Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-11-26
POLICE AUTO ALL
RIGHT,SAYS KERN
GEARLESS PATROL WAGON
BUILT TO SPECIFICATIONS
Chief Declares Vehicle Answers the
Double Purpose of Hauling Prs-
oners and Being Used as
Ambulance

A. p. McGinnis, no is the general
agent in Los Angeles for the Gearless
automobile has taken exceptions &c
statements made in reference to the
combined automobile, patrol wagon and
ambulance sold by his company TO the
city of Los Angeles for use by the
police department, and yesterday an
investigation was made of the same.
Chief of Police Kern was asked for
statement in reference to the matter
and he said in answer to questions put
to him that while the automobile fur-
nished him by the council was not an
ideal one for use as an ambulance, II
was fully IN to the specifications and
filled the bill for a machine to daul
persons in and in which to send officers
out on rush calls.
At the time that Chief Kern asked
for the automobile he expected to be
supplied with two machines, one for
police work and the second for use as
an ambulance. After he had made his
request to the council, and after the
specifications for the machine had been
made by him, he was informed that he
could have but one machine at this
time, and that the machine must do
the work of both police wagon and am
bulance.
Chief Kern thereupoa wired Mr.. Nc
Ginnis, who was in the east, this in
formation, and Mr.. McGinnis ordered
the specifications of the police patrol
wagon changed so that might also be
used as an ambulance.
This necessitated the frightening of
the body of the vehicle, which was done
at the factory. and While the machine.
according to Chief Kern, is not entirely
suitable for ambulance use. with the
changes made by Mr.. McGinnis ~ can
be made to serve the purpose.
The new patrol wagon when delivered
to the chief of police was in charge of
an expert from the Gearless factory,
and this expert undertook, in the linn
tied time allowed him, to instruct mem
hers of the police department how to
drive the machine.
1t was while one of the learners was
at the wheel that the car butted into
the wall of the driveway of the station
and was damaged. and the accident,
according to the chief, was wholly que
to the inexperience of the man at the
wheel and not to any mechanical de-
feet in the car.
This was the only time that the ma
chine was in the shop for repairs, ex-
cepting when it had been sent there by
the chief of police for changes not
mentioned in the original specifications.
These changes were the putting on of
an alarm gong and the installation on
the machine of presto light outfit.
The purchase of the Gearless auto
mobile patrol wagon by the city coun-
ell was made in open competition, and
the bid of Mr. McGinnis was the low
est submitted. The machine after it
was delivered to the police department
was examined at the request of Chief
Kern by the master mechanic of the
fire department, who reported that it
was built according to specifications
submitted to the bidders.
Captain Bradish, who is in charge of
the University substation. says the
Gearless machine which has been in
use in his district for the last six
months has not been out of commission
more than week during the entire
period of its service.