Automobile Endustry. October 1, 1907, marked the close of the automobile selling season, which was the most successful in the history of the industry. There were in use in the United States 175,000 pleasure vehicles of various models and horse power and 18,000 commercial vehicles, both gasoline and electric. These cars in use ranged in price from $350 to $6,500 for American-built runabouts; $1,000 to $6,500 was the range for American-bullt touring cars, and from $4,500 to $12,000 for touring cars and runabouts of foreign manufacture. The estlinated valuation of all types of motor driven vehicles in use $370,000,000. PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES. The estimated production of automobiles of the entire industry is placed at 55,000 machines, as against 40,000 for the preceding year. The approximate value of this output is $110,000,000. The capital employed in the automobile industry is approximately $90,000,000. Nearly every manufacturer of importance has increased the size of their plants during the year, and their ranks have been augmented by over fifty new corporations chartered for the manufacture of automobiles and motors. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. Total valuation of the cars imported from January 1, 1906, to November 1. 1907. is given at $4,064,249.84. The total valuation of the cars exported from June, 1906, to June, 1907, is $5,502,241. IMPROVEMENTS AND PRICES. There has been practically no radical change in the construction of horseless vehicles during the year just past. Any notable changes have been in the nature of betterments in and refinements of detail. The most marked change has been in the increase of the power plants of the cars, this taking the form of increased cylinder dimensions in fourcylinder types, and the production by many manufacturers of six-cylinder machines. The gentlemen's roadster type of car and light cylinder runabout also made remarkable strides during the year. Prices in many instances were increased on account of the increased cost of material and labor and the adoption of higher grades of steel by the manufacturers. COMMERCIAL VEHICLES. Great progress has been made by the manufacturers of this type of automobile, and many plants throughout the United States have been erected for their exclusive manufacture. Their efficiency in the matter of work and small cost of operation has been established, and many great corporations are substituting them for horse-drawn vehicles. Heretofore electrically propelled commercial vehicles have had the call, but during the past year gasolene commercial machines have proved by their greater mileage capacity their superiority for the work calling for long distances and speedy travel. So enormous is the field for the commercial type of automobile, that manufacturers of pleasure vehicles have already laid aside plans to meet the demands. MOTOR TRAFFIC. The taximeter cab service now in operation in New York City opens a new field for the American automobile manufacturer, as this up-to-date service of motor cabs that will carry taximeters to determine the fares, much on the lines of those at present running in Paris and London, promises to be popular throughout the country, and seems destined to shortly replace the horse-drawn cab. To meet the demand of this most popular type of vehicle several American manufacturers have already started their production. ROADS AND LEGISLATION. Federal statistics show there are more than 2,151,570 miles of public highways in the United States. Of this mileage 108,232.9 miles are surfaced with gravel, 38,621.7 miles with stone, and 6,809.7 miles with special materials, such as shells, sand, clay, oil and brick, making in all 153,664.3 miles of improved road. From this it follows that 7.14 per cent. of all the roads in this country have been improved. The Automobile Club of America and every club of prominence throughout the United States have been untiring in their efforts to secure good roads and just laws for uses of automobiles. Special endeavors have been made by the Legislative Board of the American Automobile Association to obtain Federal registration. AUTOMOBILE SHOWS. Shows exhibiting 1908 cars were held earlier than usual. The American Motor Car Manufacturers' Association held its show at the Grand Central Palace in October, 1907, and the eighth national show under the auspices of the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers was held early in November. 