Omaha daily bee., 1920-02-29
STOCK SHIPPING
BY AUTO GROWS
At OMAHA YARDS
Astonishing Figures On Mum.
Der Of Trucks Used by Me-
braSka Farmers In Reach
ing City.

uIS WY
Use OF motor trucks for the trans
portation of live stock to the South
Omaha stock yards is increasing
rapidly. All local records were bro
ken February 10, 1920, when 2,00s
head Of hogs were brought in by
motor trucks.
In 1919, there were brought to the
local yards \ total of l79,036 hogs
by motor trucks. The record for the
week is the receipt of 7,240 head Of
hogs during the week of February
l, 1919. The receipt of 2l,l96 head
of hogs by auto truck is the record
for August, 1918.
From January l, to NovenSer !,
1918, a total of 153,0l9 head of hogs,
18,498 head of cattle and 81, 100 head
of sheep were received at the local
yards by auto truck. ,
May Abandon Railroads.
When railroad service breaks
down or is hampered by war or
strikes, the farmers of Iowa and Ne
braska find a reliable substitute in
motor trucks and many live stock
raisers within a radius of 100 miles
Of Omaha send in their live stock
that way. 1t is estimated by ex-
perts that the bulk of all freight to
be transported, up to distance of
100 miles, will cvenually be carried
by motor trucks. :
More than 4OO,0OO,OOO tons of
freight are said to be now hauled
over American roads annually at an
average cost of q cents per mile,
with an average haul of eight miles.
In Nebraska, the average haul of
live stock to the stock yards is 81
miles. Several farmers of Pilger,
Wahoo, Fremont. Ashland and other
points in Nebraska. all within a
radius of 100 miles, have made fire.
quent trips to the local market with
live stock by motor truck, and cattle,
sheep and hogs have been brought
il by motor truck from Avoca,
Missouri Valley and other points
in Iowa.
Saves Weight Shrinkage.
According to an estimate of far
mcr living within Is miles of Omaha,
hogs can be loaded at home after
feeding early in the morning and
reach the stock yards in time to dis
pose of the load without refeeding,
thus doing away with any possible
shrinkage in weight.
1t is pointed out that the success
OF transportation of live stock and
other freight by motor truck de-
pends on the condition of the roads,
and the federal government has
placed S200,000,00O at the disposal of
the various states for road building
purposes during 1920 and 1921. Ne
braska has received large sum as
her share.
The state highway commissioner
of Nebraska also has received
large number of mchines for road
work and with the passage Of the
Kahn bill. which has passed the
senate and is now before the house,
congress will permit the distribu-
ton of tractors, steam shovels. au-
tomotive cranes, industrial railway
track, dump cars and industrial
railway locomotives to the various
states which also will help better
roads for the state.
| Railroad transportation when it
breaks down under the strain of
fuel shortage or conditions found
during the late war, illustrates the
old adage of DO not put all your
eggs in one basket" and the pos
session of one or more motor trucks
by the live stock raiser or farmer
makes him somewhat independent
of the railroads in getting his farm
produce and live stock to the mar
ket.
Time-saving Machinery
The farmer of today is facing the
problem of increased production and
is logically turning for its solution
to the same methods that manufac-
turing industries have found eff
cient. Time-saving machinery is
being placed on the farm, and the
importance of this is evidenced in
figures which show that during the
last year thousands of motor trucks
have been purchased by farmers OF
Nebraska
Nebraska and the middle west
hitherto have been at the mercy OF
the railroads to move their live
stock and farm products. but with
the promise in sight of a closer
binding together by highways that
run from hamlet to hamlet and city
to city, such emergencies as the late
strikes or congestion in winter will
he obviated.