New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-26
Getting the Rack
Ready for Motor
Law Violators

.Ascribing in one breath an alarming
increase of automobile accidents a.
"due to reckless driving and in the
next saying az we could only regulate
the pedestrian as we'll as the motorist
it would go long ways in helping out,
Secretary of State Hugo announces fof
next month that the first Of the hear
ings under the recent amendment 70
the state highway law for the suspen'
sion and revocation of automobile H.
censes will be held in this city. The
one of the announcement is something
of the friendly sort Of the Spanish In
quisition toward suspects.
A conference was held last Thursday
afternoon in Chief Magistrate McAdoo's
Office, at which Mr.. Hugo, Magistrate
Frederick P. House. Deputy Police Com
missioner Frank Lord and Frank z
Redmond, head of the New York Auto
mobile Bureau, were present. IL is ex'
pected that the coming hearings will be
held in the State Automobile Bureau
at Broadway and Seventv.fourth Street
Either Mr.. Hugo or his first deputy
A. B. Parker, will preside.
"The revocation of the license Is the
only thing that will get US anywhere,
said Magistrate House in discussing
the best way TO deal with the motorists
who contribute by their reckless driv'
ing to the deaths and injuries whlcf
are running into the thousands.
"You give us the facts and | will dc
the rest said Secretary Hugo. It was
agreed that transcript Of the evidence
in all fragrant cases Of automobile vlo
lations should be furnished the Secre
tary of States Office from now on. The
fullest cooperation of the city's Police
Department was promised to Mr.. Hugo
At the conference Secretary Hugo
made it clear that he would extend nc
leniency TO the automobilists where the
evidence was such as to prove that tire
person was unfit to handle a car. Some
thing has got to be done to lessen the
number Of accidents in the city and IN
the state, said Mr.. Hugo. and with the
authority which is now given him, he
=
do his level best.
In connection with this part of the
coming programme an accident bureau
has just been established in the Sec
rotary Of States office, in Albany, in
order 70 keep closer tabs on accidents
where the same person may perhaps
figure in court later on.
IF we could only regulate the pedes-
trian as well as the motorist it would
go long way in helping out" said
Mr.. Hugo, land. in that case, we must
remember that the pedestrian and the
motorist each has his own rights, par
ticularly in city where there are
100000 persons who can never hore
10 own an automobile"
1t has been estimated that 100000
persons daily use motor vehicles in
the streets of Manhattan, and about
$500 900 pedestrians.
Hearings for the suspension and
revocation of licenses will also De held
in various parts of the state from Sep
TENDER on. The recent amendment
gives to Mr.. Hugo's Office increased
powers. II is expected that it will
prove an efficient measure in decreas-
ing the number OF accidents by sum-
marily removing through the loss Of
the license the participants.
New York City last year had l26 con-
victions out of 204 cases of alleged
reckless driving. while the forty-three
cases Of intoxicated drivers resulted in
as many convictions.