Los Angeles herald., 1905-07-24
MANIACS
DISREGARD LAW
MAIN STREET IS FAV0RITE
SPEEDWAY
THE CITIZENS ARE INDIGNANT
Declare u Is Unsafe for School Chill
dren to Venture Upon Thorough
fare Unless Accompanied
by Adults
THE CITIZENS ARE INDIGNANT

Los Angeles streets have usurped
South Main street, declare the resi-
dents of that portion of the city.
Several times representatives of these
citizens have appeared before the city
council, asking for protection. At
other times they have called at the
city hall to beg officials to put stop
to the use Of South Main street as a
speedway, where reckless chauffeurs
drive touring cars Weighing thousands
of pounds at death-dealing speed. One
who has protested against this practice
said yesterday:
"These irresponslbles come down
Main street at rate of speed which
makes it practically impossible to
dodge them. Many of the cross streets
are heavily Travelled thoroughfares. and
teams and pedestrians are constantly
crossing Main.
Death Rate Remarkably Small
THAT there have not been many
deaths and unnumbered injured as a
result of this reckless and lawless driv-
lIlB OI pOWcAlul CelS 10 lOlAlllS oiOl
of miraculous in my opinion. The auto
lists appear to pay no attention to other
vehicles or pedestrians, but dash
madly on.
Hancock, who was killed the other
night, was the terror of the street,
Though there are many others nearly as
bad, and it is dangerous for children to
cross the street alone.
1--WE want to know if these speed
crazed individuals, who happen to be
able to buy an automobile that will go
fifty or sixty miles an hour, have the
exclusive right to the street. If so,
the rest of us who own homes in this
populous district have no license to
exist.
$50 great has the danger become that
small school children cannot cross the
street alone with any degree of GER
tainty that they will reach the other
side alive. So fast do these speed ma
MACS drive that when one attempts
! to cross the street ne hears toot, a
whiz and is enveloped in a cloud of
dust.
MANY mothers whose children must
cross the street to attend school dare
not let their little ones venture onto
Main street alone, and the mother is
forced to leave her housework and
take the child as far as the opposite
side of Main street, call at the school
for it at noon and repeat the same
action again in the afternoon. These
mothers have home duties and cares
and cannot spare the time to take their
children to school and bring them
home Besides, 1t is an outrage to al
low a condition to exist which will
make such action necessary.
"Is this condition of affairs right
and just? We, the people who live
and own homes in that section of the
city, say no and protest. We demand
some protection.
81 understand the state law pre-
scribes fifteen miles an hour as the
limit which is to be lawful anywhere
in a city and that at crossings the ma
chimes shall be slowed up. This law
is violated all the time, in fact all law
is totally disregarded by a class Of
speed maniacs who do not appear to
care how many children they kill or
MAIN, or how much worry they cause
the mothers of the school children of
the city.
According to the ordinance adopted
by the council, Main street as far
south as Twentieth street, is in the bus
mess district, where the law requires
that the machines shall not be driven
at a greater rate of speed than ten
miles an hour and shall slow down to
five miles an hour at street crossings.
Speed Law Violated
EVERY day, especially late in :he af-
ternoon, big machines can be seen COM
ing down Main street, south of Ninth,
travelling at terrific rate OF speed,
crossing street intersections with no
notice except honk from the horn
and they cross Washington, which is
inside the district, at a rate that fairly
takes the breath away from onlookers.
1--WE have appealed to the council
several times for relief. but have never
gotten it. Now it appears that the
automobile clubs have succeeded in
having a law passed which effectuaIly
ties the hands of the council and we
must look to the police force for aid.
l trust Chief Hammel will be able to
help us, for something must be done"
The residents of this portion of the
city are much agitated over the ques-
ton and declare that 1t has reached
a point where it is most serious ami
that something must be done to curb
the mania for speed from which SO
many motorists appear to be suffer-
ing or serious trouble will result.