Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-06-28
THE AUTO TRUCK.

Frank Skipton. Council Bluffs garage
man, went to the home of farmer
three miles out Of the city recently
with a motor truck for the purpose Of
Transporting to market load Of fat
hogs. The rear wheels Of the truck
were lowered in hog loading fashion
and a little alfalfa scattered from the
pen up into the truck bottom. The
porkers walked into the trap and laid
down. Forty minutes later they were
pens In South Omaha ten miles distant
from their former place OF abode.
The auto truck as an accessory ia
the farm is just beginning to make its
worth appreciated. This trip was the
harbinger Of as big change in the
method Of marketing farm produce as
the auto has worked in other fields. A
ten mile trip with load of hogs in \
wagon Is slavish business. 1t is a
heavy task for man as we'll as for
his team and for the hogs. With the
roads in their present condition today
in Iowa ten mile trip with truck is
little more than a before breakfast
chore. A farmer might. If he were so
disposed, leave his home at 5 o'clock in
the morning after feeding his teams
and be back from such a journey and
ready to go to work in the field by 2
o'clock. .ia4u
Heretofore the touring car for pleas
ure and the roadster for business and
professional work have largely monop-
olized the gasolene driven vehicle
business. Trucks have been confined
largely to transfer and dray business
in the cities where they seldom leave
the pavements. But they are bound to
extend their sphere Of influence.
Manufacturers are now making trucks
of a wide variety of sizes and among
those Of one-half to one and half
tons the average farmer will find
something suited to the business OF
marketing his produce. The saving in
time as we'll as saving in horseflesh
which the truck makes possible are
items which will add to saving eff
fected in preventing shrinkage in the
stock and produce.
WHERE GOVERNOR May COUNT. :
[Sioux City Tribune.]
Iowa's industrial commissioner, A.
B. Funk, mentions state insurance
dS oile VI liiS tllilSS he Will uTHe at Inc
next legislative session. This was also
the policy, it will be recalled, Of Mr..
Funk's predecessor. Warren Garst
II any reliance may be placed in the
judgment of the two capable and con-
scientious men who have been in charge
Of the workmen's compensation system
in Iowa, the change will work dis
tinct saving to employers, give full pro-
lection to employees, and not cost the
state anything. The only losers would
be the insurance companies, which are
said to be reaping abnormal profits
from this particular line of risks.
Experience Of the past proves tina.
anything operating against insurance
profits or perquisites Is not easily in
corporated into law in Iowa. This sit
uation was emphasized as late as the
1915 session, when Mr.. Garst tried to
put the compensation insurance on a
cost basis. Evidence coming to the sur
face In the recent primary campaign
demonstrated that the insurance men
were ION the job" to some extent and
the prospects are that their lines will
be strengthened. rather than weakened,
in the 1917 session.
State insurance, under the plan pro-
posed, provides merely for state organ
ization and supervision of compensa-
ton insurance, in order to carry the
risks at actual cost. The plan is said to
be working satisfactorily. There is no
reason why it should work any other
way. Insurance companies are not
philanthropists. They only pay out in
indemnities a portion of the money re-
ceived in premiums, retaining the re-
mainder for profits, salaries and ex-
penses.
w. L. Harding always has been
classed as friendly to the insurance in
terests. In the recent primary election,
Insurance men ali over the state ware
actively supporting his candidacy. If
Mr.. Harding is elected governor OF
Iowa, his personal influence would be
very strong on the question of state
insurance and other in s1Irance matters