Motor Road Transport For Commercial Purposes
(Liquid Fuel, Steam, Electricity)

108 MOTOR ROAD TRANSPORT These figures are exclusive of initial and maintenance costs of two 5-ton trailers, the purchase price of which could be taken, at the time this estimate was made, as approximately £300. Tractor Haulage v. Team Labour. The particulars given below relate to County Council haulage, and are interesting both on account of the length of period which the statements cover, and also because of the comparison between Tractor Haulage and Team Labour. No. 1 statement shows details of the working and costs of a 3-ton tractor and wagons for 8J- years. This tractor plant—which originally cost £517 in 1904—was the first of its kind in Scotland, and was sold in 1913 for £150. No. 2 statement gives the costs of a 5-ton tractor— convertible to a steam road roller—for a period of 11 years; and No. 3 statement of a 5-ton tractor for a period of 5 years. The final table shows the daily working costs of the tractors at 1919 rates, together with detailed costs per mile of working the tractor only and the tractor and wagons combined. Depreciation in both cases of the 5-ton machines has been based on the original Capital sum of approximately £650 per tractor and wagons. One of the most important factors in the use of mechanical traction in this class of work is that the stone is taken direct from the source of supply to the road rolling operations, thus obviating the need for roadside depots, and the additional cost of handling entailed by them. The figures quoted against Team Labour in the statements are based on Carting Contractors rates operating in the District during the periods to which they refer.