1907, at Madison Square Garden; the Chicago show, November 30 to December 7, 1907, under the auspices of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers, and the Importers' Automobile Salon at Madison Square Garden, December 28, 1907, to January 4, 1908. AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION. President-Wm. H. Hotchkiss. No. 700 D. S. Morgan Building, Buffalo, N. Y., Automobile Club of Buffalo; First Vice-President-Lewis R. Speare, Bay State Automobile Association; Second Vice-President-Asa Paine, Automobile Club of Minneapolis, Florida East Coast Automobile Association; Third Vice-President-Ira M. Cobe, Chicago Automobile Club; Treasurer-Geo. E. Farrington, No. 36 Nassau Street, New York, Automobile Club of New Jersey; Secretary-Frederick H. Elliott, No. 437 Fifth Avenue, New York. Directors-Wm. K. Vanderbilt, Jr., Automobile Club of America; John Farson, Chicago Automobile Club; Colgate Hoyt, Automobile Club of America; E. H. R. Green, Dallas Automobile Club; Asa Paine, Florida East Coast Automobile Association; J. DeMont Thompson, Automobile Club of America; Ira M. Cobe, Chicago Automobile Club; F. B. Hower, Automobile Club of Buffalo; Dr. Milbank Johnson, Automobile Club of Southern California; A. G. Batchelder, New York Motor Club; Windsor T. White, Cleveland Automobile Club; Paul H. Deming, Automobile Club of Detroit: Sidney S. Gorham, Chicago Automobile Club; Robart P. Hooper, Germantown Automobile Club; Frank M. Joyce, AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY-Continued. Automobile Club of Minneapolis; James T. Drought. Automobile Club of Milwaukee; S. Chase, Wauchusett Automobile Club; George E. Farrington, Automobile Club of New Jersey: George W. Ehrhart, Decatur Automobile Club; F. C. Florence, Rhode Island Automobile Club; Oliver A. Quayle, Albany Automobile Club; D. Emmett Welch, Grand Rapids Automobile Club; N. M. Pierce, Binghamton Automobile Club; J, H. Edwards, Automobile Club of Hudson County: Osborne I. Yellott, Automobile Club of Maryland; Roy F. Britton, Automobile Club of St. Louls; W. F. Fuller, Automobile Club of Hartford; Val. Dittenhofer, Jr., Automobile Club of Cincinnati; George A. Post, North Jersey Automobile Club; S. L. Haynes, Automobile Club of Springfield; H. S. Woodworth, Rochester Automobile Club; K. G. Roebling. Mercer County Automobile Club; F. T. Sholes, Cleveland Automobile Club; Frederick R. Pratt, New Jersey Automobile and Motor Club; A. R. Pardington, Long Island Automobile Club; John P. Coghlin, Worcester Automobile Club; W. S. Belding. Automobile Club of Maryland; L. A. Wood, St. Paul Automobile Club; H. S. Crawford, San Antonio Automobile Club; Alvin E. Bliss, Malden Automobile Club; W. E Edge, Atlantic City Automobile Club; Wm. Penn Mather, Rhode Island Automobile Club; Albert Mackie, Automobile Club of New Orleans; George N. Landers, Automobile Club of New Britain; Paul C. Wolff, Pittsburgh Automobile Club; Samuel P. Irwin, Bloomington Automobile Club; George H. Smith, Quaker City Motor Club; Lewis R. Speare, Bay State Automobile Association; H. J. Lamar, Jr., Macon Automobile Club; William H. Hotchkiss, Automobile Club of Buffalo. Stevens, New York Motor Club; Elliott C. Lee, Massachusetts Automobile Club; W. 昰: AUTOMOBILE EVENTS. The annual competition for the William K. Vanderbilt Cup was abandoned because adequate police protection could not be secured. The Glidden Tour, the Sealed Bonnet Contests and the Reliability Runs were marked by the great number of cars which were awarded perfect scores, The twenty-four-hour races Were the most prominent of all racing events held during the year, and were so popular that there are plans on foot for several motordromes to be exclusively devoted to this spectacular sport. The relay record was made at Detroit, the distance covered in twenty-four hours being 1,135 miles, made by American-built cars. The single car record made at Morris Park by a foreign-made car stands at 1,079 miles. The trade is organized as follows: ASSOCIATION OF LICENSED AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS: Officers-President, Charles Clifton, the George N. Pierce Company; Vice-President, Thomas H. Henderson, Winton Motor Carriage Company; Secretary, L. H. Kittredge, Peerless Motor Car Company; Treasurer, H. H. Franklin, H. H. Franklin Manufacturing Company. AMERICAN MOTOR CAR MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION. Chairman, Benjamin Briscoe, Maxwell-Briscoe Motor Company; Vice-Chairman, R. E. Olds, Reo Motor Car Company; Treasurer, H. O. Smith, Premier Motor Manufacturing Company; Secretary, William Mitchell Lewis, Mitchell Motor Car Company; General Manager, Alfred Reeves. THE IMPORTERS AUTO SALON. President, J. L. Josephs; Vice-President, E. R. Hollander; Treasurer, C. F. Wyckoff; Secretary, S. B. Bowman; General Manager, C. R. Mabley. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS (INC.). President, A. L. Pope: Vice-President, S. D. Waldon; Second Vice-President, Thomas Henderson; Third Vice-President, William E. Metzger; Secretary, L. H. Kittridge; Treasurer, W. R. Innes; General Manager, S. A. Miles; Counsel, Charles Thaddeus Terry. No. 100 Broadway, New York. Executive Committee-S. T. Davis, Jr., Locomobile Company of America, Bridgeport, Ct.; Windsor T. White. The White Company, Cleveland, Ohio; Charles Clifton, George N. Pierce Company, Buffalo, N. Y.; Thomas Henderson, Winton Motor Carriage Company, Cleveland, Ohio; William E. Metzger, Cadillac Motor Car Company, Detroit, Mich.; S. D. Waldon, Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Mich.; William R. Innes, Studebaker Bros. Manufacturing Company, South Bend. Ind.; C. C. Hildebrand, Stevens-Duryea Company. Chicopee Falls, Mass.; M. J. Budlong, Electric