The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1915-12-11
\ TIMELY WARNING TO
AUTOMOBILE OWNERS

result in some serious accident, Mr..
j. S. McGehee is sending out circular
letters to automobilists in Wilkinson
county, Miss. AS most of the circular
is equally applicable to the Feliciana
parishes we reproduce the greater part
of it from the Woodville Republican:
Laurel Hill, La, Dec. l, 1916.
Dear Sir:
You are among the number of those
fortunates (or unfortunately who own
automobiles. These can be made the
source of some pleasure to US, and
also great convenience; but any one
who goes over our roads sees at once
that at best their sharp curves and
narrow rounding tread, often fringed
with deep bitches, furnish a setting
for danger that Is seldom lacking. 1t
Is almost certainty that the number
of machines in our community is going
to increase, and If unusual care is not
taken to run these machines carefully,
reducing speed at curves and on hills
and on meeting and passing, some sad
accident will certainly happen, involv-
ing the lives of possibly five or six
citizens, maybe ladies and children.
The writer believes he is an extremely
careful driver, and yet on one occasion
he has succeeded in stopping his ma
chine within six feet of another ma
chine that was standing on the wrong
side of the road in cloud of dust.
On another occasion he has touched
the back wheels of lady's buggy in
front of him that in rainstorm stopped
suddenly. On another occasion, on a
sharp curve, he has had meeting
machine run by him rapidly, missing
his machine scarcely six inches as he
drove it into a ditch and brushheap.
Had he met the machine thirty feet
beyond the actual meeting place, q
disastrous collision would have been
unavoidable, and there were three
ladies in each car, some Of whom would
have been almost certainly killed.
We have no hesitation in saying that
the life of one person is worth more
than all the cars In the State Of Mis-
sissippi. We do not believe it Is nee
essary to destroy any life or MAIN
anybody at all. We think 1t is much
simpler matter to take the proper steps
to prevent disaster before it comes
than to raise hue and cry after one
or several good people In our COM
munity have been extinguished to
leave mourning In the hearts Of their
relatives as long as the latter live.
We suggest the following
points, not that we are particularly
impressed with any one Of them. but
simply as matters of consideration.
We can adopt them or not, just as we
please:
Should any one be allowed to drive
car without an examination and
license as a driver?
Should every one driving car be
required to have copy Of the county
law in his pocket?
Should every car have signal
device?
Should all cars rounding curves
where the road Is not visible for 100
feet ahead be required to slow down
to six miles an hour (the pace Of
"fox-trot?")
Should all cars meeting or passing
vehicles be required to slow down to
six miles an hour?
Should all cars approaching vehicles
coming from the opposite direction on
roads that are too narrow to admit Of
their passing each other, be required
to come to full stop at not less than
40 feet from each other?
Should all cars not in garages be
required to carry, from sunset to sun
rise, both front and rear safety lights,
and also, when running, headlights
that will plainly show an object as
large as man walking $50 feet ahead
of them?
Would it improve matters for the
automobile owners to form an associa-
ton and sign bylaws agreeing une-
quivocally to equip their cars accord
ing to the county laws and to operate
these cars according to the same laws
and to require any one else operating
them to conform to the laws?
Would it be desirable for the auto
mobile owners to offer reward for con-
viction for any infraction of the law?
Would it be desirable for the auto
mobile owners to post signs at danger
points In the road, OF petition the
county to do so?
| What penalties would you recon-
mend? Fines, jail, revocation of license
| or all of them or anything else?
1t seems inevitable that unless we