San Antonio Sunday Light (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 46, No. 69, Ed. 1 Sunday, March 28, 1926 Page: 43 of 92
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SUNDAY MARCH 28 1026.
hut he
IN PRODUCTION
CUTS PRICES
Increased Demand for Parts
Means Reduction in
* Cost to Consumer.
f . How can motor car manufacturers
ent prices raise fhe quality of their
produet and maintain profits?
An enlightening answer to this
question so often asked by the mo-
toring public is given in a recent
article In “Sales Management’ by
Harry M. Jewett president of the
Paige-Detroit Motor Car company.
“The established policy of making
ears less expensive while at the same
time making them better” writes Mr.
Jewett “has been followed so con-
sistently that cars are now priced
considerably lower than ever before.
CONCENTRATE BUYING.
‘ "In announcing price reductions
manufacturers usually state that they
arc able to do so because of greater
volume and efficiency but so many
reductions have been made on the
same grounds that some have won-
dered how it can be done.
"In the first place the greater
volume that enables the automobile
manufacturer to effect greater econo-
mies and reduce the price of his
product also enables his sources of
supply to effect greater economies and
reduce their prices to him.
“We concentrate our buying thus
giving a few sources of supply the
full benefit of our greater volume and
enabling them to install single-pur-
pose machines standardize their pro-
duction and meet our requirements
with minimum losses occasioned by
rejecting materials.
PARTS REDUCED.
“In recent months for example
cylinder blocks have been reduced
about 12 per cent axles about 5 per
cent glass 20 to 25 per cent speed-
ometers 10 per cent and substantial
reductions have been made in all
body models in transmissions and
in many smaller parts.
“Automobiles are commonly sold on
commission and everyone concerned
bears his share of any price reduc-
tion. The manufacturer sells to dis-
tributors whose commission usually
is 25 per cent off the list price. If
therefore the list price of a given
model bo reduced $2OO. the distribu-
tor’s commission is reduced $5O and
the manufacturer's reduction is $l5O
instead of $2OO. The distributor
passes part of the reduction on to
the dealer and the dealer passes part
of it on to the salesman. All are
glad to accept the reductions how-
ever. because lower prices mean more
sales and in the end more profit.
If in the foregoing example they
can sell six cars at the new price
where they would have sold only five
at the higher price each one will
make considerably more profit.
MORE SALES MORE PROFITS.
‘The same reasoning applies even
more pertinently to the manufactur-
er’s position. More sales not only
mean more profits hut the greater
volume enables him to effect economies
that otherwise would be impossible.
“Strolling through onr nlant. T can
point out innumerable chances and
improvements that have contributed
to making a better product that could
be sold ata lower price.
“Start on the receivin'? dock. It
nsed to take six men to unload bodies:
now an air hoist operated by one
man. does the work much more quick-
ly nnd with fewer scratches and
bun ns tn the bodies. Small parts
font r]y were loaded on hand trucks
and .heolod info the nlant: now trac-
tors haul n whole train of trucks into
the plant nt a sin-lc trip.
EFFECT ECONOMIES.
"Over here arc three multiple
nresses that formerlv were operated bv
three men. By moving the machines
closer together we found flint one
man could care for nil three machines.
Here Is a milling machine that used
to require two men. Ry moving the
fixtures closer together we increased
the production of the machine 25 per
cent nnd bv rigging np n ehnin hoist
we released one of the men. Wo used
tn have n separate machine for milling
off the nnmn face of cylinder blocks
till wo found wo could do this nnd
boro the block nt the same time: re-
sult. one man nnd one machine less.
“Here is a machine that drills 3D
holos nt one operation. It cost a lot
of money but it saves n lot of Inb'or.
We used to hnvc 18 Tinders attended
bv IS men. for grinding bores - a sin-
gle honing machine operated bv one
mnn. now does the same work nnd doos
i* bettor. As n result of those ehnnues.
the coat of machining cylinder blocks
hns been reduced about GO cents per
block.
