The San Francisco call., 1906-11-16
AUTOS MAY GO ON
LOCAL FERRY
BOATS
BY r. r. I'Honnrnedieu

The report around automobile row
boilers. was going to issue a recon-
mendation that automobiles be not al
lowed on the ferryboats going to
Oakland during certain hours of the
day has stirred up the enthusiast and
the dealer. At first it seemed as If
the Federal authorities were going to
limit the privileges enjoyed by auto
ists But yesterday Captain John
Birmingham, chief of the inspectors of
huIls and boilers. settled the question.
He expressed himself concerning with
holding the privilege to the effect that
1t. The law allowed the ferry to
transport automobiles. and it was
matter to be regulated by the ferry
people.
Automobiles have come to stay, and
the idea of stopping them for certain
hours might be all right If they were
solely pleasure vehicles, but they are
vehicles that are being used in busi-
ness. Escaping gasoline is not danger
Gus on the boats.
There have been statements made
that some of the automobilists light
their fires before they leave the boat
A member of the Automobile Club said
yesterday: This is prohibited by law,
and If such has been the case it has
been the fault of the ferry officials
for allowing it. The ferry authorities
have been exceedingly strict in ham
ding the automobiles, and ii is a
question If the law has been broken.
There has been some opposition raised
to the automobiles using the Oakland
broad gauge ferries during the busy
hours. 1t is claimed that they crowd
the passengers. There have been OBJ
jections raised to their coming aboard
with the passengers. This is not pleas
ant and again it is not the fault of
the automobilists. for they do not come
aboard until they are told to do so
by an officer of the boat"
Undoubtedly there will be a petit
tion presented to the ferry authorities
asking that the automobiles be kept off
the broad gauge boats during the busy
hours. A regular commuter was ap-
preached yesterday morning and asked
TO join the others in getting up the
this he was, however, in favor of
signing the petition.
A delegation from the Automobile
Club viii be in attendance at the meet
ing of the Park Commissioners this
afternoon to discuss the question of
enacting laws to stop racing through
the park at night
If the weather clears off for the
rest of the week many of the local
owners will make trips out of the city
on Sunday. Several of them have sent
word to the garages that should good
weather prevail they viii want their
cars early Sunday morning
Donald McCord of the Franklin
garage. In discussing the present
automobile outlook, said yesterday: 81
think that you will see twice the num-
Der Of automobiles now in use on the
streets by spring, from the way owners
talk around the garage. Our house is
nearly filled UP and many Of our GUS
toners have notified us to reserve
space for 1907 cars. The cars has not
arrived, but they want to keep all
space. They have cars now which
they are using both for business and
pleasure. This is asking too much of
a car, for it does not allow enough
time to have it properly cleaned. If
we DO take time 10 clean it IL shortens
the pleasure hours. Most of the cars
we are reserving room for are big
touring cars which will be used for
pleasure. The owners Of automobiles
seem to have been making money, for
they are going in for high-priced cars.
Richard Hovey Of the Hovey- Boushey
Company said yesterday that the new
1907 Pope demonstrating cars would
arrive in the city within the next five
days. The cars were being hurried to
the coast by express.