The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-25
TRUCK LINES ARE
URGED AS MEANS
Of FIGHTING H.C.L

Systematic organisation Of motor
truck express lines already In operation
sna ntsliEent Inauguration Of new
Ioules VIII afford al least a partial So
lullon TO the present high cost Of living
problem according to men prominent In
INDUSTRY and commerce.
Lack OF adequate transportation is
one OF me chief reasons offered for the
present crisis. In many cities, govern
mem Ny state officials are investigat-
W. leon waste which, according 10 the
commission men, may be traced direct
~ 10 transportation delays.
lheTe are numerous instances of
commission firms having been indicted
Ior the wholesale disposal Of food
Suits which, the commission men
SiaIm we're delivered BY railroads in
Efficient organization Of the motor
Huck lines M various communities with
the idea Of eliminating the possibility
aL IDLE trucks and light return loads
WI 80 far toward solving this trans
partat!hn problem and reducing trans
VINO have given this phase Of the mat
ter careful consideration.
TO obtain maximum returns from
motor truck transportation, the sumner
GUS lipss now epsrating should be sysr
tematlcally organized. +" according to e.
= " AAAAsAAAaH ~ III NgtbNAA VI NlA1 14tE
ford Motor Truck company, who has
devoted considerable time to the study
OF the transportation problem.
without q unity Of purpose there Is
q capacity waste IN every community.
This naturally results in a less Of ton
mage and increased costs. II has been
said that 40 per cent OF the motor trucks
Operating in the United States during
lPlS Havsled empty one way, From
these figures IL was estimated there
was a capacity waste Of ssS, 500, 900 tons
during the year.
with the establishment Of highway
transportation commissions in the va
Tiuls states and the organisation of
transportation bureaus in many of our
cities this tonnage waste Ia being elm.
mated, In several cities the haulage
concerns have formed associations and
have established central offices from
which the motor truck transportation
aEs directed These associations are
affiliattng with associations In nearby
cities in order TO further decrease the
possibility of idle trucks and light re-
lynn loads and 10 increase the general
efficiency OF the service
The motor trgek actually has be-
oeme a public utility IN many localities.
Entire communities are depending upon
II ss q means Of supply, II has become
waterway,
TO obtain maximum efficiency, the
transportation units OF the country
The railway, waterway and highway
should be linked up systematically. More
highways should be built, the present
highways improved and a greater num-
Der of motor express lines touching
those sections not reached by either
rail or water, should be created.
That such q system would have inn
pertant bearing upon reducing the cost
Of living essentials 10 apparent, Avail
able government figures show that In
1919 the cost Of shipping by truck
throughout the country was fran 10 to
80 cents per ton mile lower than the
cost OF horse drawn vehicles, One can
at least imagine what this win amount
to In a year.
Speakers before a recent convention
Of retail and Wholesale graoeFs In Tor
ledo voiced the opinion that their hope
Of reducing prices lay IN the motar
truck, Practically an entire session Of
the convention was devoted TO this
phase of the transportation problem,