MOTOR v. HORSES

Patea Mail, Volume XLIII, 1 August 1919, Page 3

MOTOR v. HORSES

A COUNTY ENGINEER’S EXPERIENCE. At a recent meeting of the Kairanga County Council, Mr. A. H. M. Wright, County Engineer and formerly Engineer to the Patca County Council, explained the reasons why it hac been decided to adopt motor -waggons in place of horse haulage. After exhaustive enquiries it had been decided to acquire motor waggons, the money being raised from the Public Trust Office. It was proposed to purchase an oil engine to drive the crusher, and this would relieve the steam roller, which was now supplying the power, and enable it to do the work

it was intended for. The committee had obtained all the information "possible as to electric, steam and petrol waggons, and the evidence was directly in favour of oil engines. The cost of horse haulage was 2s per cubic yard per mile for metal on trips of three miles, and naturally the longer the distance the cheaper the haulage. At New Plymouth, with motor haulage, it worked out at about Is per cubic yard per mile. He was satisfied that the use of petrol motors would save just half the present cost of haulage.

In reply to a Councillor, Mr. Wright said that motor waggons would not do more damage to tho roads than horsedrawn traffic. With steam waggons they would have n pressure of 3i tons per wheel, but with oil driven waggons this was reduced to two tons ; and in this case rubber tyres would be introduced, which would considerably minimise the damage to tho road surface.