New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-27
The Motorists Bias
Surprised the Rest Of the World
Doesn't See Things Their Way
tn the Editor Of The Tribune.

4 o 'Ne EIltOI OF ne i44DN"N'
Sir: The letters OF Lawyer and Another
Lawyer" recently printed relative TO the
prejudice Of the public and the press against
motorists were interesting as illustrating the
unconscious disregard OF the automooie
owner and driver for the rights OF the less
favored members Of the community. Ana II
il most amusing that they seem 70 feel
sense Of great injustice in that the pubic
does not see the situation as they see u.
The automobile is the mos. powerful IN
strument Of death and destruction that runs
at large on our highways. The very power
and weight that make them dangerous 20 life
and property make them difficult TO handle.
and their control requires a cool mead,
sense OF responsibility, reasonably strong
physique and careful training. Without these
characteristics and some others no person
should be allowed TO put in jeopardy the lives
and property of others b. driving car on
the public highways.
What constitutes due care in handling a
dangerous instrument in using danger
Gus force is very different from what consti-
tutes due care in handling something which
is comparatively harmless if it gets beyond
control.
A man is liable absolutely for damage
which may occur if he takes ferocious wild
animal out on the street and permits 1t TO
escape. but he is not under the same abso-
lutte liability for the damage done by do
nestle animal unless he knows its ferocious
propensities. If a man builds fire on his
premises he is liable absolutely to his neigh
hor if he permits it to get on his neighbor's
premises and do damage. No proof OF neg
lgence is necessary The standard Of care
imposed unon man who keeps explosives is
different from that upon the man who has
some comparatively nnocuous substances.
The reason is plain. The force to be let loose
in these cases is so destructive and so liable
to do damage that extraordinary care is re-
CURED As Addison in his work on Torts
says: Every person who puts dangerous
thing in motion, which causes injury TO an
ether, is in general responsible for the mis-
chief it occasions"
The sooner motorists realize that good law
and good sense demand of them more pre-
cautions than they demand Of tho small boy
operating toy express wagon. or Of man
on light bicycle, the better for them and
for us all.
Very few even of the careful motorists pay
their speed. but in spite Of that it is proba-
BILE that a majority of the drivers are fairly
careful. Their difficulty is that they make
common cause with the minority who are not
either careful or considerate.
There are good many hogs and not a few
fools in our human family. and some Of them
are motorists When the hog or the fool
gets loose with an automobile he is a menace
"a evar, ono else WHY do not the decent
motorists aim to eliminate the hoggish, the
reckless. the drunken and the youthfully ire
sponsible drivers? Why do not they insist
on preventing incompetents and persistent
vioators of the law and of others rights
from getting licenses to run cars? Why do
they not report cases OF gross misuse of the
roads that they observe? Why do they not
remove the beams in their own eyes, instead
of waxing indignant Mt the tiny notes in the
eyes Of the public and the press? The won
Ger Is 10 me that people are as tolerant as
they are. fhDES III lAN'
New York, June 25, 1917.