ROAD HAULAGE

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 45, 21 February 1917, Page 2

ROAD HAULAGE

A VEXED QUESTION

BULLOCK. HORSE, AND MOTOE.

. "Notwithstanding the construction tl roads,., railways, and tramways, thj methods of conveyance and haulage alonj the roads still remain^ a vexed and uri decided question," saictHhe retiring pre sident of tfhe* New Zealand Society cj. Engineers (Mr. R..W. Holmes, Engineei! in-Chief to the Public Works Depart' nienfc), in his address to the annual meet' ing last evening. . ' j "In 1870," he went on to say, "th' bullock played 'a very important parj in the haulage problem, and it continue to do so in some districts where th] roads are suitable; but where they werj metalled the horse soon ousted the bul lock, principally on account of thj trouble of shoeing- the latter. As timT went on the steam traction engine mad! its appearance, but it has made no in* portant advance owing to the roads gen erally being unsuitable to carry its heav^ weight. The. perfection of the interna 1 combustion engine has, however, effeclj ed a, wonderful revolution in road haul age.- Motor vehicles of all description]now find their way wherever it is po^: sible for them to go. A The motor lonof moderate capacity seems .to. suit pre sent conditions very successfully. I has become, in many places, a success ful competitor of the railway. Thi,' competition will,, no doubt, increase ■ time goes on and further improvementare effected in the fuel, the vehicles ami the: roads. . j • "I could not help being impressed bj the extension of the use of the moto lorry in Taranaki during a recent inspec taon tour of that district. Where foul yeaj-s ago horse traction was the rule the motor lorry appears to be now ex olusavely used. ■.. The. above proves tha the motor loiTy is economical to use consequently the community as a wholl will profit .by its extended"use, -becausl the community exists upon the produci of the farms; therefore all road con! struction, improvement and mainterianci should be with the object of extending the nse of the motor-driven freicJv vehicles: * . . a ■/

There can be no doubt but that whei conditions become favourable an import ant industry will be developed by th< necessity of manufacturing fuels for mol tors, instead of having to depend upojj the natural petroleum and parafrn oils, f