REDICK WORK.
“Wo used to have four machines
working night and day. sizing the
width of the boss on connecting rods:
now n single coin press does all this
work nnd isn't busy nil dnv. This
relieves seven men nnd three machines.
“Here is the motor assembly lino
y bcm 330 men used to assemble about
75 motors a dnv; now 106 men as-
semble 175 to 200 motors a day. This
saving is due primarily to a better
conveyor system nnd to the omnloy- '
ment of special tools such as air-driven
wrenches electric nut setters nnd spe-
cial angle tools.
“Bonr in mind. too. that such equip-
ment not only cuts costs hut mokes n
better product. A man using a hand
wrench nil day firns and mnv not ex-
erf just the same force at 4 p. m. that 1
he exe-ts nt 8 n. m.: a tool never
tires. The life of a car and the safety
of the driver nro dependent in no small 1
measure upon the security of these I
lulls and lints. I
A FEW CHANGES.
“By moving the brake department I
nnd making a few changes the force
required in assembling the fonr-who-1
brakes nnd nutting them on the axles I
was reduced from six to two. Kight i
men were employed in connecting ami •
oiling axle parts; these were reduced '
to three.
"A ground conveyor taking frame.? 1
through the paint ovens until recent- ।
Jy was considered the latest thing • 1
we suspended two ovens each 27<>
bet tong from the roof and saved
33000 square feet of floor space.
GAS GOSSIP
Buick Motor company has reduced
the labor cost of producing the Buick
car by rearranging the work of non-
productive men. This saving is re-
flected in the price of the Buick au-
tomobile.
Today in the new Cadillac foundries
even the sand is carefully analyzes
i Five different kinds of sand are re-
quired for work in the iron aluminum
bronze and brass foundries.
Chevrolet which produced over
500.000 cars and trucks in 1925. re-
cently added a new model the Lan-
dau sedan to its line.
Pontiac Six companion ear to the
Oakland Six is being accorded high
public approval at the various auto-
mobile shows.
Indicative of the growing popular-
ity of American automobiles abroad.
15 per cent of the total number of
Oldsmobiles made in 1925 were ex-
ported. Reports from the General Mo-
’ tors Export company tend to show
that there will be an even greater num-
ber of automobiles exported from this
country during 1926.
Iron and steel rcouirements for Gen«
eral Motors in 1926 not all of which
went into finished cars were 1122037
tons.
General motors statisticians figure
the total weight of cars built and
marketed by General Motors divisions
last year at 2039.640435 pounds or
1019.820 tons. Proportions of var-
ious materials used in this total in-
clude 207.228 tons of iron 591.496
tons of steel 76487 tons of spring
steel 1122 tons of brass 1428 tons
of bronze 8872 tons of copper 1224
tons of babbitt. 45000 tons of rubber
50000 tons of wood 20.000 tons of
glass. 500 tons of glue and 16463 tons
of miscellaneous materials.
The oldest unit in the General Mo-
tors manufacturing group is General
Motors of Canada Limited which had
its beginning in a blacksmith shop
started by Robert McLaughlin at En-
niskillen Ont. in 1870.
Lumber sufficient to build 60.000
homes is used annually by the various
manufacturing divisions of General
Motors principally in the closed bod-
ies by Fisher.
Here is a boost for the Chevrolet.
L. L. Wheeless cigar salesman who
travels over the San Antonio trade
territory drove his Chevrolet into ser-
vice department of the Smith Motor
Sales company to get its first repairs.
The car has been driven 10500 miles
and all that was necessary to do to
it was to put on a top nut which
cost five cents. He purchased the car
last fall to use on his tours.
