EXPERIENCE WITH MOTOR TRUCKS. 31 



other work, or unless it enables him to reduce the expense for hired 

 help. 



These men were asked whether or not their trucks reduce the ex- 

 pense for hired help, either man or horse, and if so, to estimate the 

 amount thus saved per year. Of 783 men who answered the ques- 

 tion as to whether the truck reduces the expense for hired help 612, 

 or 78 per cent, said that it does, and the remaining 171 that it does 

 not. 



Three hundred and eighty-five of the 612 estimated the amount 

 thus saved, and the average of these estimates is $209. This figure 

 can scarcely be taken to represent 'the actual amount which the labor 

 bills of these men have been reduced since purchasing their trucks, 

 but rather as their estimates of the amounts by which their bills 

 would be increased if they did not now own trucks, and if they were 

 doing the same amount of work they are now doing. 



There is little difference in the percentage of the owners of trucks 

 of different sizes who say that their trucks reduce the expense for 

 hired help or in the amounts which they estimate the trucks save. 



If $209 represents the average saving on the 78 per cent of the 

 farms where the trucks reduce the expense for hired help, the amount 

 saved by the average truck on all farms is $163 (78 per cent of $209). 



DISPLACEMENT OF HORSES. 



The operators of 637 farms reported the number of work stock 

 they owned before the purchase of trucks, and the number they had 

 disposed of since that time. The number of work stock varied from 

 3 and 4 head on some of the smaller farms to over 20 on the larger 

 ones. In all 6,264 head were kept on the 637 farms before the pur- 

 chase of trucks. On 276 farms the number had been reduced since 

 the trucks had been purchased by a total of 763. For all farms, this 

 represents a reduction* of a little over 12 per cent, and an average 

 displacement of 1.2 head per truck. 



Ordinarily the purchase of a truck will not enable a man who owns 

 only 3 or 4 or 5 horses, all of which he sometimes uses as a single 

 unit, to dispose of any. Only 13 of the 87 men who owned less than 

 6 head reduced their work stock after purchasing trucks. 



The number of head owned by different men and the number they 

 disposed of after purchasing trucks are as follows : 



Of 87 men who owned less than G head before purchasing trucks — 

 74 disposed of none. 

 8 disposed of 1. 

 5 disposed of 2. 



