Evening star., 1918-05-05
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT Is DOING


owner would be equally glad to secure
. return load, because the charge made
for hauling It would reduce his own
haulage cost.
together serves the interests Of both.
1t doubles the efficiency Of the motor
truck, enables business men to mako
prompt shipments or secure deliveries
IN III Gay, W. instead OF % several; rsiisves
freight, and thereby releases cars for
necessary long distance haulage OF mu-
nitions, equipment and other supplies
for our Army in France. and for food
stuffs, fuel. etc, for the civilian popu-
lation at home.
The logical agency for bringing tho
two interests together 10 tho local busi-
ness mems organization in each local
ity.the chamber Of commerce. board Of
trade. or by whatever name It 10 known.
They are In direct touch with tho man.
ufacturers and merchants in their re-
spective communities. they know tho
inc Of shippins and
1y and Systematically putting the ship
per in touch with the man who has the
facility for haulage.
The method Of doing this is by the
an information department that acts
as clearing house for this particular
purpose. Once initiated, tho work Of
such q bureau can. in most cities. be
carried on by q single employe Of the
chamber. probably in addition to his
other duties. If necessary or desirable.
q small charge can be made to the
truck owner or the shipper for tho
service to cover whatever expense may
be involved in starting and maintain
Ing the bureau. But the plan affords
an opportunity to be Of such additional
service to members Of the organization
ana to business interests Of the city
generally that the increased support
w ~ hA t.
onset the cost incurred. Apart from
this Is the opportunity It presents to
be OF patriotic service to our country
Dy increasing its transportation facili-
ties at a time when the safety Of the
nation depends absolutely upon trans
portation.
The practicability and dependabflity
OF motor truck haulage, the onicials
believe, not only within cities but be-
ftlss have =,
and intercity motor express lines are
In successful operation in widely scat
tered sections Of the country. The re-
turn-load bureau system has been in
considered unpatriotic to run a truck
without load. Manchester, Eng, for
example. and all the surrounding cities
nave their return-load bureaus and
have reciprocal arrangements whereby
they exchange Information regarding
available trucks and loads. Conse-
quently, any chamber Of commerce. in
a city whose merchants are adversely
affected by rail embargoes and delays,
freight congestion or lack Of suffi-
and where there is any considerable
number Of motor trucks, will not be
embarking upon a doubtful experiment
In establishing such a bureau
No difficulty and no great amount of
work are involved in establishing a re-
turn-ioads bureau. All that Is neces-
sary Is to follow the example of Con-
necticut, where. through the initiative
OF the state council of defense. return
loads bureaus have been established in
fifteen cities. The council addressed
letters to the chambers of commerce,
inviting their cooperation in the move-
ment Return post cards were printed
and mailed to motor truck owners in
OF the cards was a brief QUESTIONABLE
to be filled out by the truck owner,
stating whether or not he would carry
back loads" for reasonable compensa-
at full capacity or partial capacity,
number of trucks owned, number Of
hours day or days a week the truck
would be available under the return
loans plan. its capacity in tons. etc.
In its educational survey work the
bureau Of education is carrying out in
tho most direct manner
Educational possible the task con-
E templated in the orig
survey inal act creating the bu-
reau. The act of 1867 provided for the
establishment of department of edu-
cation for the purpose Of collecting
such statistics and facts as shall show
the condition and progress Of educa-
ton in the several states and terri
tories and diffusing such information
respecting the organization and man
agement of school systems and meth
DDS Of teaching as shall aid the prob
lem Of the United States in the estab-
lishment and maintenance Of efficient
school systems"
It is precisely this function that the
educational survey fulhlls. the officials
Of the bureau believe. It aims to be a
critical, non-partisan expert examina-
ton of general facts and records, edu-
cational, policies and methods. and the
tuition or group of institutions, with q
view to suggesting improvements, not
only to the state or community sur
veyed, but also to other states and COM
munitfes with similar problems. It Is
already evident. the officials say, that
the bureaus efforts in this field have
contributed to the adoption of higher
standards and to a clearer understand
ing of the purposes of various types of
educational Institutions. In every case
the surveys made by the bureau of ed
ucation have eliminated In construc-
tive recommendations and many Of
these recommendations have already
been enacted into law.
Numerous agencies have made educa-
tional surveys in the past five years.
The state surveys Of Ohio, Vermont and
Maryland were made by or with the
cooperation of such private founda-
tions as the New York Bureau of Mu-
nicipal Research, the Carnegie Founda-
tion for the Advancement of Teaching
and the General Education Board. State
university surveys have been made oc-
casionally by private agencies or indi-
viduals usually employed for the work
by the state commissions or other
boards appointed by the legislatures.
have been made by representatives of
state departments Of EDUCATION. by pro-
fessors of university departments or
schools of education, or by groups of
such professors and their students:
while some of the most important and
influential city surveys. such as those
of Cleveland, Richmond and Minneap-
oils, have been made by school men or |
representatives Of university depart |
ments Of education and Industrial in |
organized into a working !
cies as the Cleveland Foundation, the |
Russell Sage Foundation and the Ma
tional Society for the Promotion of In |
dustrfal Education. In this field pri- |
vate philanthropy has taken the initia-
tive. as SO often, in doing work for !