The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-14
That Is the Opinion Of Topeka
Automobiles.
ABOUT THE LICENSE AGITATION
Question Has Stirred Up Auto
lists and Pop-Pop Men.
Many Topekans VIII Attend
Kansas City Motor Show.

ouy highway tnat brings interstate
auto tourists through Topeka, will be
abandoned by the Golden Belt Road
association provided that organization
does not receive support from the
towns through which it passes. particu-
iariy the towns lying east of here.
Seorge w. Stansfield. vice president
OF the association. is in receipt Of q
letter from B. w. Smith, of Manhat-
tan. secretary. wanting to know what
ne may expect In the way Of support
from Topeka. A meeting Of the organ
ization will be held in Bonner Springs
March IL. Topeka is asked to send del
egates to that meeting.
Topeka motorists do not want to see
the Golden Belt Road association dis
banded. The road is too great an asset
to this town. Topeka has been put ION
the map in the Blue Book, and it is
estimated that 5000 out of state motor
lists came through this city in 1913 on
the route. The association has done
much In the way Of improving the road.
Motor Bus Being Introduced.
Application for motor omnibus fran
chises are now before the proper au-
thorities In at least half a dozen i'm
portant cities Of the country. Not
many months ago a Topeka man was
seriously considering the establishment
OF a motor omnibus line here. In Eu-
rope this modern passenger vehicle is
an important factor in the transporta-
tion OF passengers: In the United States
II IS attracting much attention at the
!ty.
One prominent engineer declares
that a motor bus is obviously less dan
gerous than street car because when
an accident Is imminent both the speed
and the direction Of g. motor bus may
be changed.
In New York in one year the street
car lines injured one pedestrian for
every 1900 miles operated and the
motor buses injured one pedestrian for
every 10000 miles operated. Including
passengers. one person was injured on
the street car lines for every 1000 miles
operated, as against one person iniur-
ed by motor buses for every so. 900
miles operated. One pedestrian was
injured by the surface rail lines for
every $4,000 fare passengers carried.
as compared with one injured by the
omnibuses for every 500,0 600 passengers
carried.
That License Agitation.
An agitation is on among motor
cyclists and automobile owners to
nave the city's ordinance regulating
the issuance of licenses revised. Some
would do away with the licenses en-.
tlrely. holding the state licenses re-
Quired cover the ground and that the
necessity OF taking out two licenses is
offensive. They say that as a matter
OF police regulation the names and
numbers of holders of state licenses
are just as available as are the cfty's
records.
But the chief objection is not the
fact that 81 is charged for a city liz
cense, so much as where the dollars
go. Under the ordinance as it exists
now the money goes to the board is-
suing the license and becomes the
private property of the members of
the board. The autoists and cyclists
think the money should either go to
tho city or be applied in some way to
penef1t the source from which 1t
comes.
Kansas City Motor Show.
Many Topeka dealers, auto enthu-
siasts and prospective owners are go
Ing to Kansas City next week to at
tend the motor show. The show this
year Will be much larger than ever
before. 1t always attracts visitors
from all parts of the southwest Every
car. gasoline and electric, which is
sold in Topeka, will be represented at
the show.
Auto and Pop-Pop Notes.
Kansas will begin to hold sociability
runs. Many autos are now being re-
painted or Overhauled generally in an
ticipation Of the touring season which
will open in the spring.
Almost every day new memberships
in the Kansas State Automobile asso-
citation are received at the office of the
secretary, Clarence Jordan. There
will be more life, however, in state as
sOciation circles in another month OF
two.
There has been very little motorins
done in and around Topeka in the last
week. With the exception Of one OF
two days the weather has been any
thing but favorable.
A. B. Kirkpatrick motored to St
Marys Wednesday.
Earl Ives has purchased q model
B-25 Buick
A 1914 model REQ, summer series
arrived Wednesday. at the Billings
garage.