New-York tribune., 1907-12-27
PROTEST BY AUTOISTS
Public Hearing Before Park Board
on Use of CHAINS on Tires.

Representatives of city state and national auto
mobile organizations were present at IA public
hearing of the Park Board at the Arsenal sester
day. protest against the recent ordinance which
forbids the Of chains on wheels of vehicles en-
tering the park driving on park thoroughfaTeS
Nearly every organization which had a representa-
tion voiced its sentiment against the action OF the
Park Board.
Previous to the hearing conference was held
at the Headquarters of the American Automobile
Association No. 437 Fifth avenue. at which the
programme was arranged. to who was To pre-
sent the arguments of the automobiiists The 70. =.
lowing were selected: Charles Thaddeus Terry, OF
the American Automobile Association ana the Nd
tional Association of Automobile Manufa acturerS;
w. w Niles and a. r. Shattuck. OF the AutomoniIe
club of America: Russell A. Fields. of the Long
island Automobile Club; Alexander Schwalbach
of the Good Roads Association; Melvin Bender, of
the New York State Automobile Association, and
p ". Strong
Commissioner Smith presided at the hearing
Commissioners Berry, Of The Bronx. and Kennedy,
of Brooklyn, and the assistant clerk. Colonel Clin-
ton II. Smith, were also present
BEFORE Mr. Bender, the first speaker, began his
protest the Commissioner advised him TO leave the
legal aspect of the matter out of the meeting, as
tho ordinance which went into effect December
1e was framed by the Corporation Counsel il was
-y,.1,;, his rrovince to have the legality of the
question determined Mr.. Bender promised TO dis
cuss II from other viewpoints lie said that II was
absurd to restrict any more than necessary the
traffic Of the automobiles in the park, which was
,,rin1arily designed for pleasure purposes The
drveways were limited altogether to pleasure vehi-
cles and automobiles to-day constituted large
part of such vehicles.
tJld
tan districts where the lives of pedestrians were
inperiIled if machine were unable to come to a
quick stop The chains prevented skidding, that
was otherwise inevitable in muddy or cold "eather'
If the park authorities forced them to comply with
the regulations they must stand responsible for the
consequences, he said.
He added that even New Jersey, regarded as the
mother of automobile persecution had no measure
as drastic the recent park ordinance. The use OF
chains on motor vehicles is prohibited on the park
ways but is allowed when the weather conditions
make It dangerous both TO the occupants of the
automobile and those who use the drlveways.
Even the steel caulks on the horses hoofs were
more injurious to the roads than the smooth link
chains which universally used on tires,
In conclusion he questioned the authority Of tho
board to make such mandatory regulation BY
the city charter they were empowered to regulate
traffic, but that did not give them the power to
restrict pleasure vehicles. he said.
Mr.. Maxim, practical motor machine engi-
neer, gave his opinion of the injury that road
suffered by the of chains on automobile wheels
He said that 1t was the only expedient that tex
years of study of the problem brought forth lie
told of his Investigations made on an endurance
when he examined macadamized road after
a hundred machines had passed over it, every one
of the automobiles bearing the chains. The road
he said. had sustained no damage The soft bed OF
the road after stormy weather and the pneumatic
cushion of the tire. according to his view absorbs
the chains. without infcting any appreciable in
jury to the road.
His opinions were corroborated by Charles Thad-
deus Terry. He failed to why the restriction
applied to chained wheels and not to studded
tires. The roads were inadequate for modern
the roads had failed to keep pace. They are the
they were long before the discovery
OF the automobile. new surface should be ap-
piled to the drveways. so that they would be able
to sustain the strain of automobile traffic. The
bad effect of the New York ordinance would travel
TO other cities. which patterned their regulations
after the metropolis he declared.
The popular impression that automobillss are
superior to the law, declared Mr. Niles, had gained
considerable ground but II entirely erroneous
They more amenable reasonable legfsla-
tion than other class of people, this in
stance he thought that their good nature mad been
violated. The enforcement of the new ordinance
in The Bronx would be greatly felt as the only
roads worth travelling in n motor car are
those under the direction OF the Park Department
To compel automobilists to go without chains on
wheels would drive them the other thorough
fares which were in bad condition.
For the preservation of the roads Mr. Shattuck
suggested an emulsion composed of water soft
soap ana OIL This formula is being used with
much success in Boston. Commissioner Smith said
that the department had experimental with the
emulsion but the cold weather forced post-
ponement until another season of the year
Mr.. Field went over The ground that the others
had covered and Mr.. Strong caused a mild sensa-
tion when he asserted that the smooth tires with
the chains did damage to the roads than
the chain bearing wheels.
At the conclusion of the hearing the AutomobIe
Club of America offered TO have tests made to
show the board the effect of the tires upon the
roads in various weather conditions. Commissioner
Smith thanked them and promised communicate
with the club If the board deemed il advisable to
have any such tests.