The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-10-25
MOTOR AUTO MAL
SERVICE WORKS WELL
Seventy Lines Are Now in
Operation in This
Country.

WASHINGTON, Oct 25. - Cross
country operation Of mail carrying
motor trucks, tried out by the post
Office department on an experimental
but nevertheless big scale, during the
last year, has been great success.
James I. Blakslee. fourth assistant
postmaster general, has found that
one truck route between Philadelphia
and Washington, cutting chiefly
through territory without direct rail
connection and costing $500 month
20 operate, has in eight months devel-
&: a revenue Of $4,000 monthly.
II route, into Washington, where
=rcels a day were moved during
Ike first month, now shows one ton OF
-.cifIc each way each "a hours.
Seventy lines now operate over the
country, all but one east of the Mis-
sissippi, and there are visions OF a
system which will furnish $3.50 900 600
annually in revenue for road con-
struction or other purposes.
why. General Pershing has 5000
trucks damaged or ruined over on the
other said,'' said Mr.. Blakeslee telling
OF the growth Of the system. II don't
care what condition they are in. 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
boys OYER there shy hand, or an
am, Or a leg, and we can use them al
too, in good work at good pay, that
they can do. Congress gave US $780,
060 to work with, and If we had the
earnings of the lines themselves, we
could expand almost indefinitely. AZ
it is, 100000 will be requested by
the division for next year, and think
it will be appropriated People real
ize what we are doing.
Operating at night is the most prof
table, and we have but two machines
doing that. out OF New York. The
typical route is about $50 miles long,
80 miles out, and so miles back.
almost always the constant oper-
alton OF the lines produces a return
lead, the universal character Of the
mail service allowing almost anything
10 be taken. The mail trucks go. come
again, storm, or anything. and so the
traffic develops. Rates are also pref
~ hign, the lowest being about $40
ton. That is what makes the surplus
revenues.
''Of course, wen have to have con-
crete roads, but the business can pro-
luce the money to build them. There
produce that are simply amazing. 1t
i'cs added an entirely new factor to
tr2n5contfrent2I transportation. and
We shall just begin finding it out
when more extensive operation goes
into effect during the next two years"
Just why Mr.. Blakeslee sees it that
way can be understood from just one
commodity price list. Mlk retails
row in-Washington at II cents a quart
Milk is coming in on mail trucks di-
rect to consumers for 10 cents a quart.
Naturally the trucks are being weigh
Cd down with five gallon cans as con-
sumers learn Of the possibility. The
trucks tap milk-producing territory
that outside the usual hauling lines,
and Off the rail arteries.
''Whereu the roads come from to
run 5000 trucks?" he asks. We'll,
there are 10000 rural mail and star
routes being operated in the United
States now. Sometimes think every
one OF them would make a truck line.
Food IS being handled 10 times on its
way to consumer. We can cut that
to five.
watching the figures, since Deem
Der, when we started, has given me
new sort Of inspiration. We shall be
moving the mails and mails will in
ciude q whole unexpected variety OF
new modes before the gen
e-atica finishes AirplaneS for the
thousand mile distances, trains for the
5O0-mile. and trucsk for the $50.
That's about the schedule.