HORSES AND CARTS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4523, 14 January 1942, Page 8

HORSES AND CARTS

MODE OF TRANSPORT EFFECT OF PETROL SHORTAGE Ways and means of transport that belonged to a former decade are gradually reappearing in the streets of Te Awamutu. With the steady exhaustion of supplies of petrol, this tendency may be expected to become more and more noticeable. Horse-drawn vehicles of ancient and medieval vintage that had survived the scrap heap only for sentimental or historic reasons are being anxiously inspected for possibilities of service, and .some of these have already made their appearance on the roads. Others are receiving the attention of wheelwrights. Harness that had become cracked with age and neglect is being taken out and examined for possible use, and horses of various ages and conditions are being taken to farriers for shoeing.•• This reversion to the horse and horse-drawn vehicle as a means of transport has created a terrific demand for the services of men in trades and crafts that have hitherto shown a tendency to slip gracefully into oblivion. Wheelwrights and saddlers are also experiencing difficulty in coping with the rush of work, and here too the same difficulty of getting labour arises. However, time and hard work will ultimately lead to a general renovation of vehicles and equipment, and as this proceeds a greater volume of horse-drawn traffic may be expected. This form of travel may prove uncomfortable to people used to the luxury offered by modern motorcars, and doubtless there will be sighs for “the good old days” when petrol coupons were unknown.