The Washington herald., 1906-10-14

Members Of the Washington Automo-
bile Club are inclined 10 regard rather
humorously Than otherwise the recon-
mendatlon made by IL NJ Woodward.
secretary to the automobile board Of the
District OF Columbia. .n his annual re-
port submitted to the Commissioners yes
terday Mr. Woodward holds that all
chauffeurs and other operators OF ma
chimes In the District should wear large
badge in . conspicuous place. with the
words registered chauffeur upon Il.
tLat each should have special number.
end that no one but the person 70 whom
il shall be issued shall have the right t.
wear it. He further recommends that all
local automobiles and touring cars bear
metal sign marked registered vehicle.
Leroy Mark. secretary of the Automo-
bile Club. said yesterday: There IS no
law In any state. said he. so far as my
experience goes. which cOmpels any man
TO wear anything conspicuously upon his
person which brands him as q chauffeur
Recommendation SuperhuOus.
ANY ordinance which compels The
words registered vehicle" 10 be placed
upon car seems 20 be quite superfiu
Gus" ho added, 'as the mere fact that
the ear carries a number Is sufficient eyi-
dence that IL Is licensed or registered.
Il may say. however. that In New Jer-
sey. where the FrelInghuysen laws which
are the most stringent ever prepared fo-
automobiles. obtain. each vehicle Is re-
'Iired 70 be registered and each chauffeur
a., DC licensed. That is. the car Is licensed.
ad the chauffeur is permitted 70 run
that particular car. or any licensed car
up 10 twenty-eight horsepower.
Then Mr.. Marks WUTed sarcastic ,"If
this imposition is placed upOp us. he
resumed. II presume It Wip become the
pleasure OF the Commissioners TO COM
pei US automGh.le owners to wear a blue
coat with ~5fass buttons and red cap
with pescock's feather stuck in Il, or
sQis1e equally distinctive dress.
Some Reckless Chauffeurs.
"Of course. there are some chauheurs
employed by transportation companies
who may be elassed with hackmen. and
who are. perhaps. reckless because they
feel no personal responsibility for the
machines IN their care. II one Of these
fellows meets with an accident be can
easily skip oct Of the way, and the COM
pauy has 20 stand for the damage, II
any. But with private owners of ma
chimes il is quite a different matter /
am ready at Oh times 10 give my card
10 any one who asked It, I have been
driving a machine for four years and
havc never met with On accident yet.
"As 4 matter OF fact, there are less ar
rests in Washington for reckless driving
than in any other city Of its size. The
automobiles here are for the most part
laW-abiding men. The present regUla-
tions are sufficiently strict. There is no
objection TO paving q dollar for a license
or for the transfer OF a license. but the
proposition 10 make Us wear great badges
is simply absurd.
Club Members Interested.
Two or three members u Tie Aut0mo-
bile Club have called me up on the phoue
this afternoon TO ask me what ! thought
Of Mr. W0OdwaTd's reccmmeHdatlc-.s and
they al agreed with NE. Hoaevcr. 7
don't believe HAT Commissi0ucr West VIII
take any notice Of the recommendation.
I recently made an s51-mile trip
through Maryland. Virginia. PeunSylva-
nia. and New Jersey and everywhere I
received most courteous treatment. IT.
New Jersey the laws are stringent but
they are worth Obeying. for the roads In
that State are marvels OF smoothncss.
practically without a rat. Why ere not
cur present regulations sufficient? There
arc no more automobile drivers here than
anywhere else. Only one person has met
death in an automobile accident in the
District within the last sixteen or eigh-
teen months. We are law-abidng citi-
zens. or try to be. and if We are to be
labeled like q night-hawk cab driver or a
street vender they might as well puJ us
under direct police supervision and have
done with it,