Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-10-14

! Twenty-Five motor trucks. making
up the utility motor train now on a
! 500 mile tour thru central Iowa, which
! left Des Moines at o'clock Monday
o'clock Monday evening a half hour
ahead Of schedule, and remained here
until this morning. when the journey
was resumed. The first days tour in
Guided Ankeny, Elkhart Cambridge,
Nevada, Colo. state Center and this
/ city. Today's trip took the caravan to
/ Tama, Grinnen New Sharon and Os-
/ kaloosa, with night stop at the last
/ named city.
! Greater interest was shown in the
truck train locally than was evidenced
| in the National Truck Manufacturers
tour. in the late summer. The open
air meeting. on the rear lawn OF the
court house. Monday evening. was
largely attended. and the address Of a.
. r. Kroh. one Of the foremost speakers
ION farm development In the United
States. was received with enthusiasm.
First Days Run Successful.
The first day Of the tour was sue
cesstul in every respect, the train
keeping ahead Of schedule thruout the
day. When the trucks arrived in the
city they were parked on the court
house lawn after a spin thru the bust
ness district and within a few minutes
after the twenty-five cars were parked
electric wires had been strung and the
caravan was hooked up with the CEN
trail lighting system. which is carried
on one OF the service trucks.
The lawn was brilliantly illuminated
for the evening meeting and a screen
was placed at the south end Of the
square for the movies. A jazz orcheS-
ira Of I'VE pieces, which IS making the
tour furnished music during the eve
ming. Pictures showing the practical
bility OF the motor truck for farm and
commercial work and development Of
the America farm were shown.
kroh Give. Interesting Talk.
The address by Mr.. Kroh. delivered
from a truck at the center of the circle
OF trucks. was the feature Of the eve
nings entertainment and was thor
oughly enjoyed by the large crowd.
Mr. Kroh opened his address with a
few words in commentator OF the
work OF the Iowa farmer during the
world war and Of his efforts to feed the
nation in the days Of reconstruction.
He declared food prices Were regulated
By the law Of supply and demand and
contended the farmer was not guilty
Of the exhorbitant prices Of foodstuffs.
Improved farm machinery. to in
crease production at a minimum ex-
penditure and with a reduced farm
force. had become necessary. and the
greatest step in this direction was the
Introduction Of che truck for farm
work. he declared The United States
government, realizing this need. had
interested itself IN the motor truck
train tours and the result of these ex-
periments had been the conclusive
demonstration Of the practicability OF
the truck Slder all conditions.
Tells Of Successful Tour.
Mr.. Krh accompanied the National
Truck Manufacturers tour. az lecturer
and spoke briefly Of the success Of that
undertaking. The heavy truck was
given a most thorough test under all
kinds of conditions and proved its
worth. The speaker recalled an Incl
facturers' train Visited this city, which
proved the efficiency OF the truck and
the uncanny powers of local autorno-
bile dealer.
On that occasion Mr.. Kroh addressed
g small gathering of automobile deal
ers at the Marshalltown Club and dur
ing the course Of his talk referred to
the value Of the truck in traveTsing
bad roads. A local dealer interru pied
to ask the speaker what he expected to
do the following day when the train
passed over the gumbo roads between
Grinnell and Des Noines. II II rained.
60 home and pray for rain" was
Kroh's reply.
And Then X Rained.
The trip, the following day, was a
pleasant one, as far as Grinne1l. but
at noon rain began to fall. The train
passed over the gunbo roads under the
most adverse conditions, but the trucks
were all at Des Moines for the night.
with a delay Of less than orty-fve
minutes. En- route the trucks pulled
| thirteen cars out Of the mud.
Mt. Kroil mentioned the incident not