The Washington times., 1912-11-03
REFORM IN RACES
BY AUTOMOBILES
URGED FOR j. S.
w. ]. Morgan Would Better
Conditions and Save
Lives.
By HARRY WARD.

Anxious to see a reformation In the
present plan OF conducting automobile
races In the United States, w. J.
Morgan, one OF the veterans of the
automobile contest game, has come out
In strong statement in favor OF re-
forming the sport. Elimination OF a
sport which cost the lives OF two use
full men at Milwaukee this year and has
robbed the world OF other men who
might have directed their energies to
some betterment OF their kind probab-
ly IL the best means of correcting a
great evil. Elimination being impos-
sible. intelligent modification Is the only
recourse.
Unless radical change In automo-
bile racing takes place and the expense
that 1t entails be reduced to nominal
amount, automobile racing will die"
said Senator" Morgan.
I'm the first place. there should be a
limit placed on the size OF the engine,
and there should be no races organized
for purely freak or specially built cars
OF the kind that we used to have on the
Ormond beach and have since seen In
few races. such as the Grand Prix,
Florida beach, and free for all events.
Cars Cost Great Deal.
The expense OF building these cars Is
enormous. and It runs up as high as
IS. 900 car. No wonder manufacturers
and individuals get tired OF automobile
racing when this is the case. Take a
| battery OF three cars, and you have
$4,000 tied up at once; then the ex-
pcnse OF entering them and supporting
| a crew to run them eat up another
| 5000. 30 there Is $4,000 for one firm to
put UP. Besides the building of special
racing cars disorganizes a factory force
and causes annoyance and loss.
The expense OF running tournaments
also should be cut down and expensive
officials done away with, and there
should be no 500 charges for entrance
| fee: make the fee nominal and divide
\ the racing territory into zones, and have
zone inspectors, whose expenses should
be paid by the promoters OF tourna'
ments. OF course. this must be done
under the auspices OF an Independent
| management. Ike the national govern.
ing body, the American Automobile As.
sOciation just az racing was conducted
| satisfactorily under the management oi
| the League of American Wheelmei
| years ago, when there were racing board
representatives scattered all over tn,
| country.
"As II IL now. the executive offic,
chief. T. B. Shoemaker. Of the contest
| board. frequently has to jump to dis,
tant points to watch the racing and IT,
| management when doubt exists as e
| the same.
| Strict Rules Desired.
| There should not be n tournament
run unless II was In charge OF the 4.
A. A. contest board representative. and
he should be entirely free from all other
official duties, and should tax" no par
in the actual rules adhered to. n this
| was done ] believe that the gentleman
amateur would again take an interest
In the sport. as the price Of a car
would not worry him II the regular
stock article was made the rule. The
safety OF racing also would he largely
| increased by this sort of thing. and
there would he speed enough gotten oul
| of the maximum size motor To satisfy
| the greatest speed Fan
Big engines were all very well IN IN,
early days. especially during my Florida
race meets, when millionHires were
competitors. but they soon faded away
from the sport after Its novelty had
| satisfied them.
The automobile manufacturer shout
| certainly warm up To this idea, as II
will mean the prolonginG OF racing an'
| cutting down expenses, whereas tn,
present scheme means its sure dealt
| sooner or later"