. The speed limits are 15 m.p.h. in tbo city area, of Now York, and 30 to 3o'beyond the boundary. Woe betide the driver who transgresses! Policemen .on motor-cycles, "motorcops" as they are called, lurk in side turnings, and chase tho speed merchant. In New York State the policeman why catches an offender writes out the summons on the spot, and the roa<l hog, when hauled up, almost Invariably finds himself poorer by £2O. On the other side of the Hudson river, in New Jersey, the police can arrest, at sight for sneeding, and the local prisons are full every Sunday night with those who arc unfortunate enough not to be in possession of the amount required for bail. Nevertheless, the law is reasonable, and those who keep within it enjoy to the full the benefits cf cheap motoring in this wide and wonderful country.