New-York tribune., 1908-08-13
CONFER ON AUTO SPEED
ACT IN NASSAU COUNTY.
Intrusting PO7Cer to State Com
mission FaUored at Meeting.

At a conference between the leading autorno-
bilists and the supervisors of Nassau County held
yesterday in the county courthouse Mineola,
for the purpose of doing away with reckless dr1v-
ing of automobiles. ". W Niles as representa-
tive of the Automobile Club, Of America recon-
mended that state commission along the lines Of
the Public Service Commission be appointed to
make. regulate and enforce speed laws. Mr.. Niles
also said that the present arbitrary fixing of speed
limits q serious flaw in the law.
He believed that law should be drafted which
would punish ali reckless driving. A speed of eight
or ten miles hour under certain road conditions
through crowded traffic he said might easily be as
reckless speed of thirty miles under different
road conditions. He said that in his opinion the
solution of the speeding difficulties would be
make example of some prominent automobilists
who drive reckessly. and send them to jail with
plenty of publicity. He added. however, that he
thought it would be mistake for the county Off
cias in their campaign to check reckless speeding.
TO split hairs by arresting man going at about
twenty and one-haf miles hour road where
the limit is twenty.
HaIstead Scudder. counsel for the board Of super
vtsors. assured Mr.. Niles that the supervisors had
intention Of taking any such drastic steps. He
said. however. that the reckless driving of the
speed maniacs the roads of Nassau County had
become uncomfortable. and that unless action were
taken Immediately by the several automobile clubs
and associa tons TO suppress such driving there
telling what the natives of the county might do
AS climax his remarks Mr.. scudder said that If
all else failed he would favor taking speed cases
out of the hands of the justices of the peace and
sending the offenders to the county court for in
dictment by the grand jury.
Mr. Terry. of the National Association of Auto
mobile Manufacturers. agreed with Mr.. Scudder
and said in ringing tones that term in jail was
the very best method he knew Of to curb reckless
driving. And when you do Jail them he said,
be sure to get the prominent ones"
statement a little later by Mr.. Scudder that
certain automobile clubs were reported to make
practice of warning their members against speed
traps, created quite a lively discussion.
Mr.. Terry said that his body did not follow this
practice. Mr. Richardson. of the Long Island
Club said that it instructed its representatives at
speed traps not to give any warning at all to
drivers running at thirty forty miles an hour;
these they thought should be caught and punished
Mr.. Richardson said that couple of years ago
an automobilist had been fined for speeding the
Jericho road and had worked political pull with
the result that the Judge had returned the fine by
personal check.
This aroused Mr.. Scudder who declared that
there was no graft in the speeding arrests and
said that if Mr.. Richardson would give him the
facts he would bring them before the Appellate
Division
Others urged that there certain inegtimate
speed traps in various parts of the state where
limit of four or five miles fixed. just for the
purpose of hnng automobilists. The clubs thought
that ii was entirely legitimate to owners of
such traps.
Toward the end Of the conference Mr.. Chester
Painter Supervisor from Oyster Bay, suggested
that the various automobile clubs and associations
distribute among their members literature urging
them to refrain from reckless driving and preserve
the safety of the public highway. This suggestion
was heartily concurred in by the representatives
of all the organizations present Among these or
eanizatOns were the A, A. A. the Long Island
Automobile Club the Automobile Club of America
and the National Association of Auto Manufac-
turerS
The announcement of the proposed light car race
in connection with the grand prize of the Automo-
bile Club of America has already resulted In the
eppearance of one manufacturer in New York. with
another on his way. to urge upon the club the inn
mediate definite announcement OF the race and
the issuing OF entry blanks. Henry Ford in
consultation with Mr.. Morrell yesterday and an
nounced that he prepared TO enter three Ford
stripped runabouts as the entry blanks
were ready.
In my orinion" said Mr. Ford. this will be the
most interesting race that has ever been conceived
in America from the light manufacturers
point OF view.