[Automobile Letter
By BARNEY OLDFIELD
(Copyright, 1922)
Th£ Flat Rate Repair Plan
The industry is slowly coming
to realize that the future of the
automobile depends on the serv
ice that is rendered to the own
ers of cars. Already such con
cerns as Packard, Chevrolet,
Marmon, Ford and many more
have instituted the flat rate sys
tem of doing repair work. This
means that a given job is done
at a given price. For example,
if you own a Hupmobile and you
want the front wheels lined up
the charge will be a half hour’s
time. It is expressed in hours be
cause the rate per hour- may vary
in different sections of the coun-~
try. On the Marmon the price in
dollars is used. For example, ad
justing brakes and oiling brake
connections is scheduled at $4;
relining brakes, $18.75. The
equivalent time in hours is given
so that if the cost per hour varies
the charge is altered to suit, but
this difference is never very
great. Ford, I believe, was the
first to institute this form of re
pairing and special tool equip-,
ment was necessary in order that
the shops throughout the country
could meet the time charges set
down by the factory.
Unless the tool equipment is
right the shop will be unable to
make a profit on the flat rate
plan. The factories and in some
cases the dealers themselves are
publishing fiat rate schedules so
that every owner may know be
forehand just what it will cost to
have certain work done. In some
instances every possible operation
is listed from the removal of a
cotter pin to overhauling the en
tire car.
Under this system there is lit
tle excuse for a car owner taking
his work to a shop that simply
goes ahead with the work and lets
the charges fall where they may.
If only such shops are in the
vicinity an owner should get the
time schedules and make the re
pair shop agree to charge the
same amount. It will not be long
now before automobile owners
get acquainted with this new
money-saving plan and thus force
all repair shops to adopt the flat
rate plan.
The flat rate schedules in most
instances do not give the cost of
parts, because a parts book will
give this. , In the service station
of the automobile company there
is no chance of faking repairs,
but in some independent shops,
with which I have had experience,
if the profit is not enough on the
flat rate they will add parts to
the bill but never instal them.
For this reason it always is ad
visable to have the old parts re
turned to you, which is a sort of
check, though not absolutely con
vincing.
Some of the manufacturers
state in the flat rate schedules
the exact operations performed,
others include materials under
certain operations.
Every automobile owner should
get in touch with the factory
that built his car and get the
flat rate charges, and I am sure
service costs will drop appreci
ably. I am listing below some
examples of service charges for
given work on representative
makes which have adopted this
method.
NO MORE SLEEPING
IN AUTOMOBILES
Chief of Police Frings sent out
an order to the police last
week to the effect that automo
biles in Ventiiur could no longer
be used as hotels. People have
been parking them in Ventnor
and using them for sleeping,
dressing and all sorts of purposes
which are against the Ventnor
ordinances. This state of affairs
will no longer be permitted.
International Match Has
Many Points To Be Considered
The Steady Assured Playing of the British Against the
Brilliant Plays of the American Team Offer a
Questionable Result
By John G. Anderson
There, is an air of overconfi
dence abroad that our American
team will have an easy time with
the golfers who will represent the
British Isles in the international
match to be played at South
ampton at the end of this month.
It is true that the personnel of the
team from across the seas does
not measure up to what could
have been sent ten years ago. But
there are a few facts which should
be faced before permitting over
confidence to creep in.
Golfers of class are usually of
three kinds: there is the brilliant
golfer, who turns in a 72 with
frequency and as often goes be
low that figure as above, and
there is the unsteady, brilliant
player, who scores his 69s and his
84s with equal ease. This class
of golfer in particular is usually
the more popularized because his
exceptional feats far overshadow
the medocre. Everyone can make
a 79, but few can make a 71.
It is the play of this kind of
golfer which spells victory or de
feat for his side. And then there
is the steady going player, who
has in him the ability to halve any
hole on the course with the most
brilliant player to beat the very
brilliant golfer who is unsteady
as often as he himself tastes de
feat, but who is handicaped by
an inability to meet sustained
brilliance on'the part of an op
ponent.
then we might also add there
are a few, a very few, super
brilliant golfers such as Jones
and Evans, who never are far
from the top and who sometimes
lead by strokes. A glance at the
heavy defeats administered to op
ponents in amateur champion
ships proves this assertion.
