The Washington times., 1919-08-23
MD. RURAL TRUCK
GROUP SUCCESSFUL

What could we do when railroad
service was unsatisfactory, distance
70 market excessive for horse travel.
and local charges for TRANSFORMATION
by motor truck were unreasonabIy
high, but in self-defense orEanize a
cooperative association and handle
our own hauling, replied the secretary
Of the Hartford county (Md.) rural
motor truck route to the query Of
why the association was formed.
A Bel Air business man kindly fur
nished office room and $4,000, selling
200 shares Of stock, which had a par
value Of $26 a share, continued this Of
acial. Each member is obliged to own
at least one share of stock, but is lin
tied in his stock purchase to twenty
shares. We purchased a four-ton
truck, which operated between Bel
Air and Churchville, Nd, and BaIti-
more, for hauling milk, cream, and
other farm produce to the city and
feedstuffs, seeds, salt fertilizer, ma
chinery, and supplies for the rural
merchants on the back trip.
Bel Air business man kindly fur
nished office room and clerical as
sistance for the association. As soon
as the project was well under way
central receiving station was estab-
lished in Baltimore for the reception
and Capitalization Of the supplies to
be returned to the country. No at
tempt has been made by the associa-
tion to earn dividends. Rates are
made with the view to meeting the
expenses, providing for depreciation,
and Rccumulating a surplus to be used
a. working capital. The rate on
goods CLASSIFIED as hrst class and In
elusive of apples, axle grease, baskets,
butter, beans, buckets, canned goods,
coffse, cabbages, cantaloupes. fish,
groceries, hardware, dressed hogs,
harness, hay, iron, molasses, machin-
cry under 400 pounds, notions, oils,
onionG oranges, potatoes, dressed
poultry. stoves, automobile tires,
vegetables, and automobile. auto
truck. buggy, and wagon whoe-S
10 Is cents a hundredweight, while
second class articles such as axes are
hauled for ~ cents q hundred pounds
Calves are transported to market for
so cents apiece, while live cattle and
hogs are handled At so cents a hun
dredweight. It costs % cents a COOP
to ship chickens, while cream and
milk are hauled At IA cents = gallon,
the empty cans being returned.
Wagons knocked DOWN. are hauled
according TO size: one-hoFss Wag-
ons, Sc; two-horse, So three-horss, 81;
and fouF-horse, IS.
Pays For Lest Goods.
The association pays its members
for all goods lost or destroyed
Where the shipper desires insurance
against loss, the charge for hauling
cream is cents a gallon, while IL the
farmer is willing to assume the risk,
the same charge is made for hauling
cream as for milk. In case Of loss all
cream shipments made at the milk
rate are compensated for on a milk
basis. II the shipper pays the scent
rate, all loses are settled at the mar
ket price Of cream. Thus far dam
ages have keeu paid out Of operating
revenues, although it Is believed a
safer policy would be to create a
special reserve or claim fund to pro-
vide for such expenses. Another !
good plan is to take out sufficient in |
surance to cover both the trucks and |
goods in transit in case Of loss.
The members of the association |
who live along the route have con-
structed loading platforms at their
front gates. They are the same !
height as the moor Of the truck, thus
facilitating the transfer OF freight
rom the platform 70 the motor vehi-
lie At present due to the expansion
1f the business. ana especially to the
hauling for country stores, the HaF-
,ord Association operates one four Il
ton and one hve-ton truck. which \
make daily trips to Baltimore, the
distance travelled being about sixty
niles. II
This Maryland cooperative club is
" valuable assistance to its members
n both the purchase and sale Of prod
ice and supplies. Members notify
he Secretary Of their needs, and as
oon as a sufficient number of orders
s on hand he buys at wholesale in
arRe amounts in Baltimore, thereby,
markedly reducing the cost Of the ar
icles to the farmers, as we'll as mini
nizing trouble in purchasing and
auling goods for IneSe consumers.
n case the individual farmer wishes
o make his own purchase he does
o, and has the supplies delivered at
he receiving station, so that they
nay be hauled by truck to his farm.
he motor service is of incGlculable
aIue to the members during periods
( rush work when machines break.
nd they are able to telephone to the
ity for repairs and have them deliv-
red by the truck perhaps the same
fternoon that the accident occurred.
The association also aids its mem