BUREAU OF MARKETS. 46 1 



One of the most nr ticeable obstacles to the development of the 

 motor express industry is the lack of proper terminal facilities. 

 Detailed invest i^jations have been made in Baltimore, Buffalo, and 

 Philadelphia, and the feasibility of establishing central terminals for 

 motor trucks in these cities has been thoroughly studied. 



To assist in systematizing the business methods of the motor tnick- 

 ing industry a standard cost-accounting system has been devised 

 and is being distributed to operators who have agreed to furnish this 

 bureau with duplicate copies of their cost record. The need for a 

 uniform bill of lading covering shipments by motor trucks has been 

 evident for some time, and at the request of some of the more im- 

 portant trucking companies a standard bill of ladmg is being designed 

 and will be ready for distribution in the near future. 



The question of adequate protection for shippers also has been a 

 pressing one, and in view of the fact that existing insurance policies 

 do not cover shipments by motor truck, it has been necessary to 

 draft a model set of provisions for incorporation in insurance policies 

 to cover such shipments. This work has not been completed, but 

 it is hoped that copies of these provisions may be distributed to in- 

 surance companies very soon. 



On account of congested transportation facilities the bureau has 

 instituted an experimental emergency service in supplying trucks 

 to move crops in certain producing districts. This is described imder 

 the section relating to the bureau's service work. 



MARKET BUSINESS PRACTICE. 



Assistance in the installation and operation of the various account- 

 ing systems devised and published by this bureau has been given by 

 representatives of the project wherever possible. This work was 

 carried on under the direction of Mr. G. A. Nahstoll. 



A preliminary surve}' has been begun, to devise a system of cost 

 accoimting for cold-storage warehouses. This work has been con- 

 ducted in New York, Boston, Providence, Philadelphia, St. Louis, 

 Chicago, and Minneapolis, and a tentative outline for cost segregation 

 has been prepared. 



The system of accounts for fruit-shipping organizations, which was 

 described in detail in last year's annual report, has been supplemented 

 by forms for recording packing operations in community packing 

 houses, and an adaptation of the forms comprised in this system has 

 been made to meet the special requirements of tomato-shippiiig asso- 

 ciations. The systein so modified has been installed in the offices of 

 a large growers' association in Florida. 



In accordance with many requests careful studies have been made 

 of the methods used by milk-distributing plants and a system of 

 accounting has been installed for experimental operation in plants 

 at Grand Rapids. Mich., and Burlington, Vt. This work will be 

 extended to other cities as rapidly as possible in order to study the 

 practices in different markets and to test the tentative system under 

 varying conditions. 



A simplified system of accounting has been devised for use by 

 organizations formed for the purpose of dealing in farm and household 

 supplies. Although there is a wide difference in the business methods 

 employed by these organizations, it has been found that the forms 



