The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-07-07
palladium Specially


Chicago, July lis speed mania
on the toboggan?
The question has resolved itself in
to the biggest problem that confronts
the automobile industry today and it
was precipitated by the wave of indig-
nation that has swept the country over
the sacrifice of human lives on tracks
that are unsafe. Motor car manufac-
turers, therefore, are asking whether
the public has overcome that insatia-
BILE desire to plunge over the road, re-
CARELESS of life or limb, at a 60-mile-
an-hour clip.
Makers and designers are aware
that speed mania" is form of demen-
tia; they know that psychologists have
defined the mania as an instinct for
rhythmic movement evidenced by all
peoples in that satisfaction which is
felt In getting away" with something
that may be regarded as dangerous.
But the fact remains that in various
sections of the country demand has
been made upon public officials to stop
unsafe racing, the protests. in each
instance, following the killing of a
driver Of a mechanician.
Added to this manufacturers them
selves, appear to be in quandry as to
how much speed the public nowadays
requires of car. Regarding the prac-
ticability of automobile racing the
makers are about equally divided.
III races are confined to specially
licensed speedways such as Atlanta,
Los Angeles and Indianapolis" oe-
clares one motor car manufacturer
''or to road coarses like Savannah,
Elgin, Fairmont Park and Santa Mont
ca, where crowds are kept we'll away
from the course and military or police
supervision is provided it may result
in reducing the number of racing
events, but it would at the same time
encourage those who have invested
large sums of money in the building of
safe tracks to take every possible pre-
caution against accidents"
Another authority, taking issue with
an eastern critic of motor racing
makes this statement: Automobile
racing is still dangerous. but l doubt
whether it will be abandoned until
cars and tires"
1t is conceded, on the other hand by
most automobile experts that the aver
age man and woman of today are not
speed-mad; the qualities they are ask
ing in an automobile are reliability I'M
der all conditions, durability of con-
struction, asseccibility Of parts and
ease and certainty of control. In fact
the car of today must be serviceable,
sturdy and enduring.
Riding a sky-rocket on wheels, ac-
cording to some observers, no longer
appeals to the average American. He
knows he never will drive at the
break-neck speed attained on the rae
ing saucer, If for no other reason than
that he has a wholesome respect for
the law. Yet, whether or not he makes
a practice of speeding the average mo-
torist likes to know that his car can,
in emergency, cover the ground at
clip such as the occasion may de-
mand.
This. then is the nub of the whole
situation; it is the reason motor car
makers are perpleXed. They realize
that speed mania" is fast dying a
natural death but they also are con-
scious of the feeling that the man at
the wheel may occasionally demand
speed. The problem is just how much
speed is necessary in a machine and
has that attainment already heen rs,-
ched?