Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-20
opnosition Arguments

IOS ANGELES, May is. l9V''-ohaii
the nresent ordinance be a1nenueu.
- So that the fender may be nlalH- mann
+ained AT a greater height thah III
inches above the roadbed or rams A.lu
"2. So that the interuroan cars aIaS ai'S
he permitted to operate IN Los AnSe,sa .i,osa
under different conditions Ifoih '-'oS
imposed on urban cars ,.. 81 the
"rThe executive committee OF tle
Voters lea que has given these questions
thoughtful consideration and mas colile
to the following conclusions;
"1 That If said ordinance be aTleliu7u
a+ al, II should permit the fender 10 De
maintained at a height not exceeui,s
four inches above the roadped OF Idil9'
and this for the reasons said commlttee
has already presented to you.
"2. That the ordinance should Apply
to all cars operated in this city.
Under the present speed ordlnance
there is absolutely no danger OF the
ECLIPSE fender 'buckling,' and this city
has nothing to do with the operation Oh
cars outside it's limits, but is concerned
onlv with the protection of its citizens
from accident If the fender be ope-
rated at five and half inches above the
rails or roadbed children on or persons
thrown in front of the car would be
crushed, To provide by ordinance con-
ditions under which city cars be ope-
rated and different conditions for the
operation of the interurban cars would
render the whole ordinance unconstltu-
tional and void, as it would be class
legislation. The interurban companies
have taken no interest in the fender
ordinance until it was sought to be
enforced against them in the courts, and
now they are presenting imaginary diff
ficulties to work upon your sympathies
in order that they may be relieved from
financial burdens. By their method of
procedure it is evident that they are
trying to destroy the force and effect
of the ordinance altogether. The
greatest possible protection to the life
and limb of our citizens should be the
prime object always in view, and that
object should be maintained to the
fullest extent and to the last resort.
Ask Special Legislation
1.-THE interurban and suburban car
companies, self-confessed Violators of
this ordinance, express a desire for
special legislation which will allow their
cars to traverse the city streets without
the Eclipse lifesaving fender, this tried
and successful safeguard. They give no
records of accidents occurring because
of the use of this fender, but make a
statement Oll lHcOI6 6llCdl
basis, that such tenders might, under
theoretical conditions, possibly cause an
accident
I'm the face of facts their argument
has no value. Possibly a speed of forty
to fifty miles an hour might introduce
an element of risk in the use of the low
hung fender. We believe that such
speed within the city limits a menace to
the lives of the passengers as we'll as 70
the pedestrian.
1--WE contend that all cars traversing
the streets of Los Angeles and running
at speed safe for the passengers, can
without risk of accident use the fender
as now prescribed in the ordinance, and
no proof to the contrary has been intro
duced.
I'VE believe that the lives of our chill
dren, our visitors and our citizens,
whether travelling in the cars or cross
ing the tracks, are of more value than
the shortening of a trip by a few
minutes time, and the fender ordinance
as it now stands has proven itself a
wise, sane and humanitarian provision.
Respectfully yours,
VOTERS LEAGUE"
| Signed by Jesse F. Waterman. presi
dent, and Robert G. Loucks, secretary. -