Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-10
PARIS MOTOR sCoRCHERs.
They Are Much Worse Than Our owl
Bicycle Fiends.

They Are Much Worse Than Our own
Bicycle Fiends.
Paris Correspondence Pail Mall Gazette
A police court magistrate has been found
with the courage to infiict swinging fine
on motor car driver who. rather than
siacken speed, elected to run full tilt into
the miniature tramway that plies between
the Porte Maillot and the Geological Gar
dens. The sentence has provoked quite
display OF popular enthusiasm People
have written to the papers to express their
heartfelt satisfaction. and in Paris people
only write to the papers on extraordinary
occasions.
The simple truth is that the motor car
nuisance has assumed intolerable proper
lions. Unless remediary measures are
taken between now and the exhibition posi-
tive hecatombs of unwary foreigners and
bew1ldered yokels are to be expected. The
craze for motor cars has now been raging
for a year and more with undated intensi-
ty The best-known firms are still unable
to meet the demand for their machines but
in the course of the past twelve months an
enormous number of the terrible convey
ances' have been let loose in the streets
There is authoritative opinion in support
OF the contention that the Partisan cabmen,
tnanks to his egregious incapacity and
murderous instincts, is one of the most
dangerous enemies the pedestrian can
encounter, but worse than the cabman has
been found in the person of the chauffeur
or motor car driver. To form any idea of
the habits of this scourge he must be seen
at work on his native asphalt His anbf-
ton is that poor folk on foot should stand
agape as he passes. To this end he acts as
II the capital We're a racing track He
scorehes through the streets. as a rule
on the wrong side of the road: he careers
round corners: he darts this way and that
with the utmost possible unexpectedness
ana ne lets of lots of steam or arranges a
| a Hoy nN-,Nlo
horse.
The authorities are at their wits end
me police have issued orders, the munic-
al 10 no purpose 1t being almost impos-
Sipie TO catch the offenders they snan their
myers at official Interference Some time
ago tour inspectors of automobiles were
appointed 1t was a pleasure to read their
instructions. They were to make arrests on
the slightest infringement of the law. and
without respect of persons. Mounted on a
hpee,es so OF m9tor-car catcher, they might
nave rendered some service, but with no
mode OF locomotion at their disnosaI hut
their legs they doubtless decided from, The
out outset ct to draw their salaries without vast
ing their breath, for they have never baen
heard of. The lesser authorities be;ne bona
lessiy nonplused, the government has taken
up the matter. The minister of public
works Is studying the problem, or rather
ne mas deputed one of his subordinates M
Waicknaer, to draw up report on the snh.
JeSl; NJ Waicknaer is q highly distin
guished mining engineer. a career that NAV
Sba may not nave qualified him for his task
SHOULD he fail to hit on an effective means
Oh tanning the chauffeur. the nuhI;n VIII
nave to take the law into its own hands ana
a Il S,, the example of N: Hughes lie Roux.
merry colonial journalist, who having
once been nearly run over by an .i,to,r,a
olie, now goes about with a revolver, ready
70 nre at the first motor-car driver WHOM,
danger '"e puoic