The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-12-13
Roads Congress Finds Autos
Do Not Hurt Highways
English Streets Paved According to Methods
Advocated by United States Officials

the first fight against the horse has
been taken up by the automobilists
When the motor car began to come
into use. the teaming interests of the
world were strong. They berated the
automobile in unmeasured terms, SAID
that it was a menace to the public ana
10 the horse; that It endangered lie
and limb; in fact advanced every argu-
ment against it that from time imme-
mortal has been advanced against the
advent of every great invention or
civilizing influence.
In the early days of the American
republic the pack saddle men fought
bitterly against the advent OF the
wagon. They declared it would make
impossible the carrying Of heavier loads
and the consequent running OF the pack
saddle industry; the wagon men fought
the stage coach on the theory that 1t
would facilitate traffic and throw wagon
men out of work; the stage coach men
battled against the railroads on the
theory that the running of steam cars
would drive out the stage coach driver;
and each in turn was forced TO make
way.
The fight of the horsecar men
against the trolley car is remembered
by all. The claim was then made that
100000 horses would be thrown out
OF work and that horse breeders would
starve. The trolley is well nigh uni
versal, and yet more horses are raised
each year than the year before, and
they bring better prices.
The horse interests have ever fought
.he automobile. There have been thou
sands of columns of argument published
against it, and short sighted men have
advocated such heavy taxation against
IL that a great and an ever growing
industry would have been sadly ham
pered had half the unwise legislation
planned been put into execution.
AMERICAN IDEAS ADOPTED
Now highway experts aided by the
motor car interests and by powerful
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
to drop organic matter on public thor
oughfares the dust nuisance would soon
be naught but an unpleasant memory.
They advance the logical statement that
the nuisance created by hundreds of
thousands OF horses is detrimental to
public health and a menace to the
pavements and they charge that the
continual cleansing OF the streets be-
ause of this traffic imposes a vast and
an unjust tax upon the citizens.
That discovery-embodied in publ
cations sent out through the United
States department of agriculture-had
been adopted by some of the British
highway engineers and while in Eng
land Page was driven over a number of
stretches OF splendid highway built by
the blending of such material, and was
commended by those who built them.
AUTO TRAFFIC DISCUSSED
In conjunction with that phase of
highway construction, Page was asked
if it would be possible for his office
to receive about 300 samples of the
characteristic road building rocks of
Great Britain and make laboratory
tests of them.
1t was specifically stated in the Of
fetal invitation sent from France many
months ago that the congress at Paris
was called for the purpose Of discussing
the effect of automobile traffic upon
public highways, and, IL deemed detri-
mental, to devise means OF overcoming
the effect Asked what conclusion was
reached By the congress, Page said that
automobile traffic and its effect was
very thoroughly discussed and that
many brilliant papers were presented, ).
every phase OF the question being
treated of. AS it was impossible to
arrive at unanimous conclusion, the
A0CclAOn VI QdlldSc QOu6 DIS lclL LUZ
a later determination. 1t was the
consensus OF opinion, however, that au-
tomobiies driven at ordinary rates of
speed are not especially harmful TO
good highways.
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 coun-
try. the motor car restrictions of those
countries are framed for the purpose
of stopping reckless driving, and the
officers responsible for their enforce
ment are not restricted as are Ameri-
can officials. No sped limit provisions
are Incorporated in the laws of France
or England. If, in the judgment of an
officer a motor car driver is reckless.
even IL proceeding at less than eight
miles an hour. he is subject to arrest
If, on the other hand, he is proceeding
at express train speed on a broad
thoroughfare, free from other traffic
and is not endangering the lives or
the property of others, he is well within
his rights and may not be interfered
with.