Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-11-30
MUNICIPAL MOTOR VEHICLES.

The decision on the part of the Board of Al
dermen to buy an automobile police patrol is
evidently along the lines of economy and eff
fciency in the police department. Perth Am
boy is growing rapidly and it is necessary to
keep the police force up to the standard.
There is no doubt that a patrol, ready for in
slant use, has become a necessity. The only
question that might be raised is whether or
not the vehicle should be drawn by horse or
motor power. In this respect it is interesting
to note some Of the figures presented by the
Municipal Journal, regarding the cost of horse
VS.. automobile in other cities.
"Figures have been kept by the Board of
Safety of Fort Wayne, Ind, f" it says, Gas to
the cost of horse-drawn and motor-driven ap-
paratus, based upon eighteen months opera
ton ct, ct ,,pnyotsor police patrol. From April l..
@zsIs.tss fsearA L, 1912-nine moptbas4ft cost
Burns, Ruf5G ate ,t~hav-m6for patrol, or APP
Durham. y $1.00 per day. From January 1,
1910, to October L, 1912, the expense was $780,
20, or a trife over So per day. From April l,
1911, to October /, 1912-eighteen months-the
cost was 1907. 80, or a little over $1.65 a day.
These totals include $104.46 paid for a general
overhauling which was recently given the ma
chine; new tires, tubes, chains, ETC., costing
$249.46; and gasoline, oils, etc, which cost
$114.40. In 1911 the repairs were but 1925,
and $3.50 was spent for livery hire, which item
was considerably larger this year, while the
machine was being repaired.
"The cost of operating the old horse-drawn
wagon for the last year it was in service was
$611.36, the feed costing $4,000, horseshoeing
$114.25, and repairs to wagon $4,000. At the
present time, however, two such teams and
wagons would be required to perform the serv-
ices rendered by the motor patrol, which would
make the cost double that just stated, or
$1,222.72. From this $72.05 should be deduct
ed for ambulance hire, leaving 81, 150.67 as the
cost for the service rendered in a much SUI
perior way by the motor patrol for about 5000.
The number of arrests for the year 1909, the
last year the horses were in service, was 1850;
for the year 1910, 1887; for 1911, 1926, and to
September LIST Of this year, 1885. These fig
ures show that the work to be performed by the
patrol is increasing by approximately 600 ar
rests a year.
"The Board of Safety is convinced that the
auto patrol, through the greater radius of its
activity, has accomplished more than a mere
saving in money, as it has enabled the police
to work to much better advantage. 1t is point
ed out that burglars and thieves do not ply
their trade so industriously in communities
where they know that calls for the police will
be answered in seconds, where it formerly took
minutes"
Regarding the fire department equipment,
the same journal gives figures from Savannah,
Ga, where the motor vehicles have been in
stalled. The figures compiled by the fire chief
show that during nine months of service a saw
ing of $4,O65 has been made by adoption of
motor fire apparatus. During the nine months
of 1911 before the apparatus was installed the
cost of maintaining the fire department was
$500, exclusive of salaries, while for the same
period this-year the cost has been only $4.255.