Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-20
LAW FOR THE AUTO
CouuciI Passes Ordinance Requiring
Registration and Fixing Speed
at Which They Are TO Run.
TEN MILES HOUR THE LIMIT
Owners to Furnish Plates, Which Are
to Be Uniform, After Paying 81
Into Municipal Exchequer.


Labor day appears to have softened
heir prejudices against the automO-
ollie as a vehicle to share the public
streets with the horse. Also they
learned enough about the fine points
If the Choo-choo wagon TO make it a
.OpiC for an hours discussion AT their
meeting last evening. in connection
With the ordinance for the registration
md regulation of speed. which passed
finally. The registration fee was fixed
At 81. the owner to furnish the plates,
which arc to be uniform a to size and
material
The speed limit is 10 miles an hour.
md for violations there are fixed pen
tIties ranging between $40 and $50. the
after to be imposed in the event of a
second or subsequent Offensc. Aid. {.
:. Wilson. who offered the ordinance,
stated that there had been suggestions
made TO him by members of the council
favorinG more stringent punishment.
They were of the belief that Il $50 fine
was not big enough TO make a reckless
owner of an automobile respect the
regulations, and the prospect of term
behind the bars was the only medicine
for him. The jail clause, however,
was not embraced in the ordinance.
Uniform with Moline.
If the city was to furnish the plates
there should be a charge of not less
than So. Aid. O'COnnOr said, to cover
the expense that the city would be put
to in having them made. Aid. Anderson
said that in Moline the fee was but 81.
and there was nothing to prevent the
owners of machines here going to that
city and having them registered in
case they thought the tax in Rock ISL
and was too steep There should be
uniformity as far as possible between
neighboring cities in matters of this
character, he said. He favored the 81
fee. the city to specify the dimensions
and materiaI-polished metal was
agreed upon for the plates-and the
owner to have the latter made wher-
ever he desired.
Aid. O'ConnOr said the material of
the plate was not so important as the
question of speed. He wanted 10 know
how a policeman could tell whether an
automobile scooting out on Twelfth
street was moving at a rate of 10 miles
or % miles an hour. He had stood on
the sidewalk and watched some of the
wagons whiZZ by, and had TO hold his
hat for fear of the draft blowing it off
his head. He had pretty fair eyes. but
he could not distinguish the occupants,
20 say nothing of the number on the
rear axle. The captain had nothing
against the automobile. He would not
mind owning one himself. but the OPP
orators should be made to understand
that they will not be permitted to race
through the streets at the rate at
which he had seen some of them NOV
ing.
Question ns TO Enforcement.
There was a question whether the
ordinance could be enforced. City At
tOrney w. l.. Ludolph answered that
now in Chicago the city was enjoincd
from the enforcement of a similar or
dinancc, which had been attacked
from various directions. the chief point
against it being that il was class leg
islatiOn. There would be no difficulty
in regulating the speed at which the
machines are to be operated through
the streets. but as to requiring owners
to number them. right there was a
chance for fight. Accordingly the
city attorney advised holding the fee
down to the lowest sum possible In
Davenport the state and city furnished
the number and registration plates,
but there the municipality was sup
ported by a state law. There is no
state law in Illinois. In Chicago IA
vOrite trick was for an owner to carry
two numbers. removing the one under
which he was registered when racing.
and frequently causing the arrest of
innocent persons.
Office of City Electrician.
An ordinance creating the Office of
city electrician was offered without
reading by Aid. l.. V. Eckhart and re-
Iferred TO the ordinance committee TO
report The ordinance embraces many
of the precautions advocated by a rep
resentative of the National Board of
Underwriters, who appeared recently
before the council, requiring an official
inspection of all jobs of electric wiring.
etc, and lessening the danger OF fire.
y salary of $1,000 per year is fixed. the
inspector 10 be appointed by the mayor
and confirmed by the council and serve
for term of two years.
Petition for Removal of Trees.
There were read two petitions from
property holders on Eighth avenue. be-
tween Eleventh and Twelfth streets,
complaining OF old trees that were
growing on the sidewalks and had at
tanned such an advanced age that they
would probably topple over under the
first strong wind that struck them.
The mayor was asked TO have them re-