The sun., 1919-05-25
DEVELOPING RURAL
MOTOR DELIVERIES
Experts Agree That 1t Will
Reduce High Cost of
Living.

Al the Joint session OF the National
highway Traffic Association and the
reconstruction Commission Of the State
NJ New York held at the Automobile
club Of America on Wednesday, every
chase Of rural motor express was dis
cussed.
r. w. Fem. secretary of the motor
truck committee Of the National Auto
mobile Chamber OF Commerce, said that
rural motor express routes had been es-
tsbllshed In every State in the Union
and had resulted in increasing farm pro-
duction and lowering the cost Of food
stufYs to consumers. He cited case In
ohio where one company hauled 10000
crates Of berries, $4,000 bushels Of to-
natoes, 10000 bushels OF apples and
$4,000 baskets of grapes. and how
trucks in ten months hauled from Coun-
ell Bluffs to Omaha $4,000 cattle, a.
900 sheep and $4,000 hogs.
J. II. Collins, Investigator in Market
Surveys of the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture. called attention to
the Importance Of thorough Transports
t&on surveys to be made before rural
motor express routes are started, pay
ing particular attention TO the probable
volume OF business. the condition of the
roads and competing agencies Of trans
portation.
Prof. James E. Boyle of Cornell Uni
versity made a strong plea for the es-
Enlistment of rural motor express
routes Of the State of New York. He
claimed that State law providing for
the strict regulation of competition and
rates under franchises would tend to
standardize highway transport business
and would furnish q safeguard to IN
vestments.
Elmer Thompson. secretary Of the
Automobile Club Of America, wildly
demonstrated the necessity of adequate
sign posting of city streets 20 that.oper-
ators Of motor vehicles could readily drive
through cities. and cited assparticularly
bad cases New York city and Newark,
n. J. He also emphasized the long de-
lays caused by the lack OF direction signs
on detours used during the construction
OF rural roads and advocated as complete
sign posting for detours as Is necessary
for improved highways.
Arthur H. Blanchard, president OF the
association. claimed that the phenomenal
growth Of highway transportation had
created demand for specially trained
highway transport engineers and man.
ayers, He stated that motor vehicles
had increased from $4,000 in 1908 to
e,l46,617 in 1918. In discussing rural
development. he said tAat the success of
the back to the farm" movement and
any plan to establish land grant colonies
Of soldiers depended upon the building of
systems of good roads. full utilization OF
highway transportation and the estab-
lshment OF economic distribution from
the farmer to the consumer.
H. G. Shirley, secretary of the Federal
Highway Council, strongly ADVOCATED the
appointment Of Federal highway COM
mission and the building of a system OF
national highways. He explained the
work OF the Federal Highway Council
and the national highway bill Of Senator
Townsend of Michigan.
w. G. Thompson. State Highway En-
gineer of New Jersey. advocated build
ing roadways Of cement-concrete. as
phaltic concrete. brick and stone block
on concrete foundations for trunk high
ways. he stated that, the development
OF motor vehicle traffic had required New
Jersey to build roadways having widths
CT "a feet, and that all highway bridges
must be built to carry loads OF twenty
tons.
Edward J. Mehren. editor of the En0i-
neerinp Neps-Record, emphasized the diff
fculties of enforcing special traffic laws
for rural feeder roads. which laws did
rot apply to trunk highways. George
II. Pride. president of the Heavy Haul
age Company, advocated no discrimina-
ton for traffic on feeder highways and
the rebuilding Of such roads as soon as
the volume OF traffic wore out the gravel
and macadam roadway surfacings
The committee on pavement restor-
atoms and street openings recon-
mended that all activities pertaining to
street openings be centralized in the
Municipal Highway Department and that
permanent foundations and pavements
be restored Immediately after the back
filing OF trenches.
The executive committee recommended
that the association should give special