Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-12-03
motor TRUCK TRANSPORT
New Means Of Great Commercial
Development
WILL help PRODUCER and CONSUMER
War Department Has Available Twen-
ty Thousand Trucks and Plans Are
Now Under Consideration to Use
These In tho Development of Trade
That Has Not Heretofore Existed.
BY Frederic J. Haskin

sand motor trucks organized into
great national system OF transporta-
tion for the hearing of food direct from
American farms TO American kitchens
Each motor truck line. connecting
city community with the country TO
hr under the joint control Of the pco-
pie whom II serves. and managed by
officers whom these people elect.
Every bit OF food-every egg and
oyster-guarantecd pure and fresh by
the fact that il is shipped rs United
States mail. and must therefore full
fiji every claim made for ii by the
shipper
Fair prices guaranteed by the fact
that each city will have number OF
truck lines TO draw from. so that open
competition will be assured.
These are the essentials OF n plan
which the postoffcc department. in
co operation with the bureau OF cdu-
cation. is now beginning 10 put into
operation. Both the legislation and
the physical machinery necessary to
carry out the project are already In
existence. Congress has passed a law
authorizing the postoffice department
to establish such truck parcel post
service between the producer and the
consumer, and has made mn appropri-
alton for starting the work. The war
han M n
trucks. built for war purposes, which
are to be taken over by the postoffice
department under Fourth Assistant
Postmasted Gercral Blakeslec to form
the transport corps for this new sys-
tenn Of food distribution. f. j. Ward
who Is attached TO the bureau OF cdu-
cation for the purpose OF studying
problems Of community organization
left Washington n few days ago 10 or
ganizc the first truck line OF the great
system. which will be operated between
the national capital and the historic
town of Gettysburg in southern Penn
sylvania.
Mr.. Ward and Mr.. Blakcslec. who
are the moving spirits OF this new gov
crnmcnt enterprise. see 1t rs comrar-
able to the establishment OF a rail-
road system. Means OF conveyance.
roadbcds and terminals are all to be
provided for. The trucks, Of course.
will be the means OF conveyance.
State roads will take the place OF
tracks, and the government will con-
tribute to their support. The termi-
nails, in the beginning at least, Will
be school houses, in the cities and in
the country. These will be the centers
Of community organization. the places
nj which the produce will be gathered
in the country and distributed in the
city. The plan OF organization. In brief
ill be this:
Farmers VIII Meet.
The farmers Of each country COM
munity will meet at their school house.
form an organization with a constitu-
.:on and bylaws outlined by the gov
crnment. and will elect n community
secretary. This community secretary
viii very likely be the principal or
teacher of the school. He will receive
onc-third of his salary from the United
States government. That is, If the
community is now paying the indi-
vidual 81 900 n year TO act as school
nrincipal. the United States govern
mont will pay him in addition $500 to act
as community secretary. His first
duty rs secretary will be to receive the
.roduce-cggs. butter. poultry. vcge-
tables, etc.-brought in by the farmers,
list II, together with the prices asked.
and send the list to the city
The people Of each city community
will form an exact similar organiza-
ton. with a secretary elected and paid
in the same way. for the purpose OF
buying food. This city community
secretary will receive the requests OF
the community people for produce and
list them.
When the system Is complete, there
will be in each city which forms hun
of the system a clearing house where
all of these lists will be turned In.
Now suppose that the farmers
grouped about a rural school Il miles
from Washington can send In two
gross of eggs every week at 81 cents
dozen. The clearing house will already
determine which urban community can
use those eggs and they will be sent
by the community secretary in the
country, by parcel post truck, to th'
city community secretary who can dis
pose Of them
Many Obvious Gains.
The advantages Of the system arc
obvious. The produce will be faster
the prices lower. and above all. waste
will be eliminated. Farmers having
small amounts Of produce are now al
a loss how to dispose Of them. Much
food, especially fruit and vegetables
is allowed to rot for want OF mar
kct Much more because stale In the
roundabout progress by which country
produce now reaches the city. TINS
system will make a clean sweep OF thf
tributary country of every big Amer1-