Page:Report from the Select Committee on Steam Carriages.pdf/23

 a mere point; should the materials be soft, such wheels cut their way into the road like a sharp instrument. The owners of Waggons too have adopted, a similar plan. Mr. Macneil states that the actual bearing part of the tire of apparently broad-wheel Waggons, is reduced to three inches, by the contrivance of one band of the tire projecting beyond the others.

With Steam, on the contrary, a certain amount of adhesion to the roads is required to give effect to the action of the machinery, or the wheels would slip round, and make no progress. It appears of little importance therefore, so far as relates to the Engine, whether the requisite amount of friction be spread over a broad surface of tire, or be concentrated to a small point; but as the wheels, by being too narrow, would have a tendency to bury themselves in every soft or newly made road, and thus raise a perpetual resistance to their own progress, it actually becomes an advantage to adopt that form, which is least injurious to the road. The proprietors, who have been examined on this point, seem to be quite indifferent as to the breadth of tire they may be required to use.

These considerations have convinced the Committee, that the Tolls enforced on Steam Carriages have, in general, far exceeded the rate which their injuriousness to roads, in comparison with other Carriages, would warrant; they have found, however, considerable difficulty, in framing a scale of Tolls applicable to all roads, in lieu of those authorized by several local Acts.

With this view they have carefully examined the various modes of imposing Toll, either suggested by the Witnesses, or already adopted. They are as follows:


 * 1) To place a Toll proportioned to the weight of the Carriage and load;
 * 2) On the number of Passengers;
 * 3) On the horse-power of the Engine;
 * 4) On the number of Wheels;
 * 5) An unvarying Toll.

Each of these plans seems liable to serious