Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-07-06
COUNCIL FACES
SPEED PROBLEM
Autoists Were Out in Num-
bers at Last Nights
Session
Dislike The 8 MILES CLAUSE
Finally Committee is Appointed
to Confer With Joy
Riders.

If an automobile has TO be run eight
miles or less in the business part of
the city, will there be any more Joy
riding down town? Or if a snairs
pace has to be kept, will not that elm
mate the element OF Joy" from a
spin?
These were some of the questions
that doubtless hovered in the minds
OF the healthy, tanned faced automo-
bile owners and chauffeurs who gath
cred at the councils meeting TO find
out just what the city fathers intend
ed to do to make auto riding in the
city less hilarious and possibly more
joyous for the pedestrians in the
streets.
After lengthy arguments and expla-
nations, the council finally yielded a
point to the motorists by appointing
a committee of three to confer With
the automobile men and see what had
! best be done to protect the general
public and incidentally not put too
hard burden on the owners of ma
chimes whose wheels turn round with
such rapidity.
1t was an interesting meeting and
any one passing the court house
shortly after p. Ii. wondered why SO
many cars stood on Palace avenue in
front of the councils room. "Chug-
chugchug' said the auto as it ap-
preached the precincts of the solons
and all during the meeting the big
lamps of the machines shed their daz-
zling rays while their owners were
shedding light on automobiles and
their construction in discourses to
the city fathers.
A glance around the council room
found lawyers, physicians, civil engi-
neers, and other professional men
present. There was DR.. ]. NJ Diaz
who owns three or more distance elm
mating machines; across the table sat
Attorney A. B. Renehan, who is a
familiar figure in autodom; nearby,
listening attentively to the arguments
sat Territorial Engineer Vernon l..
Sullivan, who owns a neat little car
which gets over the ground with
dust; and not far away sat Frank
Owen, who has a little machine that
has made a record for itself turning
turtle and throwing the dust into the
faces of chauffeurs manning larger
!, and more powerful machines. City
Surveyor Walker was also in the
! rooms. G. Franklin Flick, president
Of trust company was also there and
so was Ansell Hart, the clever steerer
Of automobiles Of any make and any
speed. And that Rough Rider, Henry
Bardshar, who has lately forsaken
horses and taken to autos, was pres
. ent.
"Dey was all dah," to use the words
Of Uncle Remus, and they sped
gracefully over the arguments why an s
, mile maximum speed limit would work
disaster to the autoists and cause
many to break the law. Mayor Sehg-
man listened attentively and so did
the cOuncilmen. One of the arguments
OF the automobile contingent was that
, stringent speed regulations will not
prove beneficial because the most
careful man will violate the ordi-
nance at times when he sees the road
clear and knowing the power of his
machine and the little danger that is
run whereas the wilful lawbreaker
whom the strong hand of the law
should overtake is always caught,
a anyway. Mr.. Owen said that if a
: reasonable ordinance is passed it will
\ surely be enforced, but he too was
S adverse to making it too severe for
/ the automobilists by making them go
/ a snail's pace even when the road is
a clear and no danger turks in a little
S speeding.
The question of licensing chauffeurs
5 was also discussed and the council
q was asked to not require license
from nonresident chauffeurs, who
come here for a day or two or three.
Councilman Armijo offered the reso-
) luton to appoint committee of three
u to confer with the auto men and it
was carried. The committee appoint
ed consists of Councilmen Armijo,
Raca and Cable