Business with the Smith Motor
Sales company in March is showing
nn increase over February reports
Rov Smith. During the entire month
of February the company sold 27 new
Chevrolet cars eight more than the
company sold during the first fifteen
days of this month. Present indica-
tions are that this month will great-
ly exceed the figure set during Feb-
ruary. Although the company sold
only 22 used cars during the first
fifteen days of March as compared
with 53 cars during the entire month
of February it is probable that the
March figure will come up to the one
set during the prior month.
The Morgan-Woodward Auto com-
pany sold several Ford cars to the
San Antonio Public Service company
during the past week reports Ray-
mond Woodward of the company.
Rains all over the territory between
Snn Antonio nnd Austin have caused
everyone in that district to be opti-
mistic over the business outlook for
this season states T. J. Goad and H.
P. Dotson of the Gond Motor com-
pany. who returned from that city
recently. The crops are up in a
large part of the country between Snn
Antonio and the capital city and the
farmers arc planting in the fields that
nre green they state. From present
indications there will be a .bumper
crop this year.
H. Breton one of the Southern
Equipment salesman in Mexico spent
a few days at headquarters last week.
L. K. Chambers. Southern Equip-
ment western district manager for
manufacturers of Christian Girl bump-
ers is visiting Snn Antonio nnd hend-
ounrtering with the Southern Equip-
ment company. Mr. Chambers was
formerly city salesman for the South-
ern Eouinment company and has a
host of friends among locnl ear deal-
ers and other automotive merchants.
Joe Pender representing Weaver
Manufacturing company manufactur-
ers of automotive shop equipment
spent the nnst week in San Antonio
with the Southern Eonipment com-
nany distributors for Weaver equip-
ment. Joe is one of the best known
automotive men in Texas nnd enjoys
the unlimited friendship of the auto-
motive fraternity.
A sales conference of automotive
sales force of Southern Equipment
inent company was held nt the St.
Anthony hotel last week. The confer-
ence wns addressed bv Messrs. Arthur
R. Mogge nnd Loti Stafford respec-
tively. merchandising director of auto-
motive equipment association of Chi-
cago nnd executive McQuav Morris
Manufacturing company of St. Lonls.
Both of these men nre here primnrilv
to conduct nn l participate in the AKA
<•*0.000 merchandising clinic Monday
March 22.
L. A. McDonald of the Houston
branch of the Ford Motor company
visited at the Crawford Motor com-
•mnv during the past week. Mr. Mc-
Donald was on his wnv back to Hous-
ton from a short visit in California.
A. L. Crawford of the Crawford
Motor company. Is getting along nlce-
lv after n long illness. Everyone at
Crawford's wishes him a speedy re-
covery and hopes that he will soon be
back at his post.
Johnnie Ketchum used car manager
for Crawford Motor company had a
smile from ear to oar. Inst wook. Joe
«nvs he is sure glad to see the rain.
"The used car business is better this
spring than it hog ever been and we
hope to see 1926 the largest yonr in
the history of used car business” says
Mr. Ketchum.
Gene Moczygemba hns been recently
transferred from the stockroom to the
city desk of the Straus-Frank com-
pany. Gene has many friends in the
city among .o accessory dealers and
garages who will be glad to hear of
his recent promotion.
D. J. Straus president and San
Antonio Hodges manager of the Radio
department of the Straus-Frank com-
pany made a business trip to Dallas
the second week in March.
Fred Bader formerly of the city
desk of the Straus-Frank company
has been recently promoted to the
position of city salesman with the
same company. Fred has a host of
friends in the automotive industry in
San Antonio all of whom wish him
the best of success in his new under-
taking.
John Phillips who has had charge
of the stock record division of the
Straus-Frank company recently re-
signed to accept an outfield position
with the Tcx-Arkana baseball team.
John played outfield with the Alamo-
Peck Indians the last two seasons and
ranks high in baseball circles and
his many friends predict that this is
his first step towards the big leagues.
Arv Clark of LaFeria Willys-Over-
land dealer was among out-of-town au-
tomotive merchants visiting at the
Southern Equipment during the week
and he reports business fine.
