The times., 1899-03-22
MANY WHEELNEn
NOT using LAMPS
Much Complaint at the Viola
tion of the Law.
Cab Drivers Also Accused of Dis
obeying the Regulations.
New Orders May BE Issued to the
New Orders May BE Issued to the
Police to Strictly Enforce
the Rules.

With the opening of the wheeling sea-
son complaints are being heard upon all
sides relative 10 the persistency with
police regulation which requires all wheels
10 carry lighted lamps at night. Cabmen
also are violating the law.
Pedestrians in all parts of the city are
again compelled TO submit TO this danger,
and they insist that the Police Department
enforce the regulations. The law requires
all wheelmen TO carry lamps and TO have
the same lighted an hour after sunset.
Each day adds to the number of bicycles
that are being brought out from the Gel
lars, where they have laid idle throughout
the winter, and in many cases the riders
have forgotten TO produce their lamps.
With forty thousand wheelmen in the city
and goodly proportion of them speeding
swiftly and silently along the streets and
avenues at night the danger Of pedestrians
being run down by wheelmen who fail to
display lights is doubly increased, hence
the anxiety upon the part of those who
are on the street at night.
During last summer hardly night
passed when rider was not arrested in
some part of the city for scorching or fail
ing to have lamp. The police were vigi-
liant then and the wheelmen were also
-NON lHdi lut stdstH has yust Dt-
gun the police have not put forth extra
exertions to capture reckless riders and
negligent wheelmen. On the other hand,
wheelmen Will continue to ride without
lights just as long as they are permitted.
For this reason it is pointed out that
the laws should be enforced TO the strict
letter and wheelmen forced to comply with
them. An order from Major Sylvester may
be forthcoming some time this week re-
e..
the subject. A step in that direction, pc
destrians say, would soon prevent fragrant
violations of the ordinances.
Complaints are also being made that
cabmen and owners of private vehicles
have been permitting their conveyances to
pass along the streets at night without
lights. The law is very explicit on this
point and several arrests would produce
much-desired results. Several nights ago
resident Of the northwest part of the
city was almost run down by cabman,
who failed TO have his lights displayed.
The affair happened long after dusk and
the law does not permit public vehicles 10
be without lights at that hour. Major
Sylvester may also call the attention of
his men to this matter.
Cabmen are even more persistent in dis
regarding the light regulation than the
wheelmen. Where wheelmen neglect to
display nights principally at the opening
of the wheeling season iehus fail to comply
with the law all the year around. Fre-
quently policemen hold up" cabmen on
the Avenue and inform them that their
lights are not lit. In many cases their
lamps contain little oil and the iehu con-
descends to light his light knowing full
well that by doing so he might evade ar
rest and being aware that the light will
go out before he has proceeded a block.
He has then eluded the law and cares little
that his lamp is out and his oil supply ex-
hausted. Some of the lamps on these night
liners are dirty and the light has TO strug
gle 10 pass through the lamp lens. In this
way lighted lamp serves little purpose
as far as the pedestrian is concerned, and
the law is indirectly violated.
The public is demanding that the police
enforce the law at once.