Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-12-03
SAYS HIGHWAY
SHIPPING WILL
SOLVE PROBLEM
Speaker Says Railroads Can
Not Afford to Compete
With Trucks.

The highway as an artery OF commerce
was discussed last night at Joint meet
Ing Of delegates to the annual conyen-
ton of the Indiana Transfer and Ware
housemens Association and the state
highway commission.
In presenting the case of the transfer
men. Tom Snider, secretary of the asso-
citation, told of the necessity for more
and better highways for motor truck
transportation. He declared that CON
gestion in freight terminals, both trac-
ton and railroad, are causing losses or
hundreds of thousands of dollars n year
to shippers who suffer delays. He esti-
mated the loss at the Indianapolis trac-
ton terminal at from $4,000 to $250000
a year and at the railroad freight houses
at from S250O00 to $4,000 year.
The short haul, Mr.. Snider added, is
not profitable to the railroads. He
ouoted figures to show that in a typical
short haul between Indianapolis and An
derson the railroads lose an average OF
4 cents on each 100 pounds Of freight
handled because of high terminal costs.
HIGHWAY is
ONLY SOLUTION.
The short haul must go to the high
way" he said, and the cost Of transpor-
tation depends on the dependability OF
the highways
MI. NulueI IpAllF'l Oub AtidL o'iia- ''Ns''NN
are limiting the size of trucks that can
be used on the highways and added that
this arrangement causes enormous losses
because only large trucks can be operated
uroGtablv.
Examples Of the use of trucks in haul
ing products to Indianapolis were clted
nv Mr. Snidcr. He declared that there
can never be monopoly In this business
because the roads are open TO all ana
that for this reason the lowest possible
nrlcos for TRANSFORMATION over the roads
always will prevail. He remarked, incl-
dentaIly. that transportation men hope
70 build $4,000 freight terminal in In
dianapolis next spring
CITES HIGH COST
OF GOOD ROADS.
Earl Crawford. a member Of the COM
mission. pointed out the high cost Of
building brick and concrete roads and
declared that the farmer IS not able to
bear the burden. Mr.. Snider replied that
the farmer is not the only person who
would pay for the roads and not the only
person who would be served.
Manufactured goods and farm products
are not making enough profits now 10
pay taxes" Mr.. Crawford said. 1T
would take every crop for two miles on
each side Of a road 10 pay for the cost
Of sUrfacng that road"
Mr. Snider replied 70 this that lower
transportation costs would justify this
expense, but Mr.. Crawford pointed out
that the road must be built before these
lower costs can be realized and that the
money must be obtained first
W S Frye an Indianapolis transfer
man, broke IN with the suggestion that
the money could not all be raised at
once, but that the cost must be spread
over the future through the expedlency
OF a bond issue or a similar financial
arrangement.
when We set at this question as a
bushes man would. we can solve the
problem be said.
The discussion of road problems led
into long discussion Of the coutro-
versy which has been raging for months
on the subject OF truck tGxes. the trans
port men objecting to the present sys-
TEN.
The discussion Of road problems was
continued az the convention which re-
stunned its meetings at the ClaypooI Hotel
today.