The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-05-10
trormeriy Captain. Motor Trans


trormerly Captain. Motor Trans
port Corps. U. :. A.
Especial TO Tho STAR
In a Western city corporation
with millions to spend decided &c
change It's scope OF operations
putting some OF its excess capital
not into dividends. hut into real
estate investment. The far sight
cd head Of tho business decided
that before spending cent In
purchases OF downtown frontage
In which he proposed TO invest his
company's money. he would de-
tcrmlne the trend % traffic. Men
were sent out to study tho routs
by which people from tho residence
sections of the city reached tbs
downtown retail district. Tabula-
Ions were made to learn which
5utes seemed the most practical
10 the public.
This problem determined. he be-
gan buying up corners along th'
route OF maximum travel Lower
prices were paid for sites OF less
popular routing. but before spend
ing any amount of money. this far
sighted business man studied thu
trend OF traffic.
This may seem a long way from
the problem OF motor traffic on
country roads. This problem OF
highway transport Ia essentially
problem OF distance and country
i travel From this standpoint. the
d
er and the prospective highwa,
transport operator are idcntl'
cal The real estate man wanted
to learn where business was best
before investing.
The highway transport business
must first OF all discover wher'
the business promises the best re-
s~~us. Even IL the business to b.
st~rted Is small problem a, ths
start. Il Is, II properly conceived
one which considers first OF all tbs
prospects of indefinitely extensive
development.
Seeking . Field
From that basis. therefore. th'
first essential Is TO seek the fiels
where there Is business to develop
The next Is to develop the bust
moss along the lines which will
best serve the territory to b
lreached. The presumption IL tina
The prospective operator Is propos
.-41Sg 10 30 establish his business
Nj he viii win and hold IN
ekecm and respect OF his possible
klients. Tha, means first % al
proper service. Proper service viii
bring its own reward. The rac'
to get into the field first will
highway transport syssems has II
many cases been such that operat
ors have failed thru failure 10 prop
eriy study their field. A trans
port line With five-ton trucks car
not live long where the bulk o
the business In . fast express serv
Ice for perishablc shipments. sucl
~ milk. or green Vegetables. To-
the flrst essential In this line o.
haul 10 70 get the produce 10 mar
het quickly. without loss by de-
tersoration In long. slow haula !
would be Just as bad Judgment q
establish a line OF lighter trucks
WHet0 the n8ut II sACke0 potAto's
baied hay. sacked grain and tn
Hike. where the carrying Of weigh
n essential. II would seem tina
no operator would be guilty o
either error, but II has been done
and thousands sunk In venture
which not only wrecked the opcr
ator financially. but put highwa.
transport into iii-repute In the 10
cAlity to be served.
The first requisite Is the survc.
y NJ the ground to be covered. to de
I<rmine the nature and volume o
siness available. both immediat
ana contingent upon successful de
velopment of the transportation
route.
Not the least important phas