Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-10-28

Regarded Gas Mans Protest.
Commissioner McGann Aroused by
Narrow Escape Sunday-Makers
Of the Vehicles Favor
the Law.

tall1lfp ~ me city nutlorltlcs 10 en-
force the automobile ordinance IL fast
becoming II source of popular com
plaint. The latest to protest against
the rcc;lrssuess of horselcss carriage
drivers is Commissioner McGann. who.
while driving on Michigan avenue sun
day. narrowly escaped being run down
by one of the new vehicles. with G. X.
u. Billings on the drivers box.
These facts. together with the cir
cumstancps under which the ordinance
was permitted to become Il dead letter.
make u good story which Is being told
in municipal circles. The ordinance
was fathered bv the administration
and was received by the public ana
| the promoters of the automobile as II
wise ana proper provision. Mayor
Harrison approved it. and the measure
| as drafted by the law department. with
! the advice of the city electrician. Com
missioner Mct.aun and The chief of
police. was readily passed 10y the Coun.
| ell
Whilcit was pending before the Mayor
for signatures G. X, q. Billings called
upon the chief executive I'm regard tO
the city's overdue gas bills. The or.
dinance lying on the Mayors desk at
tracted his attention.
"Do you mean to tell me that ! have
got to get u license to run an automo.
bileI" he asked.
THAT IL the language of the ordin.
ancc." replied the Mayor.
"Wcll. I'd like TO see the city make
me appear before the examining
board" exclaimed the gas man with
characteristic force.
The talk turned to gas bills. hut the
Mayors mind continued to run on au-
to,nobilcs. Half an hour later City
Electrician Ellicott called upon the
Mayor for Instructions In regard to the
enforcement Of the ordinance, he and
the commissioner Of health being made
members of the examining bonrd by
the provisions Of the measure.
".iavc such men rs Billings got to get
licenses under this OrtiinanceT" asked
the Mayor with entire absence Of his
former enthusiasm for the regulation.
"Certainly-they are rs likely to be
incompetent as any other person."
well, I don't think the Inv Will
hold" said the Mayor. dismissing the
subject. "You can't make Il citizen
nay u license 10 ride In his own cur
riagc."
That ended the matter. The ordin
aucc became law without the Mayors
signature, but Mr.. EllicOtt dropped !,
like q hot coal.
Commissioner McGann alone Insisted
that the law was good and should bt
enforced. In his opinion he Is backed
by legal advice as well rs by the auto
mobile people themselves.
Several times while driving about
the city he has narrowly escaped bcini
run down. sunday presence of mint
/, and n quick horse We're all that saved
: him, he says. from being smashed III
by Mr.. Billings automatic turnout III
It rounded the corner Of Michigan ave
nue. and Jackson boulevard.
II wish I had known of Billings tail
with the Mayor sunday" said the Com
missioner. II would have let him TAX
- n wheel on
Notwithstanding the Mayors opir
ion. the operation OF automobiles D.
incompetent persons Is becoming n ~
rious question In the minds OF th0s
= who have watched the increasing us
!, Of the horseless carriage. few ser
!, GUS accidents, Il Is believed. will be sl,i
; ticlent to bring about an enforcement
of the ordinance. Strange as II ma
\ seem. interests directly. concerned
:, the manufacture and sale Of the veh
\ c.es strongly advocate police regul'
!, tions In regard to their operation. The
q desire only competent persons to dAv
:. them, for the reason that every ace
a dent creates prejudice against til
. automobiles and gives rise to the In
~ preston that they are difficult to mni
!, age. Ordinary knowledge Of mechal
4 les, true sight and unlmpalred hearin
), are the qualifications for license untlt
N the ordinance. The fee Is nominal.
"a From police standpoint the law d,
!, partment has held the ordinance to /
is sound. Protection tn life and propert
make such II regulation necessar,
Many Of those most familiar with til
subject believe the operators Of stre'
v cars should also be examined and
Ie censed by the city, The great adva1
m tage to he obtained by the system,
,r addition Ia raising the standard OF con
d potency Of operators, Is that reckless
ness Is reduced to the minlmu
through fear of revocation of n licens
!. Under the existing ordinance, as
:, Paris. the examining board upon goo
- - and sufficient evidence Of careiessnes
- neglect or other display of incomp
tency may revoke u license.
~ Recently q number Of slight nc,
dents have occurred, In one !nsfan'
80 tln fault was with the eyesight'Of Il
a operator. He was near-sighted M
IN had no business on the driving bo
one of the complaints recently reccl
a ed was Of a woman who drove all V
rr liclrs off Prairie avenue In her cffor
% 10 operate an automobile. Several ha'
been upset in the streets. In view
the already overcrOwded condition
the downtown streets and til" lncrea
IN ing popularity Of the horse.ess cii
RI ragc, police regulations for their 90
n trOl are expected To occupy again u
attention of the Council, unless May
Harrison concludes TO enforce the g
=, lsting ordinance.