The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-13
MOTOR TRUCK AND
GOOD HIGHWAYS
|. BOTH ESSENTIAL
Government Urges General
Development of Roads as
Means Of Assuring Cheaper
Transportation,

Motor trucks and good roads form a
Sonoination, says R. II. Spear pFesi-
dent Of the All-American Truck com
pany OF Chicago, 'in which lies the
monte problems-marketing Of the
worlds food supply, production OF
which has been augmented largely BY
the motor trucks ally, tie tractor.
our government has asked that this
country furnish two-thirds more food
70 starving people abroad than last
year, thus America Is bearing the brunt
Of the campaign TO feed the world, A
glance at the daily market prices shows
that the American citizen is making
daily contribution to this campaign
through paying higher prices for food
and demand is pushing prices Q
I'VE may wonder how long this con-
clifton is to exist; when a remedy win
be found, Motor trucks and good roads
together with more Intensive tilling of
f&he,Sotl are the real solution. Motor
trucks help bridge the gap In the ranks
Of farm labor for they make II pos
sfhle for more hours to be put in on the
faPm and fewer on the road. The truck
Is the connecting link between the farm
and the market and good roads are an
ally essential to the success of the
scheme as a whole.
"The war established beyond doubt
the utility OF the motor truck. Il
brought out in forcible manner the ne
csSsity for good roads. Further, 1t
served TO accelerate the universal
recognition Of the potential value of the
Of improved highways, The Importance
Of good roads naturally was conceded
before the war, but the majority APP
parently felt that these were something
to be desired rather than acquired
and which might come in the course
of time.
Motor trucks stepped into the breach
in railroad facilities and, notwith-
standing inferior roads, have done VOC
man duty, playiRg q conspicuous part
in the transportation system Of the
fcountry as q whole, Scarcely an ar
ticle Of food that reaches the table to-
day, particularly IN the cities, but Is
dependent more or less upon the motor
truck. BE 1t vegetables, fruit, meat,
dairy Products, or other commodities,
the truck, Somewhere between the base
Of supply and the objective, figures IN
its movement.
Use Of motor trucks not only means
the farming Of greater acreages, but
the release of a vast amount OF land
now used to raise feed for horses. The
land would produce much foodstuff and
help TO reduce prices Of all food com
modities.
Statistics shew that there are about
10000, 600 horses and mules In this
country today and various authorities
assert that each horse and mule re-
q1Ires the produce Of five acres of land
to sustain II each year. Think what
even one-haff OF this land would pro
duce for human consumption, II hall
of the horses were replaced by trucks
supply and ! demand regulate food
prices and since there Is only a remote
possibility Of any letup IN demand
the~only solution is the filling Of add
supply and bring prices back to normal
Motor trucks will play a big part In
this expansion for they are revolution
lzing transportation, It Is the ~automo-
bile age and with the march Of the nTp-
Itor truck win come good roads, which
means more trucks, more food, lower
prices-the real solution OF one of our
greatest economic problems.