Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-22
.bUTCHER|hG MOTORS
Battle Waged in Parliament
Against Speeding.
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Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.


has been waging for months over what
the legal speed should be. The question
Is q hot one and the fact that q great many
members Of parliament themselves own
and run motors does not make It less ex-
citing. The limit In town Ia twelve miles
an hour. but until now there has been no
legal limit Of speed on the country high
ways
Local bodies have acted for themselves
and held UP automobiles going at a greater
speed than they deemed prudent. Motorists
have gone at any old speed In the country
and created a widespread feeling against
them and some villages on popular roads
complain Of living In perpetual dustcioud
The worst Of 1t is that no man with
motor car can be persuaded to run slowly.
I have friend who was. until recently.
a great lover Of horses and owned several.
He disliked motors and refused all at
tompts to induce him to have one until one
fatal day friend took him out IN one.
He was converted and promptly ordered
machine. He told me apoiO8etfcalIy that
he did not care or intend to go fast. but
would be quite content with twelve miles
an hour. Shortly after getting his motor
he was fined for driving at the rate OF
forty miles. 1t seems to get into the blood
this craze for speed. 1t Is the same with
many members Of parliament. Mr.. Balfour.
the prime minister. has been fined three
times for excessive speed.
So the battle has been lively. ana the
Chamberlain controversy is but tweedle-
dunn and tweedledee compared with the
motor crusade. II England were to be
invaded tomorrow by the Saracens. you
wouldn't find men doughty, with SO
much Jack-the- Giant Killer spirit In them
as some benevolent gentlemen have been
displaying against the juggernaut of this
land, the automobile.
Happily there are limits to parliamentary
language. just as they wanted strict limits
to motor scorching. but l saw anathemaS
quivering on many lip. One knows that
motors have the manners of torpedo de-
Stroyers. but I never appreciated the wrath
that could fume in the legislative bosom
till today. The debate in commons on the
subject was distinctly funny to one not
personally interested.
AS he was bullied and badgered the other
night to let the murderous monsters gang
their ain gait along the public highway.
Mr.. Long, the president Of the local govern
ment board. smiling pinkly. rose and said
the case would be met by fixing the speed
limit at twenty-five miles an hour. This
made the Sancho Panza of the opposition,
Mr.. Broadhurst. sententious In short gasps.
as though he had been running halfway up
Whitehall to catch an omnibus and was
demonstrating with the conductor eager
to propose as an amendment that under no
considerations should motors be legally per-
mtted to travel at more than fifteen miles.
II am not against the motor-car as such,'
said he, in explanatory vein, as though he
would have been much against 1t as fly
Ing machine, but, SIR and he shook
dumpy finger, and spoke with gruff gravi-
ty. ut is machine from the neither world
confidence Of a man who knew nothing
about 1t. he declared that motoring was
dangerous. Motorists couldn't see. Their
heads were so enveloped in machinery that
they resembled divers about to go down
into the ocean to examine the hull OF the
ship.
Then Sir Frederick Banbury OF Peckham
trifled with his glasses. didn't think 1t adj
vtsable to get up heated debate on a hot
August day. and suggested twenty-mile
speed limit as a reasonable compromise.
In Bashi Bazouk style the blusterous Major
Jameson came forth Who talked about
compromise? Was it compromise We want
ed? Well. the best compromise between
fifteen and twenty-five miles an hour was
to make the speed limit thirty miles
hour! Sir Frederick Dixon Hartland had
not good word to say for motors. Indeed,
he regarded the placing of big boulders ON
the roads to check their progress as dis
unctly worthy idea.
You shock met cried Willie Redmond.
aghast at SO heinous proposal He didn't
favor boulders himself but If the pace of
motors wasn't checked there would be pub
lie rioting. Only Saturday last he was out
on his bicycle in narrow suburban lane.
He was overtaken by motor car. As
he didn't tumble into the ditch out of the
way the motorist tried to brighten him by
letting of steam.
And as that was no good" continued
Mr.. Redmond, in subdued chastened voice.
che abused me-"
The idea of any one abusing Willie Red
mond so tickled the house that wild laugh
ter greeted the statement.
What did you reply?" some one shouted
''Shure. the committee will be pleased to
hear that, though he might have been
expert mOtorist, I let him see. after twenty
years experience In this house, 1 was as
expert in abuse"
Members regarded Willie with indulgent
laughter the man who could be relied
upon to keep the old flag flying.
The chamber was full, and every man
intent to say his say. twenty-five
miles an hour is just about right said
some. IF you want safety the speed should
not exceed fifteen miles," said others Split
the difference and make it twenty" said
most. Twenty miles an hour!'' commented
the slow-speeched, blackwhfskered Mr..
Farrell from the other side Of st. Georges
channel "Monstrous! That's the speed of
an Irish train. You might well take the
trains off the lines and turn them loose on
the roads, Motor cars flew like demons,
so he thought ten miles should be the es-
treme limit. Up spoke Mr.. Sinclair. who
daily drives hugh ironclad of a motor in
to Palace Yard He proceeded TO snub
everybody There weren't ten members
who could take a motor to pieces and put
1t together again. It had been urged some
where that motor should not pass a horse
WItHOut TeuuCiUk THO speed TO something
like twelve miles an hour. Well as many
a horse could do fifteen or sixteen miles an
hour the motor would probably have to run
fifty miles before getting past the animal.
Keep COOL let US keep COOL" beseeched
Mr.. Lawson Walton. with little galyanic
jerks of the body. There Is a great DIAL
of anenlightened prejudice in the country.
SO let us keep our heads cool" Thereupon
Sir Philip Muntz. In glazing hot rage. fell
upon Mr.. Long for not keeping his promise
to the house on this speed question mo
no. was the shout. Sir Philip had harrow
ing stories to tell of little children cut to
pieces by butchering motors He had a
great many letters. well read them
No, he wouldn't read Them but he had one
In particular from Windsor We'll. read
that one"
Despite Mr.. Lawson Walton's beseeching
members did not keep cool. Mr. Long in
tervened with the remark that as It was
the general sense of the house. he was WIN
ing to alter the bill and make the sneetl
limit twenty miles an hour
Most wise words" observed Sir Michael
Hicks-Beach.
"Ah.' said Mr.. Labouchere screwinw hfs
head ON one side and croaking. this h a
stiff-necked and motoring house We must
wait till some member Of parliament has
been killed by a motor and another mem,
Der has been hanged for killing him before
we get Justice"
Mr.. Scott Montagu, a great motorist
dropped the suggestion that a royal COM