The morning journal-courier., 1908-11-17
NEW RAVENS JUGGERNAUTs.

NEW RAVENS JUGGERNAUTs. It is plainly evident that something must be done In this city to curb the automobile and the automobllist. The juggernaut of India, before whica the Hindu mothers were wont to throw their babes to be crushed to death, has had a record scarcely more grewsome than these juggernauts of New Ha- ven. With the India monster there has been at least some degree of per sonal Initiative on the part of the vlc- tim's mother and there has been some foreknowledge of approaching cates- trophe; but the New Haven automo- bile monsters have been in the habit of sweeping down upon their victims without as much as a note of warning and at lightning speed. Their victims, of whom there were last week as many as three in forty-eight hours. have been not babes in arms, but ef- fectual men of work in the communi- ty.
 The Hartford Courant was sponsor for the suggestion made last week that a black cross be emblazoned on every automobile for every death 1t has caused The suggestion is not without its merits. but we believe we should rather see the black cross on the men who have been responsible for these accidents Autos come and autos go, but life once taken can never be brought back. These affairs cannot be made of too serious import. It is very clear that the time Is fast approaching when sterner ways of regulating these machines which are veritable ble'locomotves running wild in our streets, must be had. In the past perhaps we have been spasmodcally severe with certain autoIsts who have been detected exceeding q certain fixed speej-limit We have laid stress rath- CT upon the speed itself than upon the danger 10 life limb and property, which must always accompany the speed; and, when lives have been talk en. there has been public compassion and easy coroncr's verdicts for the guilty drivers
 In Paris the custom has long been 10 allow the autosts to proceed at practically whatever speed they may choose but no occasion is lost by the authorities to make 1t perfectly clear that whenever these fig a killing or an injury. the punishment must follow quickly, firmly and relentlessly A engines of destruction might well bo adopted here. Let not New Haven become known far and wide as a To- calty where the officers of the law arc ever on the lookout for those who ex, ceed the speed the law lays down, but let New Haven be known far and wide as the locality where to a man driver, who run amuck are promptly deal with There Is no reason why the all. toist who kills man should receive more courtesies than any other hom. icide who commits an unpremedital ed murder. The false impression which has gone abroad among auto mobilists, that if they toot their horn all responsibility for accidents whcf may follow is wiped out, must bc shown to be without foundation There is no reason why the mere pedestrian should be compelled tc take his life in his hands and run q street crossings to avoid death unde, the wheels of these juggernauts,
 During the summer just passed Cer tain of the automobile orSanizations sent out warnings to their Connection members to the effect that, if they diC not run their cars more sanely and de crease the number of accidents, strict CT auto laws would be passed by thu next legislature. That warning hai not been needed, If these killings q, not stop stcrner legislative means must be mad, Now laws should not b' aimed, however, against the speed, fo autos can kill quite as effectualH when travelling at the rate of ten mile an hour as at sixty, The Waterbur, Republican suggests that only 2 toV stiff prison sentences can check thu evil Certainly such sentences woulr have splendid results New laws should be aimed at the accidents, It might bt recommended that a law be passe, which would forbid anyone using al automobile again in Connecticut wht has been found a fault in an acciden which resulted in death or serious in