The San Francisco call., 1907-06-16
BY r. r. I'TIor1n7edieu


The automobile dealers association
and the automobile club Of California
have under consideration a campaign
for the opening of all roads in Golden
Cate park TO the automobile. The
dealers and many of the members OF
the club feel that it is an injustice to
the owners Of automobiles 70 prohibit
them from using certain drives and
also 10 close certain others durin z
specified hours. Many in the dealers
association and in the club advocate
pacific measures. while others declare
for fight for what they claim to be
their rights Foremost among the
latter is c. H. Hawkins. western man
ager Of the White company. a member
Of the dealers association ard a mem
bcr Of the runs and tours committee
OF the automobile club. Hawkins has
issued the following letter:
Personally 1 am in favor of an or
ganized campaign by the automobile
club and the automobile dealers asso-
citation Of California to induce the
board Of park commissioners of San
Francisco 10 take more sane and
Teasonable view Of the consideration
TO which the automobile owner is en-
titled n the use Of the roads in Golden
Gate park
Il have asked my attorneys to look
Up the law on the subject. as it does
not seem 10 ne equitable that automo-
bile owners should DE Disseminated
against in the use Of the park drive
wsr. and ordinarily law and equity
follow pretty closely the same course.
If the use Of the public highways for
pleasure purposes by this vehicle,
which is primarily q pleasure vehicle.
IS an exception TO the rule then 1 shall
be disappointed
There are enough owners OF auto
MOBILES in san Francisco and vicinity
and there is enough money invested in
the automobile business so that they
need not. in my opinion, submit to
unfair discrimination If they will take
the matter into the coErts and test
the legality Of the regulations made by
the board Of park commissioners. And
II that fails organize and go into poll
tics strong enough TO see that the
next board of park commissioners are
men VINO are more fair minded than
the present board appears to BE-, in
view OF the fact that il turned down
the attached petition from the automo-
bile dealers association, which petit
tiOn was indorsed by the automobile
club OF California, without even Civ
ing the representatives of these or
quotations q hearing and without Civ
ing any reason whatever for so doing.
&C. H. HAWKINS"
The petition, which is a formal de-
mand made ia a legal way, contains
some interesting information which
was gathered by men hired to stand
al the three entrances TO the park.
The men were at their stations at
7:3O q IA and did not leave until mid
night on April % and 2S. In their
report they state that on Thursday,
April 25, there were all told. between
7:3O a. m. and midnight, 4s5 persons in
horse drawn vehicles, who entered by
the three main entrances, TO wit: the
south drive, the panhandle entrance to
the main drive and the automobile en-
trance opposite Page street More than
IS per cent Of this number were men,
and many OF the vehicles We're utility
wagons. During the same time 755
persons, the majority of whom were
ladies' went through the same en-
frances in automobiles. showing there
are almost twice as many visitors to
the park in automobiles as in horse
drawn vehicles
The report further shows that after
6 .. m on that day, when the main
drive was closed to automobiles and
open to horse drawn vehicles, there
were only seven horse drawn vehicles,
containing IL passengers, visiting the
mark. while there were 105 automobiles
visiting the park after 6 D. m. and be-
fore midnight, containing more than
400 persons
on these hgures Hawkins bases his
claims that the present rules in Golden
Gate park are an injustice to the
autOmobilist and that the park COM
missioners should be more liberal
President ]. W. Leavitt ordered that
? an be issued for a meeting of the
dealers association at o'clock
Wednesday evening at the Office Of the
Moor Car Agencies company, 445
Golden Gate avenue This VIII be an
important meeting, as the program for
tie rest Of the season will be dis
cussed.
The Richmond air cooled combina-
ton touring car and runabout is one
O. the most striking vehicles In the
market In the demonstrations made
with the first cars that have arrived
II re salesroom of the Huber automo-
bile company it has been shown that
they have power and hill climbing
ability-two essentials in an automo-
bile for San Francisco
Another carload Of Dragons will be
taken from the freight yards tomorrow
Charles darcy OF the D'Arcy-Scott
company, which is handling the cars,
said yesterday
we have done little in the trip