HEAVY TRAFFIC BY-LAWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 122, 15 July 1911, Page 6

HEAVY TRAFFIC BY-LAWS.

HA WERA OFROSiTK )N. TJie heavy traffic by-laws recently proposed to be adopted by Vv esc coast County Councils are not meeting witn much favour m Jiawora. a correspondent or lire •‘Star'' wi Rts as follows:—Kindly allow me space in your valuable columns re the heavy traffic by-law's. 1 and several oilier ratepayers thought that the County Councils were taking an extraordinary big step when oewt. must bo upon 3-incn tfies, that is to say lour average men or women driving together in a common dog-cart or gig must have 3-inch tyres. It is absolutely ridiculous • Another correspondent writes:— Kindly allow me space in your valuable journal to say a few words re tho above. I am moused to see through your journal that some of the ratepayers arc not afraid to speak their mind on a just cause. One can’t help but feci sorry for men (it such there bo) who would allow such a by-law to come into force. Sure- 1 ly they don’t mean to tell us that it is our 2 or 21--inch tyres that do tho mischief. If our high lords would only take the trouble to look at the 'foundation of our roads they would surely find the cause. • A SUPPORTER. Recently a good deed of correspondence has boon going on in the Hawefa “Star” regarding the heavy traffic by-laws framed at a recent conference of West Coast local bodies, and the criticism has heretofore been mostly adverse., but a correspondent in Friday’s issue strikes a favourable note. Fe says:—J. 0. Taylor and Another Farmer, according to their letters in last Saturday’s issue, seqm to bo much upset over tho wheelgauge. Mr Taylor states that most of the roads in the Patea County are urmetnllod, and in some instances not formed. Then, in the next breath, he mentions, something or other about five men in a dog-cart will require 3-inch tyres. I always understood that dog-carts, as a rule, wore built to carry four grown-up persons; therefore it is quite evident the Taylovites Jiavc little consideration as to the carrying capacity of vehicles, or sympathy for ike poor horse that docs tho haulage. As regards the young ladies with high-heeled boots, three by two, engineer exasperated, mud disturbing, etc., etc,, why net call it mud-sling-ing at once, for I can almost-imagine • that. Mr Taylor and the Patea engineer, with his £350 per annum, don’t dance.-in the same set; of course, the Patea engineer must be similar to others of his profession—“always gratifying someone’s curiosity.”

In reference to the statement of ‘‘Another Farmer, - ’’ who says that it is absolutely absurd to think that a dray, carrying half a ton, wants more than a 2 .Jin. tyre, common-souse, and so forth. Now, how many milk drays are driven to the factories in a common-sense manner? As a rule they go tearing along with their half a ton of milk, utterly regardless of anything, bar the 4.2 test,- and if a hole in the roadway happens to come along and strike the wheel he may, and he may not, 'condescend tp notice cLa milk-cans doing an Irish jig, and if one happens to dance on to his poor feet, well, lie may think kindly of the road engineer,.- for lie would never'think of blaming 'his own stupidity for not noticing -where ho was driving. With the exception of bullock teams, I maintain that the milk traffic does the most damage to our roads, and when the roads require repairs a halfpenny rate gives them the blues; but this Sin. wheel gauge, appears to give a percentage the staggers. In fact, they are making a mountain cut of a molehill, as it is not necessary to have now wheels in. order to alter the gauge from 24in. to Sin., all that they require is a 3-inch tyre, and allow Jin. overlap on felloes in and out, similar to thousands of vehicles in the old country. Again it is a great protection for the felloes against new metal, kerb stones, etc. I have no doubt the coach-builder would make an allowance for the discarded tyres, especially if Mr Farmer would endeavour to put on Iris factory day cheque smile, instead of the too freguent growl, growl.