The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-25
Councilman Mckinney Notes
and Answers Criticisms of
the New Ordinance.
SPEED FIXED BY LAW;
ORDINANCE MUST CONFORM
Suggestions for the Betterment
of the Proposed Ordinance
Are Invited.

on the Goth page. appear criticisms OF a
citizen interested in the proper regulation
OF street traffic, said criticisms being
directed to the proposed automobile or
dinanco upon which the committee or
the whole of the city council finished
it's labors last Thursday night. and which
Will probably come before the city coun-
ell for passage Tuesday night In case IL
can be reached.
The gentleman making the criticisms
first, says: NO provision Is made IN IN
the new ordinance for the limitation of
clally within the business district" Evil
IDENTIFY The citizen Is laboring under
msaPprShens9n az az pSda 9o sneed
regulations, True, these speed reSula-
tions may not be all that we may de-
sire but no other speed rcsulatins can
statute regulating the speed OF motor
vehicles, passed at the last session OF The
legislature, forbids the prescribing OF
lower rate OF speed than Is therein pro-
vided; so that the state law handicaps
the city so far as the question of speed
is concerned; and In order to prevent a
conflict with the statute the proposed
ordinance adopts its provisions as to
speed, and II any criticisms of the rate
OF speed prescribed can be justly made.
then they should be made against the
statute and not against the proposed Or
dipance; and the next session OF the leg
islature should so amend or modify the
be hampercd in the regulation OF traffic
in its streets. In this connection, 1t may
be added that the statute also forbtds
the city to require a license from auto
mobilsts or to require the registering OF
automobiles, the statute Itself requiring
a license TO be paid To the state and also
IT Will be observed that in the closely
built up parts of the city. the speed is
limited to one mile in six minutes. and
elsewhere in tho. city the speed Is linn
tod n Ia I'm
provisions harmoni2e with the statute,
being identically the same The ordinance
also provides that in approaching cross.
ing of interecting streets the speed
shall be not greater than six miles an
hour. This Is also the same as the
statute When the legislature enacted
had in mind the desrability OF having a
law which would operate uniformly
throughout all the cities. towns and VII
laegs OF the state, and that is n good
thing: but the law should be changed
or amended as 10 effect its object with
out handicapping the cities of the state
the regulation OF traffic in their streets,
At Intersections.
Another criticism Is. that no provision
is made for the regulation OF traffic at
the intersections OF. the busiest thor
oughfares In the city. This Is an error.
will disclose that 1t contains numerous
provisions for the regulation OF street
traffic, to say nothing of the numerous
provisions contained in other ordinances
already enacted.
There can be no contention on the point
that twenty. thirty and forty miles an
to pass along the streets OF Salt Lake
City" IT Is admitted. Such speed In
the thickly settled and business por,,
tio1s o f,, Of the h city is positively criminal
severest punishment, But the proposed
ordinance places the maximum speed at
fifteen miles an hour at ten miles an
miles an hour at crossings, This is the
best the city can do, because. as before
stated. the statute forbids the city pre-
cribinG lower rate OF speed.
When the citizen speaks OF the import
ance OF the enforcement OF the law, he
strikes vital cord. 1t is useless TO make
seutary laws II they are not To be en-
forced. The city has enacted many
wholesome ordinances, but there is Il
conspicuous failure to enforce Them. A
striking example is tho bicycle ordinance.
II Is probable that thousands OF persons
ride their wheels on the sidewalks every
day, and only once in a while s an ar
rest made. and then the offender sell
dom receives more than q nominal fine.
And these violators are so impudcnt that
they often come UP behind persons walk
ing, along the sidewalks and shout or
whistle for them TO get of and give
citizen says anything to them concern
ing their violations he is often further Of
Tended by insulting Language, The fail
ure TO enforce the law creates a disre-
spect for IT, The failure to enforce some
of the ordinances may be due TO the in
adequacy of the police force. II this be
true, then the force should be increased.
The lives, limbs and property OF the
people should not be jeopardized for lack
of q sufficient number of patrolrncn. 1t
seems 10 me that there should he
sufficient number of officers scattered
through the residence sections to give
reasonable protection.
Carefully Framed.
Much labor has been bestowed upon the
proposed ordinance. and q careful COM
parison OF IL with the ordinances in force
In other cities Will disclose the fact tha,
II is superior to many, and II is doubt
full # II is Inferior TO any. or course
II win no doubt be found Imperfect, but
when experience discloses It's imper-
ment. IF the legislature will remove some
OF the restrictions contained in the
statute tho ordinance can be much i'm
proved. The city ought 10 have, the
power TO Keep the maximum speed as
low for motor vehicles II q, es for
street cars, namely. twelve nliles an hour,
because there Is more reason for maxi
Ing the maximum speed or motor We
hicles, such as automobiles. twelve miles
an hour, than there is for thus limiting
street cars. The street cars are confined
10 track, while the automobile is not,
and for that reason 1t Is more danger
GUS.
In the preparation Of the proposed or
dnance. the ordinances of various cities.
among them Portland Los Angeles. Lex
ington and Galveston. were carefully
studied and the best parts and those
parts applicable TO conditions here were
adopted. The state law was also care
fully studied with Il view OF avoiding
conflict with 1t and Of adopting all of its
provisions desirable, The city attor-
ney. the chief OF police, members OF the
council and others have devoted much
time and attention in the preparation Of
the ordinance. The matter has been un-
der consideration for long time. Last
year Judge o. w. Powers devoted con-
siderable time 10 tho preparation OF q
traffic ordinance on behalf OF the .Au-
tomobile club, and many OF tho excel
lent provisions OF that are embodied In
the proposed ordinance.
Sug gestions Invited.
In dealing with matters OF such i'm
portancc as the proposed ordinance, Il
| occurs 10 me that II would be a good
idea IL every citizen who has n suggcs-
tion 10 make would reduce the same to
writing and mail II or hand il TO the
city recorder To nc officially referred to
tho chairman Of the committee preparing
'he ordinance II would be of great as
4 81