Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-29
Control of Reckless Automobile Driver

motor cycles or in racing cars, will
come, however, as friends and not as
enemies of the great army of automo-
bilists.
There is much startling evidence to
prove that an entirely new class OF
criminals, quick to appreciate the pes
sbilities of the automobile, is making
of them very dangerous weapon.
Already autos have been held up ny
up-to-date highwayn1en skilled in the
use of the machines who are capable
of carrying off their booty. To the
burglar, again, the automobile offers
most effective means of escape A thlel
running through the streets at once
attracts a crowd; the same man COM
fortably seated in an automobile, now
every, may escape at much greater
speed, safe from suspicion or pursuit
in the most crowded streets. AS the
mechanism and control of automobiles
becomes more familiar the number OF
thefts of these machines is certain to
increase Any criminal who can con-
troll such speed as the automobile al
fords suddenly gains a dangerous ad-
vantage in carrying out great variety
of crime.
The considerations of the advantage
that the control of this dangerous
weapon lends to criminals have led
many thoughtful people. both automo-
bilsts and others, to favor an increase
of the automobile police squad. The
means of rapid locomotion obviously
should be in the hands of the police as
we'll as of the citizens, whether they
be honest or dishonest, Commissioner
William McAdoo has inserted in the
police budget for the coming year Il
sum sufficient to provide for the pur-
chase of motor cycles for twenty men,
and he says that there are competent
riders in the department in excess of
that number. That the motor cycle
policeman is the only man that can do
this work efficiently is the firm belief or
the commissioner after an exhaustive
trial of the eight men already thus
mounted.
"Do not form the opinion said the
commissioner that L am in any way
opposed to the wholesome sport of auto
n1obiling. Quite the opposite. L have
instructed all of the men to use the
utmost leniency in dealing with auto
mobilists.
AS a Thief Catcher
although primarily for the appre-
hension of scorcing chaufteurs, the
value of an officer thus mounted 20 help
catch fleeing thief, for instance, is OF
great value, should he be in the locanty
of a crime committed. We can hardly
expect tndJ lney VIII DGCplilS oo iiNiiINi
Gus as to be always on the spot. But
should a crime be committed then, with
a fairly good description of the automo-
bile. the motor cycle policeman could
render valuable service.
"As regards dangerous speeding the
speed limit is fixed by law, and we de-
sire that the chauffeur shall abide by
it, and do you know, by personal eX-
perience in my 40-horse power Panhard
| have found out how easy it is for the
average person in the automobile to
form a wrong deduction as to speed.
"Only little While ago L said to-
friends who were with me in my auto
mobile: How fast do you think we are
going?' Why they answered, we are
lust crawling along, perhaps at eight
miles an hour Look at the speed ill~
dicator and you will see that we are
going at the rate of fifteen miles an
hour | replied. This is only to show
how easy it is for the automobilist to
deceive himself. Now l realize all that,
and il is my desire not to inflict hard
ship on we'll meaning persons.
But as to the scorcher, the fellow
who tears along regardless Of law Or