Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-29
LAW TO CURB ALL CYCLISTS
Ordinance Suggested by Motor Trag.
edy in Council Bluffs.
OPERATORS MUST BE THOROUGH
McGOvern VIII Introduce Measure In
Council Calculated TO Make Auto
and MOtOrcyc1ists More
Careful of Life.

Stirred to action by the accident in Coun-
Gil Bluffs a few days ago whereby Tommy
Fernley, a 3-year-old child. was killed by
being knocked dow by a motor cycle
driven at a high rate OF speed by Charles
II. Keys, Councilman Thomas McGovern
will draw up an ordinance providing that
every driver of a motor cycle or an auto
mobile must secure a permit which will
be issued only after the applicant has
showed that he is competent to run the
machine. Such an ordinance was first sug-
gested by Robert Cowell, member of the
Board Of Fire and Police Commissioners,
and If the council passes the measure, the
mayor will approve it at once.
Mr.. Cowell and Mr.. McGovern say they
have been considering the feasibility OF
such an ordinance for sometime, and the
fatal accident in the city across the river
has convinced them that 1t is feasible, and
Mr.. McGovern will introduce the new meas
ure as soon as he can draw It up.
The man who operates an automobile
or a motor cycle is ar engineer, and should
have an engineers license" says Mr.. Nc
Govern. III the engineer of a steam engine,
operating a passenger elevator must take
out a license, why should not the engineer
of a gasoline engine, operating a motor
CStlt OF dulOI1ODlt, take out a license 7
l fail to see where an ordinance, sucsh as
l propose, would initiate against a mans
personal rights ard it certainly would les
sen accidents and the danger of them.
Must Pass Examinations.
Il have not figured 1t out as yet, but
want the operators of these machines, es-
pecially the motor cycles as they are the
more dangerous, to pass an examination
and show their competency before getting
a license. There will also be a clause in
the ordinances prohibiting anyone from
running a machine without a license, the
same as ~peddlers can't peddle without a
license"
Mr.. McGovern also says that he intends
to make his new city law especially strict
in it's relation to children. He says It
makes him nervous to see a young girl
running a large touring car and he wants
to be sure in the future that when he sees
an automobile coming toward him with a
child at the steering wheel that the child
can stop the machine or turn II to one
side.
Mayor Dahlman is heartily in favor OF
any legislation which will tend to keep the
motor cycles and automobiles within
bounds and also tend to lessen the con-
slant danger Of accidents on the streets.
The mayor considers the motor cycle as
about the most dangerous machine on the
streets and had about decided to ask the
council to pass an ordinance ordering muf-
flers on the exhause, when Mr.. McGoyern
announced his intention Of introducing an
ordinance covering the whole situation.
Chief Of Police Donahue says he hopes
that the accident in Council Bluffs will
have a SOLDERING effect OF people in Omaha
and elsewhere and that they will be more
careful in running their machines. The
chief is anxious that the road laws be OBJ
served and believes II all people on the
streets whether driving automobiles, motor
cycles OF teams, would keep to the right
and turn square corners the LANCER OF
accidents would be lessened to a consider
able extent.
The speed limit for motor cycles is the
same as for automobiles-eight miles an
hour in the business section and fifteen
miles an hour in the residence sections of
the city.