The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-17
Avs FOR CYCLISTS.
now TINE LEsIsBAroRs MAZE
CARED FOR BIoYCLERs IN
VARIo Us STATES.

WI
Bssgsee Law ssa = Law Against Pot.
uag TssEs .nd elias. On the Roads-No
General Laws IN Conzseticut, but Many
Local Orsinances-They Must Have Bells
In Pennsyivania, aud In Chicago They
Act ss nc They Owned the Sidewalks ..
ALBANY. May 1e.-Four important laws were
enac ted by the last Legislature for the benefit
of cyclists. Other bills were passed by both
branches of the Legislature. but have not re-
ceived thu approval of the Governor.
or three the most important is chapter 333,
commonly called tho Bicycle Baggage law. 1t
is n short law, and is merely an amendment to
the General Railroad law (chapter sos. Laws
1900. 1t changes section a.. relating TO bag
gage and baggage checks, by adding these
words:
Bicycles are hereby declared to be and be deemed
baggage for the purposes of this article and shall be
transported as baggage for passengers by railroad
corporations, and subject to the same liabilities, and
no such passenger shall be required to crate. cover. or
otherwise protect any such bicycle: provided, how.
ever. that a railroad corporation shall not he required
to transport, under the provisions OF this act, moro
than one bicycle for = single person.
Brief as It Is. II required two-thirds of the
session to pass the bill, and 1t would have been
an entirely different statute had not the legis-
lators become panicstrlcken when they realized
tho III bho ~ ny ~ iloCl-
men of the State, particularly those In the New
York division of the League of American
Wheelmen. At one time the railroads had the
Armstrong Ellsworth bills. which contained
the new law. practically beaten by means OF a
compromise measure, but Chief Consul /. b.
Potter and the L.. A. w. rallied with the war
cry of II. is a principle for which we contend,
and not to avoid payment of a small fee"
Senators and Assemblymen were deluged
-lN .--. &c.,. l-l-
ents till they threw up their hands and
passed the bill through both Houses with a rush.
Only one negative vote was recorded in the As
sembly. and four votes in the Senate. The press
ure exerted by the wheelmen was attested by
Speaker Fish when consulted by q representa-
tive. of Gov. Morton just before the latter signed
the bill. The Governors representative In
formed the Speaker that the Governor was In
daily receipt OF hundreds of letters and tele-
grams requesting him to sign the Armstrong
Bicycle Baggage bill. Mr.. Fish replied:
know all about 1t. We were overwhelmed
by the same thing until we gave I'D the fight
turned tail. and ran"
Great pressure was also brought to bear on the
Governor to get him to veto the bill, and when
1t was found that he was adverse to doing so, q
final effort was made to have the bill recalled.
It was not recalled. and after holding iG till the
last of the ten days. Gov. Morton signed 1t.
Another bicycle bill which went through
easily and excited little comment was that in
troduced by Assemblyman Keenholts Of Albany
county. He received 1t from the Capital
City wheelmen. who have suffered from the
malicious mischief Of those who delight to
puncture bicycle tires. The bill, which amends
the Penal Code, became chapter 304 OF the Laws
of 1895, and reads as follows:
Whoever, with intent to prevent the free use of
cause or procure to be thrown. dffoppe1 Or placed, in
mr. tnnn nnv PyPl NAH. vHnIR street laval -
:iasy' ISs "a hisshwq S;sS 81 pYG ms, way 81 e place Assn any 3
s1nsa: s sasksi Hs WITCH H,ef %is St l nsnn,' or Rf pane "Ssn any ~
tire = used on a cycle, or m., Which Innn might hight w .SsI1 i. disable I,,i1,e
Cf a t5 m,sa .t1s nor morn %sd ib ON s s9ny soI,oax be fined not
Among the other bills for tho benefit Of wheel
men. was that introduced by Assemblyman
Guider of Brooklyn. and PLACED among the ear
lier statues Of 1896 without difficulty. 1t reads:
The trustees OF the New York and Brooklyn bridge
are authorized and empowered to make tie road;
TO cease the exaction of tolls from persons using bicy-
Giles thcreupon.
