The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-07

able rights" OF owning and driving their
cars without the harassing complications
Of interstate, intercounty and varying
municipal regulations. Unfair and I'M
just legislation has been and still is being
proposed A great deal more OF II would
be enacted into laws were il not for the
ceaseless activity OF the various automo-
bile clubs. Since these clubs and organ
izations are working for the motorist, II
Is the duty of the motorist to do all he
can to aid in making the pleasures OF
car owning anu car driving infinitely
greater.
This takes time and money, and who
is to furnish the time and money II not
the man who is to be benefited by them
II any car owner has not united with his
fellows, il should engage his attention
at once. Much as has been done. there
is infinitely more that remains undone.
and every new member. every additional
helper. means enlarged and increased op-
portunity Of doing the right thing. II
you are a prominent member OF society.
all the more II is a duty to unite with
others, lest II be said by the weaker
brother that you are not a member-why
should he be? Get in touch with your
local organization today. 1t needs you
and you need 1t even more.
About two years ago the Automobile
Club of St Louis suggested to the chief
of police that his force would have
considerable help in regulating traf-
fic if about a dozen private citizens
of good standing and broad Judgment
were appointed monitors to observe
and report careless driving and viola
lions of all laws pertaining to automo-
biles.
The idea was that these monitors
would he nnnfTiCia1 Rida EnnyVn n
the public and that the fact that some
of them might be encountered any
where would have a strong moral in
fluence on motorists.
The monitor system was not pro-
posed in order that more arrests might
be made. but only to report careless
and unlawful driving on the streets
and highways so that offenders might
be warned by the police not to repeat
the offense. No doubt. occasionally. a
monitor might recommend an arrest
when the offense was serious. in which
case he would testify against the Of
fender.
a plan along this line would not be
in operation very long before some of
the careless drivers would be warned
TO mend their ways and, il is believed,
all drivers would be more careful If
they knew 1t was the business of
somebody unknown to them to see that
they obeyed the law. Many times mo-
florists deliberately take fool chances
after looking around to see that q Do
iceman is not in sight.
This monitor system undoubtedly would
develop until every conscientious citizen
considered himself an instrument fo-
making the streets safer. SomeLhing
ought to be done quickly to corral a
large number of dangerous drivers and
break them of their wild ways. There
are quite a few motorists who consist
emily violate the ordInapces every day,
especially in speeding. Some 81 them
have been arrested and have paid paltry
fines. Instead of fines licenses should pc
revoked for at least one year in tho ..,se
Of chauffeur, and a guilty owner should
he forbidden to drive for a like period
This plan seems to be worth careful
There would be little trou-
bic in working out the details Many a
time some motorist has seen improper
driving by some other Inotorist; he has
been properly sicensed and felt like COM
planning against :he offender. but he
didn't do it because H. was afraid he
might appear to be too officious. He en-
tirely overlooked the at hat 1t was his
duty to take some tion to regulate the
careless driver. The monitor system will
do much toward awakening motorists to
a sense of duty