The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-06-05

the first topic to be taken up in the
| Common Council to-night. the need
| for more specific control Of all kinds
of moving vehicles on the streets, and
especially motor cars, having been
| made more evident In the past few
| days. though to those who observe
conditions, the need OF code has been
apparent for years. Members OF tho
Council express much dissatisfaction
with the emasculated and meaning
| less resolution, which comes over from
| the Board of Aldermen for concur
renee Its adoption would accomplish
nothing not already In the law, both
| OF the city and the State, and there
is every prospect that the Council Will
refuse to concur in the amendments.
and make some move for a real traffic
law. Whether some member Will OF :.
fer substitute for the whole or
whether committee of conferences
Will be asked. has not been deter
mined.
There has been some misconccption
and some misstatements as TO the Sit
uation III Richmond. both within and
without, the Council. 1t IS not true
that Richmond is without traffic laws.
1t has many OF them. But they are
disiointed and in some cases conflict
| ing Many points are not covered and
there is resulting confusion In any
attempt made by the Police Depart
| ment 10 regulate traffic. There nre
on the books ordinances regulating
speed for vehicles. automobiles and
street cars; regulating where street
cars shall stop: what vehicles have
right of way; what may be driven ON
smooth paved streets, and what on
park roads. and what classes OF We
hicles require. brakes. horns and bells
There are also q number of general
ordinances as to ohstructing the
streets. There is no law, however
which prohibits ten-year old boy
from driving e0-horsepower ear
through the busiest streets at fifteen
miles an hour, regardless OF safety;
there IS no provision for licensing
chauffeurs. or ascerta!nlng their com
potency. Unless a case OF plain drunk
enness can be made out. an intoxicated
chauffeur may drive when and where
he pleascs, There Is no safeguard
for those alightins from street cars,
who are In danger OF being run down
by all manner OF traffic before they
can reach the curbstone: no driver
need keep to the right on any street.
unless ordered to do so by a police
man. and then only SO long as tho
officer is in sight. Heavy teams and
Hight vehicles wander about the streets
at pleasure. right side or left side, and
! break no law, however much business
is impeded. Skids are placed over the
sidewalks sometimes for an hour at
n time; teams block street cars and
street cars delay teams. and under
existing laws nobody IS TO blame
Suggested by Police Honrd.
More than n year ago the Board Of
Police Commissioners. realizing that
Richmond had shaken OFF It's
town customs and become n city, as
signed officers to duty at certain inn
| portant corners TO aid in keeping the
streets open 10 travel and the cross
nGs safe for pedestrians. Finding
that these officers had little real au-
thority, and that drivers continued
to use the streets al VIII, the board
asked that general ordinance DO
; passed. authorizing 1t TO make rcgula- ;
tons for the use OF the streets and
to enforce them under penalty
Although u similar general resolution
has been adopted authorizing the Board
of Health to make and enforce rules
governing the sale of milk in Rich
/ mond. and the screening and protec-
tion OF food offered for sale. the City
attorney ruled that the Police Board
could not legislate-that such regula-
! lions, carrying penalty. must be made
by the Council. Objection was made
that II was desirable to change the reg
uiotions from Time to time-for in
stance. TO close street entirely during
a parade-but the Council undertook
the work of constructing general
traffic ordinance II was prepared
by the City Attorney and offered by
Chairman Umlauf. OF the Committee
on Ordinance, Charter and Reform. 1t
was designed 10 be comprehensive
code. governing the use of the streets
under all conditions. Many of the
provisions were already city ordinances.
but SO disconnected and conflicting as
TO lie lost in the mass of miscellaneous
Council actions.
Favored by Automobile Club.
The trhffic code. with Il companion or
dinance, creating board TO examine
ana license chauffeurs. was considered
by The Ordinance Committee: ii met
With the approval OF the Richmond
Automobile Club the owners of motor
cars agreeing, that legislation was nee
essary to suppress the Joy rider and
10 punish irresponsible and intoxicated
drivers of cars. An age limit was first
fixed at eighteen years. and later cut
Ito sixteen years, below which no per-
son was to be allowed TO drive motor