THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: FEBRUARY 24, 1918.
STIMULUS OF WAR CALLS THE
MOTOR TRUCK TO THE FRONT
j ASMOST IMPORTANT FACTOR
For the Short Distance Haul the New Vehicle Fills the
Long Felt Want and Is Being Rapidly Pressed
Into Service and Is Proving Most
Satisfactory.
The man who in any thinking way attempts to keep
abreast of the times and who seeks in his own mind a solution
for the problems that face the
elusion that transportation with a capital "T" is more nearly
the basic problem than any one thing. "Ships, ships and then
more ships" is a cry that echoes from each of our European
allies and more ships must be
those ships, the seaboard must
production centers. In turn,
acre of productive land must have at hand a transportation
system over which can flow without interruption the raw ma
terials and the finished products
The government has recognizedO
this . fundamental problem and fed
ersl control ef railroads is one out
come of this recognition. Another
step in the co-ordination of transpor
tation is the formation of a Highways
Transportation commission, whose
"duties should be to see to it that the
broadest utilization of highway trans
portation is made possible.
' Motor Truck, Burden Carrier.
The necessity of the hour has done
much to out before the public the
fatt that ttys motor truck is the bur
den carrier that has no ultimate lim
itation its usefulness in solving the
.great tundamental transportation
problem is only limited by conditions
that an be overcome; wherever ade
quate roads are built the motor truck
inarches on to do its efficient work.
Already, tinder the stimulus of war,
the government and business gener
ally has called on the motor truck to
do work that even a year ago would
have hardly been considered. A gov
ernment train of motor trucks, carry
ing full loads from Detroit to the
Atlantic seaboard, has made the run
' in the dead o.' winter, and has proved
beyond a shadow of doubt that a run
of thousands of miles is entirely prac
tital. The papers- have told of a
manufacturer who runs motor trucks
regularly between a mid-Ohio city
and Boston, and by so doing moves
foods-in a' few days that railroad
congestion had made a matter of
weeks.
. An Important Factor
. Our own manufacturing problems
have made motor truck hauling an all
important factor in, our business. It
is impossible , to ' over-estimate the
necessity of a manufacturer keeping
a balanced stock .of merchandise; the
lack of one part may throw produc
tion entirely out of kilter. Early in
1916 we estimated that we would
turn out during 1917 a certain number
of motor trucks we hit it within 2
per cent. Our 1916 production, es
i .
' Now added to the list of superior General Motors products is the
G.M.O. Samson Tractor a selling mate with the time-tested' G.M.C. Truck.
' ..,''
' The G.M.C. Samson is not an experiment; it is a development. Fifteen
years of actual service have thoroughly tested its principles and construc
tion and have proven its superiority.
It would be impossible to present a new tractor to the market mechani
. cally perfect in every detail. No matter how good its engineering theory,
actual field work alone can show its merits.
; Eealizing this the General Motors Corporation searched the country
for the one tractor that met its ideal as to right-building and alj the same
time! a tractor that had thoroughly proved its worth under every condition.
In the Samson tractor at Stockton,Cal., it found the tractor it sought.
Backed by a Strong Company
, Now backed by the General Motors Corporation and made in the
G.M.C. plant at Pontiac, Mich., and bearing the General Motors name, it
becomes a tractor that is destined to find an extensive market.
We invite your inspection of this wonderful tractor during the Oma
ha Auto Show. On exhibit at our Omaha Sales Rooms. , '
' Nebraska Buick Auto Co.,
OMAHA LINCOLN ' tSIOUXCITY
country, must come to the con
forthcoming; but in order to fill
be adequately connected with
each factory, each mill and each
of the entire United States.
timated the
previous year, was up to
schedule.
In order to live up to our produc
tion schedules, our own trucks have
done some emergency long hauls, and
have covered a great many regular
routes trom lactones that supply us
with material. On one occasion some
castings were urgently needed from
Hartford, Conn. An Autocrr made
the trip, and our production was not
slowed up.
