The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-05-10
--'-- ~ N
A Correspondent Analyses
Prejudice Against It
AND GIVES STATISTICS.
Shows That Where There Were Is Fa-
talities from Horse Vehicles in
Vermont There Was None Really
Due to Motor Cars.

come opposition. When III William
Dockwray set up nc penny post in the
city Of London, the porters complained
that their interests we're attacked and
tore down the plscards III which The
scheme was announced to the public.
a cry was raised that it was popish
contrivance, and the Duke Of York COM
planned Of IL Az an infraetion of his
monopoly and the courts of law decided
in his favor.
When the flying roaches were intro
duced III England, although they only
made fifty miles day at the best, op-
position appeared. II we follow some
Of the public ranting against the auto.
mobile, We have no longer i right to
regard with pity the stupidity and Oh.
stinacy displayed by the English people
IN the introduction Of the flying coaches,
Ia we simply substituted automobiles
for diligence, the following extract from
Macauiny's history would serve as a
good editorial in certain newspapers to-
days ~ was yahefnentlv argued that
this mode Of conveyance would be fatal
to the breed Of horses and to the noble
art of horscmanship; that the Thames,
which had long hcen an important nur.
scry Of scalnerl, Womb cease 10 be the
chief thorouehfarc from London TIP til
Windsor and down to tiraveschd: that
ssdlers and splrriers would be ruined
by hundreds; that numerous inns at
which mounted travellers had been In
the habit Of stopping would be- deserted
and would no longer pay any rent ;
that the new carriages were too hot in
the summer and too cold in the winter
that the passengers we're grievously an
noycd by invalids and crying children;
that the coach sometimes reached the
inn 50 late that it was impossible to
gel supper and sometimes started 50
early that ii WAS impossible TO get
breakfast. On these grounds ii was
largely recommended that no public
coach should he permitted to have more
than four horses. 10 start oftener than
once q wcek, or To 20 more than thirty
miles a day. Petitions enibodying such
opinions az these were presented TO the
king in eounci from several companies
OF the city oil London. from several pro-
vinciai towns and from the justices Of
the several counties. We smile al these
things Ii l. not impossible that our
descendants, when they read the history
Of the opposition offered BY capidity
and prejudice to the improvements of the
nineteenth century, may smile in their
turn
How false we're all OF the preiudices !
Macaulay SAYS that Of all inventions,
the alphabet aud printing press alone
excepted. those Inventions which have
abridged distances have done most fof
the civilization of our species. The gen.
lcral public is little better educated
today than il was in The time of Charles
the second, hit the opposition to the
automobile is no more reasonable than
that TO the diligence.
The tone Of the newspapers few
years ago was veil adapted TO the ere.
alton Of such preiudiccs II an acci
dent happened in connection with an
automobile it was advertised in great
scare line, while, If horse vehicle Killed
anybody very little WAS said We are
glad to note that there has been i
change in the attitude Of the press tow
ard this modern Improvement, but still
there are those, who, not being in pos
session Of the facts, still believe That
the automobile il dangerous vehicle
to ride in. as well as to users OF the
highway; when the truth is that the
horse vehicle is far moro dangerous than
the automobile. We have been at some
pains to look the matter up in the
state Of Vermont.
During the year 1905 there we're over
five hundred automobiles registered III
Vermont, besides several hundred that
came here from other states, set how
many deaths were caused by automos
bilcs. None, unless you count the two
occupants Of an automobile that were
killed IN Bennington, BY being run into
by train AT a fuilroad crossing; while,
during the same year, no less than ilf-
teen people were killed by the horse
vehicle and twenty-one were more OF
less seriously injured. We give sum.
mary Of the deaths BY accidents and
their causes for 1905, us published in
the 81. Adams Messenger, December
39th, 1905: