The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-12-31
TAIL LIGHTS
ARE MATTER OF
LIFE and DEATH
COMMISSIONER GILLESPIE.
Money or Inconvenience Should
Not Be Considered, Declares
Police Head
DEFENDS ORDINANCE
AGAINST BITTER ATTACK
Undertakers and Carriage Men
Make Loud Protest Against
Safety Provision
COMMISSIONER GILLESPIE.

This is a matter of life and death,
and rot of money or Inconvenience to
vehicle drivers" said Police Commits
sioner Gillespie, arguing in favor OF
the tail light for all vehicles" section
OF his traffic ordinance before hos
tile delegation, Wednesday afternoon,
In the council chamber. The delega-
tion was composed Of undertakers,
lumber dealers, carriage men and mud
wagon operators. They were unan-
imous in declaring that TO force them
to attach a light OF any kind to the
rear of their vehicles would be i'm
practicable and useless.
The undertakers said IL would be a
lasting disgrace to send a hearse to
funeral with red light dangling In
the rear The lumber dealers argued
that II would be an absolute impos-
sibiljty to keep any kind Of lamp
lighted atothe extreme end~of a load
of 40-foot lumber. They also stated
that the use OF lamps on the wagons
would be sure to increase their insur-
ance rates. Carriage man advanced
the excuse that ii would be a physical
impossibility for them to comply with
the ordinance because the constant jar
OF the heavy, springless trucks would
put any kind of lamp out of COM
mission In a few days. The mud
wagon operators entered a similar pro-
test
When the commissioner suggested
that the objections were Of q dollars
and cents variety. and without consid-
Grafton Of human life, the chorus OF
angry noes. drowned out his voice.
The commissioner said that oil or
electric lamps could be used and that
the cost Of maintenance would not be
over two cents day per lamp.
The motorists OF the city are Civ
ing up great deal more than is being
asked Of the carriage man and truck
owners" said w. G. Bryant, OF the
Wolverine Automobile club. They
have agreed to dim their headlights,
which means a heavy extra expense
to the individual motorist, but dim
headlights will be dangerous unless
all vehicles carry tail lights. Other
cities have similar regulation. The
trouble is Detroit is a rube town and
far behind the times In such matters" I"
Protest against the proposed section
OF the ordinance were registered by
Arthur l.. Holmes, c. w. Kotcher, f. ].
Robinson, W. e. Besancon, Alexander
Kowles, w. J. Murray and Joseph
Jeroux. Aid. Elmer Case, livery man,
championed the cause of the carriage
men and was wildly applauded when
he declared that half OF the automo-
bile drivers In the city are crazy. Be-
fore the matter was taken under ad.
visement, Commissioners Gillespie said
he was In favor OF its adoption with
the proyiso that It Is not to become
effective for go days to give the team
owners an opportunity to try out
electric and kerosene lights.
The section OF the ordinance which
delegates to the police the power to
regulate pedestrian traffic at the
street crossings was also taken under
iadvisement. Aid. Sherman Littlefeld.
chairman Of the committee, is not sat
lsfied with the present regulation. He
says the traffic officers do not give
pedestrians time to get Off the street
before they signal traffic to move I'm
the opposite direction.