The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1918-11-28
...uIo,. uuGkSpAY
AS MAIL CARRIERS
Experiments Conducted During
Past Year Show Feasibility
of the Idea.

Washington. ID. C.-Crcss country
operation OF mail carrying motor
trucks, tried out by the postofhce de-
pnrtuent OH an experimental but
nevertheless big scale, during the last
year has been IL great success. James
/. Blakslee. fourth assistant postmaster
general. he found that n ruck route
between Philadelphia and Washington,
cutting chiefly through territory with
out direct rail connection and costing
$500 a month to operate. has In eight
months developed a revenue OF $4,000
monthly. Another route, into WASH
ington, where % parcels q day were
moved during the first month, now
shows one ton OF traffic each way each
~ hours.
Seventy lines now operate over the
country, all but. one east Of the Mis-.
sissippi, and there are visions OF a sys-
tenn which will furnish $360s0O0,00O am
nually III revenue for road construction
OR other purposes.
why, General Pershing has 5000
trucks damaged or ruined over on the
other SIDE" said MIR. Blakeslee, telling
Of the growth Of the system. III dom
ear what condition they are in. We
want them all, and can AK up n put
every one OF them to work. Whats
even more important, he's got some
boys there shy a. 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 $S0O.O0o 70
| work with, and it we a the earnings
Of the lines themselves. we could e1-
pand almost indefinitely. AS 1t ts. W.
100000 will be requested by the d,
vision for next year, N / think it VIII
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, n 80 miles back
Almost always the constant opera
ton Of the lines produces a return load.
the universal character OF the mail
service allowing almost anything TO be
taken. The mail trucks 60, come. rain.
develops. Rates are also pretty high,
the lowest being about $40 a ton. That
Is what makes the surplus
"Of course, we'll have to have con-
crete roads, but the business can pro-
duce the money to build them. There
are some economies In distribution OF
produce that are simply amazing. II
has added an entirely new factor to
transcontinental transportation, and We
shall just begin finding 1t out when
more extensive operation goes into ef-
feet during the next two years"
Just why MIR. Blakeslee sees it that
way can be understood from just one
commodity price list. Milk retai1s now
in Washington at II cents a quart
Milk Is coming in on mail truck direct
to consumers for 10 cents a quart. Nat
urally the trucks are being weighed
down with five gallon cans as onsum
ers learn OF the possibility. The trucks
tap milk producing territory that out.
side the usual hauling lines, n OF
the rail arteries.
"WhereIl the roads come from to rur
5000 tiucks?" he asks. well. Their,
are $4,000 rural mail and star route.
being operated in the United State,
now. Sometimes I think everyone o.
them would make a truck line. Food l!
being handled 10 times on it's way to
consumer. We ear cut that to FIVE.
watching these figures, since De.
cernber, when we started, has give.
me q. new sort Of inspiration. We shall
be moving the mails and malls will in
clude a whole unexpected variet- o
thlngs-;n new modes before the zen
GRAFTON finishes. Airplanes for the 100
mile distances, trains for the 500 miles
and trucks for the $50. That's abou
the schedule"