Part of Program.
Hauling material from New York,
South Bethlehem, Newark, Plainfield,
Brooklyn and Elkton, Md., is a reg
ular part of our program now, and
this direct highway service has dis
pelled many a cloud of transporta
tion congestion.
The exceptionally long hauls are
emergency measures, which serve to
prove motor truck reliability more
than anything else but there is a tre
mendous volume of transportation
that rightly should and must be car
ried over the highways, war or no
war.
The hauls originating anywhere
within 30. 40 or SO miles of their des
tination are rightly railway hauls, and
a decided movement is generally on
foot to relieve the railroads of such
snort-haul trattic. by using motor
trucks for this work, not only would
a tremendous number of freight cars
be released for through Jreight work,
but as deliveries would be made di
rect from shipper to consignee, a
very large tonnage would be released
from terminals and warehouses. The
relief of terminal congestion is ad
mittedly a very necessary step toward
bettering transportation conditions.
Used on Short Hauls.
Even before the railroads were
taken over by the president, certain
localities were put under shipping
rules tending: to divert short haul
traffic from the railroads. The Phil
adelphia District Committee on Car
Service, composed of representatives
SAMSON
TRACTOR
of the three trunk lines serving that
city, as early as December 1. 1917,
put into effect an embargo on all
rail shipments between points within
the city. Obviously many shipments
should be made over the streets, not
only to relieve the railroads, but to
speed up such deliveries for the mere
convenience of business. There are
undoubtedly, certain carload ship
ments of great bulk that in normal
times should, be moved by rail, even
within the city, particularly where the
shipper and consignee both have sid
ings. To move some of these loads
over the streets would congest traffic
ana endanger life.
Very definite orders and proposals
are being made in all Our large cities
looking to the immediate removal of
merchandise standing in freight cars,
on piers, in pier sneds and ware
houses. Penalties for the use of cars
and terminals to store eoods have
already been announced by Secretary
MCAdoo, federal director of rail
roads. This insistent demand that
merchandise be on the continuous
move is calling to the motor truck to
everlastingly keep at it.
Nearer to' City Market.,
The rural districts are daily becom
ing nearer and nearer to the city mar
kets by means of motor trucks. There
is hardly a meeting of an agricultural
society todaytnat is not adopting
some resolution looking to the spread
ot good roads as the chief solution
of the quicker and more "economical
distribution -of foodstuffs. Would a
certain ' berry picker, who lives in
New Jersey, 40 miles from his city
market, go 'back to horses after he
has used a motor truck that takes
his product to .market in a few hours
and gives him the day on. the farm?
No indeed I 'The farmer who has
used motor trucks is fast convertine
his neighbor and between them they
are diverting many thousands of tons
of hauling tp the highways.
Jn the rural transportation bv road.
too, Uncle Sam is pointinir the .way.
The post office department has in
stituted parcel post motor truck
routes connecinir country districts
with the large cities. These govern
ment trucks are already running on
certain routes and the farmer can
ship his produce direct. The service
is not a venture. It is merely the
utilization of a transportation unit'
that has already proved its practica
bility, and it is hard to prophesy to
what limits this service will extend or
the benefits that it will bring with it.
One thing is certain those who live
along these motor truck routes will
have a daily demonstration of motor
truck possibilities.-
looay, as never Detore, the re
sourcefulness of America must find a
way to ovecome obstacles. It be
hooves any man who has goods to
ship to transport these good in such
a way as to distribute the burden
of transportation ovtr every possible
carrier. Railroads and waterways
must be used to their highest effi
cient possibilities, but the loads that
rightfully are "highway loads" should
travel ever the highways.
The roads must in every locality
be built, maintained and kept open
to meet this growing need. It will
mean much toward speeding up the
great business of war now, and in the
future, when loads of peace are mov
ing hither and thither, the blessincr
of adequate transportation will amolv
repay every effort and expenditure.
