The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1914-12-25
Road Commission wins its big
contention.

AS result OF the practlcal Demon
stration under actual average road con-
ditions, the State Roads Commission has
established beyond any reasonable
doubt that the destruction of the
States high grade roads, through driv-
ing traction engines over them with
heavy cleats on the engine wheels
which tear the surface to bits. is en-
tirely unnecessary.
The test made by the Road Commits
sion through Western Maryland was
completed last Friday.
The demonstration and test is the
result of an assertion of traction en-
CINE owners of Maryland that engines
cannot be operated over the roads with
out cheated wheels The Roads Commits
sion declared this was a fallacy and
they obtained a tractor, covered its
cleats with removable steel bands and
had the trip made.
Throughout the journey the engine
pulled a thrashing machine and filled
water wagon, the whole load weighing
Is tons. The trip was made with
out mishap and was made in good
time. The roads officials hope after
this demonstration that the people ano
courts of the State will cooperate with
them in enforcing the law prohibiting
the operation of cleated wheels engines
on the State roads.
The demonstration trip proper start
ed at Cumberland on Tuesday two
weeks ago. AS matter of fact it be
gan about "a miles the other side of
Cumberland near Fintstone, where the
owners of the engine live, so that the
cal distance which was trav-
ersed when the engine reached
Frederick was about I24 miles.
In covering that distance the engine
probably was put to the severest
test possible in this State. 1t
traversed up and down mountain and
hill, the smooth, perfected modern road,
and it made its way over soft earth
in Two places for distance of sevl n
miles, where new roads have not been
finished. Finally it was operated in
clear weather and in rain.
There is nothing complex about the
demonstration engine. The cleats were
removed from the front wheels,
leaving fiat tire. On the rear wheels.
which propel the engine, an iron band.
about one-half an inch thick and eight
inches wide, was circled around
each tire, so as to cover the cIeaA. 1t
is bolted to the tire in way that per-
mits easy fastening and removal.
When the band is attached the tire
offers an absolutely fiat surface to the
road. .
The controversy found its origin in
the effort of the State Roads Commits
sion to enforce an act of the last Legis-
lature forbidding the use of the new
State roads to/traction engines with un-
covered cleats. The act had been pass
ed at the instance of the commission
The cleats on the wheels of che heavy
traction engines cut deeply into the
new roads.
fragrant violations Of the law against
use of uncovered cleats led the COM
mission to cause the arrest of a num-
Der of owners of traction engines in the
state during the last few months
When tried in September, a large
number of owners and farmers testifi-
ed that if the law were enforced, it
would be impossible to move thrashing
machines along the State roads from
farm TO farm and that, in consequence,
many farmers would be unable 20 have
their wheat thrashed. The commission
put on the stand witnesses in rebuttal,
but the court held against it. The
commission then took an appeal
In the meantime, feeling that the
traction engine owners and farmers of
the State misunderstood the facts, the
commission decided upon the demon
stration.