Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-10
TRUCK MEN CITE
! HEAVY ROAD NEED
Plans for New State High
ways Await Action on
Legislation Proposed
ENGINEERS ARE PUZZLED
Laws to Check Increasing
Stolen Car Menace Are
Also Submitted

Harrisburg. March 1O.---Not until some
agreement is reached on what legislation
Is 70 be passed regulating the size ana
weight of motortrucks in pennsylvania
oan any steps be taken by the state hlsh-
way Department toward the buhdlns
or reconstruction of permanent 'ru'N
fine highways. Tho whole question con-
fronting the road engineers is now
/. much weight must we make the rodu
carry
I The present law carries q maximum
weight regulation of $4,000 pounds puV
the truck associations Of the state are
endeavoring to have this weight regula-
tion Increased TO $4,000 CT 10000 pounds
During past administrations Of the
Il Highway Department the roads nave
been built with foundations OF five incheS
4 ON the sides and seven inches in the CEN
ster, but under the plan to carry 2i'VoV
pound traffic the new specifications call
l for six inches on the side and eight
inches of foundation In the center OF
I re.enforced roads and for seven-inch side
land nine-inGh foundation I'm the center
of plain roads
J. The truck people also desire legisla-
ltion permitting trucks Of nincty-siN
! inches in width instead Of ninety inches
and truck lengths OF tweuty-cight feet
instead Of twenty feet There Is con-
siderable opposition to these increases,
as the majority Of roads are but sixteen
feet wide, and IL would be difficult and
dangerous in many places for eight-foot
wide trucks to pass each other. The
long sweep around curves by trucks OF
great length is also given as an objcC-
tion TO increasing the length.
There has been some talk among mem
bers of the Legislature to increase the
VtVt w=#a
five miles an hour and to rigidly enforce
this provision, but the general consensus
OF opinion is that n limit of thirty miles
an hour will probably be decided upon.
This will Increase the speed from the
present mark Of twenty-four miles an
hour. Another suggestion that will
likely receive favorable consideration by
: the lawmakers will be TO make every
. one exceeding the speed limit finally
adopted responsible for accidents with
out consideration of negligence.
The stolen car evil has caused the
Introduction Of number of bills in both
branches OF the Legislature regulating
sales of motor vehicles and placing upon
all public garage owners certain re-
quirements in tho way of records that
will enable police to readily locate stolen
automobiles. Some garage owners are
objecting strenuously to making the rec
ords required in some OF the blls, but
it is almost certain that some legisla-
tfon will be enacted that viii require
records to he kept Of the car and engine
numbers of all motor vehicles coming
into their hands for storage or repairs.
When there are any signs that show
mutilation of any numbers or attempt
to mutilate numbers immediate notice
must be furnished 20 police departments.
Other proposed bills impose heavy fines
apd imprisonments 10 have in possession
oroperate any motor vehicle from which
either car or engine numbers have been
eliminated.
" There are two bills regulating truck
weights and widths, fixing license fees
and carrying general motor vehicle
regulations before the Legislature, ore
measure introduced by Senator Buck
man and another introduced by Repre-
sentative Dithrich, Of Allegheny County.
The Dithrich bill has had q hearing
before the HouSe Committee on Public
Roads, where number OF amendments
were suggested, and it will likely make
its appearance on the calendar during
the week.