Marmon Stripped Chassis
r
This view of the Marmon stripped chassis shows the location of the
four grease cups and running board as part of the frame.
MOTOR TRUCK ON
SCENE TO SHARE
RAILROAD BURDEN
"The railroads have been nearly
buried under an avalanche of freight,
originating through our, war-time en
deavors," says T, J. Hudson, sales
manager of Little Giant Trurlr rnm.
panv. "and to date have rxerteA hir.
culean efforts to keep stuff moving.
ror tnis they. deserve the gratitude of
the nation. But their task is growing
increasingly difficult, and our manu
facturers and business men should
bestir themselves and throw them a
lifeline. Motor trucks are a remedv
at hand that will not onlv he rf in.
calculable .assistance to the country
in its freight moving job, but will in
crease the business efficiency of each
shipper who uses them. Thi
tion of affairs opens up a wonder
ful opportunity for transfer companies
operating motor trucks on schedule
over specified routes."
"The automobile truck no . longer
is an experiment,'' adds Mr. Locke
of the Haarmann-Locke Motors com
pany. "It is a proven utility. It has
become a safe and swift mean of
transportation, not only over short
routes, but for long distances. Now
that the weather is onenimr n. the
motor truck will more than ever re
lieve the burden of the railroads."
The Little Giant truck is proving
One Of the most nontllar trucks nn
the market if the sales report of rbe
Haarmann-Locke company is suf
ficient evidence.- More Little Giants
are being seen on the street every
day and the Haarmann-Locke com
Mi
pany is considered fortunate indeed in
landing this line for Omaha.
Velie Has Nine New Models
And Many Improvements Noted
The new Velie Biltwell 6 series con
sists of nine entirely new models, in
cluding roadsters, touring cars, en
closed cars and a very unusual sport
model. Body lines on all cars follow
the straight line idea; the high radia
tor and hood continue the effect even
to the nose of the radiator itself. Seats
are much deeper; one rests well down
in the car on soft woven curled hair
upholstery, with real leather covering
in French plaited style. The doors
are wide and there is more leg room
in both compartments.
Many refinements contribute to the
distinction of the new Velie cars. The
top is of waterproof material, having
curtains opening with the -doors.
Nickel-plated top moulding accents
the pleasing lines. The curtains are
stored without folding, in an over
head envelope. All closed models are
regularly equipped with exhaust heat
ers. The extra seats in the seven
passenger disappear completely. The!
sport model has outside exhaust pipes
extending through the hood, with foot
boards and other novel features.
Mechanically, there is little change
in either Velie 6 chassis. There is ad
ditional cooling surface, due to the
higher radiators. The Velie-Continen-tal
motors handle low grade fuel effi
ciently and show even more power
than heretoforeA The Timken anxes
have improved elements of safety and
strength. Many minor details of con
venience and control show a care
ful attention to the needs of the mo
torists. Prices range from $1,340 to
$2,450, including practically every
body style now in demand.
WHITE TRUCKS
at ike
Automobile Show
THE White Truck display at the Automobile Show
affords an excellent opportunity to truck buyers to
inspect and compare the latest developments in motor
truck chassis design and construction.
The position of White Trucks locally, nationally and
internationally is well known. It has been built up step
by step, in industry after industry, by successfully per
forming the hardest tasks presented.
First in light delivery service, first in heavy haulage,
White leadership covers the full range of trucking
operations.
Eighty percent of the materials used in the construction
of the Cantonment at Camp Funston, Kansas, was hauled
by a fleet of more than one hundred White Trucks.
Exact duplicates of these trucks ,
may be inspected at the Show.
' ... -
THE WHITE COMPANY
CLEVELAND
I
We now have on hand any model or size of White Trucks, includ
ing the 2, 3, or 5-ton dumps, and make immediate deliveries.
.NEBRASKA WHITE CO.
FEED C, ROGERS, Manager.