The first law enacted for cyclists was a local
measure. 1t is now chapter 80 OF tho Laws of
1896 and applies only TO Niagara county. 1t 10
path bills, notably those for Monroe and Oneida
counties, have attracted more attention, and
parts of the State that they were the first meas
nres Of the XII, kind IS The hen Nia ri AL Bicycle oyfl Is SIDE ,bo
Rr@ erisl isw e1 Of isSs. } bns AIS. si' because ess sH Il p IN sed
both Houses in 1898 and only failed Of enact.
aosent nTdinddeSd nes Carried it aTonpnd in his pocR.
OF till it was too late for him TO approve and send
i back t, to . th b k kexmona : cI The law " was nsc drawn raw
and the organizer of the Side Path League. It
has been the model for all subsequent bills for
other counties. and in the main the subsequent
the locality to be Affected, Where radical devi.
Monroe county, the introdneer got into trouble.
AS it is both the pioneer and model. the salient
features of the Niagara county law are herewith
given:
SECTION l.. The board of supervisors Of Niagara
ff oriayy OF f9e he 0y m e GGeGsr thaTeo oI'e By S' r IS isnie ma;
cycles, and e1pend the receipts from such tex In the
COUNTY. under the supervision Of a board of side path
81; + ;d !. Sr, q ,s to sar!y out i, 's s,oE psosi s 6 Of .s sn,i
sy9 nst o is. aft ,n Sy P sf,y gsu Fs; aHa So II 10 S sasssl G sssa aGi::
s ss,sE. s .s%II be the soh Rr2visdio to mean of ah aay a snIt sse tern Sn.
cycle, or tricycle.. whose wheel or wheels. or either of
th SEN: g. 5sf There t1Ys shall S BE a board 'n Of Ave y cenmi.sion.
shs' s SGgs ~ Sfa g. %ae f FsH% s snSh tn, the s siiI. 81 t o. NSSrts
T%onawands and TWO from the county at large, ap.
sso oaH,su a, q soon = az ,pTas,!eabls after shs adoption q
s %iss ssa, ns p po Shdsen ' sh :sf'i ss t 9nsi n nas. f meeting eH%.
SrsT f i9t Iss 12 9 9ssr : 1ne f S%e tires 10 ssE yssr for on ave f ye sMS
years ana one for one year; and thereafter re said
each year at their annual meeting for a term OF N.Y.
ye ar S .,dps ensi, sb Mi s sssSe %itb fs shI nsg. S Ioe m sSia
Than one sommlssioner shall be chosen from amy
s aas o 5aw one '@ or f1 more SSu eysle s"s shall sh'f BE- Ds eligible f for sp .
pointment.
thorlzed and have power to lay out and. construct
side paths along the public highways and streets OF
Niagara county, by and with the consent OF the ON;
improve existing side paths, and shall be authorized
10 expend the side path fund each year for such con
structIonS and repairs. The side path commissioners
shall have the right TO take such proceedings under
the condemnation law as may be necessary to ac'
quire the right OF way for the purpose of laying out
S SiSii sGn; .aa s0ntr sld OF tSs Sa s%, s"s Charged ID ' sisd 5u Tie
duty OF maintaining streets and highways in said
county, and such Officers shall be entitled TO notice of
all proceedings for condemnation. Nothing In this
act shall interfere with or limit the legally prescribed
powers, duties. or jurisdiction OF such officers In the
Highways and streets OF towns, villages, and cities of
such county.
Other sections specify when the tax shall
be paid, the method Of collection and deposit as
q special fund with tho County Treasurer, the
drawing ON the fund by warrants OF the Side
Path Commissioners and the keeping of books
by the county clerk. The final sections say:
The tax imposed under the provisions OF this act
shall be q lien on the cycle taxed. In case the said
within the time specified in section Ave OF this act,
the said collector OF taxes Of the town. or city treas
$3.50 - fha .lfy In which Ina uyIInr n fha md rvCla