Harry Veeder wrote (in a private e-mail, but it seems okay to quote it here):
>Also, gasoline was more expensive in 1910 than it is today. Interesting point. But electricity was relatively expensive too. Not sure how much. Also, the people who owned cars before 1918 were generally wealthy and probably did not care much about operating expenses. As someone pointed out previously, electric cars were safer and easier to operate before the self-starter was invented. Speaking of which, does anyone here remember the exchange between Henry Ford and Charles Kettering, in which Ford said "I have decided not to put self-starters in my cars" and Kettering said something like "it isn't your choice. You must and you will"? I would like to track that down but I cannot find the bio of Kettering I read years ago. >Adjusting for inflation gasoline was $2.00/litre , compared >to $1.00 /litre in Canada today. That must be adjusted for inflation. Where did that info come from? It sounds about right. I happen to have an unlikely source for the cost of gasoline in Canada circa 1900: L. M. Montgomery's book "The Blue Castle," chapter 21. It was seventy cents for two gallons, or 9 cents per liter, assuming those were U.S. gallons. - Jed
