The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-30

| numerous fatal and serious automobile
disasters recently in this city. is worthy
of careful study I agree with you that
| as the law now stands, IL Is the duty
| OF the county officials TO enforce 1t. and
| also take action when the law is violated
But tho fault Is not much with the
county attorney and the sheriff as IT is
with tho law itself. The sheriff's force
does not police the streets OF this city,
and the police have no power IN ihe
natter: so the automobile drivers go as
fast MS they please. and unless some col
lson occurs. they are practically I'M
mune. and usually so then as we nave
seen n number of times In The past.
The fault lies largely with the drivers
OF these machines, but not necessarily
with the chauffeurs, but oftentimes WIN
the owners themselves. we nave In ms
state about one machine 10 every 9oo
inhabitants, and yet, this small traction
OF the people have arrogated TO them
selves the exclusive right TO the use OF
our best streets and highways. For many
years all the people OF this country and
state have been taxed for the purpose OF
constructing. repairing and paving streets
and highways. These are for the use OF
all the people. from the richest property
owner 10 tho humblesr servant; and. that
too. whether he happens TO own or run
an automobile or not. The 9@eoes @
by horses, have the same rights, II not
greater rights. to the use OF our streets
and highways, as have those who run
automobiles over them, And, formerly,
these persons. with the exercise of ordi-
nary care. were comparatively safe III
their use OF the streets and highways. =,
But a great change has taken place IN
this respect within the last few years.
and the great percentage OF the people
even with the exercise OF extreme care.
are in great danger TO their llVes ano
per cent OF all the people-the automobile
drivers Therefore the best streets and
highways are practically monopolized by
one small class OF persons-the owners OF
automobiles or their servants, the chaut-
feurs This is true to the extent that IL
has become serious question Whether
the paving Of our streets pays, Tor the
reason that il invites this great danger
to the abuttng property owners and their
families. II Is counting death and dlsas-
ter 10 sign a petition to pave street IN
front OF our residence; For example; 20
Second South streets. where the most OF
these disasters have occurred, at any
time OF the day and especially IN the
evening and even far into the night. ana
watch the automobiles so by. Vehicles
drawn by horses. unless il be delivery
and heavy wagons, are rare slshtS on
any OF these streets after ) o'clock IN me ihe
afternoon. The pleasure vehicles OF TINS
sort have all been banished to the un
paved streets where II is safer. Ihe
same can be said OF our parks. such as
we have, Yet the drivers of these We
hicles whose owners \probably pay more
taxes for the keeping up or these very
streets, have greater ano better r,sL.
10 travel at a moderate pace, the pest
streets of the city. than have the drivers
OF automobiles TO travel them at a reck-
less and unlawful speed, Again, on the
three streets named, where the most OF
street car lines The residents OF this city
have the right to use the streets in going
to and from their places OF business ana
for other purposes. They have the right
an
Yet there is where one OF the sources OF
the greatest danger lies. AT least two OF
the recent fatalities and number OF m
juries have occurred by automobiles
rushing by cars that had stopped to lei
on or off passengers. a little common
sense pounded into the heads OF the be
goggled Idiots driving the machlnes
should have told them that street cars
generally stop for the purpose Of letting
on and off passengers. and much great
er care should be exercised when ma
driver should not be discharged, as was
recently the case where woman was
killed under these circumstances: upon
the ground that he was not exceeding the
speed of six miles miles per hour; ana
therefore, he was within his rights even
ii he did Kill her. IL may not be
pleasant spectacle to some OF US TO see
the head OF our wife or child rolling about
the street separate and apart from the
body, as was the recent case in Chicago
This is a grewsome statement 1T Is
true; II is OF grewsome SUBJECT we are
The Whole trouble, Mr.. Editor. is the
fact that many persons the moment they
own or drive an automobile seem to be
OF the m new sse e some
however this is not true. There are own
ers who drive their own machines and
there are chaufeurs who are very care
full. But this is not generally the case,
and, in fact, il Is the exception. We
have seen staid business and profes-
sional men, who under ordinary circum-
stances would use the utmost caution
with horse the moment that they be-
come possessed of a high-power, high
gesred automobile seem 10 be possessed
OF this city and violate the law every
day. II they do not run their machines
themselves, they hire menials to do so
who are wholly irresponsible and even
more reckless. Then the owners shift
the responsibility for any injuries which
may occur upon these wholly irresPonsl-
year toward greater speed Machines of
higher power. and seared TO run at
higher rate Of speed are being put upon
the market each year. In TACT; In order
TO put out those which will run at the
rate of from forty 10 one hundred miles
per hour And, one VINO buys such
machine Will sooner or later try 1t out
to the full capacity But, upon the other
hand. the mere fact that machine has
the power to run at high rate OF speed
QDeS not make IL IN ANU VI liStll IlluIt
dangerous than one OF lower speed. 1t is
the tendency OF the driver TO hit il up
TO the limit at the wrong time and In
the wrong place,
We have ali had our experiences with
these monsters Of the road | will war
rant that there Is not resident of this
city who uses the streets but has either
had his narrow escape or has witnessed
the narrow escapes OF others from this
peril: This is a greater danger TO hu-
man life than arc the railroads and the
street railroads combined. Those may
often exceed the speed limits, but we
always know where to find them. They
run only on their tracks. while automo-
biles. are confined to no track. although
they have q greater speed than the rail-
road locomotive. By standing on one OF
our busy corners, say Second South and
Main streets l will warrant that one
may note at least thousand viola
tions Of the law for speed limit within
twenty-four hours. AT this corner We
have seen aged and refined men and
women jump to save their lives. scatter
ing their bundles over the street. while
the supercilious and begoggled devil AT
the wheel ran over the bundles and
.grinned. Al this corner we have seen
one of the most refined ladies OF this
ri M ~ also 4 IA