Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-16
AUTOMOBILE CLUB
OF So. CALIFORNIA
Strong Organization Whose Work
Is Doing Much for AutoiStS
and Good Roads
SECOND LARGEST IN THE U. S.
The Construction of Channel Iron
Bridges and Posting Road
Siqns Public BenefaCtiOn
SECOND LARGEST IN THE U. S.

Very few people realize what good
work the Automobile Club of Southern
California is doing, will do and mas
done for Southern California.
This work has been going on actively
for the past four years, IN spiIe u
the fact that the automoblle ciup mas
been in the trying stage OF adJuStlhs
its affairs to meet its sudden enie'i Sc
ment of membership.
The history of the Automobile Ciup
of Southern California is interesting
from it's inception as soclal organ
patton to it's present position as one
of the largest civic and phllanGhrople
bodies in California. Ihe cluD was
organized in 1900 as an exclusive anu
social bodv for the purpose of holding
automobile races and, incidentally 10
foster such legislation as would be OF
benefit to motorists. a.,
one of the first presidents of the
club was DR.. Millbank Johnson, VINO
was also a vice president in the Amerl.
can Automobile assoclatlon, lne =, p'.T,tS o,d
organization. G. Allan Hancock ana
George B. Ellis both served as presl-
dents William Garland has been more
or less actively interested since ms
term as president. Fred Flint, Jr.' ana
Charles r. Hopper conducted tne al
fairs of the club for several terms.
This is but a very brief list OF the
men nrominent socially and finan-
ciallv. who have given of their time
freely and cheerfully for the general
good of motoring and motorists III
Southern California.
For some time after it's founding the
club prospered as a social influence,
and then it's officers and directors
after a careful study of conditions de-
cided that a body of motoricts sue
cessfully conducted had much larger
work to perform and much Wlder
field to work in than had originally
been deemed as within the scope or
it's activities. The initiation lee anu
dues were reduced to the present
amounts and an acti~e campaign lot
members was inaugurated.
At the time of this Clange q. Allan
Hancock was president, George B. Ellls
vice president and Charles b. Hopper
secretary. The work was all conducted
in the office of the secretary in con-
nection with his real estate business,
and great credit must be extended MT
Homer for his efforts at that time.
The membership of the club was some
what in the neighborhood of one or
two hundred at the time of the change
in the policies of the club-about the
latter part of 1907-and for time
matters rested. Then during the fall
of 1908 the club became active, and
nv January, 1909, Messrs. Hancock,
HoDper and Fred Baker enlarged the
membership list to 62S. 1t was in these
two years that automobile history was
in the making, and all over the world
automobile manufacturing had re-
ceived recognition as an industry that
was TO prove an important factor in
the worlds economic development. The
sudden rise of the automobile TO
position of prominence as pleasure
Vehicle it's possibilities as CONNER
cial vehicle and the vast tracts OF
II, hnnnTon
cessible through trail blazing by au-
tomobile, caused our law makers to
realize the necessity of legislation gov
erning the use and operation of the
new vehicle. AS is the case where ig-
norance and power go hand in hand,
lot of useless laws were MADE, many
ridiculous, and the cry for automobile
LEGISLATION reached such point of
intensity-through enemies whose bust-
ness it menaced and through the
fanatics who always look upon prog
ress with fear-that the United states
enacted so many laws in her various
legislatures as to almost kill the in
dustry. However, 1t was such
healthy young giant that it throve in
spite of opposition, and In the reaction
in favor of the automobile many more
useless laws were enacted.
Knowing these facts, and also that
good roads are a necessity to the well
fare OF any community, Tile OlHCtlo
and board of directors decided that the
work which would be of the greatest
good to the greatest number would
be to endeavor to correct useless and
unfair legislation. observe our present
laws and assist in the enforcement of
same and assist in good roads work
On this foundation was the growth
of the Automobile Club of Southern
California started, and that its work
and aims inspired confidence is at
tested to in the way the club has
grown, until now it stands the second
largest in the United States, with
total membership of o'er 2300.
One of the first things accomplished
by the club was the signing of the
roads all through Southern California
with the emblematic signs This was
a large undertaking, as the best lines
of travel had to be selected and logged,
and when one realizes the long
stretches of road--with not single
human habitatioN for miles-encoun-
tered in California, and the steep
grades and dangerously narrow roads
in its mountain fastnesses, one can
appreciate more fully the work done
by F. l.. Block, at that time the clubs
road superintendent and now its
travelling representative. There is not
motorist travelling over the roads
of Southern California who is not in
debted to the Automobile Club of
Southern California for pleasurable
touring and, in many, many instances
for his personal safety. Last year
when the Whittier bridge was broken
the Automobile Club of Southern Cali
fornia had a large danger sign placed
at each approach warning not only
motorists but everyone who had to
cross that way of the washout.' This
was done in less than twenty hours
after the accident.
During the past winter the club
erected two automobile bridges over
the San Margarita and San Mateo
washes in San Diego county These
washes are on what is known as the
coast route between Los Angeles and
San Diego, and during the winter they
are not only impossible but dan
gerous
owing to the fact that several
changes in roads have been made since
most of the clubs signs were erected
about four years ago, it has recently
been found necessary to go over most
of the routes and relog them. The
two routes to San Diego, both coast
and inland, will be relogged and re-
signed shortly.
This is the outside work to which
4ba cI,1h deVOtee itg tirna and fs prOh