Arizona republican., 1914-08-09
JUDGE M PRIDE EXPLAINS LAW
City Magistrate Tells Why Motor-Vehicle Ordinance Should Be Enforced and Reason for Inflicting Pen alties on ViOlatOrS

As with the enforcement of prac- tically every city ordinance some of lenders must feel they have been prisoned, so it is that much criticism grows out of the automobile cases coming before City Magistrate Me Bride. That official, however, has frequently explained his position in assessing fines for such offenses as running without tail lamps burning or exceeding the speed limit In an interview yesterday upon the recent move to secure strict enforcement of the city motor vehicle laws, Judge Mcbride said:
 Penalties for violating the motor vehicle ordinance are not exceeding $1O0 for the first, not less than $50 nor more than $100 for the second, and not less than $100 nor more than $250 for the third offense There are those who say our fines have been excessive and yet there are only few instances where more than $10 was assessed and in view of the ordinance penalties our light fines were intended to caution and remind offenders of the peoples rights and the heavier penalties in store for re- peaters.
 Our traffic laws are very lax and there are practically no rules gov erning right of way, or in the stop nil te.f lyt streets by cars to the disadvantage and danger of others. This should be lighted
 'l fully recognize and appreciate the fact that the great majority of those who own and operate cars want to protect their financial investment in said cars and that they have pro persons and property, that they ap- prove and will aid in the enforcement of all reasonable and lawful regula- tions relating to motor vehicles.
 Coming here from the states east. west and north of us many owners and drivers have fixed in their minds the rules and regulations of their
 
 desire to do right run counter to our crude and loosely constructed or dinances
 T have frequently suggested and sincerely believe that if the owners and operators of cars would get to- Sether and prepare and submit such rules and regulations as their exper- fence and judgment warrant, the city commissioners could and would enact an ordinance that would meet the approval and cooperation of fully ninety per cent of those using cars give greater safety and satisfaction 1 to the public and lessen the work of l the police force and to the police court.
 The ordinance regulating the oper- alton of motor vehicles requires that automobiles shall exhibit. from one 1 hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise, two lamps showing white head lights and one red rear light l There are numerous violations of this provision every night, some with out head lights, some with only one head light and many without rear light
 1 Every violator furnishes an excuse such as did not know lights were out, they were burning when I start ed, but something went wrong, de fective connection. defective lamp bumped out crossing railway or street railroad, not guilty of intentional wrong, etc. If lamps are defective, or lights go out by accident. and cannot be repaired or relighted, the driver of the machine should tele- phone the police headquarters giv- ing information IS to facts and thus show good intentions and avoid the laws stringency.
 "The law must be ignored, amended
 or enforced. The ignoring or amend ing of the law is not for the court
 to decide, but those who are brought
 before the court and either plead guilty or are convicted of viola
 tion of the law must expect the court
 to do it's duty and apply the penalty provided.
 'The speed at which motor vehicles may be run is limited to ten and fif- teen miles within the business and
 resident districts respectively. Com Iplaint and criticism has been heard Iabout applying this law and yet in
 nearly every instance the officers
 have allowed a margin of five miles
 over the speed limit before making Ian arrest.
 This law is not enforced as rigidly