The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-08-10
AUTO OWNERS
TO DRAFT LAW
ON DINNERS
Mass Meeting Believes Safe
ty of Public" Demands
Sufficient Light to Guard
Against Accidents.
COMMITTEE IS NAMED
w. Bockhoff Suggests That
Horse Drawn Vehicles Pro-
vide Tail Lamps as Protec-
ton From Automobiles.

LAO1s G1VAkS <AutO1ltUU11OSs
Although unanimous in their
belief that q proper DINNER"
ordinance should be enforced,
fifty automobile owners, assem-
bled in the council chamber at
the city building last evening,
decided that the present ordi-
nance is so indefinite that it can
not be legally enforced. A
committee was appointed con-
sisting of Perry Freeman, chair
man, A. C. Lindemuth, w. K.
Bradbury and Omar Murray, to
draft a suitable ordinance, en-
bodying the suggestions made
last evening, and sent to the city
council for passage.
An ordinance requiring every We
hicle on the streets at night to carry
tail" light, will also be drafted by
the committee as an expression Of
the meeting last night An ordinance
OF this kind would not only be a pro-
lection to the auto driver, but also
to persons in carriages or wagons
Practically every person who was
arrested last week as the result of a
campaign on the part Of the police de-
partment to enforce the DINNER" or
dinance that has been on the statute
books for weeks, was present last ev-
ening. Every one was In favor of a
DINNER" ordinance, but it seemed to
be the concensus OF opinion that auto
mobiles should not be required to use
dim lights on the side streets Sew
eral men, however believed that some
kind Of DINNER should be used all
the time
Nobody 10 opposed to a reasonable
ordinance" said Perry Freeman, chair
man Of the meeting. 1T is only nee.
essary to have a DINNER" that does
not focus the light in persons eyes
as he crosses the streets. It does not
make any difference how bright the
light is, just so it does not do this"
DR.. w. w. Zimmerman said he was
in favor of having DINNERS only on
Main street. He said that on the side
streets there is much more danger in
not having lights enough than in hav-
Ing too much. There should at least
be a bright enough light for another
car driver to see when car Is coming
around the corner before the cars get
opposite each other, said the ex-mayor.
He then made the motion that Perry
Freeman act as chairman Of a com.
mittee to draft an ordinance to be pre-
scented to council to take the place of
the present one.
Others Need Lights.
There seems to be a wave Of op-
position against auto owners" said
w. F. Bockhoff. president of the Ma
tional Automatic Tool works. Some
people think they are all lawbreakers.
I believe the auto owner needs some
protection from horse drawn vehicles.
II an auto has dimmed lights, it Is
often impossible to see wagons until
you get right on them. am in favor
of an ordinance requiring every We
hicle to have a rear light at night. This
is done in indianapolis and other
cities"
Others agreed with him, and a mo-
ton was passed asking the committee
to consider this in drafting the ordi-;
nance.
DR.. Zimmerman told Of three acct
dents that happened on the corner of
Seventh and North A streets last Sat
urday night as the result Of not sui
ficient light on automobiles. He said
that automobiles should carry bright
lights, though not the extremely glar-
ing kind, on side streets, for the
safety of the public"
There were two main propositions
offered to the committee to be decid-
ed before the meeting of council next
Monday. One was whether to have
DINNERS" any place except on Main
street, and the other was to specify a
certain kind of DINNER for all lights.
Ordinances OF other cities were
quoted by the auto owners, and it was
the general opinion that if DINNERS"
were to be placed on light at all they
should be along the following lines:
For electric lights, blind should be
placed covering the bottom half Of the
light. In the case Of prest-o-light and
other gas lights. the blind should ex-
tend over the upper half. The re-
Electors Of the two kinds Of light are
made differently 50 that If the dim
mers" were put on in this manner the
light would be focused to the ground,
and at the same time not affecting the
brilliancy of the light. 1t Is probable
that an ordinance embodying this prin-
ciple will be drawn by the committee.