HORSES AND LOADS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1179, 14 July 1911, Page 4

HORSES AND LOADS.

PROPOSED CITY BIT-LAW. With a view to preventing as far al possible tho over-loading of horses, a suggestion was tabled nt last night's meeting of tho City Council that tho City Solicitor be instructed to prepare a bylaw fixing tho cart load for a singlo horse at 35 cwt., and also that tho following condition bo inserted in future contracts entered into by the corporation in regard to the supply of coal: "Thut not more than 35 cwt. of coal shall bo drawn by one horse slmiting, and thnt all horses engaged in tho carting of coal shall bo thoroughly capable of drawing the above load." A deputation representing carters and companies interested, in carting waited upon the council to request that a weight of two tons should remain as at present, the maximum load for a licensed dray. Mr.. T. A. Jluut having explained tho. object oi tlio ilemiration, staled that its members were unablo to see any need for the proposed alteration. The horses employed in city carting wcro perfectly capable of drawing a load of two tons quite easily on level streets. When hills had to bo climbed, leaders were provided. Men who owned private drays, Mr. Munt mentioned, could load tlireo tons upon their drays, and (he council could not touch them. To unduly restrict the loading of private drays would be unfair. Mr. W. A*. Flavell (local manager of tho Westport Coal Company) stated that his company hail to employ a good many drays in curling coal. 110 estimated thnt his company alono would incur an additional cost of XIOO a year if the alteration were made. The reduction proposed was one of 12J per cent., and this would necessarily result, if it were carried out, in correspondingly ineieusiiig the co.-t of toal to ufcrs. Tim remedy for any trouble that existed would bo found if the council undertook to sre that the horses employed were in a fit condition, to draw a load of two tons. Any good horse should be aWo to pull this load on tho level. In carting goods uphill tlireo horses were sometimes employed lo pull a lend of thirty hundredweight*. Tho Deputy-Mayor (Councillor J. Smith) said the proposal to alter the load had been introduced p.s a result of its bcinj reported to tho council that a number of cases of overloading had occurred. Personally, he thought two tons a fair lo.id for a drny. The council might probably see. lit. to alter the words in tho proposed by-law. Tho deputation tl'on withdrew. When the prnposcl by-law came heforfl Iho council. Councillor Fletcher moved that the clause recomniendin'r its adoption bo deleted from Iho report of (he By-lnws Committee. ]f (ho proiiosal were adopted, he f.nid, it would revolutionise the whole, carrying industry, and largely increase Urn oust of carriage. This ultinin(el,v would fall on the general public. Overloading had taken place in some cases, but against this there was a proper remedy in -the prosreutinn of ouVudci*. Eventually tho matter was referred back to the commitlec\