Mike Jordan foreman of the parts
department of Jordau-Ivers Motor
Company left recently for Monroe
La. where he will play baseball. Mr.
Jordan recently signed a contract to
play ball for that eity in the Cotton
States League. He plays third base.
F. B. Smith of Del Rio was an
out-of-town visitor at the Reo Motor
Car company during the past week.
While here Mr. Smith purchased a
Reo de luxe sedan.
R. L. Penn of the Houston Penn
Motor Car company of Austin visited
the Citizens Auto company last week.
Mr. Penn jdrove back a new series
Hupmobile straight eight two-passen-
ger coupe.
Several carloads of new Auburn
cars are en route to San Antonio it
is announced by the San Antonio Au-
burn company. These cars are ex-
pected to arrive within the next few
days for display.
E. S. Garrett of the A. G. Spalding
Company is the proud owner of a
new Cleveland model 31 four-door se-
dan. recently purchased from the
Cleveland Motor Sales company local
dealer.
W. M. Morgan. A. M. Nicholson
and Walter Garvin made a trip to
Corpus Christi last week combining
business with pleasure. Mr. Morgan
reports that business is exceptionally
good in that territory.
Jack Forrest and M. S. Forrest
salesmen with the Crockett Automo-
bile company have returned to their
work after an illness of several days.
Mrs. Clifford Voyed Burr has re-
ceived her Packard single six seven-
passenger sedan recently purchased
from the Citizens Auto company re-
ports E. A. Kurtz sales manaegr.
E. A. Kurtz sales manager of ths
Citizens Auto company also an-
nounces the delivery of a Packard sin-
gle six seven-passenger sedan to Eu-
gene Bonham.
H. J. Powell has received his new
Hupmobile six sedan recently pur
chased from the Citizens Auto com-
pany. Mr. Powell praises this car
for its excellent performance under all
conditions.
An attractive window display has
been put in the sales room of Stauf-
fer-Miller Auto Company. Thore are
a number of cards pasted on the win-
dow. telling the many features of the
Essex coach. These curds arc con-
nected by ribbons to the correspond-
ing feature on an Essex coach in the
window. This display has attracted a
great deal of attention states Ward
Miller of the company.
Harry Samos of the Laredo Auto
Sales Company was a visitor to Auto-
mobile Row in San Antonio last we >k.
Mr. Same was here to get a four-pas-
senger Lincoln sedan from the Mot-
gan-Woodward Auto Company Lin-
coln division district representative.
J. L. Lubbock of the Ford Motor
Company branch nt Houston was an
other visitor to the Ford dealers of
this citv. He spent a few days in the
city before returning to Houston.
I. D. McKee wholesale manager of
the San Antonio Overland Company
and Harold Armstrong district whole-
sale representative for the company
have returned from the Eagle Pass
territory where they were visiting
Willys-Overland dealers.
H. Leeds. taxicab and commercial
car representative for Willys-Over-
land Inc. was a San Antonio visitor
last week according to the San An
tonio Overland Company. He is snend-
ing several weeks in South Texas
promoting the sale of taxicabs and
commercial cars.
S. W. Smith sabw manager of
Winerich Motor Sales Company
spent several days of the past week
at his ranch in Kerrville.
G. Gibson <1 Drodc nnd Gibson.
Studebaker dealers at Kerrville was
in San Antonio last week to get a
Studebaker b> six seven-passenger se-
dan to be delivered to n customer in
thnt city. He renorts thnt business
outlook is bright in the hill country.
H. School New Braunfels Stude-
baker dealer was a visitor to Auto-
mobile R»*v during 'he past week.
