The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-11-30
FUTURE OF MOTOR TRUCK TRAFFIC IS VITAL ID COMMERCE Ending of War Will Make Thousands Available for
 Immediate Service
WILL MAKE BOOM IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION
Almon Has Asked for Establishment of Routes in North Alabama to Serve We'll Developed Section
nv urGH w. ROBERTS

Washington November 29.-(SpectaD
 The establishment of motor truck mall routes throughout the United States IS an assured fact All doubt is removed because of the following reasons:
 1. At the conclusion of the war the royernment will have an abundance of trucks.
 g. The fncomparable service and greatly reduced expense to the general public
 8 The excellent financial return which trial operations, to-wit, those between Washington and Baltimore, have netted for the government.
 So certain is the eventual trucking of mail and the fine return. in money way, to the government that Congress wants general legislation on the subject |The sole authority under which the gov- ernment has installed limited number free delivery legislation.
 PROFIT FOR ROADS
 If the general legislation is secured it will certainly provide for the expendi- ture of a certain portion of profits on read building in the sections from which such profits will be derived.
 Senator Bankhead in expressing ap- proval of motor mail routes and de- sire for general legislation, said today that the people should be benefited in the saving which the government will receive. He would not have the motor routes simply an inducement for road building; he would have also profits from those routes judiciously invested in actual construction of roads.
 The motor routes will be great boons to the people. They will be able to ship and receive from and at their homes along the routes packages not exceeding in weight TO pounds. They will be able to receive from town inexpensively and quickly any purchase. they might have made by letter or wire, and will be able to dispatch to town their produce quickly and cheaply. While no package offered for transportation may weigh more than 70 pounds, it will be possible to ship any number of 7o-pound packages. s
 ALMON ON SUBJECT
 Representative Almon has asked Post master General Burleson to establish . motor route in the Eighth Alabama dis trict, the motors to be secured from the war department, and operated by vet erans of the European war who might desire such employment. As a result of personal interviews with the Postmaster General, Representative Almon is reas- onably certain that his request will be granted.
 In a letter to MT. Burleson, Representa- tive Alrnon explained his request as follows:
 II am writing to request you to take steps to establish motor truck mail rs,ute from Huntsville to Tuscumbia, Ala. via Athens, Rogersville, Center Hill, Kill len, Florence, Muscle Shoals and sher- field.
 There is a good road on practically all of this route over which motor trucks can travel every day in the year. lt does not run parallel with any railroad. The entire route is through thickly set tied agricultural districts. The route would do a good and profitable business from the very beginning.
 THE INDUSTRIAL GROWTH .There has been considerable indus trial development within the last year in that part of the state and also con siderable improvement in agricultural ac- tivities The two government nitrate plants are located at Sheffield and Muscle Shoals at which are employed something like 25,0O0 people, The government has also resumed work upon the great water power dam at Muscle Shoals and this Is bringing many additional laborers into that district. I do not know of any route which could be proposed that could have more advantages than this one. T beg leave to suggest that you se- cure from the Secretary of War motor trucks to be used on motor routes as pro- vided for by act of Congress, approved July 2 1918. I would also beg leave to further suggest that the carriers on the proposed routo be selected from among veterans of the war with Germany who may live in that part of the state, and, who would like sr render that service
 T had intended to ask for the es- tablishment of other motor routes, but have been advised that they would not he established on roads which parallel railroad and where the roads are not suitable for motor truck vehicles