In looking over the roster of the
British team we find that with
few exceptions it is composed of
steady golfers, the kind that will
jump at the first sign of an op
ponent being off, who will hang
on with bulldog tenacity ready
to take advantage of the breaks.
W. B. Terrance, John Caven, C. V.
L. Hooman, C. C. Aylmer, W. B:
Willis MacKenzie and Bernard
Barwin are steady as can be, and
while not ranking up to our brill- \
iant players are dangerous. They
are confident in that they know
their own capabilities, know when i
to take chances and for the most j
part are veterans in the school I
of experience.
Experience in such matchesj
wins as many matches as the
brilliant and unsteady or rather
unstable golfers.
Then there ar ethe brilliant and
unknown-for want of a better
word, meaning by that the un
steadiness of play from day to
day—Tolley and Harris, both
ormer amateur champions. Tolley
has not been going any too well
all year, but he still is a hard
man to wear down in a match
game. Roger Wethered is the
brilliant man of the group play
ing golf on new lines laid down
by himself and explained in a
treatise on golf by his sister, the
champion of great and himself.
He is a longer driver than Guil
ford or Jones, as long an iron
player as there is anywhere. He
bas his momentary lapses in short
approach play and on the .green
and when off in these respects is
wild from the tee, but his scoring
powers are wonderful.
He undoubtedly will head the
iist and the duel of stars will be
indeed the best match of the fray,
if Jones is his opponent.
There is always an element of
;hance or luck in the game of golf
which can throw a match one
way or the other. A bad kick
and a hole is lost when it seamed
to be won. A temporary quiver
on the putting green and the ball
is short and then the next one is
missed with all the attendant
mental anxieties in international
matches. The chances are even
for one side ro the other, hut
hard luck, as we call it, may at
tack one side boldly and leave the
other unscratched until another
day. So it is that steadiness may
win a few victories after all. Let
us not forget that Britain’s men
are steady golfers who probably
don’t expect in their hearts to
take back any laurels worth while.
How many times in golf have we
seen such teams come to the
front. It happens in every sport.
The latest information about
these international matches is
that eight men aside will be
played and that the team matches
will be for the Walker cup.
Which in its original state called
for teams of four. No better test
on the national links could be had,
and we know that our visitors will
enjoy the play there even if defeat
comes their way.
Atlantic County Fair to
Be Best in Years
, Vocational School Superintend
ent Walter McDougall from his
office at Pleasantville sends word
to the Atlantic County Fair man
agement that the six hundred
pupils and former pupils of the
County Vocational Schools have
entered the list of exhibitors and
that the youngsters both indi
vidually and in school classes will
make exhibits of poultry, of
fruit, o^ vegetables, and live
stock such as pigs, calves, and
some sheep of their own growing,
j Strange to say but glad to men
tion it are several girls who in
their display will make exhibits
of hogs of their own rearing and
feeding. Some of these young
girls, according to Mr. McDougall,
have the finest stock of Duroc,
Berkshire and Chester White
breed. The competition among
the youngsters of the various
school sections qui vie.
County Superintendent Arthur
E. Eldred in .conjunction with Dr.
Thomas of the Linwood Poultry '
Asisociation and the Fair’s Pub
licity Man, Emil Ankermiller,
have made a tour of all the im
portant centers of the County ]
within the past week and each
report that there will be a goodly
display of Atlantic County’s
wealth both in produce, fruit,
poultry and live stock, and speak
ing of live stock, C. B. Walton, the
Chester White King of America,
who has bred more prize-winning
hogs of this strain from his pig
geries at English Creek sends :
word that he will make a larger !
end more costly exhibit than he
did at the last two preceding
County Fairs. j
The women of the county are !
preparing wondrous magnificent
displays of their handicraft, the
""
big inducement of course being
the silver trophies tendered by the
Governor and which will be pre
sented by him personally on
Saturday, September 2.
