Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-17
Bill to Regulate Width of Vehicle
Tires in District.
Mr.. BABC0CK'S PROPOSITION
Representative Believed Action Neces-
sary for Preservation Of Streets.
LOCAL SENTIMENT Is AvERsE
Commissioners Expected to Give .
Hearing Upon the Measure-
Views Of Citizens.

Views Of Citizens.
The proposition to regulate the width 81
vehicle tires in the District. which has call
ed forth protests frozn merchants and
prominent business men in Washington. did
not emanate from the District building. Il
is stated: and although there has been q
bin introduced in the House providing q
regulation which VIII require all wagons
weighing with their loads over two tons to
have tires at least four inches wide. It has
never been referred to the Commissioners.
therefore 1t has never been approval or dis
approved by them, desptt the fact that nu-
mrous letters have been written to them
protesting against their "broad-tlre BILL"
Col. Biddle, Engineer Commissioner. has
never given an official opinion upon this
proposed legislation. but said today that he
does not think 1t Is necessary TO Increase
the width Of tires to preserve asphalt or CO
ment but macadam surfaces are easily at
fected by narrow tires, II the tires are On
heavily laden wagons.
This bill to require four-inch tires. 1t II
declared can be traced to Chairman Bah
cock of the District committee OF the House
Of Representatives. When party OF con-
gressmen, of which Mr.. Babcock was q
airy visited the dedication of the new High
way bridge across the Potomac river. Mr..
Babcock It Is said. decided that Washing
tons streets should be preserved by the
use Of wide tires upon heavy wagons. He
requested Commissioner Mcfarland to have
the corporation counsel prepare as promptly
as possible draft of bill which would
cover this question. Commissioner Macfar-
land carried out the wish Of the District
committee chairman. and a week later the
desired bill was in the hands Of the latter,
but nothing Of a definite nature has hap
pened to 1t since, except protests.
Commissioner Biddle's Action.
Later. when Col. Biddle. District Engineer
Commissioner. learned that this legislation
was being prepared. he directed Capt. Nor
row, assistant commissioner, to make re-
port to him upon the effect Of heavy traffic
stated that it is fully realized that the traf-
f1c, especially the hauling Of brick. which
now uses the new bridge. Is Objectionable.
He said that any bad conditions that may
be created upon the surface Of the ap-
prroaches at the new bidge could be avoided
by requiring brick wagons and other heav-
lily laden wagons to use wide tires.
1t Is likely that before the Commissioners
posed legislation they will call for a public
hearing In order to learn the views Of the
general public.
Business Men Opposed.
Business Washington is practically unani-
nous in opposition to the passage by Con-
gress Of q rider that Is attached to Rep
resentative Babcock's bill for the tenn
porary maintenance Of the Long Bridge
over the Potomac and for other purposes
The rider In question proposes to impose
upon a large class Of District business men
what Is generally described in commercial
circles as IAN onerous burden" by COM
polling them to provide for a certain class
of business vehicles specifying wheel tires
not less than four inches broad" Under
other vehicle Weighing when loaded more
than two tons must after its passage be
provided with the wide tires.
Many business men were interviewed to-
day by Star reporters concerning the merits
Of the Babcock bill rider. and they all
voiced strong opposition to its enactment
into law.
Mr. John L. Newbold president of the
Merchants Transfer and Storage Com
pany, said he had just received from the
District Commissioners communication
stating that the rider" had never been
referred to them, nor had it ever been san
toned or discussed by them. This denial
was regarded significant in view of the
statement Of certain members on the floor
of the House that the Commissioners had
approved the proposition.
1.-The business men of the District" said
Mr. Newbold, who are the parties directly
interested, cannot find any one here advo-
eating the 1Our-lnCn TIRE pTOJeCt II WILL
If passed. serve no purpose but that Of i'm
posing an onerous tax upon US.
We can only find one city in the United
States that enforces a wide-tire law. and
that city is Denver, Col. The experiment
was tried in England for several years.
but was finally abandoned as a dismal
failure
THE section Of Representative Bah
cocks bill. If passed not only means the
changing of the wheel tires. but many
wagons now in use will have to be en-
tirely reconstructed. The two-ton weight
laden vehicle described in the rider" will
cover practically every two-horse wagon
in the District of Columbia and many
one-horse vehicles. 1t will apply to ap-
proximately 5000 vehicles and involve an
about 100000.
Tax Upon All Others.
Another thing" added Mr.. Newbold at
will also impose a tax upon all the citizens
of the District, whether they own vehicles
or not The concrete companies declare
that the proposed wide tires in combina-
ton with the narrow tires Of other wagons
and carts will increase the damage to the
roadways and cause the companies to
make greater repairs at an additional cost
Therefore" concluded Mr. Newbold,
"all the citizens of the District. instead of
few business men. should be fighting
this objectionable measure"
1t was the belief of some Of the business
men that the rider" was added to the
Babcock bill at the instance of officials of
the War Department to protect the ap-
proaches to the new highway bridge across
the Potomac from the heavily laden brick
wagons that are constantly crossing that
ton it will do grave injustice to the bust
ness men of Washington.