New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-15
TO PREVENT SPEEDING.
METZ RULE IN AUTO TOUR.
Protest against the Wild Scramble
to Keep the Schedule.

Chicago July f4.-At a meeting Of the touring
board of the American Automobile Association to-
night il decided that will be sent ont
tomorrow act pacemaker when the for
the Glidden and Hover trophies is continued. The
run tomorrow viii he 10 South Bend. Ind. No car
will be allowed pass the pacemaker in which
VIII he Chairman Hover. The contestants must
also keep the position IN which the car starts. If
q leading car happens 10 break down the following
viii be allowed to pass It. This action has
been taken TO prevent the speeding that was done
on the three days OF the last week. limit
OF hours i minutes viii he allowed the cars to
cover the 1os miles
The 4-horsepower Premier car, driven by J. w
Moore, which was pcnalized six points on Thurs
day, credited with a clean score by the board
The 1s-horsepower REQ car entered by R. NJ
Owen. which lost point for crossing the finish
ing line n minute too soon. also credited with
clean score. The Premier which made such
q good showing in the contest lost time while Civ
ing assistance in the Otis accident Thursday.
Both represent tho Automobile Club OF Amer
fca team for the Glidden cup.
o. A. Parker. Of the Automobile Club Of America
who drove Royal Tourist and who viii join
the ranks " the non-contestants owing 10 the
frightfuI speed made last week sent the following
interesting statement to Chairman Hover tonight:
AT the time 7 sent in my entry for the Gdden
tour ! was under the impression that i was to be
an exceedingly strenuous touring contest, but the
rules provided in Article ! Of schedules that the
committee would not require any entrant 70 operate
his car at higher rate Of speed than is permitted
10y law In my judgment your committee has
srosslE violated this article Of the rules each
Of the first three days OF the tour
Cleveland To Toledo Is reckoned 20 miles In the
official route hook In passing through of
the twenty-one cities and towns the route book
shows l7-5 miles OF city streets and brick pave
Ilent- Allowing nothing Tor the fourteen other
towns and villages and figuring the Us miles at
the legal rate Of eight miles hour and the bal
ance or IN" distance as country road az twenty
miles hour the schedule should call for a run
ming time Of hours and p minutes. instead Of the
: hours allowed
Toledo to South Bend is reckoned as 1903 miles
and in passing through SIX Of the twenty cities and
towns 1915 miles is down as city streets which
should call for a schedule Of hours and 20 min
utes figuring all the other fourteen towns as
country roads. adding thirty minutes for the four
miles Of city from the garage to the hotel
and hack the garage for the second checking the
schedule should have been hours and 80 minutes
instead Of hours.
From South Bend 10 Chicago the route followed
IS over 10 miles according to my odometer and
Twenty-Five miles Of this distance is through The
streets and parks Of Hammond and Chicago alone.
Figuring all the other cities and towns as open
country road the schedule should have called for
hours and 81 minutes instead of 8 hours and Is
minutes allowed
When It is considered that the schedule time IS
elapsed ana not running time. and that every
machine must take on passengers and baggage an
supplies Of oil, gasoene and water. must put on
cnans For slippery roads. put up the top
when II rains II there ara women in the party CAS-
an my case). to say nothing of such minor details
as glass of water sandwich en- route and
when these necessary delays are taken out Of the
scheaule TINE IT requires speed much in excess
or the legal rate to keep from being late check
ing in.
Inc stretches Of deep mud cause all machines to
nun below schedule time and even the most expert
end daring driver must show little cousdera-
ZION Tor other users Of the highway. must slow
Gown ior sharp curves and and for railroad
crossings To make UP the time necessarily lost In
slese ways requires excessive speed wherever pos
faole and safe, and the chapter Of accidents each
Gay SHOWS the desperate chances every driver and
passenger has 10 take. and how :he desire avoid
GenaIlzation causes even the best most careful
of1Fsr 10 take chances the very thought Of which
causes cold clillS to PLAY up and down the spinal
column OF any one who has gone through them
me elimination Of all controls during the day
and the setting OF such fast schedule he'd turned
the tour into daily road race without the safe
guards or protection usually afforded such
casions. II Is a race not against any other
teEtant. but race against time. in which the
driver speeds TO either make up time spent in
faking supplies or fixing tire speeds get
10 the night control in time take supplies
or 20 make some adjustment.
To my mind. the spectacle Of more than three
score machines racing with begrimed passengers
IN many cases working ike fends while the car
Is IN motion TO avoid stop, and when a stop is
MADE rushing about Ike mad get started
again through the cities and towns and country.
fetal 70 the sport 70 the industry In what I
am writing you I but voice the sentiments Of every
entrant who has talked To the subject. and
many Of whom would express themselves openly
but have fear OF neing misunderstood