Page:Report from the Select Committee on Steam Carriages.pdf/121



John Farey, Esq. 10 August, 1831. . That will be one of their great advantages over horse lạbour, which becomes more and more ex10 let pensive as the speed is increased. There is every reason to expect, that in the end the rate of travelling by Steam will be much quicker than the utmost speed of travelling by horses; in short, that safety to travellers will become the limit to speed, as is now the case on railways.

What is your opinion as to impelling waggons by steam?—I have never considered that at all in detail, and am not prepared to give evidence upon the subject. The price of carrying passengers or goods at a quick speed, as is done by Stage Coaches or Vans, will always be so much higher than the prices of carrying an equal weight at a slow speed, as is done by waggons, that I see no inducement to attempt Steam Waggons, which I think,would present almost all the same difficulties as Steam Vans. According to theory, the cost of Carriage by Steam will (as I have stated) be proportionate to weight and distance, without regard to speed of motion; for instance, to convey a Coach loaded with two tons for a distance of ten miles only, the same fuel will be consumed, and the same wear of Machinery will be occasioned whether that distance is run in one hour or in four hours. The wages of engineers, conductor and guard, will be only one-fourth with the quick speed, and the first outlay in machinery would be only one-fourth because four times as many engines must be on the road, with their attendants, at the same time, to do the work at a slow speed, as at a quick speed; but the money earned by the carrier at the slow speed, will be only a small part of what would be earned at the quick speed.

Taking into consideration the comparative expence of horse Carriages and Steam Carriages, do you suppose that Steam Carriages will be able to run for half the charges of horse Carriages?—My own idea is, that Steam Coaches will very soon after their establishment be run for one-third of the cost of the present Stage Coaches; but to become a business at all, it must necessarily be a business which will