Evening star., 1920-03-07
MOTOR EXPRESS
URGED TO MARKET
TRUCK PRODUCTS
National Association Takes
Up Transportation Topic
at N. Y. Meeting.

TO coordinate the work of the va
rious state marketing agencies. to
prevent duplication Of effort, to CO.
operate on problems Of general in
terest in marketing and to promote
better understanding between the
various interests engaged in market
ing foodstuffs were the objects for
which the National Association of
State Marketing Officials was formed
at recent meeting held in New York
city.
Among the many interesting sub
jects discussed was that of rural
motor express. introduced by the
transportation committee. The COM
mittee's report suggested that the
various states having organizations
devoted to marketing investigate the
rural motor express movement In
manner similar to that which the d.
vision of foods and markets OF the
New York state department of farms
and markets is now doing and that
these various states encourage the
movement"
In the discussion which preceded
the above suggestion it was stated
that the rural motor express functions
in two ways: First, as a primary
carrier from points Of production TO
points Of consumption: secondly. as
secondary carrier from points OF pro-
duction to important railway points
so that farm products might be sent
to their final destination without
delay.
Long Period Of Usefulness.
1t was pointed out that the motor
truck express has certain characteris-
tics which make it the logical short
haul TRANSPORTATION agency. Among
these characteristics is mobllty, Ior
the motor express car operate "heI-
ever there is a road. AS traffic starte
from one point to another. the unit
oI tn
with no Inconvenience or loss or val
liable property, such as rails. depots
and franchises. The initial expenoi
ture for a motor express line Is sHIaii
and with proper care has long pc
riod of economic usefulness Trans
nortat ton charges, based on operating
costs Mus a reasonable profit. are
more than railroad freight rates ex-
elusive Of hauling charges at points
of origin and delivery. ana less IMAM
railway express. .o
The value Of this service extends 20
both producer and consumer. lor tn.
nroducer finds an agency whlch per
sonalIy collects and delivers his prou
ucts, thus giving more time to deVote
to his specialty, and divorces the
farmers transportation problem IRON
that of production. To the consumer
it brings a larger, fresher aho o..
tim es cheaper supply of farm prooucts
than may be found in markets with
out this form Of service. BY decreas-
ing the number of landings the mo
tor express increases the desiraplity
Of the product and, therefore. mar
value. Ordinarily a shipment is nan :
died five or six times before 1t reaches
the wholesale market, while with the
motor express the number or nan :
dlings is usually two. In the handing
of most farm products time Is an I'm
portant factor. The motor express
offers rapid and direct service.
! Invaluable Producers' Aid.
D.B. owen Of Virginia. chairman
of the transportation committee. re-
ported that the committee has found
the rural motor express an inVaiuaoie
aid to producers. 1t is means OF re-
ducinR the cost of living. because II
eliminates waste, duplication OF work
and makes profitable the marketing
Of small quantities OF foodstuffs. 1t
is a movement that no state interest
ed in marketing can anord to over
look or fail to encourage.
Thirty states have officials who may
become executive members. Twenty
states have been admitted to member
ship. The organization as formed has
a president, DR.. Eugene H. Porter
commissioner Of the division OF food
departments of farms and markets
seven vice presidents. each acting AZ
chairman of one of the permanent
committees; a secretary, L. NJ. Rhodes
of Florida. and a treasurer. L. G. Eos
ter of Wisconsin. The permanent
committees are: l, organizations: @
lstandardization; 8, cooperative or
ganizations; 4. market reporting: s,
Interstate relations; 6, transportation;
IL. legislation.
The states that have Joined the as
sociation are Arkansas. Florida, Geor'
gia, Illinois. Maine. Maryland, Massa.
chusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire
New Jersey. New York, Ohio. Okla.
homa. Pennsylvania, South Dakota
South Carolina, Vermont. Virginia
West Virginia and Wisconsin. The di.
rector Of the United States bureau OF
markets is also an executive member