The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-05-24
ALDERMEN VOTE TO STOP
SLAUGHTER OF PEDESTRIANS
,colsiassd from page l.,

the council as now constituted he
said. II believe We should consider
Il dispassionately and sanely. and II
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 Littleheld
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
It. 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 APP
preaching street cars that are taking
or letting on passengers has Deen
tried out In Pittsburg and Providence
and II Is giving satisfaction. Let us
Il tIy IL Out uCI0. uC uldJOIlly VI NnC
members Of the committee favors the
six-foot provision. That has been 4
law on our books for four years and
ask you. Is IL adeqnatea Does IL pre-
vent accidents? The records show that
1t 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 IL
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 is impossible
to maintain space of six feet be-
tween them and the car. In other
words, when you attempt to stop an
automobile on a wide street IL imme-
diately begins to choke-whether it's
a case Of Group or bronchitis depends
on the age OF the machine-but on
the narrow streets the same machine
can be stopped without the slightest
difficulty. That is something which,
confess, l cannot understand"
Aid. Lodge read the letter from the
chief ordinance officer of Pittsburg,
printed In The Times, Tuesday, show
ling that the ordinance is saving lives
| in that city.
The highest duty of an official OF
this or any other city is the protec-
ton OF its Inhabitants" said Lodge,
| In conclusion The public safety
demands that we take some action
that will put a stop TO the killing OF
people in our streets, and | hope this
minority report will be adopted
Il ~rI- L.
sioner Croul had not told the commit
tee he could not enforce the Little |
field plan.
He said practically that" Aid.
Lodge replied. But the commission /
er is theorizing. The only way he
can tell whether he can enforce this |
ordinance is TO put 1t on the books.
Until then, until he tries, the COM
missioner cannot say whether IL can
be enforced or not"
"I'll say this" put in Aid. Little
field. IF Commissioner Croul can't
enforce IL. he'll find out soon enough |
that the citizens win enforce 1t for
him"
Littleheld pooh-poohed the six-foot
provision.
| That's all right for the automobile
tur1NefS, ne Salu. II tOot, toot
and away she goes. and another soul
Is sent to heaven, or somewhere else.
And the council roared.
Several minor amendments were
made to the ordinance, the most i'm
portant one being that Of Aid. Field,
giving private ambulances the same
rights in the streets as are enjoyed
by the fire and police departments.
The amendment carried by vote OF
% to 3. On Aid. Allan's motion, an
amendment was passed placing Cass-
ave. and John R-st. among the thor
oughfares where vehicles have the
right OF the way over vehicles on In
tersecting streets. This amendment
was made In the interests OF the mo
florists who will be driven on Wood
J ward-ave. by the new ordinance.