The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-08-17

does not alter the good cause of their
aversion. Such being the case, and
these being the people who help to
make our laws, the course of the bet
ter class of utomobilists-and the
better class is by far in the majority
lis plainly to work with all energy
for the suppression and the punish
ment of the reckless and the ineffi-
cient drivers of cars. The situation
demands more than halfway meas
ures, and anything short of imprison-
ment for the repeatedly reckless
driver, or the forfeiture of his IL
cense by the scorcher, or the seizure
and Withholding for a term of the
car of the confederate owners, is GER
tainly halfway arraignment. This
is case where the punishment
should be made adequately to fix the
crime; the ruffians who tear over
the public highways unmindful of
man or horse or car need legislation
of the most drastic character-it
cannot be too severe. And | do not a
particle exaggerate the recklessness
of the maniac.
The other afternoon, while going
along a narrow but excellent road, |
heard the hum twenty feet ahead a
racer runabout type, which | could
not see because of the dust about it.
AS | never take chances when others
are with me, | gave up the entire
roadbed, running my car slowly, and
had only just cleared when there
flashed past in the middle of the
road, and with such a dust-cloud
around him that the driver could not
possibly see of an approaching car,
which | could not going at the rate
of probably SO miles an hour,
The driver was bent over the
wheel, the woman with him was
doubled in an effort to keep her hat
and escape the bewildering dust,
neither of them could possibly see,
as | say, twenty feet ahead, and yet
they were going along, keeping the
middle of the road, sounding no
horn, and at the rate of so miles an
hour.
If l had not got entirely off the
road, no doubt there would have
been collins for several Now, is any
punishment too severe for driver
of that kind? And do not think this
is an exceptional case.
My country home is located in a
section where the farmers have be-
come alive to the value to them of
good roads, and as a result we have
many splendid highways, with the
| farmers all prosperous, largely
through the ease and cheapness OF
the haul to market. Also we have
the sane-minded automobile tourist
and the scorcher who finds our roads
| dn1 nj .
| therefore, | am in a position to see
the car-driver at his worst and at his
| best-and scarcely a day passes that
l do not either see or personally eX-
perience an encounter with some
reckless creature who, il he was fit
tingly punished, would forthwith
spend from ten to thirty days of the
heated term in jail on bread and
water.
A Fair Show for Every One.
| At his best, the automobilist is 9
considerate gentleman who slows
down and sounds his horn on coming
to a crossroad, who Invariably mott
fies driver of his approach by 8
small toot of the horn, who crowds
neither pedestrians nor wagons into
the ditch, or SO near to 1t that they
are in danger of falling, who obeys
| the request to "slow down" and who
does not shower with mud and water
people he chances to have overtakeI
| just at pool, or confuse With hi.
approach and dust those he may have
come upon in turn of the road. Ir
a word he Is considerate of the
rights of those he meets, and it is en-
| tira1y from, that uiaWnoint that
write
Intelligent people do not offer OBJ
| lection to the speeding of automo
biles, if the increased pace ceases
| through~ towns and intelligent peo
pie realize that the automobile is {
great stride in methods of transpor
tation; that from being a luxury, il
has now come almost to be a neces
sity; that it has come to stay, ant
| that its requirements must be fairly
considered in legislation. 1t is moi
fair to place speed limits at unneces
sarily low figures; they should be put
at such figures as Is necessary to
safeguard the ordinary traffic of the
road. Once such figure Is estab
lished, however (and ten miles the
hour is generally agreed to meet the
sane judgment of ALL, compliance
should be exacted under penalty OF
Jail instead of a fine, which has very
| little, Ii any lettering effect upon
| the class of automobile owners that
supplies the fragrant offenders of moi
only local speed regulations, but OF
the common rules of decency.
Respect for the rights of the
average citizen" will result in re-
spect of those of the automobiUst;
each needs the other.
MR nnnIEv nm