The San Francisco call and post., 1913-12-27

SUPERVISORS
IN WAR On
SPEE[)ERS
City Officials Present United
Front Against LaWIess
Chauffeurs
Continued From Page 1

continued rom 1aEf L
nois. was fined s2o b. Judge sullivan
for running his motorcycle at 2e miles
an hour in Market street. He said he
did not know San Franeiscos speed
3imit
Within the week three San Fran
ciscans have been ground under fly
fng wheels and left without aid. One
victim. J. w McDermOtt was killed
Instantly. and the little girl victim.
Carmela Sara. Is not yet out of dan
ger Charles Holland, SOS Dolores
street. was the third victim. He
VIII recover.
Two men face felony charges as
result Of the automobile accidents.
Louis Kantor, chauffeur, is held as
The man who was driving the car that
killed McDermott.
isadore c.. Caselii, accused of run
ming down little Carmela Sara, was
arraigned before Police Judge Crist
today on a charge of running down
a person and driving on. The case
was continued one week as the child
in stiu In hospital
SUPERVISORS OPINIONS
Here are the opinions expressed to-
day Sy some Of the supervisors
Supervisor Paul Bancroft am in
favor OF drastic measures being
taken to curb the growing evil of
speeders running down innocent
people. The severest penalty of the
law should be given convicted vio-
lators who hit people with auto
mobiles and refuse to stop and rem
Ger assistance. In the downtown
district the regulations are pretty
we'll perfected. but it is the out
lying portion of the city where the
people are continually endangered
II is usually the JOY riders who in
jure and Kill people. Something
must be done to stop this speed
craze and criminal carelessness.
Supervisor Thomas Jennings-The
automobilist VINO runs down a per-
son and drives away should be
shown no mercy. / think we all
agree on that. II would do little
good 10 put more legislation on the
books. II is difficult 10 stop the
speeder by laws. He should be
given the .severest punishment,
which is bound TO have certain
effect toward making others more
careful AS to the general run of
automohilists who drive their cars
in the pursuit of business. ] con-
slider them cautious. It is due to
careful driving that 100 people are
not killed daily The pedestrian
takes fearful chances. Men and
women run for streetcars without
looking where they are going. They
often dart across the streets at the
worst places and under the worst
conditions. AS to the plan of COM
pelling pedestrians TO cross the
street only a corners. it would be
OF great benefit could il be en-
forced. but l am afraid that il
street the intersections with other
streets are at such odd angles and
q person is often bound TO cross in
the middle of the block Drastic
dealing with the speeders by the
courts appears to be the only solu-
ton
Supervisor J. Emmett Hayden
The only solution to my mind is
TO make an example OF the speed
er by giving him the maximum
penalty under the law. / would
oppose the traffic squad sugges-
ton that each driver be forced
TO carry a photograph and a card
which would be punched for each
arrest This law would make all
auto owners feel as if they were
members of the rogues' gallery.
Underground pasa geways across
the busiest street intersections
would give the pedestrian more
safety. but this. of course, could
not he done at once. Give the
speeder a. stiff sentence. That
is the best cure for Immediate re-
suits
Supervisor NoIan-There is too much
influence being used in behalf of the
auto speeders when arrested. Their
prominent friends rush TO their aid,
and. as a rule, they get Off with a
light fine. This should be stopped.
] favor imposing a Jail sentence in
every case. AS an instance of the
effect OF this, all viii remember how
Jack johnson. the pugilist, was
brought to a halt in his wild driv-
ing by a Jail sentence. l do not
favor the plan of having each auto
driver carry card of Identification
and a photograph, the card to be
punched each time he is arrested.
A better method would be to punch
the driver and put him in jail.