Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-14

Judiciary Committee, Augusta. Me.
My dear Sir
| am taking the liberty of address,
ing you relative to the Automobile
question now before your honora BILE
body for consideration. And first let
me say that | have lived in the town
of Eden for more than so years, and
in the village of Bar Harbor for SO
years, and that during this latter
period my whole business has been in
Connection with, and my, livelihood de-
rived from the summer visitors. whom
alone have made Bar Harbor what it
is. In this Automobile war that has
been waged so persistently for several
years past, | have so far forth as [
had any influence, honestly, earnestly,
and consistently opposed all attempts
to secure their admission among us.
believing they would he a great detri-
ment to the best interests of our town
and island as summer resort. Nor
have | at the present changed my
mind as to the unwisdom of repeating
the present statutory enactment. l
am, however, becoming convinced that
the consensus of opinion is the other
way, and that the law will in all like
lihood be repealed.
If such is to be the case. having
at heart only the best interests of our
town, and the safety of its people. |
am writing To you TO express my
views. in the event of the passage of
the sherman bill, upon the actual
necessity of attaching thereto the
emergency clausa,-because of actual
danger 10 life and limb that might
otherwise result And first let me ask
II Sonr honorable body realize that in
the village there are ever 900 school
children. who in their progress 10 and
from the various school buildings, and
during their play hours have had free
access Ia our streets with almost Moth
ing To fear from our moderate moving
horse drawn vehicles Now at least.
nine-tenths Of these children nave
never seen an automobile, and have
no conception NJ the speed with which
they move, nor the constant vigilance
necessary to be exercised in order to
avoid them. Just picture for mo-
ment what might he liable to result.
If upon given day in the early part
of July next all restrictions should he
removed and automobiles bv the doZ-
ems surely and possibly by the hun
dreds should invade our town, and in
the Joy OF conquest and the flush of
victory sweep through our streets even
though at what might appear to their
occupants to he at q moderate rate
of speed, and vet which as compared
with the movements of our four footed
friends. to which all are SO accus-
toned, would be swift indeed Add to
~ ss'i'' " IA 90 ms "'l'e''i 'ii1e
,i,.'.'. nv" In 70 'iiu .'ie uA'
M eiii' NC 'ii ne
r. c.. s'iS si'z,ii i''l
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80 i,,n,o,,,t t;,as
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80 oonotit,,ta W. nv. ,othoa 80
txaf,o "a ea,,,,a,,,.,, "a :, - .al,
ly1auta foot that MANI, Of tbaca barear.
NV. i'm tho nast fau, 700 80 -, ...,,i
in here from, the eurronndfn, country
and cola haconsa az thei, antinathv r.
automobiles
.
thai noiaht he enumerated If necessary
seem ia me ia constitute in this par-
tic,fiar caSa = stropg element of dan
ser to public safety, within the mean
ing of the emergency clause. and / do
believe that if in the event of the pas
sage of the sherman bill it can go
through with said emergency clause
attached Il will reduce the danger
nearer to the point of that of ordi-
nary automobile travel,
Ny reason for so believing is. that
if our roads can be opened 10 autos
carly in April. few Of our citizens
who already own them will at once
begin to use them in Il quiet way. try
ing their wings, so to speak-with oc-
casional additions to the numbers in
our own midst and as spring comes
on Snd roads settle for travel, they
viii begin to come in from the outside
hut in such gradually increasing num-
hers that both people and horses will
L.. -