The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-04-12
LICENSING BICYCLES.
Views Of Wheelmen on the Proposed
Ordinance

Path P1sn-Others Favor the Ordinance
Tho Ordinance as it Reads.
Many Portland Wheeluen do not like
the proposed bicycle ordinance which is
now pending before the city government,
If the views expressed to Il PRESS man
represent the general sentiment on the
sub5ect. The wheeimen say they want
no cycle paths; their aim is to secure
better roads. And they say more than
that that they do not want to wear dog
collars In other words they object to
hanging or fastening signs on their BIZ
CYCLES bearing the license numbers. just
what and how large these would be the
draft of the ordinance does not make
clear, except that they must be large
enough to be Distinctly seen,
The objections of the wheelmen may
be classified under the two general heads
mentioned above. They say they are
willing to be taxed for their bicycles, but
they object to being subjected to a IL
cense, and thsy want the same rights
for bicy cles il the streets as are ac-
corded TO other vehicles, being opposed
to the construction of bicycle paths OF
any similar oontrivsnce to set the wheel
men apart as class by themselves, An
other point raised in reference to thu
license system is that under it the city
will lose one-tenth OF the amount col
lscted, that proportion being given to
the city clerk as fees for issuing and
recording the licenses. The wheelmen
who were seen by The PRESS were In
positions which entitled them to speak as
representatives for others, ana a ma
iority seemed TO be in opposition to
the measure. Some said they had no
objections to paying license instead of
tax il that was so be the end of it. with
out bicycle paths and tags, but they
were against the ordinances Others
were In favor of the ordinance as it is
and a gentleman in position to know
stated last night that in his opinion
vote in the Wheel clu b on the measure
below represent the views of the wheel
men on both sides of the QUESTION;
Mr.. PHILIP G. KILBORN,
president of the Portland Wheel club,
that there was no necessity for such an
ordinance. Bicycles should be taxed as
other property and to that of course no
reasonable man would object, but the
wheel men, so far as he knew, did object
to the requirement that they should put
tags or signs on their wheels and they
were opposed to the proposed bicycle
xuh ioh hod 1p0
to the construction of such paths as that
from Brooklyn to Coney Island do not
exist here. The Portland wheelmen are
anxious to see the roads improved and
they ask for no special legislation for
their exclusive benefit. Mr.. Kilborn
said that it rec ned to him that if the
path on Washington street was built 1t
would SUBJECT Dioyclists who met acci-
dent while riding in the carriageway in
that street 30 the necessity of answering
the question, "Why weren't you over
on the path where you belongs" 1t
would tend to the injury of the bicy clists
rather than to their benefit by imposing
upon them what the people who used
the rest OF the road would regard as an
obligation to use only this track.
Mr.. PERCY Il. RICHARDSON
has for IS years been identi fed with the
interests of the Maine bicyclists and has
held high offices in the League of Anne
rican Wheelmen. Mr.. Richardson spoke
freely upon the ordinance. lie said that
he was somewhat opposed to that part Of
it which provided for bioy Gle patti on
Washington street. "We want good roads
for the benefit of the entire community"
said Mr.. Richardson, land we are op-
posed to these proposed paths. in q
number of states where legislation as
to licenses has been enacted such as is
proposed by this ordinance, the League of
American Wheelmen has made test cases
and wherever this has been done, SO far
as know, the courts have declared the
license to he unconstitutional. Whether
such case would be made in this city
If the ordinance passed 1 do not know.
Participation in such a course by the
league would be dependent upon cir
oumtanoes. do know of one Port
land man, however, who says that he
will refuse to take out license. This
gentleman told me that he is now pay
ing taxes on three bicycles and ia willing
to continue TO do so, but rather than put
signs on them like the collar on a dog.
he will resist tbs law. This gentleman
voices the ideas Of many wheelmen, al
though my own opposition to the meas
uTe is based solely upon the provision in
relation to the construction of the bi.
cycle paths, and l know that the BIZ
cyclists who like myself have been en-
gagged in this good roads movement for
IS years, do not want to see it diverted
from an effort to secure better ways for
all the people into demand for special
legislation for the bicyclists. One great
objection to the building of bicycle paths
was illustrated last year when gentle
man who has a summer house five or six
miles from town, constructed such