The Detroit times., 1911-04-08
AUTO TRUCKS solve
TRAFFIC PROBLEMS
Economical Because of Great Carry
ing Power and Time Saved in
Covering Long Distance,

Some people, even while they are
advocating. selling or using them,
contend that motor trucks, ,Whl0f III
cmdes all forms OF selfpropelled We
hiclcs used for hauling goods) are
rot so cheap as horses. Others, VINO
also have had experience, declare tn"'
they are cheaper. Probably the LaC'
tor of time is not figured at iuil N"iue
i'm most eases. Anything whlch en-
ables one 10 10 three times "s ihu'
I'm n little less time than peiott, -
cheaper unless IL costs hhoIo
three times as much.
Foremost of the commerclal con-
ditions that call for the motor truck
is the demand for time saving III
it's speed alone the automoDlie mus
it's reason for existence. ne cioSA
dominates the business world. nc
great dcsideratum is TO make Dlgser
profits by doing more Wlthih edOn
hour. The superior uaVellng aplhly
of the motor truck probably would DC
sufficient 70 effect its adoption tinallS,
even If II cost little more than the
horse-drawn truck. Business COM
petitlou would settle that and gradu-
ally force into general use the methoa
most expeditions. Some lght from
experience can be thrown on TINS
few years ago big mercantile mousse
put into commission number OF mo-
tor delivery trucks. After a Whlle
they returned TO the old style morse
and wagon delivery. They found the
motor trucks more expensive than
the horses and not so reHaDle, as
twas said The customers however
liked the motor-wagon delivery. Now
that competitors OF this hrm are
adopting motor trucks they are being
forced again 10 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 dav. as motor cars and motor
trucks multiply. and as the extent or
smooth pavements that favor auto
mobiles and cleanliness increase, the
horse is al a greater disadvantage In
city streets and on the highways. The
automobiles nose In ahead of him
everywhere, they beat him and thwart
him in 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 bane 10
the horse. In wet and icy weather
he makes progress on asphalt be-
tween series Of falls, and even in
dry weather he often loses his footing
on II and drops heavily, TO be pushed
along a bit by the wheels of his We
hicle The places where he can bo
properly shod and "sharped'' TO pre-
vent slipping are becoming fewer IN
number and farther apart This Is a
serious matter, as 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 then picturesque
forge and anvil. their disturbing clan,
gor and smell of burning hoofs,
are forcing out also the wheelwrights,
and il is an expensive thing to drive
a truck on bare felloes a long way
10 have a tire shrunken onto the
wheel II is becoming more and more
difficult In big cities to find convent
ent 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 driy-
ing the stables steadily into the out
skirts, so 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
teams and wagons are resorting TO
the sole means of neutrallzing high
rents by using stables several stories
in height. The horse, however, is
{ not 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 so 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 begcs
TO build its three-ton trucks as
soon as Il had its 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 for efficiency and
stability. The greatest profits to the
user accrue from the vehicles that sre
In commission the largest percentage
OF the time and least in the shop.
Too many motor trucks are 10 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-
tion. This seeking balance" is the
constant air Of its engineers. and II
IS said that the Alco trucks give evi.
dence OF it In the way their
trucks stand up" One big express
company has about 30 OF them, and
they are kept in service from IS to %
hours a day.
When the horse Is eliminated from
city streets there will be q great
multiplication of their capacity. To
say nothing OF the sanitary gain and
the saving in street cleaning. The