Evening star., 1918-02-17
AIMS TO TAKE FOODS
FROM FARM TO HOME
Post Office Department Will
Utilize Motor Trucks for
the Purpose.
WIDE PARCEL POST SYSTEM

| Within few years the Post Office
| Department will be the largest single
user of motor trucks in America and
will operate them on rural delivery
routes throughout the United States.
| Many details regarding this service
were given at a meeting in Chicago
recently for the organization of the
Highway Industries Association by j.
l. Blakes1ee. fourth assistant postmas-
| ter general.
According to Mr.. Blakslee, the Post
Office Department is taking deep in
terest in the progress CT highway i'm
provement. the development of the
motor truck and methods of utilizing
both. There has been a reduction of
farm production owing to the draft of
man power into the war service at
time when it is imperative that pro-
duction should be increased. More
convenient transportation would stin-
ulate production. Although somewhat
late in starting, the department is en-
deavoring to overcome this loss through
the "farm-to-tahle" movement.
Only Method of Demonstration.
The only way to demonstrate to the
producers that it is worth while to in
crease production is to put some visi-
BILE means OF communication before
him. and that is by establishing motor
truck parcel post routes. There are in
the United States 43.2S5 rural mail
routes and 5000 star routes, but the
average number of pieces of parcel
post carried each day to producers on
these routes is only eight per route.
and only one piece per route from pro-
ducer to consumer. There IS NOT single
parcel post route from New York out
into productive territory; only one
from Philadelphia and two from Chi
cago.
Motor truck parcels post routes will
aid producers and Eventually reduce
the cost of living. Fourteen landings
are now required to deliver eggs from
the producer in Nineland, \. j.. to the
consumer in Philadelphia, and this
number is doubled when the eggs are
shipped from Philadelphia to consum-
ers in New York. AS against this only
six landings will be required by the
motor truck service between New
York and Philadelphia.
Mileage of Public Roads.
There are approximately 100000
| miles of public road in the United
States on more than half of which
there is no mail service, and 156,000
miles of improved road. on 10000 miles
! of which there is no service. To de-
velop the farm-to table movement it
| is only necessary to take advantage of
highways already existing and i'm
proved. With a federal appropriation
of S125,G00 and Ohio state apprO-
| priation of $250,000, the Columbus
GAINESVILLE road was put in good condi.
ton for motor truck service a year
| and a half ago. but the first post Of
| flee motor truck will be put in opera
| tion over this road within the next
| thirty days.
A motor truck route from Washing
| ton to Leonardtown has been in opera
| tion three years. with a two-ton truck
! and one -and-one- -half-ton trailer. 1t
| carries the mail for 104 post offices
and 10000 persons. Revenue is de-
rived from firSt-class mail as well as
| parcel post matter.
| There also is motor mail route be-
| tween Baltimore and Gettysbarg. and
| the postal revenue is far beyond the
| cost of operation.
| A bill was introduced in the Senate
| last year providing for experimental
| motor truck routes, but it failed to
| pass because of lack of time. The
| Post Office Department, however. de-
cided to try out its plans under the
| existing law
An emergency confronts The country
and daily transportation MUST be put
| before the farmer to stimulate produc-
| ton The motor truck is not confined
to fixed routes, but can travel round
| about to avoid delays. Roads must be
| improved and the most permanent type
| of ROAD is cheapest in the long run, as
| the matter of upkeep is involved.
Mr.. B1akeslee's Comment.
There is class of citizens, said Mr..
| Blakeslee who say the governme ent
| should not encourage use of trucks be-
cause they injure the roads. but the post
| office cannot see the logic of investing
| money in roads that are not going to
be utilized to the utmost Every evil
dence of material prosperity has fol-
| lowed lines of communication. The
i west expanded after the development
Of prairie schooner trails and transcon-
tinental railways, until it has become
the territory upon which the country
depends for foodstuffs. We are going
back to the post stage.
AS the Post Office Department de-
velops it's plans a market will be Gre
ated, said Mr.. Blakeslee, for more
trucks than all the manufacturers can
produce. 1t is essential. he thinks to