The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-03-26

himself among the most foolish of
mortals to provide bond for a man
whose elementary knowledge of motor
mechanics would render him liable to
be the chief participant in an acct
dent at almost any time.
Enough Jits Now.
There are more than sufficient jit-
neys now in operation in the city to
take care of those desiring their SER
vices, the result being that in order
to catch the extra nickel, many of
the operators take hairbreadth
chances which would not be consider
ed under ordinary conditions of OPP
erations. These reckless jitney driv-
ers should be prosecuted every time
that they are brought into court. They
should, if found guilty, be punished
with the maximum penalty provided.
This not only applies to jitney drivers
but to all other operators of machines
who are charged with reckless driv-
ing. 1t is the, one way in which to
stop many of the automobile accidents
which are occurring every day right
in this city.
Notice that I said many of the
accidents There are a great number
of automobile accidents. so called in
which the automobilist is absolutely
guiltless of all blame. These are the
cases where the pedestrians them
selves are the offenders. I firmly
believe that the time is coming when
vehicles of all kinds will have the
right of way on the streets, and the
pedestrians will have to recognize this
right. We hear a lot of talk after
every accident of peoples rights, etc.
The answer to that is by the Yankee
method-another question. For
what were the streets provided? Were
they built for walkers and the side
walks laid merely for purposes of or
nament? Streets were put through
for vehicles, and they should have the
first and principal rights on them.
Zone of the bills to come before
the present legislature is one which
provides taking automobile affairs
away from the secretary of state and
| creating a separate department for
these affairs only. The automobile
club of which Mr.. Staples is an ar
dent member, is heartily nj favor of
| this measure. They feel and auto
mobilists in general feel, that the af-
fairs dealing with machines have be-
| come so large that it is beyond the
| possibilities of one man to take care
| of them and still devote part of his
| time to other matters.
Against GlaFing Light.
Another measure in which the au.
| to club is vitality interested is some
| legislation to enforce the discontinu.
ance of glazing headlights on the
road. Anyone who has ever driv.
er a car knows" said Mr.. Staples
with how much danger driving is at
tended when battleship searchlight!
are mounted on automobiles. Tt
meet one of these things head OF
while driving along a narrow road il
as bad as meeting a mailman on thu
edge of a precipice. There are sew
eral good varieties of headlights OF
the market at the present time which
throw enough light for the MOTORS
to see without being the cause of tn
other fellow driving off into the ditch
The law should compel people t.
adopt some such lights as these"
The automobile club of the city
now composed of about 500 member
+ and while they have no meeting
room or club house, they are never
theless in rather close communica
ton most of the time. The mem