The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-11-28
...ysun
As MAIL CARRIERS
Experiments Conducted During
Past Year Show Feasibility
Of the Idea.

Washington, -. C.-Cross country
operation Of mail carrying motor
trucks. tried out by the p~ostofhce de-
partment OF an experimental but
nevertheless big scale. during the last
year, has been a great success. James
/ BlaksleH fourth assistant postmaster
general, has found that n truck route
between Philadelphia and Washington.
cutting chiefly through territory with
out direct rail connection and costing
$500 a month Tor operate, has In eight
months developed a. revenue of $4,000
monthly. Another route, into WASH
ington, where 70 parcels a day were
moved during the first month, now
shows one ton Of traffic each way each
"a hours.
Seventy lines now operate over the
country, all but east OF the Mis-
sissippi, and there are visions Of q sys-
TEN which will furnish $500. 600, 900 an
nually In revenue for road construction
OF other purposes.
why. General Pershins has 5000
truck damaged or ruined over on the
other side,'' said Mr.. Blakcslee, telling
OF h growth Of the system. TT don
care what condition they are in. We
want them all, and can fix up and put
eyery one OF them to work. What's
even more important. he's got some
boys over there shy q hand, or an arm,
or a leg, and we can use them all, too.
in good work at good pay, that they
can do. Congress gave US $500, 600 TO
work with, and II we had the earnings
OF the lines themselves, we could ex-
pand almost indefinitely. AS it Is, So
00o,O00 will be requested by the d.
vision for next year, and l hin II will
be appropriated. People realize what
We are doing.
Operating at night Is the most
profitable, and we have but two ma
chimes doing that, out OF New York.
The typical route Is about $50 miles
long, 80 miles out, and 80 miles back.
Almost always the constant opera
ton Of h lines produces a return load.
the universal character Of the mail
service allowing almost anything to be
taken. The mail trucks go, come, rain,
storm. or anything, and 80 the traffic
develops. Rates are also pretty high,
the lowest being about $50 a ton. That
IL what makes the surplus revenues.
"Of purse weIl have to have con-
crete roads, but the business can pro-
duce the money to build them. There
are some economies I'm distribution OF
produce that are simply amazing. It
has added an entirely new factor to
transcontjnental transportation, II we
shall Just begin finding II out when
more extensive operation goes into ef-
feet during the next two years"
Just why Mr.. Blakcslee sees it that
way can be understood from just one
commodity price list. Milk retails o
In Washington at II cents a quart.
Mix Is coming In on mail trucks direct
TO sui for 10 cents a quart. Nat
urally the trucks are being weighed
down with five gallon ans as. consum-
ers learn of the possibility. The trucks
tap milk producing territory that out
side the usual hauling lines, and of
the rail arteries.
"Where'l the roads come from to- run
5000 trucks?" he asks. We'll there
are sc, 900 rural mail and star routes
being operated in the United States
now. Sometimes I think everyone Of
them would make a truck line. Food is
being handled 10 times on its way to a
We can cut that to five.
watching these figures. since De-
cember, when we started, has given
me a new sort Of inspiration. We shall
be moving the mails and mails will in
clude a whole unexpected varietr Of
things--in new modes before the gem
GRAFTON finishes. Airplapes for the 1000
mile distances, trains for the 500 miles,
and trucks for the $50. That's about
the schedule"