..Reluctantly
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SLATE as 1933 horses still far utnumbered motor vehicles on Dllection and delivery for the tilways in Britain. The LMS, NER and GWR between them weed 13,472 horses ompared with 5779 motors. he number of horses might ave been even greater but the pur of road competition was ompelling the railways to inrease their efficiency.
An internal memorandum irculating in LMS in 1933 said: 'Many instances could be uoted of motor vehicles having leen put on in place of horse trength [a quaint expression] olely to speed up deliveries nd / or collections, and it is lute certain that the cost per ton of cartage would have shown even a larger decrease had it not been for this demand for increased efficiency.'' There seems to be a suggestion that motor vehicles cost more than horses to run per ton carried. I sense reluctance to replace horses by motors though even 47 years ago London streets were no places for animals.