New-York tribune., 1905-01-22
A NATIONAL AUTO" LAW
". ". Page, Jr., 1dOocdtes One at
automobile Club Dinner.

sirht advocated a federal law governing the speed
and conduct of automobiles a license from the
federal government and one law governing all the
States would do away with the Inconvenience which
now attended an automobile trip from one State TO
another. The club members and their guests ap
plsuded the idea with enthusiasm.
II was the sixth annual dinner OF the club ana
she largest in fits history. About four hundreo
guests were present. A reception was he'd pre-
ceding the dinner The large dining hail ana "a
table at which the speakers were en2boWereu
IN roses and smilax. The boxes were hlllA win
women. who a1plauded the referencee 90 Sae 1tA-
chimes quite enthusiastically as did ia III
Dave Heanen Morris recently elected presSons
OF the club the toastmRster, ana welcome
the guests With him at the speakers table ye
Charles F. Warwick, OF Philadelphia; Winthrop
]. Scarritt. Samuel Walter Taylor, William Phelps
Emo. william H. Page, Jr. Creswell Macaushiin,
lieutenant-Governor Bruce, Attorney General
Mayer and H. A. Van Alstyne
Winthrop E Scarritt, ex-president or the cTuO'
declared that the automobile the gift or the
gods TO the poor earthmen, the idea OF Vulcan.
The earthmen demanded from Jove some means
of rapid transit" and he called council OF the
gods Mercury suggested wings, but Mars reihoh-
Htrated that Olympus would be endangered SO
Vulcan made the fire car. Then Mr. Scarritt salo:
The automobile is both evolution and a reyo,
luton Il is an evolution IN that II mas peS
evolved of the necessities of modern life Il Is
revolution IN that IL is revolt against the SLOW,
portation since the days of Abraham -
oone 4a m The |o stoc sret tomorrow Slips out to
Dakota and gets a divorce and is back in Newly ork
week has hustle and he hustletfh III S0twith. tn.
anglo blood still prefers "a decade OF europe
10 a cycle OF Cathay." ,. ,,,,
oauidron Of twentieth century civilization is this
latest product OF mans inventive brain the auto auto
IS il Foing TO DO for him?
automo6e to 4sS every 10000 inhabtants Two
years ago there was one 10 every 65g9 inhaStants'
Give Us another five years and they VIII 1e 2ss as
ensack meadows. The modern motor car Is the
g1sst 76 lTHSe 9th S effrh eSf 70 sher in the new
day OF the automobile. The horse viii soon fall
from this throne ike a dead king, for behold the
old things have passed away and all things have
To-day an army Of a hundred thousand men and
women are driving through city street and country
may whine and groan and growl or purr peace
b 9T I s gS9 t fre ot e ey are hsTnessed fast
70 our ehsTiots ana they VIII be ana remain ] the
lions OF time.
Mr. Page told the diners that his experiences
with the automobile had included almost every
thing except owning and being run down by
one. He went on:
The inventors and manufacturers are now giving
mission ends. How to keep the machine efficient
and how TO use It with comfort are questions W @ s., as
begins. The enjoyability OF a machine hinges on
gaTage facilities good roads. and the use Of all
The arst two considerations are important but
stable and the track II you cannot drive the horse
of eompIisnce more tbsn AN Onset to the peasnre?
in my judgment, therefore the question of the
hour is How can you secure a uniform and reason
sbls resuletion Of the use Of al roads by automo-
biles throughout the United States?
Certainly the time should pass when man must
carry many number tags his machine he
when. 70 avoid arrest he must know as many diff
ferent local ordinances as there are cities villages
OF the normal use Of the autOIa9be bile has M long since
demonstrated
OF automobists, Mr.. Glidden
This question, TO repeat it, OF how TO secure uni
sorm fair and reasonable use of highways, like
some oIner gnesonS may e answer IN I
railroads and corporations doing an Interstate bust
not agree With him as far as railroads. are @ oon-
& y m Il ogT own IS ok f. sra TO 9e
sion can be made attractive to corporations owning
ten thousand cars, why should ii not be made at
tractive the individual owner Of single automo
bile? An highways in the United States are post
roads and all post roads come under the jurisdic-
tion OF Congress. Why, then should there not be
Tor FEDERAL rules regulating speed for every aItoo-
bile engaged in interstate travel or operating upon
Congress can supply standard Of, speed and
tories, where her power is exclusive II she will
do this and make ii applicable TO all post roads
OF highways in such form and to such extent as
matter of comfy, will readily follow.
The outcome would be a uniform set OF speed
and road regulations applicable throughout the
Of local and municipal rules which drive the long
distance tourist TO distraction.
Mr.. Emo discussed traffic regulation. Subject
vital TO automobile drivers" For the great i'm
proveGnent in the last two three years he gave
the credit 10 Police Commissioner Greene and
Captain Piper. his deputy who instituted the sys-
TEN which Commissioner McAdoo has carried out
Said Mr.. Emo:
Captain Piper had been detailed to manage street
traffic. In lso2 he studied the subject in London,
crossings was put in practice and mounted police
lutey ignorant OF traffic management. drivers un-
accustomed 10 restraint by the police, rules for
driving and no ordinances at all adequate to the
More than year before this set Of ordinances
foG street 9e m mSnages9t ~ hsd & P 6een cerei9y ca
men, BY mistake they were given TO the wrong
enoe for months The Police department Was
ciamoring for the ordinances, but without
fall OF 1903 q careful reorganization OF the city
ordinances. State laws Penal Code and city
charter was made. 1t was already known that
come cases were covered bv the old ordinances
york earer 9 gives the gt @ a9 sfes II the
duty OF the Police Department TO regulate the
squares. parks iSs,,l,6 and public & places .
nances 70 regulate the occupancy Of certain
between certain hours, by slow moving vehicles
known TO the trainers Of these ordinances Al this
time IL thought best TO call general notice
trucks because the Truck Drivers Association had
considerable political influence. and il feared
street uafhc reform. Special attention Gated
dS9 me as DST 1sS SSsea @ 6y the 81 chsrter s IN The
60 have been the first knowledge that the public
The legal references were placed before General
Greene, and he was told that folders or rules for
formation OF drivers and that it was desired TO
have them officially indorsed and issued by the
Of the proposed enamel signs which read: SLOW
for ne NAV be abtaned n All Hana nocs curb Rnies
General Greene acceded % the requests The fold
ers were got out Immediately and the signs put
nnO