The evening world., 1908-10-05
TRAFFIC SQUAD
ARRESTS AROUSE
IRE OF A JUDGE
Magistrate Corrigan Angry
When Called on to Hear
Is Trivial Cases.

\ Because OF recent drastic orders
issued by Police Commissioner Bingham
and Deputy Commissioner Bugher to
the Traffic Squad. the business OF
trucking in Manhattan. which the
Traffic Squad was formed to expedite,
has boon practically paralyzed. In the
past week seventy-five drivers day
have been arrested for trivial viola
tons Of the traffic regulations, none OF
which resulted In a blockade or any
hindrance to the movement OF street
| traffic.
| Magistrate Corrigan, sitting in Centre
Street Police Court. became 80 dis
gusted to-day with the glut of petty
traffic offense cases brought before him
by Traffic Squad men that he an
nounced his intention Of dischargins
all such prisoners in the future.
Drivers are being arrested by the score
for falling to keep to the curb line. for
allowing their horses to face the wrong
way on side streets or for cutting out
with a light truck to pass heavy
truck ahead.
Arrests for Trivial offenses.
Deputy Commissioner Bugher issued
orders to-day that no trucks are to be
allowed on the street car tracks in the
downtown section except on street
crossings. Positive orders have been
issued to the patrolmen to arrest every
driver violating even the smallest and
most trivial OF the regulations. and
spoilers In plain clothes are sent out TO
keep watch on the uniformed men.
1t has always been the rule of patrol
men TO warn drivers who, In their
anxiety to make time. slipped around
some regulation. But Commissioner
Bingham will not stand for warnings.
He wants arrests.
Word has been sent to the Traffic
Squad patrolmen that their standing as
policemen will be judged by the num-
Der OF arrests they make. and not by
their ability TO keep traffic in motion on
their posts An average of arrests must
be maintained or the traffic man gets
black mark and Is sent back to patrol
ling beat.
Magistrate Corrigan has been particu-
larly exasperated by the policemen who
have arraigned before him drivers
charged with violating the rule which
provides that trucks must keep close
to the curb. But the policemen say
that II they are detected by a rounds
man giving driver warning they are
liable to be summoned to Headquarters
on charges and fined several DAYS pay
Interferes With Traffic.
strict enforcement of the rule pro-
viding tina. all trucks must keep TO
the right-hand curb line results in in
reference rather than expedition Of
trafric. A three-horse coal truck,
loaded, under this rules strict enforce
ment sets the pace for dozens OF light
trucks behind. Heretofore there has been
no objection to the light trucks run
ming out and around the sow-moving
vans; nor has there been any objection
10 reasonable use OF the street car
direction as the cars.
The object OF the Police Depa rtment
at this time seems to be TO keep the car
tracks entirely free to street cars. Or
ders are Issued 10 keep the cars running
at all hazards. and duri-g a recent
parade a squad OF policemen charged
and dubbed n detachment of militia
men which ODStrUctel Tor q snort LlIIlt
a street car on Park Row.
Truck owners ana business men are
wondering II the Metropolitan Street
hallway, with the connivance of the
Police Department, is going to drive
them from the streets altogether. The
strict enforcement Of a rule combining
trucks to the curb and keeping them
on the car tracks will prove a serious
handicap to business.
SpottIng Policemen.
There were six plain clothes police
men on duty to-day in Fourth avenue,
between Nineteenth and Twenty-thIrd
streets, looking out for trivial traffic
uniform who failed to make arrests
upon every pretext. Drivers who had
no idea they were violating any traffic
rules were held up and told they were
ARGUE it out with the Judge" said
the policemen,
There were no arguments in Centre
Street Police Court, where Magistrate
raigned unless the policeman was WILL
ing 10 say that the offense causing the
arrest was a real obstruction TO traf-
fic. On this point Magistrate Corrigan
said:
this city delivered IN the shortest pos
sible time Is a serious one, / have
heard no complaints about the plan Of
to get ahead occasionally violated one
of the regulations, But II driver Is
10 be arrested every time he turns out
more than three feet from the curb
ana n light trucks are TO have their
course impeded by heavy vans moving
al a snail's pace II H. about time the
business men got together and register
ed a strong protest to Mulberry. Street,
"Only a slight percentage Of the hun
the past seven days warranted an ar
rest. on the other hand, hundreds OF
drivers have been compelled TO take
hours from their time to come to court,
and many thousands OF dollars, worth