New-York tribune., 1907-08-07
RnAnN AND AUTOMOBILES.

Tho recent remarks of Mr. Herman the
commissioner Of Parks about the desirability
of excluding automobiles from Centrai farh
have a wider and more important SugseStoh
than that concerning this ctys great pleasure
ground Taken literally. his plan is. OF course
incapable of fulflment. The automoDhe has
unquestionably come TO stay and it Is now in
so general use and is vehicle OF utility ana
Measure to so large n part of the community
that there can be no restriction OF It's employ
ment within the limits prescribed in comparaDe
circumstances for other vehicles. In some
cases ii is no doubt offensive, as Wheh II Is
driven carelessly or viciously, at a dangerous
speed without giving a due share OF the toau
to other vehicles. accompanied WIN dn eur
distressing rncket cloud OF smoke ol
sterch of casoIene But then horses are also
offensive when they run away or get DINA stag
gers or are driven by raucous voiced and hos
hammered sports" We must trust TO the prog
ress of civilization and the vglant energies OF
the police to minimize such evils, whether IN
motoring, horse driving. bicycling or walking
The impairment of roads by automobiles IS,
however. a pertinent and highly important COLI
sideration not only in Central Park but all over
the country for there is scarcely an improved
road anywhere which is much travelled thaL
has not suffered from the extraordinary wear
and tear Of automobiles. The reason Is per
traffic Telford and macadam roads were not
designed for automobiles. They were designed
for vehicles which would be light if swift and
slow if heavy and which in either case would
move upon wheels with smooth tires. IheE
were and are admirably adapted TO the use OF a
buggy weighing two hundred pounds, even at a
- 80 pace OF of load of hay at foot pace
even if it weighs a couple Of tons. But here are
vehicles as heavy as the load of hay moving
hat
automobile has. instead of smooth tires which
would serve as rollers 10 smooth the road, wheels
shod with chains or spikes designed expressly TO
cut into and tear the surface of the road.
Obviously the destruction Of roads by such
vehicles is Il great evil which cannot be perma-
nently tolerated. We should say. however. that
it is most properly to be abated not by exclud-
ing the vehicles from the roads but by adapting
either the vehicles 10 the roads or the roads to
the vehicles Perhaps indeed, both these
courses should be pursued. In our city parks
the vehicles might be required To adapt them
selves to the roads. No automobile would ma
terialIy hurt a well made park road If il were not
driven too fast. even if il were shod with chains
or spikes All that is needed in brief. Is that
automobiles in the parks shall he reasonably
driven. as other vehicles are. To obviate their
doing any more harm to the roads than other
vehicles do. The great majority Of automobiles
are. we believe. thus managed The damage to
the roads is chiefly done by comparatively few
careless or lawless drivers
The other solution of the problem. the adapta-
ton of the roads to the vehicles, may well be
applied elsewhere. The work Of road improve
ment is being extensively performed all
over this state. II would be great mistake 10
do il now as il was done n score of years
ago. The road which was good enough for the
buggy ana the load Of hay Will not do for
vehicle which carries chain girt wheels the
load of the latter At the speed OF the former.
These. changed conditions of traffic should be
realized and the plan Of construction Of the new
roads. AT any rate all main travelled roads
should be modified 10 meet these condi-
tons and to be adapted to the new and
far more formidable type OF vehicle That will
no doubt be an expensive thing. but II Will be
far less expensive in the end than to build
horse vehicle roads for automobiles and have
them ruined and need 10 be rebuilt every year.