Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-04-25
FcONOMY OF MOTOR TRANSPORT AND POST DISTRIBUTION
An Address by Assistant Postmaster General Blabeslee

The following printed in the Fed eral Highway Council bulletin, con ains a speech delivered by James plakeslee. Fourth Assistant Post master General, on "The Economics of Distribution Thru Postal Trans portation."
 Production is valueless withou Consumption.
 Consumption is impossible without Transports
 Transportation is useless withou |nrcduction or consumption.
 Production, Transportation ane {Consumption constitute an indissolu Ible. interdependent trinity, obviously disarranged or disorganized when Fever, or wherever, any one of tho [tbree is abnormally inflated or re stricted
 Today production and transporta &tion are not proportional to con Sumption. Complaint is general that hrices of foodstuffs, commodities ane merchandise are eXorbitant. \ Production is dependent upon the Efficiency and number of producers Efficiency in production result from experience and is more or les self-secured.
 The number of producers is deper Elent upon the returns from produc tion.
 To secure greater returns iron broduction it is essential that great fr quantities be produced at no ir rreased cost, or the same quantity b produced at less cost.
 Inasmuch as the production Commodities and merchandise is de bendent upon the cost of production Ind transportation of food stuffs, essential that every possible faci ty be provided and every practica Encouragement be afforded the food producer
 It is fundamental that withou food we cannot live, and that hig' priced food results in higher price for labor engaged in the production bf food itself and commodities ant merchandise essential to the produc jon of food
 The style of high prices is com blete and follows natural economic aw
 Value of Highways.
 When the farmer producer pays |; high price for labor, for fertilizer and for farm machinery, the cost 0 food stuffs increase in proportio, hnd the workmen in the factory tn Fteel mill, the mine, and railroad hnd in the mercantile establishment when compelled to pay higher price for food, is clearly entitled to in creased compensation with which t. meet the same. This, in turn, in ereases the cost of articles necessar, to the production on the farm, ant thus the cost of living mounts higher Rnd higher.
 The supply of food must be in. creased or there will be no real pro luction in the cost of living, nor ]; definite stop put to legitimate highel prices not only for food but for al commodities and merchandise az we'll.
 At this writing. food, minerals, and merchandise, must be transported 1T his country, over approximately 24i piles of airways, 15,000 miles of ca als and inland waterways, O,O0f niles of railways, and 100000 miles bf highways.
 Aeroplanes are not as yet practlca hs device for the transportation o1 food.
 Canals cannot be extended to pro vide any substantial relief.
 Railways, on account of fixed lo ration of lines and terminals, canno provide adequate, complete, or direc transportation facilities between al DroducerS and consumers
 The highways, efficiently used, of Ter the only additional means of com munication and transportation.
 It is therefore imperative tha highways be constructed and main talned in order that food may be con veyed economically from the sourc' of production to the point of con sumption. It is equally essential tha when constructed and improved, tha they be used to the maximum of thei Capacity.
 lnasmuch as the organization O the postal service has been extende' 10 the door of practically all foo' producers and is available as an in trumentalty of distribution to tn aoor of all consumers, it is eviden ehat the conveyance of food in tn postal service could be made vita actor in the introduction of eff Elency in the movement of food fror the producer to the consumer
 The gouger and the profiteer ma