The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-08-19
SOME MORE ABOUT
AUTO SPEEDING
CORRESPONDENT URGES MORE
RESTRICG lions AND BETTER
ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW.

EDITOR starr think l voice the
sentiments of every reasonable per-
son in Honolulu when say that have
no grudge against Automobiles or
automobiles In fact like most others
in my position l should only be glad
if felt able to own one of the "whiz
wagons" myself. Possible also my
point of view might change with the
possession of a 6O-horse power Red
Devil" and l might be inclined to
crowd the speed limit to the limit
whenever opportunity offered.
l can scarcely believe, however, that
l should ever sincerely acquire that
feeling which seems to be the usual
one with the great majority of Homo
lulu autoists, and was admirably ex-
pressed in the letter published in the
Advertiser on the 10th inst. signed
Auto" that automobiles have some
kind of superior privileges on the pub
lie highways and streets not enjoyed
by other vehicles, or that the respon-
sibility for accidents rests with the
victim, who should have Cooked be-
fore he leaped" in the way of my ma
chine.
Auto" would reverse the heretofore
universally accepted rule that the right
of pedestrians on streets is superior to
that of vehicles. AS an easterner who
has had more experience in Eastern
cities than 1 ever have had in Hawaii,
deny that the Honoluluan, be he Jap.
Chinaman, Hawaiian, or Haole, would
be in any more peril on the streets of
most any Eastern city than he is right
here in Honolulu ;or that he would be
in any more danger, if indeed as much,
of being reduced to "a few grease
spots as soon as he left the sidewalk.
In most American cities the speed
limit for automobiles is much less lib
eral than in Honolulu, and infinitely
better enforced. Any one who has been
in one of these cities must certainly
have observed that the rights of pc
destrians are recognized, and have
seen horses thrown back on their
launches by burly policeman when
the driver has failed to pull up at
| crossings to give way to persons on
foot, or a mounted police, or bicycle
cop take after an offending chauf-
feur.
l know the eXhilaration of fast driv-
ing, and the reckless feeling that
seems to pervade the whole being un-
der the intoxication of rapid motion
but l cannot see that that can be offer
ed as an excuse for violating the law
or that when a luckless man is halt
killed it helps matters out much to ex-
press feelings of regret no matter how
genuine they may be, or to shower
gifts upon the relatives of the victim.
But the strongest Indictment seems
to me to be the evident deliberate de-
sire of the Honolulu autoists generally
to place themselves superior to the
law A man is half killed by high
power machine. There are a dozen
persons who have observed and re-
marked just before the accident that
the car was running at very high rate
Git was the evident reckless pace that
attracted their attention. and some OF
them openly express a willingness to
appear at witnesses if called upon. But
what happens? A quiet but none the
less manifest influence at once begins
to hedge the offenders about. No ar
rests were made. The officer of the
law who has sworn to enforce the law
as he finds them impartially, regard
less of whom they may effect adriotly
side-steps, says he doesn't know
whether the law is constitutional. OF
something of the kind, and finally
crawls out from under all together by
referring the matter to the County
Attorney for an opinion" Further
comment on official sincerity is scarce
ly needed. The case is never heard
from again, and the forgetful publ,
soon has its attention attracted else
where.
But It does seem rather brutal to tel
a parent, for instance, whose chill,
may have been mangled by a flynn
piece of mechanism, that It SHOULD
have kept out of the way. Auto
didn't just do this, but the idea wa
implied.
AS the Advertisers correspondent
closes, so do l. but with a different ap
plication in mind
Yours for more precantion, q