4/R-roorrn motor
4/DS LONG VOYAGE
Alan J. Cobham. Britain's lending
long distance aviator furnishes th«-
latest evidence of the wider possi-
bilities of the flying machine which
comes with the adoption of the air-
cooled power plant. Cobham com-
nlctcd a sixteen thousand mile journey
from London to the southern tip of
Africa and return—one of the great-
est air voyages ever made with a
plane equipped with an nir-cooled
motor that put up a spectacular per-
formance which commanded the at-
tention of not only the entire Empire
but the whole world.
THE SAM AMTUMU LIGHT.
NEW GMC RAPIDLY
GAINS POPULARITY
"Public acceptance of the new
GMC Big Brute trucks following the
nation-wide announcement of these
new vehicles has reached a point
never equalled before in the motor
truck industry if we may judge by
reports submitted from every sec-
tion of the country.”
This statement was made yesterday
by O. E. Stoll president nnd general
manager of the General Motors Truck
company following the receipt of
branch distributor nnd dealer reports
from the GMC organization.
Mr. Stoll and other General Mo-
tors Truck company officials empha-
size particularly that phase of the re-
ports which indicate that contrary
to precedent the general public
rather than a small group of truck
buyers hail evidenced tremendous in-
terest in the new Big Brute trucks.
“This we believe” Mr. Stoll con-
cluded “is duo to a better understand-
ing of what General Motors has at-
tempted to do in providing a unit
which has adequate power and sus-
tained operation with the lowest pos-
sible operating and maintenance ex-
pense for each phase of highway
transportation.”
GM STOCKHOLDERS
RECEIVE DIVIDENDS
On March 12 the 33916 common
stockholders of General Motors re-
ceived dividend checks for the first
quarter of 1926. The total number
of General fotors common and pre-
ferred stockholders for the first quar-
ter of 1926 was 56603 compared
with 50917 for the last quarter of
1925.
MAINTAIN ROAD.
For the restoration nt sections of
the state highway between Mojave
and the Owens Valley damaged by
cloudburst* the California High-
way commission has authorized the
expenditure of $7500 from mainte-
nance funds line work will I J
done by Division IX with beau-
quarters at Bishop.
B-
THE
WORLDS
MIGHTIEST
LIGHT-CAR MOTOR
SEDAN In no other light-car is it possible to match this four-
cylinder Overland when it comes to a question of
• ogmar SK3T power. With the biggest valve-system of any small
K motor made providing a greater intake and exhaust
si capacity than any engine in its class this car positively
J 1® delivers a higher ratio of power in proportion to size
9 Jr than any other light-car built in the world today. 3
f. o. b. Fsetory. Price and iP ecificain With a high-gear speed range of from 4 to 55 miles an
inject to cha ns without notice. average gas consumption well in excess of 20 miles to
g/ The New [1 the gallon a trouble-proof L-head motor with 25%
I WILLYS FINANCE I less working parts as simple as an engine can be
J PLAN U made this powerful peppy prodigiously-performing
means a smaller down payment | * Overland will take you over more years of contented
| I ownership at less cost than any other car you could
IL industry. buy. Come take a ride in it.
OVERLAND
with SLIDING GEAR. TRANSMISSION
Now — in the great WI LLY S-OVERLANDk LI NE — a car for every purse
STAR’S EXTENDED
ROOF VISOR BIG
SELLING FEATURE
A vogue of increasing popularity
is the extended roof visor ns seen at
the shows on all Star cars and also
on the exhibits of several of the
higher priced automobiles.
Some sort of sun visor is an essen-
tial feature of all closed car design.
The visor generally used in the past
Ims been a sheet steel form attached
to the front of the body over the
windshield.
As this has a decided tendency to
rust throughout the eaves nnd vi-
brate the better grade of cars adopt-
ed a cover of artificial leather. This
increased the life of the metal visor
and improved its appearance but
failed to offset its greatest disadvan-
tage. i. e. its lack of harmony with
tire design of the body itself.
With skilled designers employing
every device of color beading nnd
molding metals to produce the much
wanted stream line effect it is re-
markable how few have realized the
jarring note of the attached metal
visor.
