Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-14

i Out LII. IldIAAoo sldtChAChA thot ~
automobile is now cheaper than the
horse for every kind of vehicular
use. Figures are available which
| show that the actual cost of operat-
ing a five-ton gas truck for a nine
hour day equals $26.25 as against
$13.05 for the cost OF operating one
five-ton 'two-horse wagon truck for
the same period.
"Only last year." he points out,
"the committee on local delivery OF
the American Institute of Meat
| Packers made an exhaustive inves-
tigation of the comparative costs or
operating gas and electric autos as
compared to horses. The results
convinced them that, for anything
under twenty miles a day, the horse
is more economical"
While it is doubtless true that
here and there, individual firms have
| found it more convenient and econo-
mical to use the horse instead of the
motor for delivery purposes, the
fact remains that the truck horse is
fast passing out of existence. In a
few more years. whether legislation
forces the issue or not, probably ne
will be as obsolete as the horse car.
Gradually, the largest business hous-
es of the country have sold their
horses and introduced motor trucks
into their delivery systems. More
over, statistics. of which the Horse
Association appears to be so fond,
show that the number of horses in
industry is decreasing at a rapid rate.
In 1910, for example, when the
great motorization of America be-
gan, there were 12S.224 horses on
the streets of New York: BY 1920,
a single decade later. there were only
75,74O. and this year the number
has been reduced to 62,254. A sim
liar reduction has occurred in every
other large American city.
Horses Fail in Winter
One of the most important argu-
ments against the use of the horse is
the tremendous difficulty 1t encoun-
ters in negotiating the slippery
streets in stormy weather. Let a
heavy snowstorm descend upon New
York, and New Workers at once
experience the same irritating de-
lays in receiving milk, groceries and
other household supplies as do the
inhabitants of remote rural COM
HlulllllCS. IltSo Qtidyos ooNOAs "a
planned by accidents of one kind
and another, must also constitute a
severe loss to the of the
horse-draWn vehicles.
On one winter day this year when
the streets of New York provided
splendid skating facilities, a two
horse truck bearing a load of coal
slid gingerly down a street on the
West Side, and attempted to back
up to the curb before a certain
brownstone front to which the con-
lents were evidently consigned. This
proved an impossible task. The
driver rose in his seat, dashed h
horses backs, and shouted with all
the amazing strength of his raucous
voice, but to no avail. The horses.
though obviously terrified, struggled
valiantly, and one of them fell at
least a half dozen times. my God.
he's camel" said the driver admir-
ingly. Yet the truck did not move.
At length. the driver took the
blankets from the horses backs and
placed them across the ice beneath
their feet, but this didn't help either.
Then, several other drivers from
other horse-drawn vehicles, which
were blockaded by the truck, got
down from their seats and offered to
help. They pulled at the horses
heads; showed at the back of the
truck: wheedled and swore and ex-
pended their strength for another
half hour, but the truck remained
where 1t was.
Evidently, one of the men borrow
ed a pick and broke the ice around
the animals feet, SO that they were
able to move forward. However, the
coal never was delivered before this
particular brownstone front. 1t had
to be unloaded at a safer point fur
Their down the street, and laboriously
carried by. the basketful to the
house. The superior advantages of
a heavy motor truck in this case
were only too evident. 2
The Punishment of the horse will
have its undesirable features, OF
course. Milk drivers and icemen
will have to walk a good deal far
Their, presumably, in making their
deliveries, as it will undoubtedly
! prove announcement to stop a motor
/ truck constantly in their progress
4 from door to door. Pedestrians will
also miss the nice. wide gaps made
in traffic lines by horse-drawn ve-
hicles. There will be some who will
even shed a tear at the final passing
OF the hanson cab. But, on the
whole. the city will probably breathe
easier when all of its traffic - by
motor