Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-25
INVESTIGATION is MADE
xBYFEDERAL OFFICERS
Only Remaining Hope for Reduction
of Transportation Figures Lies
ins Commercial Truck.
BY n. W. PERRY.

Anything that will reduce the cost of
moving crops to market and delivering
Them and manufactured articles of all
kinds to the consumer will tend to keep
down the retail price and reduce the cost
of living.
During the seventy years that steam
railroads have been operated in America
the cost of haulage by rail has been
cut from "a cents per ton-mile to the
present figure of 71a mills, or to little
more than one-tenth the original cost But
there has been very little fuctuatfon of
the average receipts per ton-mile for rail
freight since 1900 as shown by the re-
ports of the interstate commerce commits
sion, and the price today is slightly higher
- than thirteen years ago. So no relief is
TO be looked for in that direction.
Transportation by water is considerably
cheaper than by rail, varying, according
10 such statistics as are available, from
one-half mill per ton-mile on the great
lakes and the ocean to mills on canals
from iye to ten feet deep.
These means Of transportation are es-
seutially long haul and bulk methods.
They have been developed to a degree
that, precludes hope of material further
reductions. There remains the cost of
Iro5 ns freight from the producers to the
shipping point and from the railroad
freight yard and steamship pier to the
factory or warehouse, thence to the
wholesaler and retailer, and finally to the
ultimate consumer. 1t is these repeated
movements. each over a relatively short
distance, that multiply the transportation
costs
Moving Farm Products.
In 1906 the Department of Agriculture
made a careful investigation into the
cost Of hauling farm products to shipping
points throughout the United States.
The inquiry related to twenty-three prin-
cipal products of farms, plantations and
ranches, and nearly 1900 replies were re-
cetved from correspondents. These were
tabulated and analysed. The result
showed that it cost an average Of little
more than % cents ton for every mile
that these products were hauled by horse
and wagon. The average length of haul
was just short of ten miles and principally
over earth roads, at that time only
little more than per cent of all the roads
in the country had been improved by hard
surfacing.
The only known way of reducing the
cost of haulage by team is to improve
the. roads. Rapid progress has been made
in this matter in many states within the
last decade, and particularly inside of the
last fve~years, but whatever gains have
been nladef in this way probably have
been offset by the increased cost of using
horses, because of the higher purchase
prices of horses and the increased cost
of hay and grain, labor and other items
Consequently no relief has come from this
quarter ~
actual and substantial reduction of trans
portation cost lies iT. The commercial mo-
tor .yehicle. No official and general in
vestigation has ever been made into the
cost of hauling and delivering by motor
truck and delivery wagon, but large users
of these vehicles have demonstrated to
Iheir. satisfaction that they are much
more economical than horses Among
the manufacturers of these machines 1t
has been asserted generally that they ef-
feet a saving of from one-third to one
half. These claims are fairly substan-
tiated by tabulation that has just been
made by. the secretary Of the commercial,
vehicle committee of the Automobile
Chamber of Commerce
Detailed reports of the operation of mo-
tor trucks and delivery wagons in the
engaged in various lines ofabusiness in
fifteen different cities We're searched for
reliable records of operating costs. In
many cases these cost records were item
ICED and covered periods of year or
more, sometimes embracing the figures
for fleets of from five to fifteen or more
vehicles. These data were analysed and
iabulated, as to show the cost of haul
age and delivery per day, per mile, per
ton mile and per package.
Horse Cost Furnished.
Wherever possible the cost of perform
ing the same service with horses and
wagons was set opposite the figures for
motor haulage for comparison. These
horse costs were given in each case by
the companies owning the motor vehicles
from their own experience with horses
engaged in the same service. SO the com
parison is in the highest degree fair and
reliable.
The result of this study indicates that
the average cost of hauling in the city
by motor is liz cents per ton mile as
compared with 17a4 cents by horse. This
represents a saving of SO per cent. The
average cost OF deliveries by department
stores, furniture. clothing and grocery
stores. meat markets and electric light
companies is shown TO be approximately
cents by motor and IS cents by horse.
representing a saving of more than 80
per cent by the former method. The anal
ysis shows that the average cost OF oper-
ating motor trucks and delivery wagons.
embracing all sizes of both gasoline and
electric machines, is s1o.9T a day. This
covers all items of operation and mainte-
nance such as driver. garage, interest
and depreciation. The average cost of do
ing equivalent work with horses is $16.75
a day. which represents the expense of
from two to three wagons. with drivers.
Here is a saving of more than "a per
cent.
On this showing 1t is evident that the
motor vehicle offers abundant opportunity
of reducing transportation costs in the
immediate future. and that the reduction
will be very standardization one-third
TO one-half
What the general use of these. vehicles
will mean to community is indicated
by some figures submitted by the head of
a Chicago carriage company to the Chi
cago Association of Commerce. This re-
port states that more than 10000 tons
OF freight are hauled through the streets
: of Chicago daily by team and motor
truck, and that this represents an annua'
business of more than S60.00O0O0. or
about SO year for every inhabit-
ant There are more than 10000 horse
drawn wagons and trucks in use in Chi
cago and about 1000 motor trucks and
wagons When the $1,000 are converted
into 10000 motor vehicles, the direct saw
ing in haulage will amount to from $780,
100000 to S2ooOO.OOo, or Ss.25 to sl2
year for each inhabitant. or about s35 to
$50 a year for each family
Reduced Traffic Congestion.
Large as this saving is, 1t really will
he much greater, because the reduction
of traffic congestion in the streets and
freight depots, resulting from the elini
nation of more than half OF the vehicles
will so expedite haulage that 1t can b.
done still cheaper by motor wagons tina
under present conditions. There will ais
he important savings resulting from tn
real estate now devoted to stabling horse
and wagons and the storage of hay an
Srain that can be devoted to better pu
poses, and from reduction of street clear
ing costs and sickness and mortality
smiling from ha Hy