Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-11
GeOrgia'S Vital Interest
In Parcel Post Motor Routes.

Georgia cities and rural districts alike have
cause for keen interest in the Governments plan
to establish parcel post motor-truck service as
a means of relieving railway congestion Operated
throughout the country, this system not only will
release great deal of railway space and equip
ment for needs and for the heavier classes of
freight but also will develop more direct relations
between producers and consumers of food sup
plies.
This latter result should be of considerable in
f1uence in reducing the extremely high prices of
some food commodities; certainly, it will add to
the freedom and efficiency of distribution, lack of
which cuts down the producers profit and in
creases the price to the consumer. Students of
the cost-of-living problem long have realized that
satisfactory solution will be impossible until the
system of getting products from the farm to the
kitchen is simplified This does not mean that
there will be end to the mddleman, whose serv-
ices in many respects essential and really
nomical. But it does mean that there must be
end to unnecessary middlemen If the interests
of the rank and file of consumers and producers
to be conserved. II happens not infrequently
that the cost Of marketing food product is much
greater than the cost of producing it and that not
withstanding the excessive price which the con-
sumner pays, none of the many hands through
which the product passes on its way to kitchen
makes more than a pittance the transaction
This profitless and wasteful system will be
remedied in part, at least if the Governments plan
of motor-truck postal service measures up to
pectation. The postal authorities, according to
The Journals Washington correspondent, are
sidering the establishment of a number of such
routes in Georgia, notably from Atlanta to Column
bus by way of Macon, from Atlanta to Athens,
from Atlanta to Cleveland, in White county, by
way of Suwanee, Norcross, Flowery Branch, Blu
ford and Gainesville. 1t is proposed also to link
Atlanta and Chattanooga by a motor-truck route
through Marietta, Cassville, Kingston Adairsville
Cartersville Altoona Dalton and other points. The
advantages which such routes will afford the towns
and the farms along the way will touch many
different spheres of commercial and productive in
terests. For one thing, business concerns and in
dfviduals will receive freight delivery service
which otherwise they would have to do without
for the war period 1t is likely moreover that
the new service VIII be liberal as to schedules and
altogether efficient certainly it is to the interest
of the Government as well as of the public to make
it There should be consequent stimulation
of trade, for with dependable and convenient de-
Hveries assured, merchants safely undertake
to develop business. Likewise. enterprising
farmers, either individually or through associa-
tions, we'll afford to undertake the develop
ment of business with city consumers The post
offices, ii is to be assumed, will lend every rea-
sonable aid and encouragement to efforts of this
character Thus the gradual upbuilding of direct
relations between consumers and producers will
be assured.
II should be observed that the great pre-
requisite to the establishment and extension of
parcel post motortruck service is good roads;
without them, the enterprise cannot succeed or
even be undertaken. Georgia counties in common
with the South at large, should to 1t promptly
that their highways improved and maintained
at such standard as to command their due part
of this and, it may turn out epoch making
service which the Government is TO inaugurate
They owe this to their vital interests and
also to the broad wellbeing of the Commonwealth