EXIT THE HORSE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7110, 23 April 1910, Page 7

EXIT THE HORSE.

We-hear on all sides that wholesale retetiii" are being made in the horse department of various concerns, -(says "Commercial Motor”) and some of the biggest and' most Important concerns are heading, the movement. Thus we hear that the leading railway companies, carriers, and .distributing houses are weeding out their horses in a, wholesale manner. , One particularly interesting occurrence is the action, of that particularly conservative body, the London General Omnibus Company, Ltd., which announced its intention in December last of rapidly disposing of its horses and horse departments. 'The news seemed too good to be true,, but that it is being earned out in all earnestness the two following facts will show. Since 1907 not one single horse lias been purchased, and five years ago the company had 17.5CQ horses in its stables. To-day fhe number is but 7000, and these arc being reduced week by week, and it-Is estimated that the paving effected by this policy will he not less than £IOOO a- week, and incidentally it will enable the entire staff to concentrate its energies upon the perfecting and developing of the motor department. As wo have already said, these sidelights are interesting, in that they show the enormous strides that the motor is making, and account for such statements as that the percentage of motor to horse traffic in London is today somewhere between 50 and 70 percent.