The sun., 1913-11-02

partment, which Is that contractors
, having contracts with the Government
| for carrying mail sometimes carry on
their personal automobiles, which have
nothing to do with the carrying Of
mail matter. the words u S. mail con-
tractors. The word mail is sufficient
to prevent the police from enforcing
the regulations as far as they are con-
ccrned."
| Secretary Cornell OF the National
Highways Protective Soci.ty declares
that the killing and injuring Of persons
in the streets of New York is greater
than in any other city In the country.
| proportionately, and adds that greater
safety to pedestrians easily would be
possible II the laws were properly en-
forced and a reasonable speed limit
established in at least the more crowded
sections of the city.
| Mail auto trucks are not the only
official offenders however. in the matter
of reckless and fast driving through
the streets. Complaints have been made
Of the scnseless and needless haste with
which apparatus OF the Fire Depart
ment is driven often when not on the
! way To fire. but merely proceeding on
business of minor Importance. one
| illustration of this was the killing Of
Mrs. Elizabeth Campbell. aged SO, at
Columbus Circle, on May 16, by the
runabout auto of a battalion chief Of
the Fire Department driven by Joseph
T.. Hesta. an auto engineman, who tore
| across the Circle at a speed Of thirty
miles an hour.
| Still other offenders are members of
! the Police Department. who in the small
runabouts used solely for the purpose
: of collecting the daily official reports
| from the various police precincts race
through the streets at their own sweet
will regardless of the rights of pedes-
! trians. With some of these police
! Chauffeurs the rule seems to he 'let 'em
get out of the way II they don't want
! to get killed" Needless to say traffic
! policemen and other policemen make no
effort to curb these police speed
maniacs, who assume they have special
I rights in the city's thoroughfares.
1t was only few years ago that
| public Indignation was constantly
aroused 10y the killing of eight or nine
! persons yearly on the tracks Of the New
York Central Railroad in Eleventh ave-
nue., or what came to be commonly
known as Death Avenue" although III
nearly all cases ii MAS found that the
persons killed were trespassers on the
railroads property, either stealing
rides on freight cars or being where
they had no right to be.
Since then the number Of persons
killed in the streets where they had
legal right To he 10y automobiles has
multiplied immensely but with far less
protest on the part of the public In
1911 the number of persons killed in
New York streets by autos was 1863.
IN 1912 the number was 234. while with
23l killed so far in 1913 i is reasonable
to expect that the number may reach
30 by the end OF the year. Twenty
seven persons We're killed by autos in
Greater New York in october alone.
George T.. L. Rrun. clerk Of the Coroners
office in the borough Of Manhattan and
president of the Legislative League
for the Protection Of human Life,
has made the suggestion that
special bureau might he estab-
l.shrd in the Police Department for the
sole purpose of investigating automobile
accidents and collecting evidence which
4 could he used IN cases in which fatali-
ties occurred. As it IL AT present the
policeman on post may do his best to
n'Nttln lIt IstlIl'S w WIiiiNSS'~ anu
certain the facts in connection with
the killing or injury Of persons by
autos but he cannot leave his post for
that purpose.
He turns in a report Of the case at his
precinct station house later The lieu
tenant in charge In turn may assign
precinct detective tO make an investi-
CATION, interview witnesses. Sc, but
as III" detective may have various
other matters TO look up, by the time he
endcavors To- find the witnesses desired
they have disappeared and their tcsti-
mony Is not to he had when the case
comes before a Coroners jury. with the
result that the case falls through for
want of evidence and the chauffeur
whose carelcssness may have been re-
sponsihlc for the killing OF a human
being is discharged.
The suggestion has been made that
Mayor Kline might appoint committee
of representative citizens. of which the
Commissioner Of Police might he
member to investigate tho cases OF
automobile Killings and injuries through
out the city, much AZ a committee was
appointed by the late Mayor Gaynor to
investigate moving picture theatre con-
ditions, and report as to what should
be done to afford greater public safety
from automobiles. This plan has been
successfully adopted in Chicago.
In European cities the number OF
killings and maimings Of pedestrians in
city streets is small as compared with
New York's record. hut they do things
differently over there.