The Topeka state journal., 1908-12-02

the automobile There have been
thousands of columns of argument
published against it, and short-sighted
men have advocated such heavy
taxation against it, that great and
an ever growing industry would have
been sadly hampered, had half the
unwise legislation planned been put
into execution.
Now highway experts aided by the
motor car interests and by a power
full association of London and its
suburbs have turned like the trodden
worm and started an attack on the
horse.
The claim they advance is that the
polluting of all public thoroughfares
is done not by automobilists but by
horses; that if no horses were allowed
thoroughfares, the dust nuisance
would soon be naught but an unpleas-
ant memory. They advance the
logical statement that the nuisance
horses is detrimental to public health
and a menace to the pavementS, and
they charge that the continual
cleansing of the streets because of
this traffic imposes a vast and an I'M
just tax upon the citizens.
Uncle Sam Not Behind.
1t was source of great qualification
frankly told in both France and Eng
land that this nation has stepped
ahead of both those nations in the
testing of materials for building
macadam roads. Various experiments
conducted by the office of public roads
have developed the fact that it is pos
sible in road building to obtain a bet
ter bonded surface by mixing rocks,
such as limestone, with silicious rocks,
such as granite or sandstone.
That discovery-embodied in pub
locations sent out through the United
States department of agriculture
had been adopted by some of the
British engineers, and while in Eng
land Mr.. Page was driven over num-
Der of stretches of splendid highway
built by the blending of such ma
terial, and was commended by those
who built them.
In conjunction with that phase of
highway construction, Mr.. Page was
asked if it would be possible for his
Office to receive about 800 samples of
the characteristic road building rocks
of Great Britain and make laboratory
tests of them.
It was specifically stated in the Off |
cial invitation sent from France many |
months ago that the congress at Paris |
was called for the purpose of dis
cussing the effect of automobile traffic |
upon public highways and If deemed |
detrimental to devise means of over |
coming the effect Asked what con-
clusion was reached by the congress, |
Mr.. Page said that automobile traffic |
L
discussed and that many brilliant |
papers were presented, every phase of |
the question being treated of. AS it |
was impossible to arrive at a
conclusion, the question of
damage done was left for a later de-
termination. 1t was the consensus of
opinion, however, that automobiles
driven at ordinary rates of speed are
not especially harmful to good high
ways.
Mr.. Page was especially impressed
by the laws regulating automobile
traffic in practically all portions of
France and England. Unlike the laws
prevailing in nearly every section of
this country, the motor car re-
strictions Of those countries are
framed for the purpose of stopping
reckless driving and the officers re-
sponsible for their enforcement are
not restricted as are American Off
,ials No speed limit provisions are
in the laws of France or
England. If in the judgment of an
officer, a motor car driver is reckless
even if proceeding at less than eight
miles an hour, he is subject to arrest.
II on the other hand he is proceeding
1t express speed on broad thorough
fare free from other traffic, and is not
the lives or the property
Of others, he is well within his rights
and may not be interfered with