they do not need to call on
the bureau for further assistance, thus lightening the work to be
performed by the Chamber.

It is left entirely to the shipper and the truck operator to make their
own agreement as to the rate to be paid for haulage, liability of the
truck owner or driver for safety of the goods in transit, and so forth.
It is expected, however, that the Chamber of Commerce will exercise
reasonable judgment and precaution, inquiring into the reliability of
truck drivers and endeavoring to correct any abuses that may arise.

HOW TO START A RETURN-LOADS BUREAU.

No difficulty and no great amount of work are involved in establishing a
Return-Loads Bureau. All that is necessary is to follow the example of
Connecticut where through the initiative of the State Council of
Defense, Return-Loads Bureaus have been established in 15 cities. The
Council addressed letters to the Chambers of Commerce, inviting their
cooperation in the movement. Return post cards were printed and mailed
to motor-truck owners in the different cities. On the reverse side of
the cards was a brief questionnaire to be filled out by the truck owner
stating whether or not he would carry "back loads" for reasonable
compensation, whether he would rent his truck at full capacity or
partial capacity, number of trucks owned, number of hours a day or days
a week the truck would be available under the return-loads plan, its
capacity in tons, etc. As these reply cards came back, they were filed
in a 3 by 5 card index drawer, arranged by cities and by routes out of
the respective cities. It developed from this canvass that there were in
the 15 cities more than 700 trucks of 1-ton capacity or more available
for such service and that they operated over 49 main routes.

Names and addresses of truck owners may be obtained from the automobile
registration bureau in the office of the secretary of state or the
commissioner of motor vehicles, as the case may be.

DUPLICATE RECORDS IN NEIGHBORING CITIES.

Duplicates of this master file were furnished by the State Council of
Defense in Connecticut to the Chamber of Commerce in each of the 15
cities, together with a map showing the location of each Return-Loads
Bureau and all of the truck routes, numbered serially. Thus, the head of
the bureau in each city knows just what trucks are available in the
other cities and the routes over which they operate.

It is desirable that the State Council of Defense, w