The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-07
WILL BE LICENSED
OWNERS OF BICYCLES WILL HAVE
TO DIG UP A DOLLAR.

be Passed BY the City Councli-Mayo
plains the Plan wichits Only Follow
Ins the Example Of Larger Ciiies-Bo,
Wheel and Wheeling ID Regarded Il
Bavaria.
Bicycles are to be licensed in Wichita
yesterday:
why not? Our buggies. wagons ant
all other vehicIes-our watches and othe
personal effects not half so expensive a.
the wheels are taxed, and why not ta1
the bicycles?
How are you going to do it?"
in a regular way and nothing may come
Of it. but there is general sentiment ir
it. but there is general sentiment IL
favor Of taxing bicycles OF imposing. a
license. My idea would be 20 have every
owner OF a wheel pay dollar year and
have his machine numbered and tagged.
why not assess them il the regular
| way, according 10 valuation"
There are from two TO three thousand
| wheels in this city. A great many young
| fellows own wheels who do not own any
;hing else and do not pay taxes. The as
SCISSOR would have 10 be personally &C
| Quainted with all OF them 10 get the
! properly. and ii would cost more to hunt
| them al. out than the revenue would
amount to; 50 1 would favor imposing a
! license of one dollar on each wheel and
| assign ii a numbered tag"
| Mayor Ross proposition will probably
be taken up a, some meeting OF the city
council soon and discussed, and il talk
about town indicates anything it will be
put into an ordinance.
If this step should be taken Wichita
! will only be following al the large cities
in this country and Europe. With prob
ably. only three notable exceptions all the
large cities OF the country impose a IL
cense upon bicycles. The following letter
from Bavaria Is apropos and will be Of
interest to cyclists:
Munich, Bavaria. June 20.
after three months wheeling IN Mum
icl and within 100 miles OF the city. my
advice to all Americans coming 10 Ger
many is to join the League OF American
Wheelmen before they come. and to
bring passport with them. League
membership costs but dollar per year.
while the passport costs but little more.
and both will be found invaluable in this
land, where every difference is paid to Of
fetal documents Of every sort. When
INT "a
do. bring out your League card with a
flourish and. If your experience Is any
thing like mine, you Will be delighted
with the results. II the membership card
Is not enough. have found out that me
passport, with its splendid red seal. is
very effective. Failing that the visitor
might read the Declaration Of Independ-
ence to any officer who found him trans
crossing the many rules and regulations
that may spoil bicycling for many ven
turesome strangers here.
II brought two American wheels with
me TO Munich, and after glance at the
finely macadamized streets began to pre-
pare for some good riding. Some Ger
mans whom met in the bicycle shop to
which sent my wheels for cleaning were
aghast at my temerity. |
what" they exclaimed. Ride your |
whee. in Munich before learning enough |
German to understand the signs. II is i
madness. Besides, you can't ride until |
you pass your examination and get your
numbers"
Upon investigation I found a rather
curious state Of affairs, judged from our
American standpoint. In the first place.
every bicycle in Munich has to carry two
metal numbers. one fastened to the ham
ile-bar and the other behind the saddle;
my number is 1885 from which il seems
that there are a good many wheels in use
here. These numbers are issued by the
police authorities. and cost five marks
s1.25). They enable the police 20 identify
and fine a rider who breaks a rule. IL
-ou run over and kill any one, any per-
son witnessing the act can take your
number, go 20 the police Office, ard find
,ut who you are, thus permitting the
friends 10 begin suit for damages. In
lew York the bicycler who runs down a
,elpess pedestrian coolly rides away az
err giving a fictitious address. The Ger
/
numbers on a Munich bicycle must be
,ept where the police officers in the street !
an see them easily. II you hang a Goa; /
II q bundle on the handle bar SO that {
he number is hidden. the next policeman i
viii stop YOU with . warning 10 not do
o again. AS 20 riding without number |
ne first policeman met will take the Of
ender TO the station house al once. c
The frs; thing to do was evidently II 7
e. numbers. and Tor tina; purpose went
} the police headquarters. and in the c
es, Gem coIld muster made known /
~ kan.s. Thanks 70 my League card.
la;ters were rapidly arranged. ana az
r giving my name. age. birthplace and q
RECESSION. l was told that should soon a
~ card inviting mo 20 come az Ger
.in time and by riding my bicycle show /;
lie police tina, nigh: be trusted not 70 6
1danger the lives OF citizens by incom- .
etent riding. Without such public
ial no numbers could be issued In due
me postal card arrived requesting my
cpea-auce "a a certain place and within
,rcain hours. when I must show tha:
,uld not only ride. but that I could Z
Iount the wheel withou. assistance. 7.
As always been matter OF regret 10 me A
lat circumstances prevented my public Y
ppearance in tie Munich bicycle ring .
happened tha: as the police do not al <
W you 20 ride wheel here without. a
AXE I had sent my bicycle to a repair {
Top % have che po. On. and /; lid no.
= back u lime Before another trial &
~ came ne institution had been ab3l-
he'd. AL lad 20 do was % pay ny :