The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-05-10
Assistant City Attorney Is
Preparing a New Law
to Regulate Autos.
EIGHT MILES MAY
BE THE NEW RULE
Careless Driving and Many
Accidents Arouses the
City Officials.

Chief of Police Mike Davis believes
the automobile speed law in this city
is by far too generous in the matter
of permitting the machines to travel at
II miles an hour in the business sec
ton, and in order to do away with
some of the probabilities of accident
through the maintenance Of that speed,
Assistant City Attorney J. C. Hurs-
pool is this week drawing up an ordi-
nance. which will be introduced before
the council in the near future, to sub
stitute the ordinance now in force.
The new measure will, in all prob
ability, prescribe a rate of eight miles
an hour within the business section
as is the case in Portland, Seattle, Spo-
kane and North Yakima, and will per-
nit of a speed of II miles an hour only
in the remote sections of town. Chief
Davis has been in correspondence with
the chiefs in other sections of the state,
and in all cities the auto speed limits
in the business sections are set at eight
miles an hour, even though the state
law provides for a minimum of II
miles and four miles at crossings and
street intersections. That will also be
the regulation contained in Walla
! Walla's new enactment.
| Section of the North Yakima or
! dinance reads as follows: mo person
| or persons shall ride or drive any au-
| tomobile or any other vehicle driven
| by motive power on the public streets
| of the city Of North Yakima within
| the limits first above described of this
| ordinance at greater speed than six
! miles an hour, not outside OF said
| district, and within said city limits
! at a rate of speed faster than "a miles
an hour nor over any crossing or side
walk within the limits of said city at
q faster rate than four miles an hour.
Section 81 of the Seattle auto ordi-
! nance is as follows: 1T shall be un-
| lawful for any person to ride, drive or
propel any automobile, autocycle or
ether motor vehicle except those in
use by the fire department, the po-
! lice department, and ambulances re-
spending to emergency calls, at great
er rate of speed than IL miles per hour
along on. through or over any paved
street outside of said above district, or
| at a greater rate of speed than 10
miles per hour along, or, through or
/ over, any public place WITHIN the Inn
! its of the city of Seattle, or over or
| by any place where any person or per-
sons may be entering or leaving any
! street car or other public conveyance
! or to pass or cross any street 1ntersec~
/ tion or round any corner within that
| certain district in this section first
above described at greater rate or
speed than four miles per hour when
running on a down grade, or at Il
! greater rate of speed than eight miles
per hour when running on an up grade.
Acting Chief of Police James Cover
| ly, of Spokane, in response to letter
from Chief Davis. says: "Inside the
fire limits or business portion of the
city, the speed limit is eight miles per
hour and at the street crossings in the
| fire limits the speed is four miles per
| hour. Outside the fire limits in the