Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-22
AuTO|S7S WANT
. STRINGENT RULES
CLUB REPRESENTATIVES ASK
FOR ENFORCEMENT
Speed Discussion Leads to a Move-
ment That May Deprive Profess
sionaI chauffeurs of License
Upon Repeated Offense

The members of the police commits
sion, police judges and representatives
| of the police department were the
guests of the Automobile Club of Cali
| fornia at luncheon given in San Fran
cisco last week. There were present
Commissioners DR.. Joseph +. Poheim,
Thomas Regan, j. A. Drinkhouse ana
| Secretary j. George Boyne, Judges
| George Fl. Cabaniss and e. p. Shortall,
| Captain H. p. Gleason stood for the po-
| lice department, while Superintendent
| John McLaren was there for the park.
| The club representatives were: l.: p.
| Love- chairman of the executive COM
mittee, and Samuel G. Buckbee, the
treasurer of the club. j. H. burst of
the Pioneer Automobile club was a
guest.
After a most agreeable luncheon Mr.
Buckbee told why every one was pres
ent, and called upon Mr.. Lowe to tell
| Of the desires of the club as regards
infractions of the speed laws of the
state.
Mr. Lowe asked that the commits
sioners pass such stringent regula-
tions as would stop the professional
chauffeur from dashing along the
highways at a rate that not only en-
dangered the lives of those who
walked on the public streets, but
caused trouble by frightening them
with instruments of noise that are
now coming into fashion.
He also spoke of the owner who per-
sistently breaks the speed laws, and
asked the judges when they found an
owner or driver had ,willfully broken
the law, especially along Market street,
to fine him without reserve. Mr.. Lowe
argued that this would make the Of
tenders amenable to the second PEN
atty as laid down by the state law,
which was a fine of not less than $50.
He thought that IL there were more of
the first fines it would put stop to
the speeding
To the police he stated that there
were times when an automobile might
be run faster than the law allowed,
when there was clear road away from
the traffic, in the outlying districts. He
said there were times when a machine
could be driven up to twenty miles an
hour without danger. He thought that
1t was a case of where discretion should
l.be used.
If the police saw a machine was being
driven at an excessive speed slight
warning could be given, which would
answer but at the same time record
should be kept of such warning and
repetition would be the cause of punish
ment -.t
Judge Cabaniss said: 1--WE are asked
is broken, and yet it is also requested
that discretion be used when vehicles
are being driven close to the speed
limit--a little in eXcess-and at the
same time stringent measures must
be handed out to the professional
chauffeur.
"I have found that most of the pro-
fessional chauffeurs are men of family,
and that 1t Is not so much their fault
that they break the law as, that of those
who hire them. 1t means a tip or
trade for some other evening, which to
them means more at home. We have
been lenient because most of the cases
have been first offenses. When they
have appeared before us the second
time it has resulted in punishment"
This was the theme of discussion for
fully two hours and q half, everyone of
the officials present having something
to say on the subject. Finally 1t was
decided by the commissioners, on the
recommendation of Mr.. Drinkhouse,
that when a professional chauffeur IS
convicted of exceeding the speed law
the first time, his permit should be sus-
pended for week; on the second Of
Tense it should be suspended for one
month and on the third that it should
be suspended for six months. .,
To properly bring the cases before
the Judges, the club will have legal
representative that will handle all the
cases in the police court.
The club also presented to the police
department a motorcycle. This, with
the one that the department has and
the three that 1t has asked for, will
make five on the highways.
1t was evident from what Judges
Cabaniss and Shortall had to say, that
the speedings will stop or else the
treasury of the city will be greatly
Increased from the fines not only
from the professional chauffeur but the
owner that speeds his automobile.