2417 Farnam St. Omaha. Phone Tyler 1767.
NO RESTRICTION
BY GOVERNMENT
Factories Making Motor Cars
Have No Reason to Fear Cur
tailment ot Their .Jaw
Materials.
"The broadcast circulation of un
founded rumors and idle speculation,"
says President Percy Owen of the
Liberty Motor car company of De
troit, "have tended to create a feeling
of insecurity and doubt which is
absolutely without good cause. But
reliable information is most reassur
ing. We have every reason to be
lieve that there will be no drastic
limitation of materials essential in the
manufacturing of motor cars.
I here need be no alarm about tne
T9n1ine citiiatirm The Hnleful nir-
tures which have originated from cer
tain malicious sources have been
ridiculonslv overdrawn. Of the total
amount of gasoline now being pro
duced in this country, only 14 per cent
is required tor United Mates war use
during the next year. The probable
increase in gasoline production will
deduct from that percentage.
"Our greatest problem is that of
transportation. Information sent out
oy inc cnairman or tne war mausines
board assures us that we shall not be
denied transportation facilities, though
iney may oe limited, ine govern
ment wants it known that its disposi
tion is not to handicap industry. One's
own sense of the importance of the
motor rar in thm tnrlttctri'il lif nf tne
country should persuade against be
lieviiW that there is to he crovern-
mental restriction of its use and manu
facture.
Motor Cara Save Time.
"The actual necessity for the motor
car because of its usefulness in sav
ing time, in conserving, and adding ef
ficiency in the conduct of business
makes it a wartime necessity, and re
quires that it continue to be built. The
same reasons demand that it continue
to be sold and put into service.
"I look for a general safe, sane busi
ness year. I anticipate for business
a safe conduct through 1918. There
will be restrictions, of course, with
some readjustments. There will be
a lessened production of motor cars-
due to the action of motor car manu
facturers in turning part of their
facilities over to the prosecution of
war work.
"The automobile industry, third
largest manufacturing industry in the
country, has a tremendous potentiality
in the character and ability of its man
equipment and a stupendous amount
of machine equipment both of which
are material through, which wars are
won. The motor industry is now do
ing tremendous things, but will Jo
still greater things.
"Absence of men from their usual
vocations makes the use of the time
saving motor car all the more essen
tial. Well conducted business organi
zations are already equipped with
motor cars some are improving their
motor car equipments others seri
ously considering it. This great big
industrial country of ours must. con
tinue to keep its industrial wheels
turning, and this year will prove the
motor car an actual necessity to busi
ness progress.
"Curtailment in manufacture, how
ever, means fptuAr rar t i
from. Those which are made will be
readily sold. There will not be a
lack of orders for cars and' the motor
car industry will progress, because
it is a part of the business of war,
as well as an essential to all business
advancement."
Cincinnati Man New Head
( Of Maxwell Motor Company
"A change, important to motordom,
went into effect January 1 when
Walter E. Flanders, president and
general manager of the Maxwell Mo
tor company, inc., was elevated to the
chairmanshin of the hnarA ( di
rectors of the company and was suc
ceeded in the presidency by W. Led
vard Mitchell of rinnd .....
Walter S. Johnson: "
Mr.. Mitchell,. well known in finan
cial circles, has been general man
ager of the Robert Mitrhdl Ftr
company of Cincinnati, and brings to
his nam L- I I . 7 .
...a ai. MIC "CaU fjl inc
Maxwell, business acumen of q hirti
order and remarkable energy in an
executive way.
This chance in officials Ana f
O -V....M.W IIV,
presage any difference in the policy
01 ine Maxwei. comoanv those
Dolicies havinir heen nrnucn mnct
successful in everv wav f i-r-.....
Mr. Flanders, to whom the success
ful building-up and operation of the
comnanv is oreatlv Hue will pnn.
a. 0- J " t .....
tmue as active head of his great or
ganization. 1111
