Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-13
SUGGESTS AUTO
CLEARING HOUSE
PLANS TO THWART UNFAIR
LEGISLATION
Enthusiast Asserts That Clubs Should
Discipline Members and Avoid
Thereby Hostility by
Public

| A plan to enforce the present auto
mobile laws, and in that way put a
stop to what motorists consider unfair
| legislation, has been suggested by
Charles T. Terry of New York and is
| already meeting with the favor of some
| automobile clubs Mr.. Terry's plan is
| that each automobile club in it's re-
| spective community shall take in hand
| the prevention, as far as possible, of
the improper use of automobiles and
| highways. The idea is not altogether
new one, as the Automobile Club of
America has the privilege under its
rules to discipline any member who
knowingly violates the law; but Mr..
Terry's plan is more far reaching, and
likely therefore, to be of more value.
He says in part:
Il believe that over IS per cent of
automobilists intend to respect the law
and the public. 1t seems that if each
| club would make itself clearing house
CT complaints, as it were, based upon
the violations which affect either the
members of the club or those who are
not members, and if each club would
adopt system of fines and privileges.
beginning with money punishment and
involving suspension from membership
and resulting finally, on repeated Of
problem would be solved, and the last
Vestiges of unreasoning hostility would
disappear. If the sentiment which now
exists to a large extent among automo-
biists, that the habitual offender and
the chronically careless driver should
be ostracised by his fellows, could he
carried to rs full extent by the adop-
tion on the part of the clubs of some
such plan, there would not be left the
eli iOl1f ral lAi1 ntItf AL
legislation. Through the means of the
state association of automobile clubs
in each state rules could be promul-
gated which would soon establish
uniform plan. The remedies, If new
remedies are needed, are a more thor
ough and genuine enforcement of
existing laws, and, of much more i'm
portance, renewed and extended efforts
by automobilists themselves. through
their organizations, to regulate them
selves and their fellow members so
that the sentiment will prevail among
them that reckless driving and disre-
gard of the rights of others are bad
form, unsportsmanlike and intolerabe
to those who have the best interests of
the automobile at heart"
What is the practical car for a man
of moderate means to buy?" is a ques-
tion that had been asked by L'Auto,
the daily automobile paper of Paris.
About 1000 answers We're received and
in a general summing up of these re-
plies it is found that the physicians
want a car costing about $3.50 with a
single cylinder, siX-horsepower motor
and n closed body.
The car should seat two persons and
ought to average eighteen miles an
hour.
The small merchants want a seven
horsepower car with a top, able TO. run
at speed of fifteen miles an hour, seat
fouE persons and cost $3.50. Travelling
men demand a nine-horsepower car,
and they are willing to pay $3.50
The majority of the replies did not
mention the number of cylinders re-
quired. The retired business men ask
for a four-cylnder, twelve-horsepower
car averaging twenty-five miles an
hour csotins about $1700.