Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-12-02

Inc uofcc iuttEt>Nc hANt lOukut
the automobile. There have been
thousands of columns of argument
published against il. and short
sighted men have advocated such
heavy taxation against it, that a
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
powerful association of London and
It's suburbs have turned like the
trodden worn and started an attack
on the horse.
The claim they advance is that
the polluting OF all public thorough
fares Is done not by automobilists
but 10y horses; that Il no horses
,cere allowed to drop organic mat
ter on public thoroughfareS, the
dust nuisance would soon be naught
bul az unpleasant memory. They
advance the logical statement that
iho nuisance created by hundreds
OF thousands OF horses j. dctri-
mental Ia public health and a
menace 20 the paVementS.
Ii was source of great gratiti-
cation 10 the American chairman
10 be frankly told in both France
and England that this Nation has
stepped ahead of both those Nations
in the testing of materials for build
inc macsdam roads. Various ex-
periments conducted by the Office
of Public Roads have developed
the fact that it is possible in road
building To obtain a better bonded
surface by mixing rocks. such as
limestone, with SilicouS rocks, such
as granite or sandstone.
That discovery - embodied in
publications sent out through the
United States Department of Agri-
culture-had been adopted by some
of the British highway engineers.
and while in England Mr.. Page
was driven over a number of
stretches of splendid highway built
by the blending of such material,
and was commanded by those who
built them.
10 conjunction With that phase
of highway construction, MIR. 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.
1t was specifically stated in the
official invitation sent from France
many months ago that the Congress
at Paris was called for the purpose
of dicuSsing the effect of automo-
bile traffic upon public highways
and if deemed detrimental to devise
means of overcoming the effect.
Asked what conclusion was reached
by the Congress, Mr.. Page said
that automobile traffic and effect
was very thoroughly discussed and
that many brilliant papers were
presented, every phase of the ques-
ton being treated of. As it was
impossible to arrive at unanimous
conclusion, the question of damage
done was left for later determine
ton. 1t was the consensus of
opinion, however, that automobiles
driven at ordinary rates Of speed
are not especially harmful to good
highways.
Mr.. Page was especially impress
ed by the laws regulating automo-
bile traffic in practically all por-
tons of France and England.
Unlike the laws prevailing in
nearly every section of this country
the motor car restrictions of those
countries are framed for the pur-
pose of stopping reckless driving
and the officers responsible for
their enforcement are not restrict
ed as are American officials. No
speed limit provisions are incorpo-
rated in the laws of France or
England. If in the judgment of
an officer, motor car driver is
reckless even if proceeding at
less than eight miles an hour,
he is subject to arrest. If on the
other hand he is proceeding at ex-
press speed on a broad thorough
fare, free from other traffic, and is
not endangering the lives or the
property of others, he is we'll
within his rights and may not be
interfered with.
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