Once the eye becomes accustomed
to the continuous graceful lines of
the extended roof visors all of the
old types will seem out of date and
inconsistent. It is a pretty safe as-
sumption that before 1927 nil at-
tnclred visors will have been discard-
ed on every car with any pretension
to artistic appeal.
FLEET OF DODGES
DELIVERED IN HAITI
Commander C. S. Butler sanitary
engineer of Haiti has placed an or-
der with Dodge Brothers dealer in
Port au Prince for a fleet of Dodge
Brothers enrs and Graham Brothers
trucks to be used in sanitary work
on the island according to informa-
tion received by Wroten-Hundley Mo-
tor company here. The order includes
16 Graham Brothers 1-tou chassis:
1 model FB stake body; 3 Dodge
Brothers touring cars nnd 2 Dodge
Brothers screens. The fleet ns soon
as delivered will displace trucks of
another make which have been used
by the sanitary department of Haiti.
MARMON CUTS PRICE
BY REDUCING TAX
Although the 2 per cent excise tax
reduction on automobiles does not be-
come effective until late in March
buyers of Marmon cars will benefit
immediately according to nn an-
nouncement received from tin- Mar-
mon Motor Car Company by the Em-
bleton Motor Company Marmon deal-
ers in the local field.
“The bill reducing the tax on auto-
mobiles. from 5 to 3 per cent was
signed by President Coolidge and b’-
came a law February 26. It provided
however that 30 days must elapse
before the buyer is entitled to th?
reduction of 2 per cent.
“Marmon does not believe” said G.
M. Williams president of the Marmon
Motor Car Company "that the buyer
should bo penalized because he wants
a new car in March. Arrangements
have been made therefore to enable
a Marmon purchaser to receive the
benefit of the reduction effective at
once."
While no figures were made public
it is estimated that this action will
cost the Marmon Motor Car Company
many thousands of dollars. An aver-
age of $6O will be saved on each ear.
which is virtually n reduction in price.
BROWNSVILLE OLDS
DEALER A VISITOR
Tom Stephenson Oldsmobile deal-
er of Brownsville was among the
visitors to the Olds Motor Works
San Antonio office reports C. Scott
Thomas manager. Mr. Stephenson
reports that business in the valley
is exceptionally good and is prepar-
ing for the greatest season in the
history of that territory this year.
BAL£S INCREASE.
Merchandising Manager John W.
Lee Jr. of the Franklin company
reports that March retail deliveries
to date are 131 per cent ahead of
the same period in February and
that February of this year was 65 per
cent ahead of February in 1925. The
firm's retail business thus far this
year is 25 per cent ahead of last
year to date.
BUS POPULARITY
GAINS IN SOUTH
Thirteen thousand busses arc now-
in service in the southeastern states.
This docs not include the vehicles op-
crated by 102 hotels and 27 sight-
seeing companies. Despite popular
impression that Florida is most active
in this line the records show Missis-
sippi and North Carolina to be in the
load. This is due to their large use
of school busses. However the com-
mon carrier bus use in the South is
largest in Virginia with Florida rank
ing fifth.
WHO BUILDS-WHO SELLS ?
A new car is as good
as the manufacturer
who builds it. A
Used Car is as good
as the dealer who
sells it.
Wroten-Hundley Motor Co.
Crockett 4300 Broadway at Eighth St.
DODSe BROTH&RS DEALfrRS S&U. 6000 USED CARS
5
CADILLACS EN ROUTE
TO SOA NTONIO
Several carloads of Custom Built
and Standard Cadillac cars are en
route to San Antonio for the Goad
Motor company states T. J. Goad
of the Goad Motor company local
dealer. Most of these ears are to be
delivered to San Antonio purchasers.
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San Antonio Sunday Light (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 46, No. 69, Ed. 1 Sunday, March 28, 1926, newspaper, March 28, 1926; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1631548/m1/43/: accessed May 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .