Business: AUTO CREDIT

Easy Terms—A Dangerous Inducement

For the privilege of driving a record number of new cars out of dealer showrooms this year. Americans have run up a staggering bill with the auto-finance companies. In the first six months of 1955, while installment buying of appliances and other consumer goods rode along steadily at about $5.5 billion, auto debt jumped a thumping 21% to $12.6 billion. It has gone up about $500 million every month since February, and it is still climbing. With less than eight weeks to get rid of some 1,500,000 of this year's models, many of the nation's auto...

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