New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-20
AUTOMOBILES in
FEDERAL SERVICE
Uncle Sam Now Has More
than $50 Motor Vehicles
in Various Departments.

The transportation service OF the
Federal government, as far as IS pos
sible, Is fast being motorized, few OF
the departments Of the government ser
vice being without their quota OF auto
mobiles. The White House has in use
six motor vehicles; the Interior De-
In its varied branches, 10;
the Department, of Agriculture, i6; the
Department OF Labor. 2; the Treasury
Department, :; the State Department
.: the War Department, Of; the Post
Office Department, 225; the Commerce
Department, 4; the District Of Colum-
bia. 80. and the Navy Department, 90,
OF total Of 5Sl.
These figures, says Lee l.. Robinson
in "The Horseless Age" even do not
represent the extent to which motor
vehicles are being used by the govern.
ment, as in several instances rented
cars are pressed into service. This is
true as 10 the customs and postal ser
vices In this city. As result OF the
trouble which the Postoffice Depart
ment has had recently with the motor
contract service In New York City, II
is probable that ST least 100 additional
cars will be purchased for that service.
bringing the total up 10 63l. This de-
partment also has under rental about
100 cars in various other large cities.
New cars are being bought also for
other postoffices, and the rural free de-
livery service is being motorized as
rapidly as possible More than 700
rural routes have already been motor
lied, and IL Is expected that thousands
OF other cars Will shortly be placed in
service in this branch Of the govern
ment business alone. The rural free
delivery vehicles. however, will be
owned by the individual carriers; but
while privately owned, will stand as a
testimonial 10 the recognition by. this
branch Of the Federal service OF the
utility Of the motor car.
The White House garage contains
four gaSolene passenger cars, one cleo F.
trio runabout and one baggage wagon. F.
The Interior Departments equipment /
consists of two large gaSolene trucks /
and two electric trucks, in use in I.
Washington; three freight trucks and /
one automobile bus, used by the Ind /
ian Bureau; three trucks used by the I
Bureau of Mines at Pittsburgh, four T
trucks in the field service of the Geo
logical Survey, and fifty-eight cars,
practically all of them passenger We
hicles. in the field work Of the reclama-
ton service. The Department Of Agri- .
culture uses its motor vehicles IN the .
field service 1t finds neces- .
sary.
The Department Of Labor uses one
truck and one touring car ~ wash .
ington: the Treasury Department, .
seven trucks for freight purposes al .
Washington; the War Department. ITS .
motor trucks, passenger cars and motor .
ambulances at the various posts and .
barracks and other military stations;
the Postotfice Department, its screened .
collection and delivery ser .
vices among the larger postoihces' Inc .
Of the other departments arc .
used for service in and .
around the national capital.
The Navy Department has in use in .
Washington and al the various navy /
wards. and in other stations through
out this country and the territories
under the control Of the United States,
sixty or more motor vehicles. OF these, +
about fifty are trucks used for the
heavier hauling, eight or ten are am
aiances and the others are passenger
ears. At the Navy Department 1t Is
stated that the motor cars are fully as
satisfactory as to results as was an
ticipated. The cost figures show that
thew are operated much cheaper than
were the horse-drawn vehicles.
Several of the governmental de-
partments keep a detailed record of
the cost Of service, original cost, etc.
The most complete of this character is
that Of the Reclamation Service OF the
Department of the Interior. On tasls
of ffty-eight cars in use at the time
the statement was prepared, practically
all of them used for passenger and
light equipment transportation in the
field service in the West, Southwest
and Northwest. the Reclamation Ser
vice took up the original cost, the OPP
Grating, gasolene. lubricating oil, sup
plies, storage, repairs TO tires, miscel-
laneous repairs. depreciation and labor
for driving costs, and the cost per
mile under these heads.
These fifty-eight cars cost originally
s49,523.S2. The total operating cost TO
the end of June. 1914, for the entire
number, with the specific mileage for
each indicated, was SIS, $4,000. and the
total number Of miles travelled. 593.s92,
OF an average cost per mile OF SO132.
Other cost figures included in the
statement are: Total gasolene. Sl0.
1857; gasoene per mile, S0017; lu
bricating oil. S2.145.34: per mile.
SOOO36; supplies, S3,4O314; per mile,
sO.OO57; storage, S2.702.90; per mile.
s00O45: repairs Of tires. S13.901.45;
per mile, SOO233; miscellaneous repairs,
S25.95414: per mile. S0.O437; deprecia-
,ion, Sl9,O6714; per mile, sO032l; labor,
drivers. S99l04: per mile. S00Ol6; total
average miles life Of car. 81 1863.
4 report by the commerce depart
ment on the cost Of service Of trucks
IN Washington, where "the going is
good" shows the following: 1900
pound truck, operated l0,954 miles;
average each operating day. 1873 miles;
average Of l2.5 miles on each gallon
Of gasolene; total cost Of operation
for distance given, Sis642; average
cost, less than AZ cents per mile. This