Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-03-19
FOR MOTOR TRUCKS
Bill Before the Legislature Fixing
License Fee and Limit
of Capacity

|
other states were represented Mon
day evening at the public hearing in
representatives hall on H. 254, the
motor truck bill. The hearing was
held before the House committee or
highways and bridges, with Mr.. Tay-
lor Of Hardwick presiding. TIE dis
cussion was broadened into q g'.,,.'al
review of road conditions, types, sizes
capacities and weights of trucks,
strength of bridges, and, most impor-
tant of all, proper rates of taxatior.
The speakers included: Harry
Black, secretary of state; F. W. Fem
Of New York, secretary of the ma
tional motor truck committee; COM
missioner Bates of the highway DE-.
partment, Elias Lyman of Burlington,
Mr.. Writer'S of st. Johnsbury, W. S.
Teachout, chief clerk of the state au-
tomobilc department; Howard Bios
som of the Drown Motor company;
James Cushman of Burlington, A. l..
Fcner of the International Motor
company, Mr.. Blood of West Windsor
and others.
At the opening of the hearing, It
was stated that the committee j,
not insisting on this bill as it now
stands, but that it had been draw,
up as a tentative bill, with the rates
on trucks purposely high SO that
ideas could be brought out and fair
average reached. Anybody who de-
sired to do so was invited to speak
on the measure and information wn@
sought.
1t was the general opinion that the
rates provided by the bill are alto
gcther too high and there was a good
deal of difference in the opinions as
to how they should be adjusted. Mr..
Lyman told of his business in Bur-
lington, in which he used several
trucks, and also the tale business in
Waterbury, in which he is interested
where much of the carting is done
with heavy trucks. He said that the
registration fees provided for in this
bill would practically prohibit the use
of trucks in the tale business and
that the rates seemed unfair for the
lighter trucks which he used in and
about Burlington.
Mr.. Writer'S of St. Johnsbury
it best to tax pleasure riders
rather than business interests, and
maintained that it was unfair to tax
a light truck more than heavy
touring eafs- Mr.. Writer'S was quite
active in the discussion and at one
point, following the statement by a
of the committee on high |
ways and bridges that the committee
was asking for information in regaid
to truck matters, because it did not |
pretend to know about them, Writer'S
quickly:
"Then you shouldn't be legislating
on themw
There was a momcntary applause,
then a somewhat strained silence,
broken by few hasty words be-
tween members of the committee and
some ardent truck owners nearby,
which, however soon subsidized. This
was the only really strained moment
during the discussion, although some
rather cryptic remarks were made at
times.
Mr.. Fem of the national motor
truck committee read a lengthy az
ticle in regard to the value of the
truck in all walks of life and quoted
standard requirements for the motor
truck, which, he said, had been a
llopted in many states. He answered
many questions. as did Mr.. Fenncr
of the International Motor Co.
In regard to the weight of trucks to
be operated on the roads of the State
Commissioner Bates maintained that
a six ton limit ought to be made and
that it would be simply impos ;iblc
to build roads in Vermont fer sever
al years which would stand up under
q load of Is tons, such as had beer