Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1914-04-17
WOODSTOCK. VIRGINIA.
FRIDAY APRIL ~, 1911
Valley Turnpike Will Employ
A Motorcycle Cop.

Valley Turnpike Will Employ
A Motorcycle Cop. |
At a meeting of the board oil
directors of the Valley Turnpike
Company, held in Winchester
last Friday, in addition to dis
posing of many routine matters,
it was decided to at once resur-
face with dustless bituminous
binders the forty miles remaining
un,feated, so that by within the
next several months the entire
road will be smooth and dustless.
An important new policy was
adopted looking towards prevent
ing the driving of automobiles
at reckless and excessive speeds,
and otherwise making the road
as safe as possible for travel.
1t was decided to employ a
motorcycle policeman, whose
duty it will be to cooperate with
the county authorities and
arrest fragrant violators of the
law.
1t was also decided to construct
substantial concrete walls at a
number of dangerous places
along the road, notably Fishers
Hill, and at other points to broad
en- the roadbed and do whatever
else is necessary, so that the road
will be safe.
In speaking of the innovation
of the Valley Turnpike Company,
in patrolling the road so that
reckless driving may be prevent
ed, President H. F. Byrd said to-
day:
'..The Valley Turnpike Com
pany has no police jurisdiction,
excepting such as may be special
ly conferred by the proper author
tiles.
1.-The company has for some
time been considering some meth
cd by which reckless and excess
sive speeding may be prevent
ed, such action on the part of
the company to be supplemental
to the activities of the several
county officials.
while it is not incumbent
upon us to prevent violations of
the speed law, yet we feel that
we should take every precaution
and facility in our power to rem
der the road safe for the proper
and legitimate travel thereon.
Highways are public property
in so far as relates to their reas-
enable and legitimate use. Each
traveller has the right to make
such use of highways as will not
unreasonably damage the road
or violate such restrictions as
have been esta blished by the
road authorities or by state law.
Automobiles have already Sc
cured their place among vehicles
of locomotion. and they perform
many useful and necessary fnnc-
tions.
Few privileges, however,
countenanced by public opinion
and licensed by law, are more
readily subject to abuse than the
operation of automobiles. Driven
by reckless or incompetent op-
orators, they are menace to life
and to property.
''The majority of automobiles
are operated considerably and
and with due regard to the rights
of other users. 1t is the oc-
casional automobiles, who runs
his high-powered machine with
out regard to any other rights
except his own, who constitutes
the menace to safety.
1T is not the desire of the
Valley Turnpike Company to UNI
duly inconvenience the consider
ate automobilist, and the motor
cycle policeman to be appointed
will cooperate with the courty
officials only in Furnishing the
more fragrant violators Of the
law.
1.-The Valley Turnpike Com
pany will request the sheriff OF
each of the Valley counties to
deputize this policeman as
deputy sheriff, with power to ar
rest"