Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-02-21
AUTOS ENTER new F|ELDSOF
ACTIVITY IN UNITED STATES
1925 Promises To Be A Good Business
Year-Steam and Electric Railroads
Increase Use of Buses

oughfares. All these are signs Of
growing engineering and executive
intelligence which will result in
moving traffic more easily and more
safely.
Latin America Wants Motor
Transport
All the world needs more motor
transportation. Every country rec
ognizes that it is impossible to es-
tablish railway routes leading to
every village. The service of the
motor car. the motor truck, the mo-
tor bus, is absolutely essential to a
fully developed civilization. Europe
realizes this partially, though many
elements Of prejudice still exist
there. Australia and the Orient are
very actively in the market. Both
South America and Mexico are TAX
ing active steps to accelerate this
progress. Mexico is sending to the
United States this winter a delega-
ton to make a particular study OF
motor travel in America.
Following the highway conference
held in this country in 1924, the
South and Central American Repub-
lies are staging this year road con-
gress in Buenos Aires, which is ex-
pected to stimulate a program OF
highway construction in these coun-
tries.
When such developments get un-
der way, it is clear the $4,000 motor
vehicles exported this year-which
was a new record-will seem like a
small figure.
More Available Routes
The surfacing Of our highways is
going forward at the rate Of about
10000 miles per year. The Federal
highway system when completed in
ten or fifteen years will link together
all centers Of population of 5000 and
over. This will comprise road sys-
tenn of approximately 100000 miles
This is another way of saying that
greatly increased number of routes
; is being made available. The motor
vehicle is but half of the equipment
| needed for proper motor transporta-
ton. Its successful and economical
operation depends upon proper high
ways.
Public Demands Truck Services
When in future years we look back
upon this stage of the automobile
business, 1924 and 1925 will stand
out as years in which the motor
truck and the motor bus took rapid
forward strides.
The time has come when the high
cost of transportation and the eco
| nomic losses due to delays in Ship
ments will not longer be tolerated by
| the public.
| We have likewise arrived at a
| point where the railroads see that
| the use of motor trucks will permit
them to reduce the size of expensive
terminal points in large cities, where
! it will save them the cost Of ex-
| pensive short haul operations; and
F., that an apparent competitor is really
pointing the way to transportation
economies.
J c. l.. Bardo, General Manager of
the New York, New Haven & Hart
/ ford road, stated that at the New
England Motor Transport Confer
cree that his line was ready to enter
upon store-door delivery service as
soon as an adequate Independent
! trucking corporation was available.
! With the Boston and Maine, the
/ Pennsylvania, the New York Central
and other systems making use 0.
motor truck equipment, it becomes
j clear that the migrating of different
methods of transportation is the ord =
err of the day. In fact, there are now
mere than 2O7 railway companies in