Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-07-08
A PLACE TO TRY
OUT AUTOMOBILES
AN IMPROVEMENT MADE NECES-
SARY BY LAW.
The Topic Being Much Discussed
Through the City.

One Of the besetting questions OF
municipal government in Phoenix, as
no doubt in many other cities. is
whether the streets are the proper
place for garages To- try out their de-
fective machines i'm the laudable eff
fort TO put them in such perfect con-
dition that those who steer and ride
in them VIII not get marooned in the
desert, nor anywhere else, for that
matter.
1t is granted generally that it is
desirable that the machines should be
i'm such perfect condition. 1t Is grant
ed. also, that the streets are very
convenient places to try them out
But it is. unfortunately. also true that
the dangers and expenses attendant
upon the use of them in that way are
such as To make them seem at times
expensive for that purpose. The
weeks news has supplied evidence
amounting to proof of the last state
ment The question is what shall be
done?
The garageist must have some place
to try out his machines. His choice
evidently. in this city, lies between
the streets. a vacant lot, or the fair
ground The municipal laws say that
the streets shall not be used for that
purpose The administration of the
law has supplied two very valuable
statements, this week. to the effect
that it intends To enforce the law. and
with great impartiality II has pre-
viously supplied other statements of
a like kind, so that there seems to be
no reason to doubt its meaning Yet
there has been a soberness and even
mindedness about its utterances on
that point that seem to negative the
idea that there is any viciOusness in
the determination. Where, then, shall
the garage man try the machines?
There seem to be but two places
left for him To choose from: vacant
lots and the fair ground. Either
would do, perhaps. The vacant lot
constitutes an interesting possibility.
the principal trouble being to find one
sufficiently large enough to allow the
proper angle of turn. While this is
not impossible. it is considered that
it is improbable Of being easily done.
The proposition is further open To
the objection that it might be diff
hcult to arrange to keep ii in the
same ownership and form long enough
to make it worth the while to fix it
for that purpose
In view of all these considerations.
and perhaps others. ii would seem as
though the use Of the fair ground
speedway would be about the most
practicable proposition. II is not
doubted among those in official cir
cles and elsewhere who have dis
cusseed the situation somewhat, par
ticularly since the city's own health |
officer was fined, that the fair COM |
mission would be perfectly agreeable |
to this, in a general way, and prob |
ably in a particular way as regards |
price at an amount which would place |
the facility quite within the reach OF |
at much less trouble and |
cost than that involved in the Terri |
tory VS.. Graves case. concluded this |
week, and the constant danger of |
similar costs. with an added feeling |
IF self respect and confidence that the |
use of the streets in defiance of the |
law and other things can never give
Generally around town the matter
has been considered worth thinking |
about, worth the energy OF garagelsts
to see if they cannot secure the use
IF the race track from the fair COM
or failing that. to see il