Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-28
ideas DIVIDED
ON RACE GAME
SENSIBLE TALK Is MADE ON
ABUSES
and Leads to More Stringent Laws,
and Withholds. Good Roads
Appropriations

The public must now realize that
automobile contests are in their in
fancy. However, the most expert men
in the business cannot tell what turn
the sport is going to take next. says e.
p. Chalfant, general manager of the
A. l.. A. NJ.
The whole manufacturing world is
divided on the subject of racing. One
maker says the sport is of no benefit to
the industry: another says it helps more
than anything else. Some favor a
speedway, but urge the Importance of
practical contests,
Racing undoubtedly has very ma
terial function in mechanical progress
1t develops the art of driving specific
ally and executive ability broadly. 1t
has great human interest which will
not and should not be suppressed. 1t
is undoubtedly the supreme test for one
thing, and its excitement and interest
have proved of such a nature as to
draw the biggest crowds ever seen at
any sporting event. The road race nat
urally stimulates the strongest efforts
of the designer. the draughtsman and
the manufacturer. To continually i'm
prove the result to the limit of skill is
to gain for the factory and the in
dustry.
Healthy growth and improvement
can, however, proceed on no other than
IdllOHdl lilies. ne mem DerS or the
Association of Licensed Automobile
Manufacturers have done much to en-
courage national contests and keep
them within proper bounds.
Beware of Challenges
Recently in various parts of the
country challenges to speed and endur-
ance contests on the public highways
have been issued. Wherever such con-
tests involve a violation of the village,
town, city or state speed laws, obvi-
ously they should not be tolerated. The
inha bitants of the territory passed
through at an illegal rate of speed may
very reasonably have a feeling of bitter
Tetributive resentment, which may
very possibly record itself in positive
legislative action, which will Cypress
the fair-minded motorist and initiate
against the interest of the automobile
industry as a whole, and impede the
normal development of mechanical
road traction. Such short-sighted affairs
can only tend strongly to precipitate
contemplated adverse laws in the form
of bills proposed in the various state
halls of legislation, or, unhappily, to
defeat the passage of such liberal legis-
lation as may have received some en-
couragement. There was an instance
of the last mentioned kind in state
near by recently.
be the result of any "cross country"
road race at speed. Tt is difficult to
run a race in which speed is not used,
no matter how the driver may be lin
tied in action. Invariably speed laws
will be broken.
Law Violation Aienates Public
Let us consider the worst effect of
all. Motorists in this country, assisted
by a good many other people, are do
ing their utmost to get good roads APP
preparations through state legislatures
and congress. The violation of speed
laws can only ALLEVIATE friends in this
field and prevent the making of new
ones It should only be necessary TO
recall to any forgetful mind that good
| roads are largely the sine qua non of
motoring.
If road races must be run, a twenty,
| thirty or forty-mile course should be
arranged for by consent and according
TO law. and be properly protected and
| policed during the conduct of the race
Doing anything else is worse than I'M
kindness to a dumb animal The auto
mobile can easily survive conflict with
its Legitimate enemies. Nevertheless
! it should be protected as much as pos
sible from its unwise friends. Many of
| the members of the licensed assocla-
| ton have consistently supported sensi-
| bic contests and will continue to do so.
| Incidentally. special challenges are
seldom justifiable. There are oppor-
! tunities enough to race on properly
law.
A reliability contest of not more
than d days duration. over recognized
automobile thoroughfares, conducted
by promoters who obligate themselves
that speed laws will not be violated