Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1907-04-08
; IAN TO PENALIZE THE RECk-
LESS WHATEVER THEIR SPEED.
AN EXCELLENT PROPOSAL
Now the Law of Some New England
States-LegisIators Presented With
Draft of the Act Which Motor
lists Themselves Are Urging
Auto Has Come to Stay.

| been busy during the ten days recess
of the legislature in drafting pro
posed measure for the consideration
of the lawmakers upon their return TO
| Madison The autohmobilists feel that
| they are in for some restrictive legis-
| lation and rather than run the risk
| of having too drastic laws passed, are
going to submit measures which will
put them under stricter regulation
/ than heretofore but which they
regard as fair. A letter has been
prepared which will be sent to each
member of the legislature, setting
forth the ideas of the club and en-
closing copies of their proposed law.
! At a recent meeting of the club the
proposition was made and considered
| to suggest to the legislature that all
/ chauffeurs employed for wages by
automobile owners shall be licensed
and in penalty for violating the speed
I and care regulations shall lose their
! licenses and in consequence be de-
prived of operating machines for a
! livelihood in the future 1t Was
pointed out that the reckless driving
! of autos is not done by the owners
I of machines as a rule, but by men
! engaged to operate. them when the
tOwners themselves are not driving. 1t
! is this class of men who, lacking the
i financial responsibility and the desire
/ to observe all fair regulations and of
ten inspired by desire to show off
! their cleverness, Or their recklessness.
make automobiling unsafe for pedes-
trians and horsemen. The suggestion
was we'll received, but no definite ac
tion was taken upon that proposition.
Auto Has Come to Stay.
/ The letter to the members of the
Legislature states the great truth that
the automobile when safely handled
lis the safest vehicle in the world
the horse having will of it's own
which sometimes is pitted against the
will of the driver while the machine
is always wholly governed by the will
of the operator. Most automobilists
are careful; if all were, there would
! be no need for restricting legislation
! The automobile has come to stay
! $50 100000 worth Of them were sold
in the United States last year!-and
the courts have decided that it has
equal rights to the road with teams
The history of other self-propelling
: vehicles is being repeated in the OPP
position to the automobile which Will
in time disappear when the people ad
+a
/ The present law regulating automo-
biles is sufficient. The letter con
tinues in part
When properly diagnosed, the only
actual need and demand for addition
al legislation is such legislation as
will hit the real culprit-the reckless
and inconsiderate driver. who rushes
through city streets eongeSted with
traffic. teams and pedestrians. and
who flies along the country highways
without regard to whether the farm
er's team is timid or not We are a
unit with you in attempting to provide
the best possible means or eradicating
this unnecessary evil We are more
than willing to offer what is believed
by those who have given the subject
most careful thought and study, the
best method of putting the reckless
automobile driver where he belongs.
mo speed limitation Of any sort
will make a reckless driver careful.
Where the road is clear, straight-away
and with nothing in sight, it matters
little to any one else how fast an
automobile travels. The ideal auto
mobile law is one which contains alb
solutely no speed limitations, but
which make every driver responsible
for all damages occasioned due to his
negligence or reckIessness, whether
he is going three miles an hour Or 80.
and which contains a severe penalty
for its violation.
We submit herewith enclosed a
bill which We believe will best supply
any deficiencies in the present law
This bill contains several provisions
of the new uniform state automobile
law proposed by the American Auto
mobile association to the legislatures
of the several states, and under it the
reckless driver can be arrested, fined
and imprisoned, although he be driv-
! ing within the speed limits.
Remove all Speed Limits.
We ask that no further limitations
! of speeds be made Any reduction
| from the present limit would destroy
! the usefulness of the automobile and
would put upon the statute books
law which no enc. not even the police
authorities would respect. It would
also change the entire sentiment Of
that large proportion of the automo-
bile public which now tries TO live
within the spirit as well as the letter
Of Wisconsin's present liberal law II
any change is to be made in the
speed laws. it ought to remove ali
speed limitations of every sort. Then
with the enactment Of our proposed