Effects Of Mass Production

Northern Advocate, 11 July 1936, Page 3 (Supplement)

Effects Of Mass Production

A few years ago it was common to hear argument about the effects, good c-r evil, of mass-production methods on the quality of motor vehicles. Not so much is heard upon the subject nowadays, but outside the limited range of specialised and exclusive cars little is either seen or heard of automobiles that are not units of mass production.

A vigorous defence of the policy of the motor-car industry in making use of mass-production methods has been made by the chief statistician of a leading American assembly factory. Mass-assembly methods enable the industry to produce better cars at lower prices, he states. He denies that this has harmed either labour or the consumer, stating that the greater refinement in manufacture and the new things that have been added to the cars have absorbed the workmen who had been released in certain departments by labour-saving machines. As to the quality and endurance 'of present-day automobiles, another expert has written:“It is not so many years back that automobile manufacturers thought they were doing a good job if the average life of their cars was in the region of five years. Since those days arbitrary surmises as to the average span of life of cars and trucks have been dropped and new ideas cast. “Today, thanks to the thorough system of stocking replacements for wearing parts of automobiles, it looks as if well-built cars and trucks can be kept in operation almost indefinitely. “A check-up of registrations of automobiles registered in Australia at December 30, 1935, as against sales of new vehicles throughout Australia during the last decade reveals the fact that cars well cared for have a useful life of at least ten years, or double what was considered a satisfactory working life in early post-war days. 1 ' “No doubt the stress of economic necessity helped to bring about this situation in Australia, one which, it was- predicted, would straighten itself out when motor owners were in a position to purchase new vehicles.

“It does not appear wise now even to assume that the 1936 vintage of automobiles will not live longer than ten years. In fact, the-logical deduction is that as the present-day automobile is a better-built vehicle than those marketed a decade ago, its longevity will exceed that of the machine sold in, say 1925, and this in spite of the faster average speed and acceleration associated .with presentday motoring.”