The Detroit times., 1911-04-22
AUTO TRUCKS SOLVE
TRAFFIC PROBLEMS
Economical Because of Great Carry
ing Power and Time Saved in
Covering Long Distance.


advocating, selling or using them
. contend that motor trucks, (which IN
cludes all forms Of self-propelled We
hicles used for hauling goods) are
not so cheap as horses. Others. VINO
also have had experience, declare tha'
they are cheaper. Probably the rae
tor OF time Is not figured at full Vaiue
In most cases. Anything wnicn en-
ables one TO do three times as mucn
In O little less time than before. IL
cheaper unless II costs more tnan
three times az much
Foremost of the commercial con-
ditions that call for the motor truck
a the demand for time saving. In
its speed alone the automobile mos
It's reason for existence. The CLOCK
dominates the business world. Inc
great desideratum Is to make bigger
profits by doing more within eacn
hour. The superior travelling ability
OF the motor truck probably would De
suficient 70 effect its adoption finally,
even II II cost q little more than the
horse-drawn truck. business COM
petition would settle that and gradu-
ally force into general use the method
most expeditions. Some light from
experience can be thrown on this. A
few years ago q big mercantile house
put into commission q number OF mo-
tor delivery trucks. After a while
they returned to the old style horse
and wagon delivery. They found the
motor trucks more expensive than
the horses and not so reliable, as
twas said. The customers, however.
liked the motorwagon delivery. Now
that competitors OF this firm are
adopting motor trucks they are being
forced again to replace their horses
With motors. Their experience tells
them that the motor trucks are more
expensive, but the pressure Of COM
petition and the demand Of custom
ers are compelling.
Every day. as motor cars and motor
trucks multiply, and as the extent OF
smooth pavements that favor auto
mobiles and cleanliness increase, the
horse is at greater disadvantage in
city streets and on the highways. The
automobiles nose In ahead of him
everywhere. they beat him and thwart
him I'm many ways. Observations at
points OF heavy traffic afford many
Interesting illustrations Of this fact
In spite of his load rolling easier on
Il, the smooth pavement Is a bane TO
the horse. In wet and Icy weather
he makes progress on asphalt be-
tween a series of falls, and even In
dry weather he often loses his footing
on Il and drops heavily, to be pushed
along a bit by the wheels Of his We
hic1e. The places where he can DO
properly shod and 'shaFped" to pre-
vent slipping are becoming fewer in
number and farther apart. This IL a
serious matter, as a horse should not
be driven far on naked hoofs over
city pavement The rapidly rising
value of property and the higher
rents that are scattering the black
smith shops, with their picturesque
forge and anvil, their disturbing clan
gor and smell of burning hoofs,
are forcing out also the wheelwrights,
and It is an expensive thing to drive
truck on bare felloes a long way
10 have tire shrunken onto the
wheel 1t Is becoming more and more
difhcult In big cities to find convent
emit places near their work to leave
empty trucks and wagons over night;
worse yet, the distance from the work
10 the stable is lengthening, for the
Increasing value of property Is driv-
ing the stables steadily into the out
skirts, 30 that man and beast must
make long journeys to and from work
each day, the beast carrying the
weight of the driver for miles after
spending the day at work in the col
lar. This condition Is assuming quite
rapidly the proportions of An imprac-
ticabilty. Big concerns having many
leans and wagons are resorting to
the sole means Of neutralizing high
rents by using stables several stories
In height. The horse, however. Is
not q convenience above the ground
floor: another thing, stables and
stablemen are undesirable neighbors.
They are apt to lower property values
and the social tone of the vicinity;
and 80 everything seems to be favor
Ing the coming of the motor vehicle
and the departure Of the horse.
A great organization realized this IN
evitable dominance Of the motor truck
as long ago as FIVE years and began
to build its three-ton trucks as
soon as II had It's automobile bust
ness launched. This company was
far-sighted, also, In deciding that most
economical vehicles would be those
having the greatest length OF life and
building first OF all fer efficiency and
stability. The greatest profits to the
user accrue from the vehicles that are
In commission the largest percentage
OF the time and least In the shop.
Too many motor trucks are to be
seen having engines too powerful for
this character OF vehicle. The big
engine has a tendency to shake the
truck with undue vibrations, and,
again, II encourages the driver to
drive fast when his truck Is empty.
To find the exact balance between
power and weight and proportions and
materials brings the highest perfec.
ton. This seeking balance" Is the
constant air OF its engineers, and II
Is said that the Alec trucks give evi.
dence OF Il I'm the way their
trucks stand up" One big express
company has about 30 OF them, and
they are kept In service from Is to 20
hours q day.
When the horse Is eliminated from
multiplication of their capacity, TO
say nothing OF the sanitary gain and
the saving I'm street cleaning. The
change would mean not only these
things. but also some very definite
benefits OF humane, ethical and social
rhnracfer The time is near when n