In the popultry line the Super
intendent of this division has
word from Toms River in Ocean ]
County, Vineland in Cumberland ■
County, Mt. Holly in Burlington j
County, Haddonfield, Atco, and j
several other sections of Camden '
County, that numerous entries
from all of these sections may be
expected in the Utility Depart
ment. Everyone wants to carry
away one of the eighteen silver
trophies besides the big cash
prizes therein.
GUARDS TO GIVE DANCE j
The annual dance of the Vent-!
nor City Beach Patrol will be
held on the Municipal Pier on
Wednesday, August 30th. Novel
entertainment is being procured.
The affair is always enjoyed by
the cottagers and residents of
Ventnor as it always offers new
and lively amusement. Tickets
went on sale August 6th and may
be procured from any of the
guards for $1.00.
Weiner'* Chelsea Pharmacy
makes a specialty of prescrip
tions. A telephone call to 7826
will reach us at 4207 Ventnor
Avenue and insure prompt
delivery.
Headquarters for Loans oa
DIAMONDS
JEWELRY
BONDS
with Every Possible Service
FIDELITY LOAN SOCIETY
312 Guarantee Trust Building
Capital $200,000.00
RILEY BROS.
SCREENED COAL
! 114-120 N. BRIGHTON AVE.
Phone 1266
J. A. RUCKER
Ice, Wood, Coal & Charcoal
Office:
606 N. ILLINOIS AVENUE
Phone 2611-W Atlantic City
Speedometer and Battery
Repair Station
WILLIAM MALONEY
29 S. FLORIDA AVENUE
Phone 1275-J
STROMBERG
CARBURETOR
SERVICE
STATION
Columbia Sales Co.
2105 Pacific Avenue
SERVICE STATION FOR
I GOODYEAR TIRES AND TUBES
- >
j .
High Class Accessory Store
Moderate Prices
CUSKADEN AJJTO SUPPLY CO. "
2006 ATLANTIC AVENUE
i PHONE 1744 |
ROYAL BROS.
1023 Baltic Avenue
Automobile Painting and
Body Building
Phone 226
FOR QUICK SERVICE
PHONE 8838-W
Atlantic Auto Radiator Co.
Manufacturing and Repairing of
Auto Radiators, Fenders, Hoods, Tanks,
Lamps and Windshields
2641 ARCTIC AVENUE
(Cor. California and Arctic Aves.)
Frank J. Dock
Electrician
CONTRACTING and JOBBING
113 N. Doriet Arenne
W. Morton Linn
CARPENTER & BUILDER
Jobbing a Specialty
Prompt Service
54 N. ANNAPOLIS AVENUE
Phone 8109-J
WYOMING
GARAGE
North Wyoming Avenue
Modern and New
Fireproof with Quick and
Conscientious Service
PHONE 7579-W
John G. Gibson
Plumbing and
Heating
Complete Satisfaction Guaranteed
; Rapid and Prompt Repair Work
12 N. Sacramento Avenue
Phone 7145-W
*
Common J
Sense ®:gj
in Car
Buying |
The time when tiia
American people specu
lated in motor cars has
passed. Now cars are
bought strictly on their
investment value. .
That’s why Hupmobile
sales have increased so
tremendously in this city,
in this state, and through
out the United States.
Fourteen years of good
Hupmobiles—fourteen
years of continual devel
opment in engineering and
in low cost production—
tell you why the Hupmo
bile is a great car.
The service given by the
authorized Hupmobile
dealers listed here, is as
good as the car. Tele,
phone the dealer nearest
you for a demonstration.
ALEX. H.LATTA, Inc. fS
1127-29 BALTIC AVE.
Phone 2138
Dulin & Bingham
SOUTH JERSEY JOBBERS
MM
WITH PHILCO RETAINERS
Guaranteed Two Year*
3 North Arkansas Avenue
PHONE 3981-J Atlantic City, N. J.