Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-02-11

| in consequences know better how to
take care of them, and by giving
steady. employment to these men they
can be hired to better advantage than
If only employed during the driving
season. The economy in having the
work done in this way rather than at
the customary garage rates Of II to
SIPS per hour, win appeal to anyone
who has had much experience with
overhauling motor equipment. Care
fully prepared figures indicate that
this saving on an annual overhaul OF
$50 trucks and automobiles will
amount to $4,000 at the least calcu-
lation.
Saving Effected
1--WE then have, from a financial
point of view, the following savings
that can be enumerated on account Of
having a garage:
Saving in rent. $4,000
Saving in purchase of repair
parts, 10000
Saving in overhauling, $4,000
Making a total of $4,000
Against this must be carried an
interest charge on the cost of the
building and land Of $1,000, which
gives the State clear annual saw
ing of $4,000.
brief reference has been made to
the increased efficiency of drivers
who have an opportunity to work on
the overhaul of trucks during the
winter months and this is an item of
no small value in the operation of
big fleet of trucks. Each of the driv-
ers who has had an experience in
overhaul is put out the next year in
charge Of four or five trucks as head
! driver. He is competent to make all
| ordinary repairs and to see that the
drivers under his direction take
proper care of his truck, This adds
| greatly to the efficiency of the opera
| ton of the trucks. as it saves many
| times a lay-up or call at a local
| garage for repair by some man who
! has never worked on the same kind
of truck. One or two illustrations
will serve to emphasize this point.
! Unsatisfactory Repairs
TN 1919 one truck in fleet was
| giving trouble on account of an en-
| gife knock. The commission had no
mechanic to send out so authorized
| the foreman to take the truck to u
garage and have II put in shape. The
engine was taken down, examined
and. put together again. When it
! went out on the road the same knock
was observed. After two or three
days work another appeal for
authorization to have the truck over
hauled was made to the commission.
The truck was then overhauled
again. 1t went through the. same
performance at the same garage and
was turned out without any improve
i ment. The only mechanic in the en-
| ploy of the commission was then sent
| to look at the truck and in five min
utes had stopped the knock in the
engine and it never returned.
/ "One other illustration might be
/ given: In another town truck which
(, was giving trouble was sent to pub
lie garage. After taking the engine
down. the foreman happened to go
to the garage just in time to find the
garage man tagging a piece of the
engine to send to Boston, saying that
he could not make the repair. The
foreman stopped the part, telephoned
to Augusta, the commissions me-
chanic was sent out and before night
the truck was running and gave nc
further trouble that season.
Designed New Bodies
while speaking of the commits
sion's operation of trucks, it ought
TO be stated that none of the bodies
j which came on the government
/ trucks were suited for road work
Some states discarded the bodies all
together and a few sold them for SIC
apiece for scrap. The engineers OF
the highway department, after study
ing these bodies for some time, devel-
oped design Of body better suited
for construction and maintenance
work than anything now on the mar
ket. and rebuilt the government
bodies along these lines. The aver
age cost of rebuilding 81 bodies in
1920 was $176.02. Bodies not as well
suited to road work cost in the mar
lset from $275 to 1895 each. plus
freight and mounting charges. This
body work will be continued until
all trucks are equipped with proper
bodies.
How Handled
| TT ought to be clearly understood
by the taxpayers of Maine just how
the commission handles it's machin-
cry and equipment. The $4,000
worth Of equipment bought in 1914
has been rented to contractors or put
on work done by the day and rem
tai charge for each piece of equip
ment has been made, either to the
contractor or direct to the job. This
charge is fair. 1t is less than most
contractors charge for similar equip
ment. The rentals ecollected are
credited to the machinery account
and out of the rentals collected al
repairs to the equipment has beer
made. On Jan. ], 1921, this entire
lot of equipment was in good repair