Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-08-27
SOLVING THE ptRklnG PR BLEm.

Another problem which the council
is trying to solve is how to park the
machines in the downtown streets. The
number of automobiles has increased
so rapidly during the last year that
there is no longer room in the BUSH
ness district to park them and still
leave sufficient space for traffic. On
two occasions within the present
month the fire department has been
obliged to go two blocks out OF the
way to reach fire because Second
and Third streets were blocked by au-
tomobiles and street cars.-Cedar Rap
ids Gazette.
In a suit brought in Des Moines the
decision was that the auto owners
could not be forced off the streets and
that they had rights of parking over
which the city could not exercise au-
thority
The solution of the parking prob
lem is not a serious one. 1t goes back
to the solution Of the old hitchilg
post problem and is to be solved the
same way. All that is actually needed
is for private capital and enterprise
to learn that the autoist will pay ten
or fifteen cents to shelter his machine
safely as Willingly as the farmer hands
his dime to the feed shed proprietor
Some day some feed shed owner will
see the point and turn his centrally
Perhaps, if he is especially en- terpris-
ing and looking for the cream of the
trade, he Will enclose each stall roof
high lock the door when the machine
is inside and hand the auto owner the
key, charging quarter for the serv-
ice. He will have neat and commo-
women, fully equipped with lavorator-
les and dressing room and easy
chairs. He will sell gasolene and
minor auto supplies and make money
hand over fist. Perhaps most Of his
stalls will be open ones at a popular
price, but anyhow he will get more
And he and those who initiate him
will solve the auto question very
much as the horse question was
solved.
Moreover, if the laws do not give the
city authority to prevent parking in
he streets they will be amended &c
cover that point. Larger cities have
ordinances that prevent machines
standing in crowded streets except for
short periods. Twenty minutes is the
limit in Minneapolis and it is proba BILE
that shorter periods are the rule in the
great cities. Whether Iowa cities can
enforce such ordinances is still ques-
ton. If they can not it will be but a
short time until the statutes give them
such power. AS public safety pre-
cautionary proposition it must come to
that
Some objection of course will arise
from auto owners as objection arose
from farmers when the unsiShtly and
unsanitary hitching posts were abol-
lshed. 1t was recalled by a person
active in the removal of hitching posts
from about the public square how one
prominent farmer and friend of his
tongue-lashed him for his part in the
reform. And how a few years after
the same man recalled the incident to
make apology and commend the move.
And SO it will be with the autos.
| The auto shed is a necessity. Autos
do not take fright at other machines,
however the chapter of auto accidents
may read. Women will drive ma
chimes into town where they would
fear to manage a driving horse Of
spirit. The farm woman is coming
| to her own with the automo bile. She
will run in and out of town with it in
ever increasing numbers and she will
demand a central garage at popular
price where she may leave her ma
chine and her wraps safely while she
does her marketing.
There's the solution. And it has
bank accounts and ownership Of farms
in it as surely as the feed shed had
twenty years ago.
|