The Washington times., 1919-08-30
TWo TRANSIT. S. Tours Are
Proving Value of Trucks
For Rural Community Use
BY WARREN b. BULLOCK
CFOrmerIy Captain, TransPOratIOn Corps U.


front during the world war. The diff.
ference Is in the long haul problems
/ OF America, which has thousands oi
miles to traverse, to the hundreds oi
miles Of moreN condensed, congesteo
Europe. The figures will therefore
be more accurate and definite than
was possible during the stress oi
war, and Snore valuable to the truck
industry.
Prove Value of Truck.
The commercial tour. now well un-
der way in its sixly-day demonstra-
tion through the central states, Is re-
ceiYinR Government and State CO.
operation, owing to the Importance
Of the figures Whicn will be secured
on truck operation, and the known
value Of the truck to the farmer as
being proved by actual operation Of
the trucks.
The figures so far are only rough
estimates, but they tend to show that
with a big feet OF trucks as is par
ticipating in the tour, the results are
far more readily standardized than
has been possible by any previous
experimenting. The most interesting
figure, however, is that showing the
manner in which the truck has al
ready become a farm necessity. The
use OF the truck, the city man has
supposed, was chiefly confined to the
big city concerns, but the reverse is
in a fair way to be shown the fact.
Iowa produces the most striking
figures in this connection. The Sioux
City, Sioux Falls region, is the most
striking example. Last years sales
Of trucks to farmers in the region
- nd1 nN 4fN
were 2, 900 farmers alone. During the
same period there were less than g.
900 trucks sold in the city OF Chi
cago. BY checking up the totals OF
truck sales to farmers in the Omaha
district as well, IT - found that the
region centering in
Omaha has sold more trucks to
farmers than the city OF Chicago,
with its larger total population, pur-
chased in the same time.
Ship Cattle on Trucks.
The story OF how a Western farmer
beat the market" by shipping cattle
on trucks, Is duplicated with hogs on
a huge scale throughout the Missouri
River valley, where the truck is the
chief transportation medium from the
adjacent territory to the
packing houses at Kansas City
Omaha, and st. Joseph, Mo. 1t Is even
more true in the more congested east
ern districts, and indianapolis Is an
important example Of the
manner in which the truck is used
to bring livestock to the slaughter.
The great argument being ohereh
for the motorization of the farm Is In
the more intensive farming necessary
under present living conditions. II
takes one farmer today to raise the
food for every three American
families, and IL takes five acres to
support. It takes several horses to
DO the hauling work OF one properly
equipped motor truck.
In the proving Of motor truck ef-
this 5000 mile tour of various
types OF trucks OF different manufac-
turers, it IS found that on the aver
age the trucks are making three and
trips Of twenty-three
miles, to the horse drawn vehicles
one and one-fourth trips, while the
truck is carrying about twice the
load, this figure being roughly for the
two types Of vehicle.
The tour is interesting to farmers
In that different trucks are equipped
with bodies fitted for all requirements
Of the farmer. Bodies for grain,
garden produce, boxed
fruit, live stock, and common freight
are included, and the tour is being
made at the rate Of about fifty miles
a day with demonstration experi-
ments en- route