THE TYRE REGULATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1541, 24 August 1905, Page 2

THE TYRE REGULATION.

THE BY-LAW UJfHELD. Mr Barton, S.M., gave judgment for the Cook County Council yesterday in the oase against Archibald Douglas Hay, and in the case against John Dever an adjournment was made. In the former case his Worship delivered judgment as follows :—“ The Cook County Counoil, finding that the roads under its control were being cut up and damaged through the use of narrow-tyred wheels on drays and waggons, framed a providing that the width of tyres on the wheels of all drays and waggons using certain roads within the county shall, in proportion to the number of horses and class of vebiole, be according to an appointed scale. The defendant is charged with a breach of that by-law by driving his two-wheeled dray with tyres of a less width than is pre- | scribed in the by-law along a portion of a road under the control of the said Council, known as the Waerenga o-kuri road. The faots are not in dispute, but defendant contends that the by-law is bad on the ground that it is unreasonable, viz., that the use of tyres of the width prescribed in the by-law would be dangeroue, by causing the dray to skid on those parts of the road having papa formation. It was within the power of the Council, instead of regulating the width of tyres to be used on vehicles, to have prohibited heavy trafiic altogether during the months of May to September inclusive, but instead of doing so the iooal body has made a by-law allowing heavy traffio on the roads (provided that tyres of a preseribed width are used. It is obvious to my mind that the wider a tyre thß greater the risk of [skidding on slippery roads, but allowing that to be so [ do not think that that is sufficient to warrant me in sayiDg that the by-law is mreasonable, seeing that narrow tyres are tllowed to be used on the roads under carain conditions. The restrictions as to yres is only in force for four month:— 'iz., from 15th May to 15th September—,ad if oarriers oonsider the use of wide yres to be dangerous they have the alterative of using a different class of vehicle, ?ith narrower tyres, during these months Ihrough the difficulty in obtaining metal he roads in this distriot in winter time get t a very bad state, and it is . therefore eccstary for the local .body to endeavour possible to keep them in a passable conition for the benefit of the general pnblio, ad for that reason the by-law in question 3,3 been passed, lam of opinion that the p-law is not unreasonable, -Defendant is invioted and fined 10b, with"'costa £3 JBa 74"