The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-05-24
ALDERMEN VOTE TO
STOP SLAUGHTER
OF PEDESTRIANS
Vehicle Ordinance Is Adopted With
Littlefeld Provision That Automo-
biles Must Halt When Approach
ing Standing Street Cars.
Vote on Safety Plan Is % To IL
Aid. Buttons Flibustering
Tactics Frustrated.

Despite the filibustering tactics OF
Its opponents, the Littleheld provision
requiring automobile drivers to stop
their cars on approaching standing
street cars that are discharging OF
taking on passengers. and NJ all stroct
car intersections, was approved by a
majority or the common council, tues
day night. and the new vehicle ordi.
nance, with this provision incorporat.
ed. was then passed by a unanimous
vote.
AS predicted, the only real fight was
on the Littlefeld plan, the adoption
OF which was recommended by q min,
GRITTY report of the committee on ordi
nances, signed by Aid. Lodge and
Field. The majority report. bearing
the signatures OF Aid. Allan, Schulz
Brozo and Garvey, recommended as q
substitute provision requiring auto
lists to keep six feet from street cars
In passing them. Aid. Hindle, anoth-
er member OF the committee. who did
not sign either report, voted for the
minority report.
On Aid. Allan's motion to strike out
section goa, the Littlefield plan, Al.
ter the ordinance had been placed on
its third reading, the council went On
record as follows.
Yeas-Ald. Allan, Brozo, Burton,
Deimel. Ellis. Garvey. HARPER, Lynch.
owen. Schultz, Skrzycki.--l1.
Nays-Fleld, Gutman, Hindle, Keat-
ing, Keusch. Koenig, Knapp. Littlefieid
Lodge, McCarty, Mason, Merritt,
nfpriAn hal hAio
en-, Thompson. Tossy. Vernon. Walsh.
Watson, Zoeller and the president pro
TEN. Grindley-23.
Aid. Allan accepted defeat graceful
ly and promptly moved that section
20, the six-foot provision, be stricken
out and that section GOA stand AS
section 20. This motion prevailed
unanimously.
Aid. Burton started hlibustering ex-
petition In the hope presumably, of
having the formal adoption of the or
dinance as a whole delayed a week,
bur his effort failed. Though the dis
cussion was prolonged an hour ana a
half, the majority of the aldermen
remained in their seats, determined
to see the thing through. Aid. Thorn
as Lynch. of the Fifteenth ward. broke
In every little while with motion to
refer the ordinance back to the CON-
mittee. but no one took him serious
ly.
The ordinance will take effect as
soon is IL Is signed by the mayor,
which may mean another week as al.
lowance must be made for the posi-
bifity of reconsideration. fhe vote
Tuesday night, however, shows that
any attempt at reconsideration would
be promptly squelched. Aid. Burton
tried to have the ordinance amended
SO that II would not take effect until
after 30 days. AS an amendment to
Buttons motion, Aid. Littlefield NOV
ed that the section giving immediate
effect stand, and the motion carried
unanimously.
"If you think you can get away
with those filibustering tactics here,
you've got another guess coming"
said LittlefieId, addressing Burton.
Aid. Lodges speech In behalf OF the
Littlefeld plan was gem, and IL any
alderman had any doubts as to which
way he should vote on the proposition
they were brushed aside by the tell
ing oratory Of the alderman from the
First. Lodge did not rant, nor did he
attempt to- excite the prejudices OF
his colleagues II was q simple ap-
peal for the adoption of an ordnance
which, he believed, would protect the
public against reckless autoists IL CIV
en- q fair trial.
81 think you gentlemen will agree
with me that this Is the most impor-
tant measure that has come before
the council as now constituted" he
said. II believe we should consider
Il dispassionately and sanely, and
sincerely trust that none OF the gen.
tlemen will lost his temper over this
matter.
There appeared before our commit
tee. In opposition to the Littlefield
provision, such men as Police Com
missioner Croul, Postmaster Homer
Warren, Albert Peck, all automobile
drivers. Our chairman. Aid. Allan, an
other automobile driver, argued against
l IL. II all motorists were like these
gentlemen there would be no neces-
sity for any ordinance. but. unfortun-
ately. that is not the case. With the
remarkable growth Of the auto indus
try has come a great number of reck-
less drivers, who have no regard what
ever for life or limb, and we must
take steps to restrain them and pro-
tect the public.
..Now the Littlefield plan to require
automobile drivers to stop on ap
preaching street cars that are taking
or letting of passengers has Deen
tried out in Pittsburg and Providence
and Il is giving satisfaction. Let US
try Il out here. The majority OF the
members of the committee favors the
six.foot provision. That has been 4
law on our books for four years and
I ask you, is It adequate? Does II pre-
vent accidents? The records show that
II does not. and II will not.
There is one argument put up by
my friends, the motorists, that strikes
me as being very funny. They say
that TO compel them to stop their cars
would choke the machines, making II
necessary to get out and crank them.
and thus impede traffic Yet they are
perfectly willing to stop on the mar
row streets, where II IL impossible
to maintain a space OF six feet be.
tween them and the car. In other
words, when you attempt to stop an
automobile on wide street II imme-
1iateiy begins to choke-whether it's
case of Group or bronchitis depends
CON the age OF the machine-but on
a ~. .twoafo tho oama machine