The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-06-19
Sr Limit Ordinance Should
Sc More Strictly Enfo reed
In This City.
Instance of Wanton Disregard
Of the Rights of Others;
Complaint Made.
From Mondays Daily.

ctoin Nlonudy . bduy.
There are autoists in tlis city that
continually, wantonly and persistently
violate the speed limit ordinance and
are endangering the lives of many
people who are compelled to use the
streets. These autoists appear to la
Dor under the belief that the streets
were created for their especial use
only and that pedestrians have nc
rights in the premises. Arrest and
conviction for violation of the law
would soon convince these reckless
drivers that other people, and even
those wno have to walk, have rights
and privileges guaranteed them by the
constitution of this state and the or
dinances of the municipality, and one
of those rights and privileges Is to
be permitted to walk in the streets
of this city without danger of being
run down by an automobile driven
far beyond the limit allowed by law.
Danger on Corners.
There are autoists who run their
machines around the corners at a
high rate of speed, endangering lives
and limbs of people who may at the
time be legitimately using the cross
ings. If there is any law to prevent
this fast and wild driving it should
be enforced and the authorities backed
up in their every effort to bring the
guilty parties to the justice court
where their punishment should be
melted out speedily.
Toe ,,,,,ob 1apiapou hoe hoou die.
PLAYED toward the reckless autoists in
the past and this has made Them bold
in their defiance of the law which
was passed to keep them within the
proper bounds and protect the public
from the cred devils"
The Automobile club owes it to the
public to proceed vigorously against
any autoist who INDUCES in scorching
and runs his machine without sense or
reason, as his guide. Another matter
that should be mentioned at this time,
is the Indifference which some autoists
display toward other laws that are de-
signed to protect the pedestrians from
death or manning for life. That one
relating to the lighting of lamps on
machines after dark. 1t is to be re-
GREETED that a number of Mankato
autoists are not living up to this
requirement. Should these several in
fractions of the law continue and the
guilty autosists arrested The Free
Press will be forced to give publicity
to the names of the offenders and the
amount of each fine paid.
An instance of the wanton careless
ness of an auto driver on Saturday
last is fair illustration of what
often happens in this city. A young
lady alighted from a street car on
one of the suburban streets, all un-
conscious of danger. Fortunately she
stopped an instant before stepping out
from the car, when an auto suddenly
dashed by at the rate OF at least
twenty miles an hour. The driver saw
the danger for an instant and swerved
his fast flying machine slightly to one
side, missing the lady by only hairs
breadth. The ladies in the auto scream
ed with fright as their machine rushed
by.
Anv auto driver with intelligence
enough to run machine ought to
know that when street car stops it
is for the purpose of allowing passen-
gers to alignt, and the persons alight-
ing are absolutely at the mercy OF any
reckless autoist that happens to be
passing. The driver in this instance
can congratulate himself in the fact
that he had more luck than sense.
that he did not kill the lady and
at this time be behind the bars re-
fiecting on his carelessness.
A large majority of Mankato auto
lists are careful drivers and consider
ate of the public and they should not
have to suffer for the recklessness OF
the few.
Officials of the Automobile club
state that they will lend their aid
in the prosecution of autoists who
indulge in reckless driving. They real
ize that reckless driving only tends to
depopularize automobiles and this IS
something they do not want to nap
pen. One of the auto club members
stated today that not all the autoists
in the city are members of the organi-
cation. but he was sure that those
who are affiliated believe in using their
best Judgment and common sense IN
the operation of their machines. Inc
law limits the autos to eight miles
an hour. Autoists state that if ma
chimes are held down to the limie
all the pleasure of riding will
be eliminated. They admit, how
ever, that autoists should exercise
common sense and slow down their
machines whenever they are approach
mo a street car that has stopped to
permit passengers to alight.
IF the reckless autoist cannot be
made to "put the reins on the neck
of reason" then the law must be en-
forced in order that the public is
protected. The enforcement of the
law may work a hardship on those
,uho do oxercise the best of Judgment,