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MOTOR TRANSPORT FOR BREWERS.

30th January 1919
Page 10
Page 10, 30th January 1919 — MOTOR TRANSPORT FOR BREWERS.
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How Heavy Motor Vehicles Have Revolutionized the Transport of Liquors.

Accustomed to a -largo amount of Government control even in peace time, the brewing industry Of this country has been, during the wet, almost controlled out of existence, and, in consequence of this curtailment of activities, the transport portion of the trade has been rendered extremely difficult. By successive regulations. and orders of one sort and another there has been, during the four years of war, a reduction in the amount. of •liquors sold, the total production in the year endingi March last being one-halfthat of the precious year. Conditions which exist in the brewing trade make it impossible for the number of retail deliveries of beer to be reduced, each brewery or firm of brewers hiving, as part. of the business, a number of "tied houses" which it would be a great financial loss to give up. Consequently, although the monthly.outputeof the brewery is ao considerably reduced, it is essential that the amount

produced shall bedistributed proportionately over the same area as in the past. This has meant that, though the rounds of the transport wagons have been of the same total distance as in the past, the loads carried have been smaller.

Time was when the brewing industry had in its service probably the finest col-' lection of horses in commercial use. As a whole it took particular interest in its transport, and saw that the horses were of the highest standard of excellence and in the best possible condition. The method of business of the trade meant that heavy loads had to be carried and long journeys made. Licensing jestices saw that there were not too many publichouses in any particular area, and many of the houses connected with a brewery are a considerable distance away from headquarter's. As a matter of fact, it was formerly the custom for some of the larger breweries to keep local depots in distant parts and have these depots sopplied from headquarters by rail.

The coining of the heavy motor vehicle, however, revolutionized liquor transport. By its means even greater areas could be covered and great econo mies effected. The heavy charges of many of the local depots could be abolished and, with the quicker rate of travel of power vehicles, the amount of work

done in a given time by the some number .'se of men was greatly increased, and thus the wage bill was proportionately reduced. St am vehicles have been largely adopted by the brewery companies as being more economical with big loads, for in whatever form the beer is carried, in Cask or in bottle, a compact he ELvy

load is provided, and the deliveries are on such a scale that large quantities must be delivered at once. A good deal of carrying space is necessary in the case of barrels, for their weight and shape precludes the possibility of a high load being built up. In many instances this factor has led to the adoption of trailers, and it is no . uncommon sight to see a steamer, loaded almost to the full weight capacity, and with a trailer attached.

Men continually engaged in dealing with casks and boxes of bottled beer become expert in their manipulation, and with a rope and a slide, hooked either to the side or the rear of a Wagon, the unloading of the largest size cask in use becomes a companatively simple matter. As most of the storage is done in cellars, the unite-ding and homing are not diffi, salt work, movements being very considerably assisted by graity. Except in long-distance work, the railways are very little used in this partico

la r traffic. As a matter of fact, motor transport has proved itself particularly adapted for the work, andi though the development of the traffic in the future depends very largely on the trend of modern, legislation, there is every prespect that the liquor trade will continue to be a geed customer for heavy transport vehicles.

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