Evening star., 1925-09-15

sized the fact that oftentimes heavy
logging chains We're wound around the
wheels of these trucks to help them
force their way through the rutted
snow. Under such conditions the
streets get pounding strain they
were never built to withstand.
This brings US quite logically to our
second reason why the worst Is yet
TO come" in the wear and tear of our
streets-they are going TO be fright
fully truck-torn, and it was known by
the Commissioners and their advisers
two years ago that this would happen.
Fixed Truck Loads.
The District Commissioners, after
very careful consideration and public
hearings and the report of a special
committee made up of District Off
cials and representatives of civic or
ganiZations, some two years ago an
nounced their decision as to what is
the proper legal, load for trucks.
They fixed this load as one receiv-
| lations the maximum load of $4,000
pounds, of which not more than so
per cent would be on the rear axle
! with a further provision that no tire
should be loaded in excess of 500
pounds per inch of width.
| They fixed this load as one reveiv-
| ing approval throughout the country
and favorably regarded by Thomas H.
Macdonald, chief of the Bureau of
Public Roads. who so testified recently
before the Senate investigating COM
mittee. This maximum legal truck
LOAD in the District is probably greater
than the existing limit in a large num-
Der of States, and notably larger than
in Maryland. where the limit is 20 900
pounds instead of $4,000.
The big consideration that induced
the District Commissioners to favor
that regulation for weight was that
greater economy in transportation
woud result from allowing big unit
loads. The Commissioners thought
was confirmed from the experience of
the Government fuel yards, where the
difference in cost on smaller loads and
larger loads was carefully studied, as
the best practical example showing
actual working conditions in the Ma
tional Capital.
Recognized Harm.
The Commissioners recognized that
the 28,000truck load would be harm
full to a very large percentage OF our
pavements. They concluded that a
saving in transportation cost-which
they figured is saving bound to
come to the consumer = would be
greater than the increased cost of re-
pairing the roadways.
Their attention was directed to the
analogy of the experience Of our
great railroads. The cars are con-
stantly being made larger, rails
stronger and engines heavier In a pro-
gram of transportation economy
through larger unit loads. They have
done this even at the expense OF re-
building grades, putting in stronger
roadbeds, relaying tracks and rebuild
ing bridges. They went to such
heavy expense just to reduce trans
portation cost.
That having been decided - that
there is an economy in transportation
by heavy truck loads at the expense
of street repairs, but greater than
the cost of repairs-in common justice
it must be recognized that at least
part of this saving must go into
larger appropriations for street renair
work. If not, the streets will break
down-and if there are not streets
strong enough to bear the weight of
the heavy trucks, the trucks can't
run, or will get stuck in a rutland
then where is the saving, after all?
Here's something else that must be
considered. The District is peculiarly
constituted in regard to the trans
portation of loads Of maximum weight.
Other States might to a large extent,
and actually do, establish regulations
for q maximum truck load on primary
roads, and a lesser maximum on Sec
ondary roads. But the condition of
our traffic is such that it is an illusion
to try to attempt this. Our truck loads
here in Washington must pass from
the source Of supply, whether 1t be
the yards of a dealer, or a railroad sid
ing, or a sand pit, direct to the con-
sumner at a building operation or de-
livering a load OF coal to the individual
householder. In order to make such
trip the heavy truck load must pass
over our primary roads and then to
roads of inferior strength and even
into an alley, paved or unpaved Much.
If not most, of this street surface was
never designed to carry such load.
SO we have thus set up the ad-
disability of a 2S,000-pound truck load
and the fact that the nature of our
raffic Is such that nearly every truck
load must pass over streets that can
carry it and more roads that cannot
carry it, which makes the problem
of maintenance one of increasing inn
portance under the new, legal truck
load. This condition means that our
streets are going to be torn to pieces
by the trucks, and that they must be
rebuilt the sooner and with stronger
foundation.