The record-union., 1899-02-16

(Continued from Third Paze)
only licenses in the power Of thf
Boards of Supervisors were those out
side of Incorporated cities
A diversity of opinion on the sub.
ject developed. but it was decided thai
the purpose was to take all licenses
imposed by the Supervisors, either in
city or county.
Putnam Of Sonoma said it would be
| also necessary to change the provision
putting licenses into the general fund.
Church Of Alameda raised the point
that by law no taxes can be levied in
cities for the maintenance Of country
reads.
/ Henderson Of San joaquin suggested
| that fees from the county offices could
be put into the road fund instead of the
| license tax, and thus avoid the diff
Guilty.
| jenkins of Sacramento said the deci-
sion in the Folsom road case had, he
thought, settled this proposition. He
thought, however, that the proposition
to put into the road fund the licenses
collected outside of cities would no more
be special legislation than the present
system.
Mr.. Ayers said roads were feeders to
| cities, and the latter were not averse
to helping to get good ones.
Roeth alluded to the bill before the
Legislature providing for the building
| of tunnels by the Boards of Supervis-
ors, and moved that an Endorsement of
it be incorporated in the report of the
! committee
Henderson said that in San Joaquin
County they manage to take a large
slice out of the general road fund for
bridges, sprinkling, etc. He thought
this took considerable from the city in
this way.
| Ayers suggested that the recommend
alton regarding licenses be stricken out
Of the report, as they were getting con-
siderable out of the cities now, and
had better not press the matter too
hard.
| Randall of Contra Costa moved that
part of the report be stricken out.
The motion, was lost, and the report
referred back to the committee. The
tunnel matter was also referred to the
committee with instructions to incor-
porate it in the report.
BICYCLE PATHS.
a paper by John Roll Of Santa Clara
on the bicycle and bicycle paths was
as follows:
To the Honorable Convention of Super
men: l beg leave to call your attention
| to the position which the bicycle has as
sumed in relation to the public highways
Oh o. TINS state; When this machine FIRST
| that it would ever become more than a
vehicle to be used for pleasure and rec
reation. 1t was looked upon by most peo-
pie as fad, and was viewed by many
| with contempt. But public sentiment in
| this respect has experienced a radical
change. While. the bicycle is still used,
and exercise, it has become a necessity
in the transaction of business. Especially
is this true in Santa Clara County, where
| the excellence of our roads invite the use
of the wheel as a means of transporta-
ton at all seasons of the year and to all
points. In this county alone there is in
cycles. They are employed by people of
all classes and conditions, and in all
branches of business, and have no doubt
that this use is as extensive, proportion
/ ally, in other counties as in the county of
Santa Clara. Since the advent of the b.
cycle in California the price of the ma
chine has been reduced more than so per
cent, and this reduction in price must
| necessarily increase the use. In stating
these facts / am only calling to the at
| tention of this convention a condition of
l
every member of this honorable body,
and 1 do it for the purpose of impressing
upon you the necessity of considering the
claims of the bicycle in your deliberations.
| Those who own and use the bicycle are
not only many in number. but they are
generally taxpayers, and have rights On
the, public roads that their money con-
structS and maintains. Heretofore they
| have, in a great measure, been denied
| their rights; they have been looked upon
| as interlopers and have, generally, been
%zIx -tx1cr h toll
they have been denied the rights of the
road" and have been compelled to great
| Inconvenience and disadvantage. The
question that ask to have considered is
/ veniences on the public roads to which
! their standing as citizens and taxpayers
entitle them without too great an ex-
pense.
Two years ago the Legislature, recog-
nizing the growing Importance of the BIZ
| cycle, enacted law giving Boards of
| "set apart on any public road or highway
| a strip of land not exceeding six feet in
width for a side path, and make an order
| designating the width of such path, and
| the road to be located and marked by
| stakes or posts placed at such distances
| apart as they shall deem proper. After
said path has been set apart and the line
| separating the same from the road has
1 been located and marked, as aforesaid,
the use of the same Is restricted to- pedes-
hicles propelled solely by the power of the
| rider The expense of erecting and main
tanning such path may be charged to the
general county fund, the general road
fund and the district fund of the district
| or districts benefited
| If any of the Boards of Supervisors rep
resented in the honorable body have avail
ed themselves of the provisions of this
/ Act their experience might furnish some
| valuable information which, l trust, will
be given to the convention and a full dis
1,r1 NE1~x mt no r.
ton Of bicycle paths has been commenced
in Santa Clara County, but the work has
not progressed sufficiently to afford much
practical information, either as to meth
cd, of construction or as to the best ma
terials to be used. But enough has been
| done to convince me that the construction
of these paths will not only furnish. to
| wheelmen the rights and conveniences 10
| which they are entitled on our public
highways, but will also be of inestimable
benefit to the roads themselves; that the
| expense of constructing the bicycle path
| will cut a very small figure when COM
| pared with the money saved in the ex-
| pense of future maintenance and repairs
| way is the most important element in its
| maintenance. 1t is next to an impossible
| ity to secure good roads without good
drainage. The construction of bicycle
path on the side of the road furnishes a
perfect gutter, which, with little expense.
| can be kept free from obstruction. It
affords a uniform crown 10 the roaaw WY
| makers of practical experience. In Santa
| Clara County we have had great deal of
trouble with people who insist on ploWlng
| up the sides of the roads adjoining their
premises No ordinance that we have
| been able to enforce has enabled US to
| prevent this practice The result has been
| that the cutters and bitches have been
/ obliterated; the. water from rainfall has
! been forced on to the roadway and the
road bed seriously damaged or utterly
! DESTROYED. 1t costs more money, as far
as / have been able to estimate, TO re,