The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-12-10
RURAL EXPRESS SERVICE.
Some of the Benefits to Be Received By
Farmers.

The statement made by Herbert Hoov-
err before a conference Of regional chair
men Of the highways transport com
mittee that so per cent of the perishable
food products raised in this country 60
TO waste because of lack of adequate
marketing and transport facilities, has
conferred the attention of not only this
government, but also of the allied pow
ers upon the methods to be used in mar.
keting American farm products.
A series of inter allied conferences are
being held under the auspices of high
ways transport committee of the coun-
ell OF national defense to consider the
question.
The work of the highways transport
committee, which has pioneered in efforts
along these lines, has brought to light
numbers OF instances Of the economic
value Of the rural express service.
These illustrations emphasize the fact
that the rural express makes available
for use waste foods that are now pro-
duced. but are not now marketed.
Second, that it relieves labor where
the labor conditions are the most acute.
Third, that the service undoubtedly
stimulates increased production.
A rural motor express operator in Col
orado reports to the highways trans
port committee that me was able with
three men to make 1t possible for fifty
farmers on one well. known highway to
give all their time to their agricultural
pursuits at period when such attention
was most vital.
Farmers who formerly sent a team
or possibly n double team-to market,
necessita5ing their absence from one to
two DAYS, now keep these same teams
on the farm by utilizing the rural motor
truck service, which stops at the front
gate and transfers marketable stuff from
the farm wagon to the motor truck.
One such truck operating not far
from the national capital was able in one
DAYS time not only to combine the loads
of five farmers but to transport these
loads at speed practically eight times
as great as TIE farmers, would have been
capable Of by team
Another rural motor express operator
reports to the highways transport com
mittee that he has been able on his own
farm within the present year to raise
3l4 barrels of corn, representing 1910
bushels, on fourteen acres OF ground
which he had heretofore used as pas
tire for. horses. This striking economy
was the direct result, the farmer points
out, of being able to dispose of horses
formerly necessary to the transportation
Of farm products to market and avail
himself Of the rural express service.
During the first ten months OF the
present wear shipments of cattle, hogs,
and sheep delivered from western Iowa
at the Omaha market through the medi-
UNI of rural motor truck transportation
represented a total Of lS,49S cattle, l5,-
$40 hogs, and 81, 100 sheep.
Not only were cattle, hogs and sheep
thus delivered to the Omaha market in
much better physical shape than would
otherwise have been the case as a result
Of being transported by motor truck, but
at the same time the rail carriers-then
greatly overtaxed by war time demands
were relieved of the strain of this bust.
ness.
Chairman, Edward N. Hurley Of the
u. SAshipping board recently called upon
the highways transport committee for
assistance in moving food stuffs to over
seas shipping points in order that the
duty of this country to care not only for
its soldiers in France, but for the peo-
pies Of the devastated nations Of Eu-
rope might be the more effectively car
Dried out.
This call of Chairman Hurley, is of
course, of vital interest TO those repre-
sentatiyes of allied nations who are par
ticipating in the interallied conference.