The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-12-12
ROAD PROGRAM
HELD INVOLVED
IN NEW TRAFFIC
Secretary Of State Highway
Commission Discusses Stu.
alton from All Angles
GREATER FUNDS NEEDED
Meeting of Association Here
Hears Possibility Of Fee
and Increase as Plan

situation growing out of the in
creasing use of motorbusscs ant
trucks in the transportation of pas
sengers and goods in North Dakots
was discussed by J. J. Ermatinger
secretary of the State Highway com.
mission, before the meeting of the
North Dakota members of the Da.
kota Motor Carriers association
Secretary Ermatingcr held that this
new traffic called for larger high.
way program and this, in turn
called for an increase in funds avail.
able for road improvement. The
matter Of control, whether by the
state authorities or by the Inter.
state Commerce commission was
among the points considered and the
suggestion that some of this control
could be exercised jointly between
the utilities authorities Of adjoining
states was made. The address show.
cd an already large development OF
bus and truck traffic in the state
The fact that North Dakota's rail
lines mostly extend east and west
was held to favor considerably
larger development of bus traffic on
north and south routes.
No Longer Experiment
Secretary Ermatinger said, in his
address:
The bus and the commercial truck
are no longer an experiment. They
are here to stay and grow. Each
year will add to their usefulness as
q common carrier of passengers and
goods for hire. The public constant
ly is demanding better type OF
service devoted to it's comfort and
convenience. 1t wants to 90 when
1t suits the passengers desire and
purpose and not be hampered by too
many fixed schedules, far apart, nor
delays occasioned by circuitous
routes or lay-overs or stop-overs.
Goods must be delivered promptly
and speedily without the fuss of de-
livery to :. central depot and removal
from another. For this it will pay
a reward commensurate with the
services rendered. That the number
and variety of services of motto,
transportation in North Dakota and
between it and our neighbors will in.
crease is inevitable. The history Of
states will be repeated here as roads
are improved and the benefits of this
type Of carrier is better understood
and appreciated. In order to gair
some idea Of the probable trend O.
the growth of the bus and CONNER
cial truck in this state, recourse
must be h to their development il
the old states and the country a,
large. This mode of transportation
first came into use in the larger
cities, then pread to the nearby
rural precincts and expanded in area
as rapidly as manufacturers made
better vehicles and better highways
gave assurance of speedy and certain
traction or road bed. Buses ma,
be divided into two classes: Those
used and owned privately for re.
strlcted purposes such as schoo
busses, hotel busses, etc, and those
who operate as common carriers OF
passengers. A similar division OBJ.
talns for trucks. 1t is to the latte,
we shall devote most Of our atten.
ton. In 1925 there were 34,lO(
buses, whereas at the beginning Of
TINS year the number had risen te
44,486 vehicles. This represents ar
increase Of over 30 per cent in fou,
years. Today, counting buses OF
all types including school busse.
and others, this country has $3.50
cars. Great Britain numbers one
nalt as many and France less thar
one eighth. It is interesting to note
that China has 2479, Greece. 1885
Holland, 31O2, Rumania, 5000. jap
an, 1887, Mexico, 1896, Sweden. 180(
and Norway ITO buses of all types
This is Indicative Of the world recog
milton of the value of bus transporta
ton. -
What Has Been Transpiring
while the auto has in a slight de
gree decreased railway revenue i,
certain lines the railways have mad,
tremendous gains as freight-carricr,
through shipments of cars and tn,
things employed in car propulsion
suburban electric railway lines
however, have suffered ccnsiderabl,
from bus competition with the re
suit that both the steam railway
and the electric lines are acuuirin,
bus routes and also using them t
supplement both electric and steam
service.
No doubt data exists showing bu
development in the various states
nevertheless, time did not permi
me to collect the same for presenta
ton to you. Iowcver, New Jerse,
offers good instance where bu
traffic increased from nearly 1000.
200 passengers in 1923 to l46.O5O.
237 in 1926. .host Of us are famila
with its development in Minnesot,
where oday the state is a network
Of bus routes.
Let US now see what has and i
transpiring in our own state. A.
the Board Of Railroad Commission
ers provide definite figures we hay
reliabl. data. Beginning July !
1923, the board took over the recula
ton OF bus and auto freight traffi
and reports 20 firms operating eth
er bus Or freight lines or both wit
combined route mileage Of 1O4
miles. By the end of 1924 the car
rieru had grown to 80 and the rout
mileage to 1853. The year 1925 dis
closed 81 carriers md route milea9
Of 2O21 miles while 1925 gave 8
carriers and route miles no. river
and 1927 licted - carriers and -..62
/ route niles.
According to the 1927 report .
tn Board Of Railroad Commission
eKs the busses carried 146,l50 pass
engerS tor 6l2yO73 motor vehicl
miles n that ,ear. Glass B opera
tori carried 0,612 passengers Tor
total d l3,01o miles. Commercis
trucks classified - class A, mum
ber 81 txucks and carried freight 70
1G1y ~ motor vellicls miles, amount
fa9 - 1851 tOns. Glass B truck
/ carry lz8C tons ~ freight for 9O;Oa
ekor vehic5e miles. clajs 4 oper
o1s nno4 - - ayeraes q one ~