The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-06-05
BICYCLISTS ON THE ALERT
VIGOROUS MEASURES PROPOSED At
TIE MEETING OF THE UNION.

-SSN HApPUhhtnobt Va SPcShaA Soh-
stables from the Union-Reckless BIZ
cycling Denounced-Some City Ordin-
anees Proposed-Reports of President
Tyler and Chairman Butriclss.
Over one hundred wheelmen were
present at the meeting of the Bicycle
union in Veru hall last evening. Presi-
dent Morris F. Tyler was in the chair.
He presented his report of the work of
the union, which is printed in full be-
low, as is also the report of Chairman
w. N. Butricks of the street commit
tee.
President Tyler also addressed some
remarks to the meeting, in the course
of which he criticised the poor condi-
ton of many of the streets, saying that
the fault lay with the board of public
works and not with the court of COM
mon council.
Alderman Chillngworth was called
on to speak and said that the common
council should not be blamed, for al
though 1t might appropriate money for
the proper maintenance of the streets
it was nto responsible if the money
was not properly applied.
Professor Hastings called attention to
the fact that when a street had been
once placed in good condition it was
soon damaged by the passage of heavy
teams.
President Tyler stated that the pres
ent state law required all new team
wagons which were built to be made
with wider tires.
F. H. Sperry made motion that the
executive committee be instructed to
get six members of the union appointed
special constables.
President Tyler-"You are to under
stand that these constables are not to
enforce the Raines law"
Mr. Sperry-"Most decidedly not"
An amendment by Alderman Chilling
worth to increase the number to twelve,
one for each ward was accepted and
the motion as thus amended passed.
1t was left with the executive COM
mittee to provide suitable badges for
the specials
President Tyler suggested that if
there were any strong vigorous wheel
men outside the union that they should
first be made members and then con-
stables.
The president asked if any member
had any grievance which he wished to
bring before the union.
Prof Brewer was the first to- re-
spond. He said: Il am told that some
of the carts that bring stone into the
city do not leak. have yet to see one.
These carts scatter stones of various
sizes the entire length of the street. 1
think we ought to make a renon-
STRANGE to these men and If that won't
work then they ought to be prose-
Cuted."
Mr. Earle thought that the law rel
ative to vehicles should be coditied.
There should be a way in which man
could be arrested whether he stabbed
you with a knife or ran over you
with a bicycle.
1--WE ought to have 1t understood that
we are going for the scorchers. The
scorchers are not the only ones to
blame. l have seen on Orange street
children riding abreast the whole width
of the street and trying to do fancy rid
ing, and women who have not been
able to ride longer than a month riding
without their hands on the handle bar.
Such things are not allowed in New
York and many other places"
II question If there ought not to be
municipal ordinance in regard to these
matters"
President Tyler said he had thought
for some time that it might, perhaps,
be well to try and get municipal or
dinance passed against scorching.
The police are better at enforcing
municipal laws than they are state
statutes.
AS remedy for the cobble stone nui-
sance he said that in some cities cars
carrying stones were required to be
provided with guard of netting to
prevent the stone from jolting and
rolling off.
Another member said that Contractor
Myers had told him that the paving OF
Wooster street could have been COM
pleted by June Is if it had not been de-
layed by the constant and needless in
terference Of the board of public works
TO THE BICYCLE UNION.
1t has seemed advisable to call the
union tUSeLilCI dL lHlS lllue 1OI bile
purpose of making report at the be-
ginning Of the season, of what work
was under way and of hearing from
our committee of streets principally
what was proposed for the future.
The committee on streets was organ
lied and got to work at detailed ex-
animation of the streets during the
winter The report of the chairman
will give you a full account Of the re.
suits of its labors, and of its hopes. II
remains for me to state briefly in what
the executive committee has been en-
gagged and to make some general re-
marks on the wheeling situation in the
city.
Some uncertainty has been occasion.
ed the committee by the unsettled
state of the city government, and they
have not, in view of the prospective
change In the organization of the de-
partment of public works, thought II
wise to suggest to the city authorities
any extensive operations. They have
however, authorized a petition for the
hardening of certain streets, and fol
the bricking of certain intersections OF
streets, on which the street railways
have curves and intersecting tracks
The streets selected for hardening were
those that still remain in the origina
nine squares of the city, in practical