The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-16
Motor Trucks Displacing Horses
From the Electric News Service.

From the Electric News Service. Statistics to the contrary, power driv- en trucks are gradually displacing thou sands of horses annually. True 1t IS tnae horses are still scarce and high priced for all the hundreds of thousands or au- tomobiIes and power wagons now in use' but this is owing to the fact that horses are not being raised as extensively as formerly and not because Of any ln- creased demand for horseflesh to haul wagons and carriages.
 In the city of New York there are to- day more than five thousand motor trucks and Chicago has more than two thousand. There is hardly city of any size in the country where there are not huge power driven trucks running up and down hauling loads of coal, ice, crushed stone. freight. beer barrels, and for delivering furniture, groceries and merchandise of all kinds.
 It costs money to keep truck horses In the city where the feed is very high and the work unusually heavy. Such horses rarely last but a few years and the wages paid to stablemen and drivers are far in auNHnce or Nndl they ntAc d ASN SNoA@ aga. Even if the power driven trucks could not make better time and carry greater loads it is quite possible that they would show profit over the horse hauled vehicle.
 The reason for the displacement of the team drawn wagon by the motor truck IS that it decreases the cost of delivery and the time required. One night grade motor truck will do the work of three or four team hauled wagons of the same size The motor truck is faster and surer than the team wagon. It is independent of weather extremes, indefatigable, de- mands no set hours for rest or feed, IS free from bad temper occupies less space on the streets at the dock or terminal and in the stable. It does cleaner work. These facts have been demonstrated by team wagon and motor trucks doing the same work.
 The fact that power trucks can handle burdens and travel faster is argument enough in their favor, but there is also an added feature that means much in the city. Vehicles for industrial work can be made so as to facilitate the han ullnS Ol any pdilituidi hiiiu oA t'Nf fN'i"Af disc. For instance, some of the heavy coal trucks are so constructed that no shoveling or carrying of the fuel is re- quired. The wagon is easily and quickly backed up to the coal hole and the throw ing on a lever tilts the wagon body un- til the coal is all dumped into the cellar below. This is an enormous saving or labor and does away entirely with the old coal ''passers," making 1t possible for the driver to do the work alone without leaving his seat. This novel form of un- loading has also been adapted to many other forms of delivery wagons and a wagon load of five tons can be unloaded in less than minute. The truck bodies are also constructed so they. can be loaded from the sides as well as from the rear thus saving considerable time loading as well as in delivering the con- sgnment.
 Wherever battery charging service is available electric trucks have shown their superiority over the gasolene engine, be- cause the former is free from engine troubles and ignition difficulties. The electric power is stored in batteries and while the charge" is there anyone can drive the truck without difficulty. With the wonderful increased efficiency of the storage batteries during the past few years the biggest trucks will run for a good many miles before recharging is necessary.