South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-08-03
Mayor Keller in Statement
Suggests That Citizens Co.
operate with View of En-
forcing Traffic Laws.
ABOUT 1900 MOTOR
VEHICLES IN THE CITY
Says Rules Will Be Lived Up to
if Special Squad to Make
Wholesale Arrests Is
Necessary.

A special squad Of policemen with
orders to make wholesale arrests, If
possible. if South Bend motor car
owners do not cooperate with the law
in an effort TO lessen the dangerous
conditions now existing from viola
tions of speed and traffic laws, ac-
cording to a statement given out by
Mayor Keller Tuesday morning. The
mayor decries the fact that the city
has only one speed officer and de-
clares that a dozen such officers would
be unable to detect all violatOrs.
One way to alleviate this condition,
according to Mayor Keller, is for the
car owner TO cooperate with the city.
The laws must be enforced. the mayor
declares and arrests of every violatOr
will result if the laws are not ObOyed.
He stated that he had studied the sit
uations in other cities and had found
that they were confronted with the
same problems that existed in this
city.
His statement Tuesday morning re-
suited from his study OF the situa-
ton. and the fact that the same plan
had been followed in other cities.
The statement follows:
Regulation Problem.
One of the problems with which all
cities have TO contend these days is
the regulation of motor vehicles
The Importance of this problem has
not yet been fully realized either by
the drivers of motor vehicles or by
the general public and hence to one
In position to observe. there exists.
in spite o. complaint in some quar-
ters, state Of puOlic unCOnceTn and
indifference which makes proper reg
ulation exceedingly difficult
he best estimates indicate that
there are about 1900 motor vehicles
I'm this city-automobiles and motor
cycles-and the number is rapidly in
creasing. This number is further
augmented by hundreds of cars from
outside the city.
The result is a condition not anti
cipated a few years ago and with
which no city is fully prepared to
cope.
At certain hours some CITY streets
may be occupied by more than a hun
dred motor vehicles to the mile. all
moving more or less swiftly in oppo-
site and cross directions. creating
congestion and dangers not antici-
pated by our lawmakers In addition
to motor vehicles we have street cars.
pedestrians and horse drawn vehicles
to further complicate the situation
For the regulation of the these the
NibN HdS oht UloloINgCle pOlCendn
and with the appropriation posi- Bile
for the police department. cannot
we'll provide more
Can't Catch AL
1t Is Of course physically impos&i-
bic for one motorcycle man TO keep
watch over the 30 miles Of paved
streets on which most of the speed
ing is done. A dozen motorcycle men
could not detect all the violations of
the speed laws
In some way, however. the viola
tons and abuses must be overcome.
even though it be necessary to have a
special squad Of officers TO make
wholesale arrests.
In the long run. however, proper
observance of speed laws will he eff
fected not by drastic action which in
a large proportion of cases does not
get the worst offenders. but by pres
sure of kind Of public opinion which
does not now exist.
II Is interesting to observe how lit
tie general sentiment there is in the
matter. owners of motor vehicles
and their friends are in the main very
tolerant Of excessive speed and the re-
CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE.)