Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-08-09


signatures to letters IL the writer's 20
desire, but cannot give space 10
anonymous communications.l
AN ANSWER TO "A PEDESTRIAN"
August 9th, 1913.
Editor Honolulu r-Bulletin,
Sir:-In this mornings "Advertis-
err appears a letter from Mr.. James
L. Mclean, In which he speaks of the
rights of automobile drivers and sug-
gests that there should be some reg
ulation regarding the crossing of
streets by pedestrians.
Mr.. Mclean is the owner OF an au-
tomobile. and naturally his views
would be influenced to a certain ex-
tent by that fact do not happen
to possess one, and presumably my
views are influenced reyersely.
Much that Mr.. Mclean says is true.
I have ridden in automobiles when
people crossing the street have paid
no heed, apparently, to the fact that
a machine was coming, and although
being driven slowly and carefully, &C
cidents have barely been avoided.
On the other hand would Ike to
call the attention of the automobile
using public to the fact that the num-
Der Of drays, express wagons, and 9TH
er vehicles drawn by horses far ex-
ceeds the number Of automobiles, mo-
tor cycles and motor trucks, and yet
it Is very rarely that one hears of an
accident caused by one of the horse
LI.ven vehicles. What is the reason
for this? The answer is that they are
going at a rate of speed so slow that
anyone CROSSING the street has ample
time to get out of the way
The streets are the thoroughfares
over which everybody has a right to
pass. The proportion OF nen-auto-
mobile owners is overwhelming, and
cannot see why the rights Of the
masses to the free use of the. streets
should be curtailed for the benefit Of
the minority. 1t is not only pedestrians
crossing tie streets who suffer from
collisions with automobiles, for only
recently IN elderly gentleman driv-
ing down Nuuanu street in his rig on
the right side of the road, was run
into from behind by an automobile,
his rig overturned, and he thrown on
to the street.
will not take space TO recite num-
erous other similar cases.
Mr.. McLean's suggestion that pc
destrian should cross the street In
certain places is good,5 and it would
be advisable if some Legislation be
passed regarding it. This does not
oetract any from the general feeling
that their should be very stringent
regulations regarding SO the speed at
which automobiles andi motor cycles
should be allowed to 60 through the
city proper.
A gentleman who conducts d large
pineapple business on the other side
Of the Island remarked to me the
other day In connection with the sub
ject Of his auto trucks, that no mat
ter how good man was before being
engaged to drive one of his trucks,
that the exhilaration of driving a
truck seemed to demorahze man
completely. think this is true with
a great many individuals who drive
automobiles, and to offset this ire
sponsibility on the part of the auto
mobile driver. it is necessary to have
severe punishment of some kind as a
penalty for accidents incurred through
careless driving. and for excessive
speeding. al l,tl
As another example OF the reckless
ness or disregard of the automobile
drivers for the protection of pedes-
TRANS, ! would state an instance
which comes to my observation
Where the continuation of Wilder
avenue turns into Spencer street,
there is sharp corner at the head
of the hill. On this corner is a dwell
ing, 80 that anyone coming up the
hill along the road cannot see what Is
coming along on the other street, and
vice versa. have often sat on my
front veranda and have noticed doz-
ems of automobiles going ieither up or
down, and turning this corner without
so much as footing a horn. Amy wom-
en-, children or old people who may be
coming up the street cannot hear an
automobile approaching, and If they
should be just at the turn as a ma
chine came along without blowing the
horn, there might be serious acct
dent, possibly loss of life; and yet
not one driver in twenty toos his horn
on making that turn
1t is high time that a public senti.
ment was worked up so that legisla-
ton and regulation of the automobile
traffic would be enacted without de
lay, and would be enforced.
Very truly yours,
w. w CHAMBERLAIN