THE EXPERIENCE OF THE MARYLEBONE BOROUGH COUNCIL.
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Amongst the local authorities who we recently intervievied and asked to give us their views on motors "for , municipal work was Mr. James Glair A111 C E the Highways Engineer of the llfaryIebone Borough Council. ,We found him a most obliging gentleman and an ardent supporter of the cause of the motor vehicle. He informed us that until 1917 all tbe dist.collecting in the borough was done by outside contractors. The cost of horses and other upkeep,became so great that it was decided to replace them entirely by motors.'' Ten ,Austins were, therefore, purchased, and these have given eminently satisfactory service since that time. Motors for street
sweeping have been in. use by the Council since 1914, when two Lzifily.inachines fitted with four7eylindered Ballot engines were purchased. The brushes on these motors are deiVen direct from the gearbox. . Mr. Gair stated that these vehicles have done really splendid _ work, an,d have averaged between 10,000 .and 12,000
Milesper year each. ,
Mr.• Gair hasone head mechanic, who has the services of the spare -drivers, and_ these men do; all the necessary repairs, exeept, in the case of -big; breakdowns, though these have seldom occusred. So pleased is the Marylebone.Borough Council with motor sweeping machines that they have just ordered two Lucre sweepers. : In 1918 the Council 'purchased Straker-Squire vacuum gulley, cleanser, and the whole-Of :the gulleys in the Borough are now cleansed by this One machine. A Straker-Squire street Washer was also -purchased in 19190; anthanOther. is on orders In the suminer this machine is used for road -.water ing.It is fittedWith a one tank and carries -a tubber squeegee under the chassis AS regards the horses which these Vehieles replace; interesting facts were given to..tui 13-YMr. Gair. Ho stated that the AuNtin., dust colctnTg vehicles replace between two and three horsed i ins and also do the. Work in ecalSiderahlless tilnt; without "congesting other tre r The motor sweepers ,,each rePlace at least five horse driven vehicles, whils pi.eviduSiy fout horses were used for the gulley-c mptying work which is new done by the Straker -Squire: Employed on
• road-watering work, the Straker-Squire street )sasheri does the work of five horses .
:Mr Gair gave it as his opinion that motor traffie Will entirely replace hiirses. He atated : "Mobility i4!1,I he thing that 'hatters." . He also emphasized the allvantage of being able to use pOwer:diiven machined
• in all weathers. Unfortunately Mr. Clair was unable to give us any details of the comparative costs as between horsed vehicles and motor... As we have mentioned elsewhere in the text, the work was previously done by contracts withoutside concerns, but in any case, as horses were dispensed with some time ago, any comparisons could only have been approximate..