Pueblo chieftain., 1921-02-20
CONTINUED from Last Sunday

(Continued from Last SuhodJ)
A peculiar result of hurried and un-
sound legislation restricting width oil
vehicles is shown in tho present laws
In Pennsylvania In that state the
law restricts the gross tonnage to 20
600 pounds. and tho width of the motor
vehicle to 20 inches, This width re-
striction makes 1t impossible to equip
tho heavy trucks OF some manufacture
with larger than 6-inch dual tires or
12-inch single tires on tho rear. IL
Pennsylvania would adopt the recon-
mcndations of the Uniform VENICE
law they would allow gross tonnage
OF 5000 pounds and a width of ss
inches This would allow 1000 pounds
more load on the road. but the truck
would have six inches more tire width
which figured at 500 pounds to the inch
OF tire base width, would give 4,eW
pounds that could be carried on TINS
additional tire or 2i0 per cent moro
tire than the additional load required
Figured another way the present law
allows 5000 pounds on IS inches OF
rubber, or T2s pounds TO the inch. IL
the laws complied with the Uniform
Vehicle law there would be cs,"V
pounds carried on 4, inches OF rubber
or Cos pounds to the inch. In other
words, the present load per inch or
tiro is per cent greater than the pro-
posed Uniform Vehicle bill would pro-
vide.
Road widths In England
John A. Brodie. president OF tho In
stitution Of Engineers. in his annual
address delivered in London. England.
November ., 1870. said that 2f-foot
roads with so-foot rights OF way were
too narrow to take care OF traffic now
in sight In tho territory conroied
by Liverpool. where he is the city en-
glneer. they have adopted 1co feet be
gns h1
building line twelve feet from the
fences. making total width between
buildings of lN feet. The Lancashire
County Survey. taken on a portion or
the main route to Manchester. showed
that traffic had increased lSh- times as
compared with tho traffic OF 1917. and
Mr.. Brcdie states that traffic had IN
creased in like proportion on oiher
routes between great centcfs- lie re.
commands fourwsy roads with q righi
OF way as wide as $50 feet IN some
cases. and does not hesitate to say
thai in these cases II would be profit
able TO tho country at large TO spend
a. hlzh as $500 600 n mile on such roads,
lie concludes that a very thorough re-
construction ot tho road system Is one
OF the most urgent problems of the
time. This Is tho attitude legislatures
must take. We cannot stop this traf-
fic by legislation. Wo must build
roads to Accommodate It,
Gross weight uestrtrtiou
We come last to the restrictions OF
gross weight, and around this subject
,,,ost Of tho truck legislation will con-
tor in the next few years. We hear on
ali aides at every road failure that well
known saving, ''Sce what these heavy
trucks have done TO our roads. rms
popular misconception OF the agencies
that 90 to damage the road is the basis
tonnage lrElSll-
lion Is passed. Unfortunately 1t is one
a, tho cases in which tho damage Is
done bv forces unseen and not thoroy
understood. and until tho last year hy
forces never known OF measured
Roads are damaged by impact OF
or subsoils. by the presence OF water
in tho suhsoil and by frost action. Let
~ first consider Impact, as that Is
factor VIC can control through legisia-
tion. and since the other agencies, sou
water and frost arc outside the 1uris
engineer to meet with his knowledge
and experience.
Army Recommendation
Tho army has naturally given tho
subject OF roads serious study. Their
,,.,rnrtance in tho World war cannot
he ovor-cmphasized. Army officers be
iio,,, that there should be n system OF
Sational roads designed To sustain
~ heaviest loads not only those an
used under present conditions, but TO
nroytde Tor future needs. some rec
Commend a gross tonnage per Nehicio
as HIGH as fifty tons while tho small
est tonnage recommended is thirty
IONS This naturally applies to
Ia their study of roads for war pur-
,osc4 they note that road develop
incnt in this country is still far pehlho
Tnropean countries and behind our
own Industrial requirements. They
call particular attention to the De
struction OF fair roads thru lack OIL
naIntonance, and traffic permitted on
weak roads while tho frost was COM
ING in or going out. They also recoE-
nfzo the fact that during period OF
var IL will be necessary to move ma
tcrlal over main highways In eStraor-
binary quantities and that these loads
will run over tho roads providing tho
hest route, no matter what restrictions
any particular state may have passed.
In other words. we must take im.o
confederation tho possibility of war
vyog of main routes OF travel and
buitd them accordingly, and when they
= -, b,,ilt IL would be folly not TO allow
their full use for commercial purposes
In tho report of tho State Comrnis-
.ioner of Highways OF the state OF
New York for 1918, In reviewing tno
uses of New York roads 1or snip.
,,en.a Of war materials he states that
.,,ha attention Of the Federal authori-
tias was carly called to the fact thht
n considcra BILE portion of the improved
road in the western part of the state
yyns showing signs OF disintergration'
and II was suggested that, IL posslple,
traffic be deferred wholly or IN part