The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-10-25
CARRYING MAIL
BY AUTO TRUCK
FCrOss-COuntry Operations
During Past Year; Have
Been Great Success
SEVENTY LINES
NOW IN OPERATION
One Route Between Washington and
Philadelphia, Costing $500 a Month to
Operate, Has Developed a Monthly
Revenue of $4,000.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25.-Cross-
country operation of mail carrying mo-
tor trucks, tried out by the postof1ice de-
partment on an experimental but never
theless big scale, during the last year,
has been a great success. James /.
BlakesleC, fourth assistant postmaster
general, has found that one truck route
between Philadelphia and Washington,
cutting chiefly through territory with
out direct rail connection and costing
$500 month to operate, has in eight
months developed a revenue of $4,000
monthly. Another route, into Washing
ton. where IS parcels day were moved
during the first month. now shows one
ton of traffic each way each n hours.
Seventy lines now operate over the
country, all but one east of the Missis-
sippi. and there are visions of system
which will furnish $685. 900 annual
lv in revenue for road construction or
other purposes.
Why, General Pershinp has 5000
trucks damaged or ruined over on the
other side, y said Mr.. Blakeslee, telling
of the growth of the system. 81 don't
care what condition they are III. We
want them all, and can fix up and put
every one of them to work. What's
even more important he s got some
bows over there shy a hand. or an arm,
or leg, and we can use them all, too,
in good work at good pay, that they
can do. Congress gave us $4,000 TO
work with. and if we had the earnings
of the lines themselves, we could ex-
pand almost indefinitely. As it is,
100000 will he requested by the di-
vision for next year, and think it Will
be appreciated. People realize what we
are doing.
Operating at night is the most profit
able, and we have but two machines do
| ing that, out of New York. The typical
route is about $50 miles long, 80 miles
out. and 90 miles back
| Almost always the constant opera
tion of the lines produces a return load
i the universal character of the mail sery
/ ice allowing almost anything to be
! taken. The mail trucks go. come rain
storm, or anything, and SO the traffic
/ develops Rates are also pretty high
! the lowest being about so u ton. That
is what makes the surplus revenues.
"Of course we IL have TO have concret'
roads. but the business can produce thu
money to build them. There are som'
economies in distribution of produc'
that are simply amazing. 1t has addc,
an entirely new factor to transcontl
mental transportation. and we shall jus
begin finding it out when more cxten
sivc operation goes into effect durIni
the next two years.
just why Mr.. Blakcslec sees it tina
way can be understood from Just on
commodity price list. Milk rctalls noN
= in Washington at Il cents quart
Milk is coming in on mail trucks dlrcc
TO consumers for 10 cents a quart Nat
Z urallv the trucks are being weighe
down with fivcgallon cans as consumer
learn of the possibility. The truck
tap milk producing territory that is out
side the usual hauling lines and off tn
rail arteries.
, "Wherc II the roads come from t
/ run 5000 trucks" He asks - Wei
} there are $4,000 rural mail and sta
routes being operated in the Unite
!: States now Sometimes | think every
one of them would make a truck lin,
Food is being handled 10 times on il
way to consumer. We can cut tina
to five
Watching these figures, since d.
cember, when we started, has given III
u new sort Of inspiration, We shall y
moving the mails and mails will includ
whole unexpected variety OF things !
new modes before the generation III
shcs. Airplancs for the thousan'
mile distances, trains for the 50Omi
and trucks for the 80. That 5 abot
l The schedule