Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-02-11
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY II, 1910.
WAR ON AUTOISTS.
Whitman Proposes to Proceed
Against them by Criminal Law.

Against them by Criminal Law.
Determined war on reckless automo-
bilists-th the merciless enforcement of
the criminal law against the speeders
who cause death or injury and the Sc
curing to the public of safety in the
streets-has been declared by District
Attorney Chas. S. Whitman.
That his campaign may be victorious
the district attorney means to estab-
lish new bureau, chiefly to deal with
the automobile problem. To secure
this he laid before the Board of Appor-
tionment yesterday proposition for an
appropriation of $24, 600 for eight addi-
tional deputy assistants. The PROPOSE
ton was referred to the Comptroller.
Briefly explaining his request Mr..
Whitman said that he wanted an assist
ant in every magistrates court in the
Fourth District There are nine courts,
including the night courts, but he thinks
in the Bronx one man can cover two
courts. He said that by having rep
resentative of his Office on hand the
sending of number of cases to the
courts downtown could be avoided and
the congestion in the Court of Special
Sessions, for instance, greatly relieved.
''Fifty-two per cent of the cases held
in the police courts do not come to trial
in other courts" he said.
CRIMINAL LAW FOR SPEEDERs.
In connection with his proposition the
District-Attorney left with the board
brief in which he explained that he
needed the additional men to create a
new bureau. In this connection he said
concerning the reckless use of automo-
bil4s
''In reference to the matter of check
ing the criminal and reckless use of
automobiles in this country tits my pur-
pose to endeavOr to accomplish this by
referring to the proposed bureau the
explicit duty Of enforcing and developing
the criminal law in matters affecting
the safety of the public in the streets.
1t will pay particular attention to street
traffic dangers, especially those caused
by automobile and street cars.
1.-The peril arising from the reckless
use of automobiles is of comparatively
recent development in the life of this
county, and as yet no agency has been
devised or used which has proved ade-
quate to check this growing evil.
My idea is that the rigorous enforce
ment of the criminal law by the Dis
trict-Attorney will be a powerful deter
rent to the commission of numerous acts
of criminal carelessness by the users of
automobiles.
1t has been stated that within a
period of one year about ninety-six per-
sons have been killed by automobiles
in New York city. A recent compil-
alton sets forth that four deaths were
caused by automobiles in this city in
the month of November, 1909 and that
out of seventy eight street accidents of
serious nature in the same month
more than half were'due to automobiles.
1t may almost be said to be common
knowledge that speed violation is to-day
routine matter-of fact occurrence, a
thing taken for granted.
The nature and extent of this evil is
quite apparent to your Honorable
Board, but could such conditions exist
II even the present laws were enforced?
Now the efficient enforcement of
criminal law involves the apprehension
OF as many violators as possible, the OBJ
tanning and presenting to the courts of
strong and satisfactory evidence and
the imposition of heavy penalties.
BUREAU TO BE EVER ON ALERT.
Il believe that system of gathering
and perfecting the evidence at the earl
lest moment possible can be devised
and worked out to advantage through
the agency of the new bureau, vigilant
and alert, and continuously and persist
emily at work on this problem.
1.-The automobile peril now demands.
believe, special treatment, and the
District Attorney, through the proposed
bureau, can make it thoroughly under
stood throughout the community that
as its criminal law officer he is deter
mined that the law affecting the safety
of the public in the city's thoroughfares
shall be enforced to the limit.
81 believe that this bureau can be
made the menium through which the |
public sentiment of this community, |
aQed and indiQnant at almost daily