Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-11-08

Santiago bay, who placed old glory
in the place of hated tyranny's flag.
He makes peace and good will to
men, not paradise, but an inviting APP
proach.''
Wide Tires Benefit Roads.
[By DR.. j. o. Reume Toronto Can. !
A vast amount of the present wear
and tear of and injury to roads could
readily be avoided by using wide in
stead of narrow tires on heavily load
ed wagons Narrow wagon tires are
the great destroyers of good roads. The
injury done by these increases as the
wagon gets older and the wheel wob-
bles loosely on the axle. A narrow tire
on an old and heavily loaded wagon
can do more damage ito road in one
trip to market and back than would
pay for a new wagon.
Wide tires, on the other hand, are a
benefit rather than an Injury to the
road. They have a greater bearing and
do not cut into the road. Instead of two
inches of road surface supporting the
load, wagon and all. by doubling the
width of tire the load Is distributed ov-
err twice the amount of road surface.
In making wagons, consideration
should be given not merely to the
strength of the wagon and its wheels,
but also to the strength Of the roads
to be Travelled and the kind of wagon
they have strength to support.
Tests have been made from time to
time of the effect Of wide tires, not
merely on the roads. but also on the
pull required to move the loads. Among
these tests have been those made by
the British Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science In 1902, by the
experimental station OF Missouri Uni
versity of 1897 and, more recently, bS
the u. s. war department. The results
in all cases have been practically the
same:
"a With regard to the roads 1t is
found that wide tires leave a road In
better condition than before passing
over 1t.
(2) AS to tractive effect the only
practical disadvantage of wide tires
arises where the road is so soft that
the wheels sink into 1t and the mud
sticks to the rims and packs between
the spokes. On very hard, smooth
roads. or roads covered with dust, wide
tires require a very slightly increased
tractive effort On all other classes of
roads the advantage is in favor of the
wide tire.
The practical application of the re-
suit of tests is that for traffic on coun-
try roads, IL wide tires of four inches
and upwards are generally used. there
would be a decided improvement In ev-
cry class Of road. The tractive power
required would be less and the cost Of
keeping the roads in repair would be
much reduced If all farm wagons were
equipped with wide tires, the mud
diest and stickiest of our roads would
be very much improved, and many Of
what are now known as bad roads
would be, for the most of the year, In
fair condition.
While the majority OF wagons con-
tinue to have narrow tires, the few
having wide tires are heavier to draw
on very muddy and sticky clay roads;
but on the great majority of roads, the
average country roads, the advantage
is in favor Of the tire four inches wide
and upwards.
1t is urged against wide tires that
they do not roll freely in the ruts made
DN narrow llIeS HoO lollS Sto lA'i Wv
tires are commonly used this will be
the case to some extent; but, on the
other hand, If wide tires were generally
used, the ruts would not exist.
In any case, with narrow tires the
bottom of the ruts made by the mar
row tires are uneven, and the narrow
rims are constantly grinding against
the sides of the ruts, creating the
greatest friction, so that the objection
able difference is not so great as 1t APP
pears on first sight, If it exists at all.
1t is further contended that the wide
tires come in contact with more loose
stones than do those with narrow
tread. The greater resistance offered
in this way is more than counterbal-
anced, however, by the loose stones
dropping into the narrow ruts.
In the one case the wheel goes to the
stone, in the other the stone gets in
front of the wheel. The irregular bot
tom of the ruts and the stones in the
narrow ruts keep up a constant vibra-
ton of the wagon, which transmits a
swinging motion to the tongue, calling
and annoying the horses and destruc-
tive to conveyances.
The Municipal Act of Ontario per-
mits councils to pass bylaws regulat-
ing the width of tires, but unfortunate
~ it has been found difficult to en-
force these especially with regard to
traffic from adjoining municipalities.
To be effective, carefully considered
measure should be adopted, applicable
to the entire Province, and coming in
to effect after period OF years so that
a certain amount of preparation can pc
made by those using wagons.
Wide tire laws are adopted wherever
good roads are maintained at their
best. In the United States, seventeen
states out of forty-f1ve have laws re-
ferring to the use Of wide tires.
The laws of seven impose penalties
for the use of unlawful tires Six
states provide rebates of taxes FOR the
use of wide tires, and four grant re-
bates in rates of toll. In France every
heavy wagon is a roadmaker, win
tires ordinarily from four to six inches
wide. In Germany four inch tires are
required. In Austria the width varies
from to 6A inches.
The character of these laws varies
greatly. In some cases the schedule IS
based on the weight of load carried.
and in others it is based on the size OF
the wagon axle. The states of Mas
sachusetts and Connecticut have most
effective laws, which are vigorously
enforced.
Provincial law, coming into erect
after term of years requiring stated
width of tire for certain sizes OF Was-
- a.r,oe would NOT create hardship,