The San Francisco call., 1906-10-10
AUTO CLUBS MAY
FORM A STATE
ASSOCIATION.
By r. r. I'E1omnledieu.


There is one move the Automobile
Club OF California should make before
the next summer sets in. and that is TO
bring all the automobile clubs of Cali
fornia together. Practically every city
Of Importance in the State has an au-
tomobile club. They have been or
Eanized for the purpose of holding such
events as viii AFFORD pleasure to the
members, but outside OF this they have
not been doing any good for the sport
at large in the State.
Whatever has been gained in the
way of State laws has been secured
solely by the endeavors of the officers
OF the Automobile Club of California.
This winter would be q good time to
bring representatives of the different
clubs together and talk over such
things as are OF Importance TO all the
automobilists of the State at large.
II the clubs Of the State do not care
TO join the Automobile Club Of Cali
fornis, an association could be formed
on the lines Of the Pacific Inter-Club
Yacht Association. which is the pre-
mier patching association on the coast.
This association takes in all the promi-
nent clubs. and the rules as laid down
by that body are followed by all the
other yacht clubs.
II would be a splendid idea TO have
banded together in one association.
This would make it possible for the
clubs 10 meet together on neutral
ground and discuss questions that
could not be handled under the prevail
ing conditions.
Outside Of the work done by A B.
Watson. the chairman Of the runs and
tours committee of the local club. the
officers have done little. r. p.
Schwerin. the president Of the club,
who has had complete charge of the
boulevard project, issued some time
ago a statement that work on the
boulevard would be begun very soon.
There has been some s45.OOO subscribed
for the purpose, and some OF those who
put up their money arc wondering
what has become OF it. 1t has been
almost a year since this money was
subscribed, and at a moderate rate of
interest the fund must have increased
by several hundred dollars.
The executive committee Of the club
has also been very quiet In fact.
there was statement made a little
while ago that IL was going TO fight
the county ordinance in Napa, but as
vet the members of the club at large
have not been advised of any definite
results Of the proposed fight. A man
does not like the proposition of being
member Of a club and when a friend
asks, What does your club do?" to
have to answer, We'll, really. 1 don't
know"
That is the position of every member
Of the Automobile Club at the present
time.
There is one avenue for the disposal
Of second-hand cars that has not been
worked as strenUousiy as ii might be
This is the country fairs that are being
held in the rural districts at present
At the Indiana State Fair. held in In
dianapoiis recently, practically every
dealer in the city got out his stock of
secondhand vehicles and marked them
down to extremely bedrock prices.
The farmers from throughout the State
who attended the fair took most OF
them home with them. Several agencies
had elaborate exhibits at the fair.
There was an unusual occurrence in
Pittsburg recently. A watchful cop
stopped a speeding automobile. and it
was not until he had arrested the driv-
er that he discovered the presence of
the Chief of Police in the car. 1t was
the latter's first ride in an automobile
and he admitted that the car had been
going too fast In fact he said that
Il had been going at the rate of 100
miles an hour. He has sworn off rid
ing in automobiles since then.
The curious way in which the nation
alities Of cars and drivers were inter
mingled in the Vanderbilt cup race Is
exciting no little remark OF the driv-
ers Of American cars, two were British.
Lyttle and Tracy, and two were French,
Caillois and lie BIon: the German team
was composed of two Americans. This
left only the Italian team with native
the conditions governing the contest
did not call for home made drivers as
well as homemade cars.