Vehicle Company, Hartford, Ct.; E. H. Cutler, Knox Automobile Company, Springfield, Mass Albert L. Pope, Pope Manufacturing Company, Hartford. Ct.: Benjamin Briscoe, Maxwell-Briscoe Motor Company, Tarrytown, N. Y.; L. H. Kittridge, Peerless Motor Company, Cleveland, Ohio; Ezra E. Kirk, E. R. Thomas Motor Company, Buffalo, N. Y.; William Mitchell Lewis, Mitchell Motor Company, Racine, Wis. ASSOCIATION PATENTS COMPANY. Directors-President, Charles Clifton, The George N. Pierce Company; Vice-President, G. H. Stilwell, H. H. Franklin Manufacturing Company; Secretary, Marcus I. Brook, A. L. A. M.; Treasurer, E. H. Cutler, Knox Auto Company: E. R. Thomas, The E. R. Thomas Motor Company: James H. Becker, Elmore Manufacturing Company; Elwood Haynes, Haynes Automobile Company. MOTOR AND ACCESSORY MANUFACTURERS. Officers President, H. S. White, Shelby Steel Tube Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.; First Vice-President, H. E. Raymond, The B. F. Goodrich Company, Akron, Ohio; Second VicePresident, W. H. Crosby, The Crosby Company, Buffalo, N. Y.; Third Vice-President, E. W. Beach, Manufacturers' Foundry Company, Waterbury, Ct.: Treasurer, W. S. Gorton, The Standard Welding Company, Cleveland, Ohio; Secretary, P. S. Steenstrup, Hyatt Roller Bearing Company, Box 467, Newark, N. J.; Assistant Secretary, W. M. Sweet, Box 467, Newark, N. J. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ENGINE AND BOAT MANUFACTURERS. President, John J. Emory: First Vice-President, H. A. Lozier; Second Vice-President, C. A. Strell: Third Vice-President. H. R. Sutphen; Treasurer, J. S. Bunting; Secretary, Hugh S. Gambel, office, No. 314 Madison Avenue, New York. Marriage and Divorce Laws. (Revised to December 1, 1907.) Marriage Licenses.-Required in all the States and Territories except Alaska, New Jersey (if residents, otherwise required), New Mexico and South Carolina. California requires man and woman to appear and be examined under oath, Marriage, Prohibition of.-Marriages between whites and persons of negro descent are prohibited and punishable in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida. Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Indian Territory, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Teunessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. Marriages between whites and Indians are void in Arizona, North Carolina, Oregon, and South Carolina; and between whites and Chinese in Arizona, California, Mississippi. Oregon, and Utah. Marriage between first cousins is forbidden in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Indian Territory, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon. Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming, and in some of them is declared inces tuous and void, and marriage with step-relatives is forbidden in all the States except Florida, Hawaiian Islands, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, New York, Tennessee, Wisconsin. Connecticut and Minnesota prohibit the marriage of an epileptic, imbecile, or feeble-minded woman under 45 years of age, or cohabitation by any male of this description with a woman under 45 years of age, and marriage of lunatics is void in the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska; persons having sexual diseases in Michigan. Marriage, Age to Contract, Without Consent of Parents.-In most of the States which have laws on this subject 21 years is the age for males; in California, Delaware, Idaho, and North Dakota, 18; in Tennessee, 16; and for females 21 years in Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Kansas, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, and 18 in all the other States having laws, except Delaware, District of Columbia. Idaho, Maryland, New York, and Tennessee, in which it is 16 years, and California and North Dakota, 15. Illinois and Kansas, common law marriages null and void. Connecticut, neglect to support wife is felony. Residence Causes for Absolute Divorce. In addition to adultery, which is cause for divorce in all the States.* Abandonment two years, crime against nature, habitual drunkenness, violence, pregnancy of wife by other than husband at marriage, physical incapacity, imprisonment for two years for felony. 1 year. Felony, physical incapacity, desertion one year, excesses, cruelty, neglect to Arkansas..... 1 year. Delaware..... D.of Columbia 2 years. Idaho Illinois......... Indiana...... 1 year. 6 mos. 2 years. 1 year. Cruelty, desertion one year, neglect one year, habitual drunkenness one year, felony. Desertion one year, physical incapacity, cruelty, failure to provide one year, habitual drunkenness one year, felony, former marriage existing. Fraudulent contract, wilful desertion three years with total neglect of duty, habitual drunkeuness, cruelty, imprisonment for life, infamous crime involving violation of conjugal duty and punishable by imprisonment in State prison, seven years' absence without being heard from. Desertion three years, habitual drunkenness, physical incapacity, cruelty, Marriages may be annulled for former existing marriage, lunacy, fraud, Cruelty, desertion one year, neglect one year, habitual drunkenness one Kentucky.... 1 year. Separation five years, desertion one year, felony, physical incapacity, loathsome disease, habitual drunkenness one year, cruelty, force, fraud or duress in obtaining marriage, joining religious sect believing marriage unlawful, pregnancy of wife by other than husband at marriage or subsequent unchaste behavior, ungovernable temper. Louisiana..... Maine........ Felony, habitual drunkenness, excesses, cruelty, public defamation of other party, abandonment, attempt on life of other party, fugitive from justice. 1 year. Cruelty, desertion three years, physical incapacity, habits of intoxication by liquors, opium, or other drugs, neglect to provide, insanity under certain limitations. *Exclusive of South Carolina, which has he divorce law, 8 years with some exceptions, STATES. Maryland Residence MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE LAWS-Continued. Causes for Absolute Divorce. In addition to adultery, which is cause for divorce in all the States." 499 2 years. Abandonment three years, unchastity of wife before marriage, physical incaMass'chusetts 3-5 yrs. Cruelty, desertion three years, habits of intoxication by liquors,opium or other pacity, any canse which renders the marriage null and vold ab initio. Michigan.... 2 years. Minnesota.... 1 year. Missouri...... 1 year. (t) drugs, neglect to provide, physical incapacity, imprisonment for felony, uniting for three years with religious sect believing marriage unlawful. Felony, desertion two years, habitual drunkenness, physical incapacity, Desertion one year, habitual drunkenness by liquors or opium, cruelty, and in the discretion of the Court for cruelty or neglect to provide. Felony, absence one year, habitual drunkenness one year, cruelty, indigphysical incapacity, imprisonment for felony. nities, vagrancy, former existing marriage, physical incapacity, conviction of felony prior to marriage unknown to other party, wife pregnant by other than husband at marriage. Cruelty, desertion, neglect one year, habitual drunkenness one year, felony. Abandonment two years, habitual drunkenness, physical incapacity, felony, failure to support two years, cruelty, Desertion one year, felony, habitual drunkenness, physical incapacity, cruelty, neglect to provide one year. country. N.Hampshire 1 year. Cruelty, felony, physical incapacity, absence three years, habitual drunkenness three years, failure to provide three years, treatment endangering health or reason, union with sect regarding marriage unlawful, wife separate without the State ten years, not claiming marital rights, husband absent from United States three years intending to become citizen of another Desertion two years, physical incapacity. No divorce may be obtained on grounds arising in another State unless they constituted ground for divorce Abandonment, cruelty, neglect to provide, habitual drunkenness, felony, in the State where they arose, physical incapacity, pregnancy of wife by other than husband at marriage. Adultery only. Cruelty, desertion one year, neglect one year, habitual drunkenness one Pregnancy of wife by other than husband at marriage, physical incapacity. year, felony. Absence three years, cruelty, fraud, gross neglect of duty, habitual drunkenness three years, felony, former existing marriage; procurement of divorce without the State by one party, which continues marriage binding upon other party; physical incapacity. New Jersey.. Ohio.......... 1 year. Oklahoma.... 1 year. Abandonment one year, cruelty, fraud, habitual drunkenness, felony, gross neglect of duty, physical incapacity, former existing marriage, pregnancy of wife by other than husband at marriage. Oregon........ Felony, habitual drunkenness one year, physical incapacity, desertion one Rhode Island. 2 years. Cruelty, desertion five years, habitual drunkenness, excessive use of morphine, opium, or chloral, neglect to provide one year, gross misbehavior, living separate ten years, physical incapacity. Either party civilly dead for crime or prolonged absence S. Carolina... South Dakota 6 mos. Texas Utah....... Vermont. Virginia 2 years. 6 mos. 1 year. 1 year. 1 year. Cruelty, desertion one year, physical incapacity, neglect one year, habitual Former existing marriage, desertion two years, felony, physical incapacity, Abandonment three years, physical incapacity, cruelty, excess, or outrages Washington.. 1 year. Abandonment one year, fraud, habitual drunkenness, refusal to provide, felony, physical incapacity, incurable insanity, cruelty or indignities West Virginia 1 year. Desertion three years, felony, physical incapacity, pregnancy of wife by rendering life burdensome, other cause deemed sufficient by the Court. Wisconsin.... 1 year. 1 year. other than husband at marriage, husband a licentious character or wife a Felony, desertion one year, cruelty, physical incapacity, habitual drunken- other. Exclusive of South Carolina, which has no divorce law. Varies with cause. 1 Actual residence. * Manhattan and Broux. These statistics were collected by THE WORLD, in February, 1905. Law of Contracts. A contract is an agreement of two or more parties, by which reciprocal rights and obligations are created. One party acquires a right, enforceable at law, to some act or forbearance from the other, who is under à corresponding obligation to thus act or forbear. Generally speaking, all contracts which are made between two competent parties, for a proper consideration, without fraud and for a lawful purpose, are enforceable at law. To the creation of a valid contract there must be: 1. Precise agreement. The offer of one party must be met by an acceptance by the other, according to the terms offered. 2. There must be a consideration. Something of value must either be received by one party or given up by the other, 3. The parties must have capacity to contract. The contracts of insane persons are not binding upon them. Married women are now generally permitted to contract as though single, and bind their separate property. The contracts of an infant are generally not binding upon him, unless ratified after attaining his majority. The contracts of an infant for necessaries may be enforced against him to the extent of the reasonable value of the goods furnished. It is incumbent upon one seeking thus to hold an infant to show that the goods furnished were in fact necessary to the infant, and that he was not already supplied by his parents or guardians, 4. The party's consent must not be the result of fraud or imposition, or it may be avoided by the party imposed upon. 5. The purpose of the parties must be lawful. Agreements to defraud others, to violate statutes, or whose aim is against public policy, such as to create monopolies, or for the corrupt procurement of legislative or official action, are void, and cannot be enforced by any party thereto. Contracts in general are equally valid, whether made orally or in writing, with the exception of certain classes of contracts, which in most of the States are required to be attested by a note or memorandum in writing, signed by the party or his agent sought to be held liable. Some of the provisions, which are adopted from the old English Statute of Frands, vary in some of the States, but the following contracts very generally are required to be thus attested by some writing: Contracts by their terms not to be performed within a year from the making thereof, A promise to answer for the debt, default, or miscarriage of another person, Contracts made in consideration of marriage, except mutual promises to marry. Promise of an executor, or administrator, to pay debts of deceased out of his own property. Contracts for the creation of any interest or estate in land, with the exception of leases for a short term, generally one year. Contracts for the sale of goods above a certain value, unless a portion of the price is paid or part of the goods delivered. The required value of the goods sold varies in different States from $30 to $200. In a number of the Slates no such provision exists. In many of the States declarations or conveyances of trust estates. In many States representations as to the character, credit, or responsibility of another person. Partial performance of the contract is generally held to dispense with the necessity for a writing. If the damages liable to result from the breaking of a contract are uncertain, the parties may agree upon a sum to which either may be entitled as compensation for a breach, which will be upheld by the courts, but if the sum so fixed is not designed as a fair compensation to the party injured, but as a penalty to be inflicted, it will be disregarded. A party is generally excused for the failure to perform what he has agreed only by the act of God or the public enemy. Except in cases involving a personal element in the work to be performed, such as the rendition of services, when the death or sickness of the party contracting to perform them is a valid excuse, or contracts for the performance of work upon a specified object, when its destruction without the fault of the party sought to be held liable is a sufficient excuse. Tills. A WILL OR TESTAMENT IS a final disposition of a person's property to take effect after his death. A codicil is an addition or alteration in such disposition. All persons are competent to make a will except idiots, persons of unsound mind, and Infants. In many States a will of an unmarried woman is deemed revoked by her subsequent marriage. A nuncupative or unwritten will is one made orally by a soldier in active service, or by a mariner while at sea. In most of the States a will must be in writing, signed by the testator, or by some person in his presence, and by his direction, and attested by witnesses, who must subscribe their names thereto in the presence of the testator. The form of wording a will is immaterial as long as its intent is clear. AGE at which persons may make wills is in most of the States 21 years. Males and females are competent to make wills at 18 years in the following States: California, Connecticut, Hawaiian Islands, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah; and in |
