Morning journal and courier., 1882-04-01
Sournal alrO Courier.
Saturday Morning, April l. 1882.
BROAD RINrmED WHEELS.


 It costs great deal to keep the streets of | cities in good shape and anything that will decrease the wear and tear which they under go is worth attention. Experts believe that the expenditures on account of streets in cities can be greatly reduced by proper at tention to the wheels used on wagons for carrying heavy loads-ftting the wheels to the roads, instead of the roads to the wheels.
 In the city of Syracuse, New York, an or dinance has been in force since July, 1878, which provides that no person or corporation shall use any wagon, cart or other vehicle, upon any paved, macadamized or improved street within the limits of the city of Syra- cuse, to carry 4, 900 pounds or upwards, un- less the tires upon said wagon, cart or other vehicle shall be at least four inches in width, and no person shall use on such streets any wagon, cart or other vehicle to carry 3 600 pounds or any greater weight less than 1, OOO pounds, unless the tires upon said wagon, cart or other vehicle shall be at least three inches in width. It is also provided that any person violating this regulation shall suffer penalty of $5 for each and every offense
 
 require from any person suspected of violat- ing this ordinance to weigh the load upon his vehicle, ill order to ascertain the correctness of their suspicion. In case the load so weighed shall exceed the limit above speci- fled, the expense of such weighing shall be added to the penalty above provided, other wise it shall be paid by the city. The city of ( feet May l, 1882, which provides that no ve- hicle of any description with felloes and tires less than four inches in breadth shall be per- mitted to be drawn or to pass over the pave ments of the city with greater burden than ?, 500 pounds in weight and that no vehicle of any description with felloes and tires less than five inches in breadth shall be permitted to be drawn or to pass over the paved streets, alleys and thoroughfares with a greater burden than sixty hundred weight. It is provided that anybody who violates this ordinance shall pay fine not exceeding $25, together with the costs of prosecution.
 The Chicago Tribune in commenting upon the matter says: ''It would be cheaper for the city to present the owner of every wagon In the city set of broad tire wheels than to repair the damages done by the narrow ones in a single year. The wonder is that the property owners tolerate this wicked de- struction of their improved streets. They have influence enough with the council to se- cure the imposition of such a license tax as would cure the evil. The truckmen gain nothing by using narrow tires. Their vehicles pull harder than if the tires were double the width, as they would not then cut 50 deeply into the mud or create holes and ruts as they now do. Narrow tires on heavily laden vehicles is the stupidest kind of policy on the part of owners. as they are harder on the horses as well as worse on the roads" Ad- vocates of the measure express the belief that one-half the present expense of main taining roads can be saved by adopting the plan, besides securing far better riding roads at least half the time.