Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-02-22
Local Option In Road Reform.

| ARc NiSCubSiO VI G!O HiuO lliC DIl
tho House on Thursday was instructive,
and its result was encouraging, Oh tho
whole, to the promoters of tho measure.
which proved to havo stronger support
than is usually given at tho outset to
reforms of 80 general scopo. After some
dobato tho House adopted motion to
kill the bill by vote Of 53 to 45-a
majority of 8-but lator reconsidored
that action by vote of G0 to 43-a
ma jority of %, and at tic hour of ad-
journmcnt the measure was left pond.
ing in q condition which will permit ii
to bo mado generally acceptable. The
opponents of tho measure, as appears,
will bo contont to have it passed. if only
tho proposed "local option" feature is
incorporated in it, SO rs to allow Zach
county to dcicdo for itsolf whothor or
not it will adopt tho wido tiros, and tho
friends of tho measure can properly and
safely concndo so much. Tho reform
merits, aftor it has boon triod in any OF
tho counties. Tho thing is to obtain for
it fair trial on any scale that will prove
it's merits. Self-intorost will do tho rost
Tho more progressive counties will
adopt it first, and tho othors will follow.
1t would be wiser and better, no doubt,
to give tho bill general application from
tho outset, but it should not DO imper-
illcd by an effort to that ond of doubtful
success.
While tho measure is pending, how
over, u few points that wore made dur
ing tho debate on Thursday invite alton
ton.
Mr.. Werner, of Oconoo, rs reported,
said that "tho wido tires gonorally
needed more ''rAllng force" This
question was made tho subject of cxten-
| sivc practical tests, conducted by the
Missouri Agricultural Experiment Sta
tion in 1897. We cannot give tho report
of tho trials in full, but tho following
statements arc to the point
On macadam roads tho "avoragc
draft of narrow tires was 0D.I pounds.
That of wide tires WAS 13.I pounds.
On "dry, hard, nearly lcvcl' dirt roads,
''thc average draft Of the narrow tires
was 1878 pounds. That of tho broad
tires was lois pounds.
."Clay road, mud deep, stilr and begin
ming to dry on the surface. At ono end
of the road was soft mud. The narrow
tires made rut seven inches Deep
The average draft Of 'ho narrow tires
was S25.3 pounds. That of the broad
tires was 35l.0 pounds.
"Clay road, muddy, slightly frozen on
top, but not enough, to bear the load on
either set Of wheels. Tho narrow tires
made a rut twelve inches dccp.' The
"avcragc draft of tho narrow tires was
5l9.0 pounds. That Of tho broad tires
was ii7.G pounds.
Tho Missouri experiments extended
over a period Of two years, and discov-
cred that there were "only two condi-
tons of the dirt roads in which there
were any advantage in having narrow
tired vchiclcS"-,when "Soft on the sur
face and hard underneath" and "whcn
the run was deer and steady so that
both of the wheels cut deep ruts and the
mud adhered to the Wheels" Mr..
Lyles's experience, as related on the
floor of the House, is further instruction
on this point. "In hauling a load of
seven and half tons Of rock, in passing
his widc tired wagon went down only
three inchcs." a narrow tirod wagon
following it, with IN S00-pound load
event down eight inchcs.' ole could
not have got to the station in eighteen
years with the narrow tired wagon"
Mr.. Strom, Of Edgcficld, said he had
"twcnty wagons in constant usc," and
used four-inch tire on a clay road.
ole know from personal experience that
he could haul onc-thrd more with a
| wide tire than with a narrow onc."
Mr.. f. ID. Smith thought "the wide
tire bill will involve a great deal of OK
pcnsc Oh the farmers" 1t is estimated
by high authority on the road question
that tho narrow tires arc now costing
the farmers of South Carolina at least
81 900 yearly. The wide tire bill
will not involve nearly that expense. 1t
will save money to the farmers, instead
Of adding to their expenses.
There is no question that the law will
operate bcneiicially in all the lower
! counties, and in most Of the others. The
Legislative and other authorities quoted
prove that the wido tires arc as desirable
for use on "clay' roads generally as on
others. 1t would sucm 10 bc perfectly
proper and safe either to give tho pend.
ing bill general effect, cxcmpting coun-
ties that now desire exemption, or so to
amend it as to allow the people of any
county to adopt it and put it in opera.
ration at thoir pleasure. and
Courier, February 3.
O n 9 T q MR T. "A.
Bears B: tho I7A' Kind You Hare s!Hays Bought