New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1918-04-06
PARCEL POST 1000 MILES BY
TRUCK.

lpOSt-0fflce autnOrltleS are prepaf-
ing to let the truck do the whole
business and save two transfers,
in a considerable number of in
stances. Altogether, several thou
sand miles Of truck-routes are to
be established by the Post office
Department in the near future.
That this plan may be extended
to the whole local postal service
is suggested by the writer Of an
article in The Commercial We
hicle New York;. The new
method will play an important
part, it is believed. in lowering
the price Of food-products by ia
cilitating their distribution. We
read:
"The installation of motor
truck parcel-post routes in various
sections of the country, aggregat-
ing between 1900 and 1000 miles,
is the ambitious plan of. the Post
office Department. lit is expected
these routes will be in operation
within the next three months.
One chain of truck-routes will ex-
tend from Portland, Me-, to New
Orleans. La. Another will cover
much Of a large stretch of ter
ritory in Ohio, Indian, Illinois,
and West Virginia. On the Pa
cific coast routes will be estab-
lished between San Francisco and
Sacramento, via Stockton and
Fruitdale, a distance of 125 miles,
and between Redlands and Los
Angeles, via Ontario and Po-
mona, CAL, a distance of seventy
six miles.
"With the Government, State,
and local authorities to-day work
ing in harmony with individuals.
motor organizations. railroad
heads, and others to the end that
the present congestion Of freight
be removed, and that the future
be as free as possible from situa-
tons such as exist today, the ae-
ton taken by the Post-office De-
partment looking to radical ex-
tension Of motor parcel-post
routes is of vast interest, not alone
| to the motor-truck industry but
also to the general public.
Recognition by every branch
of the Government up to this time
Of the utility and value of the
motor-truck means, undoubtedly,
that the production Of such We
lhicles is to have Federal Govern
ment encouragement, instead OF
Encouragement. The new post
| office plans, in detail, look to the
ultimate motorization Of the en-
tire postal service. with the ex-
! ception of some Of the cross
| country trains,g both local and
general. At present authority
from Congress will have to De
awaited by the Department be-
fore it can carry out all the pro-
gram which it is considering in
this connection. b
"As an indication of the eff
cheney of the present truck mail.
service in one Of the cities where
| it was in operation during one
| year, the motor-tracks engaged il
the transportation Of mail be
tween the depot and the post-of-
fee were scheduled to make 1884,.
526 trips, and there were only 132
failures, or one failure to every
1913 trips.
ct is the belief Of the Post
office Department that the opera
ton of these routes, and others
to be established, will materially
aid in the distribution and in low
ering the cost of food-products.
"The existing law does not pro.
vide for the employment Of Gov
ernment-owned motor-trucks on
rural delivery routes, nor does 1t
require the rural carriers to use
motor-vehicles. 3
I'm the star-route service,
however, where the mail is car
ried under contract, a recent law
permits the Post-office Depart
ment to designate the sort of We.
hicles to be employed. and in
awarding new contracts the De-
partment will specify that motor
trucks shall be employed on all
routes where the roads are such
as to admit Of their use. These
contracts are advertised for bid
dare and where nayment asked