MOTOR TRANSPORT IN INDIA.
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If India is to Hold Its Own, Commercially Speaking, Motor Transport in that Country Must be More Fully Developed.
RECENTLY I had the privilege of an illuminating talk on the prospects of motor transport -. in India with a gentleman who is well known in the India,n railway world, and who is, in all respects, well qualified to express an opinion on the subject under discussion.
I refer to Mr. W. G. Hornett, M.T.Mech.E., Superintendent of the Carriage. and Wagon Department, at Shargpur, of the Bengal-Nagpur Railway, who is home on leave of absence—part of which has already been spent at Deeside and in .Aberdeen.
All things considered, it was exceedingly kind of Mr. Hornett to spare me, so ungrudgingly, an how of his hard-earned holiday for the purpose of talking." shop,' and I desire, here and now; to tender him my sincere acknowledgments of his courtesy.
"Considering that a very high percentage of the millions of pounds' worth of merchandise which is yearly imported into India reaches its ultimate destination on the primitive bullock-cart, it is really very surprising," observed Mr. Flornett, "that motor tiansport has not made greater progress in a huge country like India. Most of the engineering concerns there have introduced, at enormous expense., all the latest devices of labour-saving machinery that Great Britain, America, and the Continent have produced—machinery designed to save minutes over older types of machines, high-speed tools for accelerating the output of the 'finished article' and such-like, most of which is sent out to India in upto-date steamers, only to find that such machinery, on arrival there, takes as long, and often longer, to reach its final destination as it takes to perform the journey from Bombay to Port Said in an ordinary steamer.
"This delay is entirely due to the slow and antiquated methods at present in vogue in the final stages of transportation, and one often feels that the day cannot be far distant when the bullock-cart must be
abolished in favour of more expeditious means of transportation. It is a well-known fact that, with the majority of uneducated Indians, time does not count; but, on the other hand, it is refreshing to find that the educated and more progressive Indian fully realizes the value of Western ideas of vtdvanoement, and appreciates the fact that, if India is to keep its place in the commercial world, the bullock-wagon will have to, go."
Questioned as to the types of commercial vehicles most suitable for use in India, Mr. Harriett remarked :
"In deciding the type of machine most suitable for motor transport, in India, previous experience of motors used in other countries should not have too great a bearing on the. decision to be arrived at ;, the conditions of working in India are peculiarly its own. In deciding on the most suitable design, the foremost consideration to be kept in mind is the staff for operating such vehicles, a point which is often overlooked. Whatever design is brought Out, simplicity must -be the ruling factor, for, it must be remembered that the average Indian has Very few resources tp fall back upon when face tro face with
ordinary difficultien difficulties, that is, which the average Biitish, American; or Continental apprentices would regard as of the MQS"b trifling description.
"Again, the average apprenticeshipfor mechanics —whether railway, general engineering, shipbuilding, or motor transport—is not characterized by the same discipline and responsibility as it is in this country or in America, so that the market value of Indian journeymen mechanics has not nearly so high a standing as that obtaining in other countries.
"Other points to be kept in view," Mr. Hornett went on, when considering suitable ,designs for motor machines arc: (1) The variations in the climate, remembering the terriffio heat at the height of the summer, the torrential downpours of rain in the monsoon season, together with the extreme cold
which is experienced in the winter. (2) The long dis . lances between depots. (3) The general unsatisfactory condition of the roads, etc. It should, however, be clearly understood that these remarks apply to the future more than to the present condition of affairs, and to the time when motor transport will be more universal than at the present time, where the conveyance of general merchandise by.motor is confined, in a moderate degree, to large towns and cities." I asked Mr. Harnett to tell me something about the roads of India.
"Well," he said, " outside the cities and large towns, many of the roads—or, rather, tracks—are impossible so far as motor transport is concerned. In the outlying districts there are no roads worthy the name—only tracks for bullock-carts, which 'latter, owing to the peculiar construction of their wheels, play havoc with the tracks, In the monsoon season, indeed, they are completely 'underwater. Consequently, it is no uncommon occurrence for the conveyance of a boiler, say, for a tea-garden factory to take anything between 18 to 20 days to arrive at its destination from the nearest railway station, as it has to be forced along the rough tracks by means of coolie labour.
" As to the tea-garden traffic, undoubtedly considerable hilliness could be developed by motor transport in theconveyance of the raw leaf to the nearest railway station (often many miles away), and thence to the large cities. At present it is all conveyed by bullock-cart. Provided the development of motor transport . was tackled in a systematic manner, it would certainly prove a boon to the teagarden proprietors."' " What," I inquired of Mr. Hornett, "is the attitude aft he Indian Government in regard to motor transport? "
" In order to ensure the universal success of motor transport in India," was the reply, " the Government there will be expected to interest • itself in the subject a great deal more than it has done hitherto. For the more rapid development of India, generally, it will be. necessary to establish a Government department which will entirely devote its energies to this important branch of engineering and to the provision of more Government institutions and workshops for teaching mechanics the theoretical, as well as the practical, side of motor engineering, staffed with the best engineering ' brains ' obtainable from this country and from America."
Coming to the question of motor transport as an auxiliary to the railway system Mr. Harnett said :
"Perhaps this point has a greater bearing on the progress of the country than Uncommonly supposed; that. is, if motor transport is to be utilized as a feeder -to the main lines of railways. There already exist in many of the cities systems of light railways of 2 ft. and 2 ft. 6 in. gauge, which supply several large en • gineering works from outlying districts: These lines are laid by the side of the existing roads in a similar way to the -tramcar services in England, the only difference, being that small steam locomotives are used. These small railways are, as a general rule, badly -served, and the stock also is not well maintained, with the result that they are anything but a. great success. Possibly this sort of thing is due to the fact that these small railways have a monopoly, as no competition exists ; so it follows I think, that there remains an' open door ' for motor transport to step in and thus supply a. long-felt want."
Summing up, Mr. Flornett observed: "The necessity for greater development in motor-transport in India is evidenced by the amount of overcrowding which is so apparent in every form of existing ,transport at present, and I submit that it lies within the consideration of motor experts to investigate the present condition of affairs in this important direction." JILL