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Show coon 1 INCREASE IN MOTOR TRUCKS , Business of Nation Turning More and More to Highway Transportation, Transporta-tion, Say Statistics. (Prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture.) That the business of the nation is turning more aud more to highway transportation is indicated by statistics statis-tics on motor-vehicle registration as of July 1, compiled by the bureau of public roads of the' United States Department De-partment of Agriculture. Registration of passenger cars, taxis, busses, and motor trucks totaled 10,620,471 on this date, an increase of 157,176, which is a healthy growth, as the first half of the year is the off season for registration registra-tion of new vehicles. The surprising fact, however, is that of the 157,174 increase in registration registra-tion ; motor trucks constituted 116,701, against 35,030 passenger cars and 5,443 taxis and busses. This means an increase in-crease of over 16 per cent of the number num-ber of motor trucks at the beginning of the year. Figures are not available to show what part of the increase of 5,443, or nearly 11 per cent, in the taxi and bus registration is due to the increase in-crease in the number of busses traversing travers-ing rural and suburban routes, but it is very probable tlat a considerable part of the increase is due to the development de-velopment of this new form of transportation. trans-portation. It has been frequently said that the traffic is always ready and waiting when good roads are built, and that the commercial vehicle as a class is more handicapped by lack of good roads than the pleasure vehicle. The increase in the registration of commer- ... ............., . , Motor Truck Is More Handicapped by Lack of Good Roads Than Pleasure Vehicle. clal vehicles, coupled with the present activity in highway construction, seems to bear out this statement in the opinion of department officials. The fable of statistics issued by the bureau shows a registration of 9,407,-874 9,407,-874 private cars, 55,990 taxis and busses, and 1,090,605 motor trucks, making a total of 10,620,471. Motor cycles are not included, there being 149,924 against 196,231 at the beginning begin-ning of the year. |