Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-06-10

wages which it could afford to pay its
temployees, but all Of the conditions
under which that labor was to be per-
| formed. -
| But there is a matter which Is OF
just as much interest and Importance.
and almost as expensive I'd the manu-
facturers and other shippers of freight
in Maine as the high rates. and that Is
the quality of service that is being
given. This lack of service must
necessarily be in a measure due to
| failure upon the part of the manage
ment to properly function. 1t is also
largely due to the failure of the en-
ployees to properly perform their part.
! Let me give you a concrete illustra-
I ton of what 1 mean. Every week
I there are dozens of shoe buyers repre-
senting the largest concerns in the
country in Boston buying shoes for
| immediate delivery. Many of those
buyers represent retailers who allot
to that department a limited sum OF
money which must be turned over
very many times during the year. In
| oioci " MANI Wis AoP'A
there must be wise selection of goods,
and very prompt delivery. Delay
in delivery by one manufactures
means that he loses the business in IA
vor of some manufacturer who, re-
ceiving better service, is able to make
a very prompt delivery. In this Bos-
ton market all goods bought, say, on
Wednesday. which is the shoe and
leather trade day in Boston, are
usually shipped that day, and are in
New York and Philadelphia the fol-
I lowing day. The experience of at
least one large manufacturer in this
immediate locality is such that goods
sold to these buyers in Boston are
oftentimes delayed in delivery so that
they do not reach New York or Phila-
delphia for one or two weeks. For
this reason hundreds of thousands of
dollars worth of business in shoes is
being lost to Maine manufacturers on
account of these slow deliveries. In
many instances to get this business,
the concern of which l am speaking at
times has been able to get few GUS
! toners to pay express charges,
amounting to about three per cent. ex-
! ira. in order to get the goods on time.
Other similar instances could be cited
from all over the State, and my infor-
nation is that the delay all occurs be-
! tween the Maine point of origin and
Boston. If this is true. and 1 have no
doubt of it, the conditions prevailing
in freight traffic upon our Maine rail-
roads. and upon the Boston and Maine
Railroad, are not satisfactory. 1 have
| a suspicion as l stated moment ago,
that both management and employee
are at fault. AS result of the con-
ditions which prevailed during the pc
Rod of federal control. many employees
| got strange notions into their heads,
and some of them got entirely out Of
their head that they were under obli-
cation to render the kind of service
t. their employers and to the public
that they would expect if they were
the employers.
There is another matter to which
! our people must give attention, and
l believe are giving attention, and that
is the increasing use of the motor
truck for comparative long hau1s of
less-than- carload lots. We cannot, of
course, prevent this form of t:mpeti-
: ton, but we can at least make it fair
| The railroads i'm some way purchase
and pay for their right of way. They
pay a very substantial tax upon the
volume of business which they do.
The motor trucks under the existing
law, have a right of way furnished
! to them at public expense and here
tofore they have been using it in such
way that an ordinary highway is
very quickly destroyed. In addition
to the State substituting this form of
/ traffic to the extent of creating it's
right of way, the users or the motor
truck pay but very little revenue To
the State.
! But the all-important matters in
which manufacturers and industry
generally are interested are those /
STATED in the beginning-lower rates
and better service.
! DeForest n. Perkins
The chairman. Mr. Lane. then intro-
duced as the final speaker of the meet
| ing DeForest II. Perkins of Portland,
representing the Maine Automobile As
ScSIdlloi' WI. 1 Sl hiho SAPIe SScu HIS
regret that President Hiram Kicker
was not present to represent the ASSOC
citation, but stated that Mr.. Kicker
could not be there on account of pre-
vious business engagements. Mr.. Per-
kns' subject <as Maine Highway
Transportation"
Mr.. Perkins stated that the men
had heard every type of transportation
except one discussed at the meeting.
That type is probably not DEVELOPED
enough to find it's place in the trans
portation directorate. I refer to trans
portation by air. he said 1t is COM
ing. He spoke of the Importance of
transportation to the prosperity of
the country.
The motor truck, in the opinion of
Maine automobilists and in fact in the
opinion of all well-informed men. has
its place in our system of transpor.
tatlon, he stated. The great question
is whether the motor truck as it is to-
day Is fulfilling it's mission for the
best interests of the transportation
system.
The fact that the railroads are the
property of the people. Mr.. Perkins
pointed out. quoting figures SHOWING
the amount of railroad bonds owned