Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-12
STATE SPEED LAW
FOUND ILLEGAL
POLICE JUDGES MAY USE
THEIR DISCRETION
Under City Ordinance Some Much
Travelled Streets Are Unprotected
Against Racing - Police
Want New Law

Should Police Judges Ross, Chambers
and Austin decide to be lenient wit
speeding automobiists, the speeders
can now speed to their hearts content
except in few down town streets
since the state law regulating the rate
at which a motor vehicle is allowed to
travel has been declared illegal in the
case of the city versus Bert Dingley by
| Judge James
Since the spring of 1905 all prosecu-
tions for fast driving have been made
under the state law and thousands of
dollars have been put into the city
Golfers from this source.
Police judges and autoists, alike. have
known that the state law would not
hold good if it was taken into court.
No one cared to test the law which
was in effect for over a year until it
was finally interpreted that a person
guilty of third offense must go to
Jail for short time.
Bert Dingley objected to the case and
carried 1t to the higher courts where he
received favorable decision.
According to prosecuting attorneys
and other prominent attorneys the city
is now practically left unprotected. It
is left with the judges to decide what
shall be done with speeders except in a
very small district. Even a great part
of the downtown district is not pro-
tected.
The City Ordinance
The city ordinance regarding this Of
fense was passed on June 16, 1904, and
thoroughly covered the point at that
time. Since then the city has grown
considerably and with that growth the
number of autos on the streets has
grown comparatively. 1t is also claimed
by attorneys that the desire to drive
fast has grown apace with the number
of autos. As the ordinance stands to-
day it is declared to be a weakness in
itself.
The present city ordinance prohibits
driving at a rate of over twelve miles
an hour in a certain district, which is
on Main street from the plaza to Wash
ington street; on Spring street and
Broadway from Temple street to
Eighth street. on Hill street from First
to Eighth street; on First, Second.
Third. Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh
and Eighth streets from Main to Grand
avenue.
Unprotected Streets
This leaves number of much trav-
eled streets unprotected. Since the
passage of the ordinance Los Angeles
street has grown to be one of the most
Travelled streets in the city. Traffic on
West Seventh street west of Grand ave-
nue. and on Second street west of Figue-
roa street is also heavy
The only provision that is made for
controlling the speed on either streets
is that person shall not drive faster
than is reasonable with regard to the
traffic on the street. The prosecuting
attorneys say that this clause will make
them great deal of trouble.
IT will be left entirely with the judge
to decide as to whether the pace set
by the autoists is too fast or not. 1t is
said that there will be a difficulty in
proving how great the traffic is on the
streets.
Most of the arrests in the past have
been made on Pasadena avenue. This
street is only covered in the loose
| clause.
Chief of Police Auble says that he
realizes the weakness of the ordinance
and that he intends to Immediately ask
| the council to pass new ordinance
that will be suitable at the present
time. Until then fast drivers will be
arrested on the old ordinance and will
be at the mercy of the court except in
small district.
The present ordinance is more lem
lent than the state law, The state law
provides that an offender for the third
! time shall be punished with fine of
not less than 500 and with imprison-
ment. The provision for punishment in
that the fine for any offense shall not
exceed 500, The judge may also i'm
prison an offender for not more than
| fifty days. The imprisonment is not
obligatory