The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-03
Many Disjointed Ordinances
Now on Statute Books
Of City.
NEED FOR coDlFIcATIoN
Council Tired Of Taking Several
Bites at One
Cherry.

i nances affecting traffic, all mare or
less conflicting and adopted without
! any reference to each other. there is
! practical chaos in the street situa-
ton at congested points.
The Police Department has reported
| violations OF what is known as the
| Elicit law, requiring drivers To 70 10
\ the right, only to have the fines re-
4 mitted and the cases dismissed TN
der rulings OF the City Attorney the
| Police Department Is practically pow
er1ess to control the use OF the streets.
| save where public safety is obvions,,.
menaced. when any street may be
i closed to traffic outright.
4 Progressive members of the Council
| say that they are tired Of taking
| small bites at one cherry-that they
| have passed ordinance after ordnance
| without other effect than to compp Gat Q
| the records and make 1t more ana
more diflcu1t for the wayfarIng man
I to find out what is the law. Accord
i ing to these men there Is crying
| need for traffic code There IRE dis
4 5ointed ordinances on the books with
1 out reference to each other: there are
many points not covered by any stat
| ute. especially as regards the opera
ton Of motor cars. Although automo-
| bile owners are hedged abou. by y
/ uOZeu OF UlOTe Ve3dliOuS RESTRICTIONS,
and find themselves frequently hailed
to court for violation OF some new
statute, Of which they never heard,
vet there Is no act prohibiting young
| children from driving motor cars or
| for Licensing chauffeurs. the regula-
| lions drawn tip by the Automobile
Club Of Richmond having died In the
old Council.
Need Traffic Code.
According to many we'll Informed
people. Richmond stands greatly in
need OF traffic code; that is, sys-
| tematic revision and codifcat,on of
| ing the use of streets for vehicular
| tarffic. Last July the Mayor signed
| the Elicit ordinance, which had hung
4 fire In the Council for six months. It
Is under that act that the police are
/ now endeavoring to regulate traffic,
| and while admittedly long step In the
/ right direction. even It's patron admits
| Its incompleteness 1t Is neither sur-
\ flciently comprehensive nor sufficiently
| elastic to suit all conditions. An ordi-
nance regulating the running of au-
| tomobiles drawn and approved ny the
| Richmond Automobile Club, and re-
1 commended by the Committee on Ordi-
nance. Charter and Reform. was ia
bled In the Board of Aldermen In July
at the suggestion of Mr.. Elicit. who
claimed that his measure had sum-
c!ently covered the situation. 1t died
/ in the old Council and may be reintro-
duced Tomorrow night. 1t provided
for board OF examiners to license
chauffeurs and all persons running
motor cars on the streets of Richmond
and required applicants for license tic
be eighteen years OF age. At presen,
child of ten may operate a high
powered car on the streets without IN.
reference by the authorities, unles.
the police can make o.,s a case o:
reckless driving.
Wealth of Ordinances.
There are already many ordinance!
, regulating the speed OF horse vehi
Giles. motor cars and street cars II
streets and parks; requiring brakes o,
vehicles of certain types; requiring
after May next tires OF specific,
width on vehicles hauling heavy loads
prohibiting heavily loaded teams iron
passing along smooth paved streets
various state and city laws relating t
5 license taxes for both horse vehicle
: and motor cars, and requiring light
8 on motor vehicles and bicycles a
t night In addition there are Stat
: laws as to the registration OF motto
0 cars with the Secretary Of the Com
monwealth and the display OF seria
$ number and there are still furthe
: police regulations as to the use Of tn
streets.
:. AS remedy for existing condition.
n which all parties agree are intolerabl
r in city of the size and commercia
y Importance of Richmond, some mem
e bers of the new Council have propose
and may introduce tonight plan 70
: 1.-THE appointment of a special committe
9 of Councilmen, or, better still. com
9 mission Of owners and drivers @
d vehicles, to draft a chapter in tn
new city code on traffic. with the al
i, matters mentioned and such others a
!, may be deemed desirable.
. Want Vest Pocket Edition.
Such traffic code would include I
condensed and accessible form a.
J regulations regarding the use 9
t streets by wagons. pleasure vehicle!
4 motor cars, bicycles and street car!
J 1t would be fully indexed. and coul
!. be issued in vest pocket form and gen
/. orally distributed among driver
o motor car owners and contractors an
d dealers who own many wagons usin
the streets in much the same way a
a the Building Code has been issued
. builders, contractors and architect
Il and the electrical and plumbing code
r to the workers in those trades.
8 The Board of Police Commissioner
= has repeatedly suggested that tn
J. Council, by general resolution. tur
e over traffic matters, to 1t, to max
i such rules as might seem necessar.
s., and to alter them from time to tin,
i as conditions seemed to Justify Sue
! a request was made to the old Counc
r and tabled. IT was repeated to tn
Il new Council and tabled in the Ord
n nance, Charter and Reform Commute
u few nights ago. Members Of til
Council do not consider such ste
desirable, especially as the cit
o fathers are Jealous Of their rights an
@ have no intention OF delegating any {
g their prerogatives. ~
a discretionary Powers.
d 1t has been suggested by Council
n men. however. that In the propose
"a general traffic code there might be
IS provision that In certain cases I
d emergency s,lch as when there are
a be great military or civic parades. {
e: when a street may be considered dai
\ gerous, the Police Department wou
IL have authority to close II to traH
= The police Departments exercises tn
"a power now, under State law. whel
81 the street may be considered DANCE
10 Gus. and mas recently closed Ma
ar Straat hatwaan Eloyer1th and T,Wclft