Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-07-04
ARTICLE NO. 2

articles covering Ine important nigh
way legislation enacted by the 191!
session of the legislature. A read
ing of them will show that many vi
|. tai changes have been made
Except for fragmentary provisions
Wisconsin has no law regulating high
way traffic. With the increase in the
number of motor vehicles, and the ad
vent of the motor truck with it's big
load, within recent years most of the
eastern states have devised measures OF
this character. Wisconsin has just
stepped into the breach with a traffic
regulation law upon which State High
way Engineer Hirst and the Joint
Highway Committee spent much time
and study and which has passed both
houses
In it's broad outlines, it covers the
size, weight on tires, width of tires
weight of load, and speed of motor
public highways. By the term trac-
tor is not meant the farm tractor, but
those used for commercial hauling, as
defined in the bill, " a self-prOpelled We
hicle used exclusively for commercial
hauling purposes"
The new measure limits the maxi
mum gross weight of vehicle and load
combined to "a 900 pounds, and the
maximum gross weight of vehicle and
load combined to $4,000 pounds. The
total weight of the portion of the We
hiCle and load combined resting upon
any wheel is limited to 800 pounds per
inch width Of tire. 1t provides that
motor trucks or commercial haulage
tractors shall have tires of rubber or
some other material or construction of
equal resiliency. 1t limits the width
Of load to 9G inches, and the length to
20 feet, except when the load carried is
loose hay or straw or similar material.
In the matter Of speed, the bill fixes
it for vehicles more than three tons
and less than six. including vehicle and
load, equipped with pneumatic tires at
20 miles per hour; equipped with two
or more solid tires, 16 miles per hour.
Vehicles weighing six tons or more
with pneumatic tires, 16 miles per
hour, and with two or more solid tires,
- miles. Vehicles equipped with metal
tires weighing more than three tons
load and vehicle combined, are limited
to a speed Of six miles per hour. These
speeds are to supplement and not re
place those otherwise specified in the
statute
There are several clauses providing
for exceptions to the operation of the
act Permits may be granted for the
operation of trains of tractors, trail
erS, or wagons not exceeding 100 feet
in length between s p. NJ. and 5 A. M.
on routes specified in the permit. If
necessary to transport "a single article
weighing $4,000 pounds or more, a per-
NIT may be granted upon depOsiting a
bond or certified check to hold the unit
of government granting it harmless
from any claim, and conditioned upon
the restoring of any street or culvert
which may be injured through trans
porting the article.
If a highway or street is liable to be
destroyed or seriously damaged by a
vehicle being in soft condition, the
load weight on tires may be restricted
to 400 pounds per inch by the proper
officials placing sign prohibiting traf-
fic in excess of that over that section of
road. This prohibition may not eX-
tend over sixty days in ANY calendar
year No load on any motor truck,
tractor or trailer, shall project more
than four feet beyond the end of the We
hicle unless during a period after a
half hour after sunset and before one
half hour before sunrise on the next
day, and a red warning light shall be
carried on the projecting load.
The bill strikes at the narrow wagon
tire evil by providing that no wagon or
other wheeled vehicle, except animal
drawn pleasure vehicles. seating less
than eight persons, with tires less than
three inches in width, shall be sold in
Wisconsin after July 1, 1920. This
bars the sale of the twO-inch tired
farm wagon, but permits the sale of
buggies with tires of that width.
1t regulates farm tractor and trac-
ton engine transportation by providing
that no tractor or traction engine with
a fange cleat, spud, lug, or other pro-
lection extending more than two inches
beyond the surface of the wheel, shall
be permitted on public highways.
Another section of the bill prohibits
vehicles from standing along the road
way in such manner as to Interfere
with free traffic, except to make abso-
lutely necessary repairs. There must
be left a free and usable passageway of
at least Is feet.
iCities of the first, second and third
class are empowered to enact such ad-