The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-18
WANT LAW CHANGED
Automobile Club Will Try to Have
Graduated Speed Limit Adopted
by the City Council.
Seven Miles IN Hour, Say the Mem
bers, Is Unreasonable, Save
in Business District.

" Ai'IAO III IlAdCAOu VI !LllC iklaulOlIlOHllC
Club Of Minneapolis, which filed articles
of incorporation last week, the sport Of
'chuffing' is expected to make a decided
advance. ..
The fundamental object of the club is
tWo-fold;, first to secure reasonable legis-
lat1on relating to automobiles, and second
to curb the reckless spirit of few chauf
feurs who it is feared, may arouse popular
prejudice against the whole class
The club will work diligently this winter
to secure such legislation as, in the opin-
ion of It's members, is reasonable and fair;
legislation which will afford the chauf-
feurs as much freedom as is consistent
with the safety OF the public. The officers
and members Of the club believe that by
passing an ordinance which is fair to both
classes affected, and then en- orcing the
provisions of that ordinance strictly, the
interests of automobile owners will be
benefited more than by speed limit SO
unreasonable that it must be generally
diSregarded.
The ordinance which the club will push
for adoption this winter will be modelled
In many particulars upon the laws Of
Cleveland. The provision of the ordinance
in force in the Ohio city, which provides
that each, automobile must be registered,
and, that a. number, large enough to be
read at a distance must be carried on the
back yof. each, machine, Is one of the pro-
case of an accident, it will be practically
T impossible for d. careless chauffeur to es-
cape without being identified.
Graduated Speed Limit: a.
The point upon which the members OF
the club will m AXE their main fight, how
ever is a graduated speed limit. While
the chauffeurs recognize that autos must
travel at a comparatively low speed
through the business streets, they believe
that limit of seven or eight miles an
hour is unreasonable so far as regards the
less thickly populated residence districts
| or the bouleNarcs. The plan, contemplated
by the officers of the club is a graduated
limit; seven or eight miles an hour within
a radius of one mile of Bridge Square
twelve niless on5all streets within radiu!
| of between one and three miles and t1fteer
| miles outside of this territory. These
| figures are merely tentative, but it is be
| lieVed that an arrangement of this char
acter would be more Satisfactory to al
| parties affected than the present ordi.
nance. One, of the officers of the. clul
said in discussing this point
THE new automobile club seeks moth
ing which will affect the safety of thu
| public. We do not ask the city authori
| ties to-take off the speed limit. We full,
understand that chaffeurs must consider
| the rights Of pedestrians from purely sell
fish motives, if from no others, and the
| last thing We. want to do is to arouse
public sentiment against the automobile
I've, wish to keep q. few reckless chauffeur:
fsafron stirring up .preJudtce against stfft
| more conserva tive men, = -. - .. :-. l..
"A speed limit of seven miles an hou
is only reasonable for the business dis
tricts.4t Travelling at: twice this speed, ;
chauffeur of ordinary experience can sto1
his machine in fifteen feet, but even sucl
|
dents If autos habitually drove through
| the down town streets at high speed. !
| In most of the. residence districts ant
| on the boulevards, however, a speed limi
of eight miles is hardly necessary. Car
| riages frequently travel at a higher speed
than that, and nothing is thought Of it
yet an automobile can be controlled ant
checked much more easily and quick!
than a horse. There would not be tn,
slightest danger of accident with a lin1i
twelve or fifteen miles an hour outside TIL,
business district. Especially is this tn,
case with regard to the boulevards, wher'
| there are no pedestrians, and where tn,
danger Of accidents, even when travelling
at high speed, is almost ABSENT u
Vanderbilt for President.
w. K. Vanderbilt, Jr., now seems to b.
the favorite for the position Of presiden
Of the Automobile Club of America. 1t Il
said that Mr.. Vanderbilt will be unani
nlously elected to the presidency if he will
accept the honor. The present presiden
Of the organization, Mr.. Shattuck ant
w. E. .Scarrett have both declined to have
their names considered this year, SO thu
nominating committee is now PRACTICAL,
a unit for MI. Vanderbilt. according t.
rumor. - ''A:"$ p
H. The president of the big club during
the coming year is sure to be kept busy
I There are innumera BILE questions concern
ing the sport: that will have to be settle!
in the near future, and motorists all owe
the country will look to the Automobil,
! Club of America for guidance.