Evening star., 1912-11-16
MUST STAND TRIAL
Rule for Automobile Operators
Who Violate Law.
ORDER OF MAJ. SYLVESTER
Acceptance of Collateral No Longer
to Prevent Court Hearing.
INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFICERS
Police Chief Believes Enforcement
of Regulations Will Eliminate
Danger of Accidents.
ORDER OF MAJ. SYLVESTER
INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFICERS

Automobiles and drivers who are here
after arrested on the charge of violating
the regulations against speeding at street
crossings and around corners of inter-
secting streets will be required to appear
in the Police Court and stand trial The
acceptance of small collateral in such
cases, and permitting forfeitures in court,
Maj. Sylvester says, will no longer be
permitted. In cases in which collateral is
accepted, attachments to compel the at
tendance of offenders in court will be
asked in the event of failure to appear.
Many arrests on the charges in ques-
tion have been made by the police re-
Gently, Maj. Sylvester said today, and be-
cause the arrests failed to reduce the
number of violations, it is deemed advis-
able to force the offenders to appear in
court.
Compelling violators of the law to
| stand trial. Maj. Sylvester stated, may
come as a shock to some Of the automO-
bilists and drivers of horses, but 1t no
doubt will be the means of forcing a more
decided observance of the regulations
Limit to Speed.
1t is an offense to drive or propel a ve-
hicle across intersecting streets at a rate
Of speed greater than eight miles an hour.
while in turning at corners the limit is
six miles.
It is proposed by Maj. Sylvester that
the bicycle force from all the precincts
De put on duty In the business section to
see to the enforcement of the regulations,
and few days of TINS work by the
wheeimen. he thinks, will result in a
strict observance of the laws, and a.so
be the means of decreasing the NUMBER
of accidents.
lit is the careless and reckless VIOLA
tors of the regulations who should be
severely punished" stated the superln-
uendent OF police, land it Is the conduct
of such men that makes the strict en-
forCemert of the regulation imperative" "
Maj. Sylvester says 1t is his intention
to see to the observance of the new reg
u.atlons that are soon t be made by the
Commissioners. and he thinks the pro-
posed regulation to require automobiles
60 come to stop when they approach
street cars that have stopped wtil not
only be the means OF reducing the num-
ber of accidents, but it will induce auto
mobi.ists and drivers to seek streets on
which there are no car lines.
Should Rank as Boulevards.
The superintendent Of police says he
thinks regulations should be adopted
which would make boulevards of Massa-
chusetts avenue, 10th street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue. He would stop all unnec-
essary heavy traffic on these three thor
oughfares, the same as is done on similar
streets in other large cities. he says, and
application Of such rule on occasions of
celebrations would make the city seem
more beautiful to strangers and make the
movements of ordinary vehicles much
easier.
'As conditions are now Mai. Sylvester
added, drivers of heavy teams are at
tracted to Pennsylvania avenue through
curiosity. They like to view the crowds
about the theaters and listen to an occa-
sional band. To make it boulevard
would divert such heavy traffic to less
CT DIVIDED thoroughfares. 1t would force
wagonloads of hay to be .-riven through
the back streets and fewer barnyard
scenes would be Witnessed
Rights of the People.
Maj. Sylvester says there are times
when thousands of persons are anxious
to get news from bulletins in front of
newspaper offices, and, he says, they are
entitled to gather in front of the Offices
without heavy vehicles being driven SO as
to interfere with them. He would have
the regulations stop professions of heavy
sightseeing automobiles on the boule-