The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-03-19
New Jersey Club, the Second
largest in Country, Speaks
in Clarion Tones.
GREAT FUTURE OF CAR
AS ENGINE OF PROGRESS
State Motor Commissioner, For
mer Senator Smith and Others
Speak at Banquet.

Every Phase or conditions in the
world of automobiIing, with many sue-
gestionsN for their improvement, a retro
spect and glimpse into the future
formed the texts for eloquence and ora
tory last night at the sixth annual bar
quet of the New Jersey Automobile and
Motor Club in Kruger's Auditorium. II
was taken as q matter of fact that the
gathering should be the greatest and
the banquet the most successful in the
history of the second largest auto club
in America. The event was character
istic of the members of the club who
are accustomed to breaking records, and
had success and prosperity written in
big type upon themselves as individu-
wealth represented at the banquet went
far into the millions.
One of the principal speakers of the
evening was J. B. r. Smith, commits
sioner of motor vehicles for the State of
New Jersey. MIR. Smith protested
against the present New Jersey license
laws, and suggested among other I'M
provernents an increase in the maxt :
mum speed to thirty miles All hour.
Aid TO civilization.
He reviewed the history of the auto
mobile and gave a glowing account of
what might be expected of the great
wave of progress exenplified by its i'm
vcntion. He said in part:
Some one has lruly said, THE wheel +
the dial by which can be reeSoned the de-
gree of progress of every civilization Each
successive stage In the development Of the
wheel of travol and transportation has in
deed, removed the human race further from
the savage stn.e, and the lateSt--and ] dc
not hesitate tolsay the greatast--step toward
ideal conditions Is marked by the inventions
of Daimler, of Seldom. and Of their. con-
take their places alongside of Watt, of III,
two Stevensons and of our own Stevens
family, father and sons.
The automeble, like all beneficial inven
tions Is 4 friend and patron Of its contem
poraIies and its, predecessors As the paci
saddle did not supplant. the hand barrow
the wagon the pack saddle, nor the railroad
the wagon, so the automobile will not sup.
plant either, but will supplement them all
The, value and the efficiency, of the ole
will be enhanced. not deprecated,' by tht
new. Horses are more valuable and numer.
Gus than ever before, and 1t lis quite prob
able that If statistics were available it coule
be shown that we have more and better
wheelbarrows than st any previous time;
meht of time and expense in certain lines
of travel and transportation. Already !
has indicated the necessity OF further i'm
has offered the well-to-do the inestimable
boon of both city and country advantages
without serious interference with the pur
suits of life.
With further improvements and econo
mics in construction 1t will become tn
popular means of TRANSPORTATION for th'
.fax 6fefon ut1I QdNanf
special motor roads we can only. .conlec
ture to what extent the automobile VII
relieve railroad congestion.
No Limit to Progress.
Nor can the limits be fixed, except by the
limits of space; The tide of progress grows
shores Of eternity; and space and eternity
carry ciyliSation beyond the realms oi ,, tht
be solved. Only mans errors and vices
can stay this tide; for all true progress L
the fruit of the achievements OF the highes
ideals of right and justice.
VIII we err? VIII our vices be our ruin,
We have the examples of the decay, oi
other civilizations to warn u.s. Babylon
taught their lessons. We have seen how
the progress Of these nations, turned te
fgratify the avarice, the lust and the indo
ruin. ruin Win we we not profit by their example.
May not our progress be turned to crafty
the nobler rather than the baser instincts
to learning the secrets of right?
AS the automobile and it's younger
brother, the airship, will surely affect ma
terially the destinies, OF our civilization
we who are charged with shaping tht
course Of the automobile should welcome
this great responsibility.
| Toastmaster Paul e. Heller, th
president of the club, introduced as ths
first speaker, former United State.
Senator James Smith, jr., who spoke
ON 1.-THE Auto Vehicle as a Civllizine
Influence"
when the automobile was first in.
| troduced." Senator Smith said, ''like
many others, looked upon it witt
great disfavor. This was because VIC
were led to believe that it was vehicle
designed only for speed and had com,
to replace that noble animal. the horse
This feeling has all changed. however
and we now see the automobile in 1t.
right light. A motor car when properly
handled is one of the most Joyous
things of life.
Has a Great Future.
| ''While we have made wonderful
progress with the auto in the past i
has a greater future, There is no rec,
reation that gives more health vigor
enjoyment and beneficial results thar
automobiling.
I'm seeking legislation we do not ash
unfair things or any advantage from
citizens who are less fortunate than w,
are, and who do not own machines
We do not ask for unnecessary speed
laws. nor do we want rights tha1
others are denied, but we do wan
thoss which we are entitled to-
| I'VE pay for our privileges but W,
don't want to see the money paid fal
those privileges go for other things
and have the roads of our State lef
in bad condition. The State has nj
other source Of revenue from which t,
pay for a continuous Improvement o.
roads except the money that is de
rived from automobile licenses Nor,
than 100000 year is paid into the
State treasury for license fees by auto
mobilists. We want this money uset
for the maintenance of roads to large
extent.
| Every Improvement that tends Il