Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1906-11-02
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9. 1905.
THINGS SAID AND DONE

Under the above heading the Montpelier
Argus refers to the item in the Register last
week that Switzerland, to quite an extent at
least, had prohibited automobiles, and that
the result had been decidedly beneficial to
summer travel
The Argus confirms the first and then
refers to the remark of the Register that there
are hundreds of thousands of our city neigh
bors who are anxously looking for localities
where they will not be interfered with by
automobiles. This was of course intended
as a sweeping, general remark; but we
do not think it is in any sense exagger-
ated. Our knowledge comes from intimate
acquaintance with a very large number of
guests who visit Bread Loaf from the many
cities and larger towns of the East and West.
Almost all of these have expressed the same
dread of automobiles, many Of them narrating
accidents to themselves or friends, and all
expressing their desire to escape from locali-
ties where automobiles are used.
The Register has had occasion before to
mention the effort being made in Philadel
pha, and which it is thought will ultimately
certain streets. 1t has recently printed from
a prominent Boston journal the vigorous edi-
torial protest against the running over and
killing of children by automobiles, and their
reckless driving generally.
To illustrate still further the city conditions
from which so many of the Bread Loaf guests
for the last few years have tried to escape,
we reproduce the following from the New
April 81, 1906:
AUTOISTS RECKLESS.
Editor of The Globe:
Dear Sr-Isn't it about time that
something was done to compel the
officials whose business it is to see to it
that the speed regulations adopted for
the safety of pedestrians are complied
with-to check the reckless manner in
which automobiles are daily being raced
up and down Fifth avenue and other
crowded streets of the city?
The tolerance shown by policemen
toward violators of the speed ordinances
who ride in automobiles, prompts the
UnOuRnv dutOt1OoIiiStS nave OcCOIllt
privileged class in whose behalf the
humble of the earth have waived all their
rights.
1t is no uncommon thing for chauffeurs
to whizz up Fifth avenue on Sunday
afternoon at speed of fifteen or twenty
miles an hour, just to show how skillful
they are in getting in and out among the
carriages and avoiding collisions.
1t is also a advertisement for those ex-
perts to rush up noiselessly to within a
few inches of pedestrians crossing the
street and to toot horns in their ears Just
to see them jump.
Fast going has become such requisite
with automobilists that great many of
them have their machines geared so they
cannot possibly go slower than ten miles
an hour. This abuse is not objected to
SO much on the score of danger-most
people can jump out of the way of auto
mobiles, no matter how fast they are
going; it's'an accomplishment thev have
had TO acQulre-but on the ground that
the special privileges conferred on auto
mobilists violate the American spirit of
equality Of all.
There is no reason why a pedestrian
should be made to give way before an
automobile, or why he should have his
nerves shattered every five minutes of
the day by drivers of machines with a
fOndness for 'close shaves."
EQUALITY.
New York, April 81, 1906.
Globe reporter. who took survey
of Fifth avenue from Twenty-third &c
Fifty-ninth street yesterday afternoon
found that Equality" had not beer
guilty of exaggerdton in his charges OF