The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-13
SHALL WHEELS Be TAXED2
Bicyclists Aroused Over the
Proposed Municipal Re-
StriCtiOnS.
WANT GOOD ROADS FIRST.
Willing to Pay a Small Fee If the
Money Is Spent in ImproV-
ing Streets.

At to-day's meeting of the Board of
Supervisors the matter of framing regula-
tons and restrictions for bicycle-riders
will come up for action. The plan of max
ing wheel-owners pay a tax on their We
hicles will also be considered. Local BIZ
cyclists are awake on the subject, thor
oughly so, and they propose to have a
voice in the matter and say in framing
the restrictions and imposing the tax.
William T. Thurston, who has written
to the Board of Supervisors complaining
of wreckless bicycle-riding in the streets,
suggests a tax of So quarter on every
wheel. Cyclists declare this is exhorbit-
ant, and relying on their numerical
strength, are inclined to scout the idea
that any politician who hopes for future
favors from the voting public, would dare
to father such plan. Nevertheless there
is growing sentiment among those who
do not ride bicycles that the owners of
wheels should be taxed at least moder-
ately, and the bicycle men themselves de-
clare they would not object to minimum
tax-say OF 81 a year for each wheel, pro-
vided the tax would be spent in maintain
ing good roads. This is the prevailing
sentiment of the wheelmen. A few dis
sent from it and declare that bicycle can
only be legally taxed on the same basis as
piano. or any other personal property.
Stewart Hight, one of the leading mem
bers of the Olympic Club Wheelmen, is of
this opinion. When questioned about the
proposed bicycle tax yesterday, he said he
thought the proposition of Mr.. Thurston
to place tax of $12 a year on wheels was
outrageous and would never be seriously
considered by the Supervisors. 1t would
be unjust to place any special tax on
bicycles.
cit would be special and class legislation
too, and do not think it would stand the
test of the courts" he said. "It is not like
a wagon or other vehicle. They wear out
the street pavements and roadways but
bicycles never yet hurt road and never
will. The community owes debt to bicy-
Gle riders, for it is by their agitation more
than by any other single factor that there
are so many good roads now lam willing
to pay tax on my bicycle when it is rated
along with any other personal property,
but it would be unjust to make me pay a
special tax on my wheel, no matter how
small the amount"
But most riders would be content to paw
small tax on the conditions named. and
none of them would object to some reason
able restrictions on reckless riding. Mr.
Thurston speaks of requiring riders to
carry lights on their wheels at night.
The wheelmen are unit against this be-
cause, they say, the bicycle lantern is i'm
practical. 1t is difficultto keep the lantern
lit. for even the slightest Earring when
going over crossings or cobblestones will
extinguish the lamp. The bell would
answer every purpose, they declare, and
they will throw all their influence against
the lanterns.
And the gross amount of that influence
is not inconsiderable when it is estimated
that there are upward of 10000 bicycle
riders in San Francisco. That is the esti-
mate of several of the Oldest and best
known club wheelmen in the City. 1t may
be little too high, but not much. There
are about twenty bicycle clubs in the City,
| and their membership will average nearly
200. Clubs like the Olympic and Bay City
Wheelmen have much larger mem bership
rolls, and the smallest of the clubs boast of
from so to 100 members.
GA tax on bicycles would amount to a
very neat sum in year." said P. J. O'Hig-
gins OF the Imperial Club yesterday. 81
am in favor of such tax. and all the
wheelmen L have spoken to about the mat
ter agree with me. The tax should be
about 81 a year and every cent of the reve-
nue. raised by the tax should be spent in
improving the streets. You can depend
upon it that the whole influence that can be
welded by the bicycle riders will be thrown
against the tax unless the ordinance pro-
vldes that its aggregate shall be spent, in
addition to the regular appropriations, in
improving the Streets"
W. ]. Phelps, a Bay City wheelman, ex-
pressed the same sentiments. eve will
pay the tax willingly" he said, elf we are
given the assurance that the money will
be spent in improving the streets. San
Francisco has the worst paved streets in
the world. Golden Gate avenue is the only
possible thoroughfare for bicyclists, and
that is all full of ruts and holes till it is
unsafe to ride even in daylight and posi-
lively dangerous after dark. All we have
in this City is the cable-car SLOT That is
dangerous at best. Surely there would be
no justice in placing a special tax on
bicycles in this City, unless the City could
promise better roads,"
II think there is no doubt but that the
wheelmen would cheerfully pay a small
yearly tax if they could be assured of good
roads," said ]. W. Barry of the bicycle an
mex of the California Camera Club. But
the talk about s. year or So a quarter is
all nonsense. Most of the riders in this
City are voters and therefore are in posi-
ton to resist any such imposition. The
tax is coming; there is no doubt about
that. Most of the Eastern cities already
tax bicycles, but they give the riders good
bltumen or some other kind of smooth
streets in exchange for the tax / should
like to know what possible encouragement
this City has to offer wheelmen in the way
of good streets"
And this is about what all bicycle riders
think of the subject. They all have good
word to say for the Park Commissioners,
as one can readily discover by making the
rounds of the wheel clubs and centers
The sentiment is that the wheelmen of
this City are under OBLIGATIONS to the Park
Commissioners for the splendid facilities
afforded in Golden Gate Park. The only
reproach is that the approaches to the park
are not all properly paved. The average
rider is tired out by the time he b as Jared
himself on his wheel all the way from
downtown to the park. To improve this
condition of affairs the wheelmen would
cheerfully submit to moderate yearly tax.
There is a suspicion among the wheel
men that Mr.. Thurston, the Supervisors
correspondent on the subject of taxing
bicycles is a disguised iveryman. AS
class livery-keepers are suffering greatly
from the ever-increasing popularity of the
bicycle, and some of the stables are now
adding a stock of wheels to their stables.
1t is hardly likely though that any livery
man would be foolish enough to suppose
that bicycles could be taxed out of ex-
istence, or that municipal ordinance
could even put q stop to their growing use