HEAVY TRAFFIC PROBLEMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 8, 4 July 1911, Page 7

HEAVY TRAFFIC PROBLEMS.

SUGGESTED REGULATIONS. The Taranaki County Council yesterday received from Mr. C. A. Burge, I county clerk, the following consolidated ' result of the conference of delegates from the following county councils, held at Hawera last Thursday. There were representatives present from the Taranaki, Patea, Eltham, Egmont, Clifton, Stratford and Hawera County Councils. The conference discussed heavy traffic and its effect on roads, with a view of regulating the weight to be carried on wheels, and it was decided to recommend the following schedule to be adopted by the various councils concerned: — Weight of loads: On two-wheeled vehicles, 5 cwt. to 1 ton. on 3-inch tyres; 1 ton to 1% tons, 3Vu inches; 1% ton to 2 tons, 4 inches; 2 tons to '2y 2 tons, 5 inches; 2% tons to 3'/ 2 tons, 7 inches. No two-wheeled cart or dray shall carry more than :iy 2 tons. Four-wheeled vehicles (weight of load on each pair of wheels): 5 cwt. to 1 ton, 3 inches; 1 ton to iy 2 tons, V/ s inches; 1 \' 2 tons to 2 two tons, 5 inches; 2 tons to 2'/> tons, 0 inches. No four-wheeled vehicle shall carry more than 2% tons on each pair of wheels. In the schedule for computation of weight of loads, the following to be reckoned as one ton: New Zealand timber, 450 sup. ft.: Australian timber, 350 sup. ft.; 350 bricks. 11 sacks wheat, 14 sacks oats, 11 sacks barley, 12 sacks potatoes, 11 sacks maize, 30 sacks oaten sheaf chaff, or 50 sacks straw chaff, 1% cubic yards coal or 10 sacks coal, or five bales of wool. A cord of firewood is reckoned as 2.5 cwt., and a cubic yard of stone or gravel at the same weight; and a gallon of milK is counted as weighing 101 b. The letter went on: "If these proposals are adopted by the various councils there will be unanimity throughout the Waitotara, Patea, Hawera. Waimate, Egmont, vEltham, Stratford, Taranaki and Clifton counties. 1 would ask your Council to carefully consider the recommendations made, and advise me of any alterations or additions which may be considered advisable. I will then circularise the other councils thereon, still with the object of having a uniform scale throughout the district before re-' ferred to.

MOTOR TRAFFIC. As to niotor traffic, the following resolutions were passed for submission to the various councils: "That each council be recommended to take action to became a registering authority under the Motor Regulation Act, 1008, and that all Aotors in th« county be registered and sirl»y registered number. When a motor. tWr is being driven or ridden on a road ebilßtructwl in a side-euumg with an embankment, or on a road having a fall oh I' mie side, or on a road bounded by or near to a river or stream, the driver in charge of such niotor shall, notwithstanding any rule of the road to the contrary, when meeting or passing any person riding, leading or driving any horse or other animal, or driving any vehicle, drive such motor on the side of the said road towards the embankment, fall, river, or stream, and shall, by signalling or otherwise, warn any such person as to the side of the road on which -i" is about, to drive suelt niotor." The chairman said it was understood that some such provision as this last one was included in the Southland County by-laws, which were understood to have been tested. The Council decided to endorse the recommendations of the conference. Cr. McAUum suggested that a by-law should be framed to provide that ix four-wheeled vehicles the axles of the hind wheels should lie longer than the front, axles, so that the wheels would not track one another, thus achieving the better distribution of the load. The chairman explained that there was nothing in the present law authorising the enforcement of such a by-law. but the matter was one that might well be considered by the Counties' Conference.