DAYS OF THE MOTOR.

Thames Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 17834, 8 March 1930, Page 5

DAYS OF THE MOTOR.

MODERN TRANSPORTATION.

v Effect on Food SuppEes.

CARRYING OF PRODUCE. ENLARGEMENT OF MARKETS. That tite automobile occupies ; the most important .position in the whole scheme of modern road transportation cannot be denied. Its foundations', growing stronger as the years pass, now support the economic structure which has made life in the present day a far different thing from that of even ten years ago. Take the matter of transportation of market garden produce to-day and that of a few years back. .The up-to-date gardener or orchardist now, thanks t automobile transport, enjoys many ad van ages that were impossible when horse haulage was the main means of transport of farm produce to the nearest market. This applies right throughout the Commonwealth and New Zealand. As a specific instance, take the development in this direction in the State of Yictoria, where 1500 tons of produce per market day is handled by motor transportation at the Melbourne markets. •• •'.

’lncreased Radius of Supply.

A few years back a belt of country with a radius of about' 20 mile s from the capital, supplied this market; now this has, owing to automobile transport, been extended, to. a radius of 100 miles from the ■ 'metropolis, thus bringing new land under cultivar tios, w hilst tliere are examples ' of goods being brought to market rapidly and in fresh condition from d>stances beyond 100 miles. The market gardener and orchardist using modern motor transportation has many advantages over the rapidly disappearing old system of horse .’ team transport.. A comfortable sedan. type of cab body affords the driver complete protection in every sort of weather, powerful* headlights" light up the road well ahead-for. hjs . speedy run, and he arrives at the market in. much better physical shape than - liis less fortunate competitor. /The motor truck operator is back, home many hours ahead of his neighbour, and he gains enormously in the busy season through being able to use the * time profitably which the motor truck has saved him.; ’. Value to Fruit-growers. The fruitgrower—fairly close to his market—finds motor transport a tremendous boon during the last few days of the ripening period; a sudden access of heat ripens the fruit very rapidly, and unless the crop can be quickly marketed a dead loss results. With the motor truck, picking is continued till sundown, a load is rushed off and placed on the stall, and often the truck is rushed back home for a second load, which is transported for the opening of the market. With' horse transport •" omy one trip is possible; thus reducing the grower’s earnings. ~ In addition to orchard and market garden produce motor trucks are extensively used for the rapid transportation of pigs, sheep and lambs to the markets and from thence to the ham, bacon and freezing works. Official figures show that automobiles total 75.4 per cent, of the vehicles transporting produce to these markets, whilst only 25.6"'per cent, are horse-drawn. More Hygienic Conditions.

Outside ~ of livestock, automobiles transport into the Melbourne markets 234,000 ton s of produce per year. Apart from the matter of convenience and economy, motor transportation ensures hygienic conditions, freshness of produce, improved quality of the goods available to the public due to the short time the goods are. in transit, and the elimination of waste. From 2.30 a.m. onwards the Melbourne markets present an exceedingly busy scene with their army of growers and buyers in ' operation. The motor truck from Colac ' (96 miles), with its load of fresh teal and lamb; the fish-laden three-tonner from Stony Pojnt (46 miles); loads of freshly-picked peaches from Doncaster (10 miles); vegetables from Scoresby (18 miles); green peas from Drysdale (58 miles); potatoes from Dalmore (37 miles); melons and cucumbers from Euroa (96 miles) —from north, south, east and west, supplies are swiftly brought for the one and a-half million people in Greater Melbourne, thus showing in this line of industry the importance and value to the community of modern automobile transport. • • .