MECHANICAL TRANSPORT FOR CORPORATION WORKS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 244, 9 July 1920, Page 10

MECHANICAL TRANSPORT FOR CORPORATION WORKS

VIEWS OF THE CITY ENGINEER. The need for replacing with mcchani cnl transport tho horse teams hired by the City Council for corporation works was the subject Of a report presented by tho Engineer (Mr. AV. H. Morton) to last ovening's meeting of tho council. "In view of the present etist, due principally to an increase in the wi;gcs of drivers and the price of horseflesh and forage," Mr. Morton wrote, "I desire to bring before the council I his necessity of considering the provision of n'echamoal means of transport wherever possible. For the present the use cf horse* for the collection of refuse and f(-r street cleansing must continue, Consideration should, however, bo given to tho uUimato provision of electrical trucks for carrying out tho service. It. is in cc.nncction with the cartage ff mntnl from th 3 various places about the c'ty that I am most concerned. ■ . '• Other circumstance? than the saving in cost require to be taken into consideration. )' Is almost impossible at the present time to obtain horse teams in a number of Mifl districts, and the necessity'i-f making provision for carrying out tho work is urgent. "To deal properly with the matter thero should be a motor transpui't department, in which vehicles are controlled from a central depot and the waeons allocated to various classes of work for which they are required. One of the difficulties at present met 1:1 connection with the purchase of expensivevehicles is duo to the necessity of making provision each year put of revenue for' such exppnsivo llant. This materially cuts down tho. amount of money M-ailahle for carrying on the ordinary street works of tho city. It should 'bo nossible to capitalise the amount required for the provision of a thoroughly suitable fleet of cars., charging annually the fixed charges nnd w<rk< ing expenses against the necessary capital charges. ... "Tho present condition of affairs, however, ir so acute that I have to iccommend tho purchase of a four-ton vehicle and a three-ton vehicle for the sirnet works of the city." The recommendations in the last para* graph were adopted.