The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-23
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BURE AU
FREDERIC J. HAGKIN. Director.
Washington. d. q
FOR A NATIONAL TRAFFIC LAW
washington. D. q.

FOR 4 NATIONAL TRAFFIC LAW.
Washington, D. c.. Jan. 20.-The
necessity for a federal traffic law to
enforce uniform traffic regulations
thruout the United States. is now be-
ing urged upon Congress by William
P Emo, the we'll known traffic expert.
Mr. Emo has succeeded in getting
New York, London, and Paris to adopt
his ideas as to how street traffic
should be handled; but the exemplary
manner in which New York now reg
ulates its traffic has so far failed to
| inspire the rest of America to go and
do likewise. Louisville, Ashevilie and
few other cities have followed suit.
but for the most part the American
attitude in regard to street traffic is
one of the broad minded laisseZ-faire.
The pedestrian especially is left to
| solve the problem for himself. Occa-
sionally a few rules are posted for the
benefit of motorists-the speed limit
and warnings as to crossings and
| the pedestrian. This, every year more
| pedestrians are killed. The size and
growth of this toll of human life is
appalling. For example, in 1915, there
were thirty-three deaths from motor
accidents here in Washington. In
1917, the number was fifty-two: in
! 1918, it was seventy-three. and IN the
! past six months alone-forty-one This
|
| in New York during the same period
| in proportion to the population.
| New Workers visiting Washington
| explain that this is because New York
/ knows how to regulate its traffic and
Washington doesn't. Washington has
shown great progress in handling traf-
fic since the war. but it has not yet
come up to standard.
| While the policeman is an impor-
tant factor in the regulation of traf-
| fic, Mr.. Emo believes that the educa-
ton of the driver and of the pedes-
TRAN is even more important. He de-
! clares that every municipality should
| adopt standard traffic regulations,
publish them in brief and understand
able form, and post them in every ga
| rage, gasoline station, license office,
and, if necessary, on telegraph poles
and billboards. In addition to this,
| he believes that the art of walking
safely should be taught in the public
schools. His regulations for this in
creasingly difficult task are as fol-
| lows:
always keep to the right on side
walk, cross walk and street. Keep off
! the street except when necessary to
| cross. Cross street at a right angle
and if possible on cross walk.
Watch for traffic officers signal.
Stand on sidewalk or within safety
car-stop-zone while waiting for a
|
from a street car and observe traffic
before moving. When necessary to
pass behind street car, watch out for
traffic in opposite direction. Above
all, watch!"
1t is also suggested that the pedes--
trian acquaint himself with the vehic-
| ular traffic regulations. in order that
he may know what vehicles are sup
posed to do under certain circum-
stances. OF course, the best precau-
ton of all would be a course in motor
driving, but since the average 1nd1-
vidual has neither the time nor the
money to give to this, he should study
the regulations. For not until he gets
some idea of the difficulties that be-
set the path of the motorist will he re-
alize the danger of stepping absent
mindedly across the street without a
glance in either direction.
The increase in motor transporta-
ton has been so rapid that 1t mas
found people unprepared to meet it.
The old rules that applied to horse
drawn vehicles have been adopted in
part, but it is rather interesting to
learn from Mr.. Emo that for a long
time no one thought of regulating
horse traffic. Not until New York City
made an in Investigation which disclosed
the fact that it took twenty-four hours
for a load of goods to be hauled from
one end of the city to The other, did
it's officials admit that there was need
for regulation. This was in 1899,
when Mr.. Emo first became interested
in the matter. He made an elaborate
study of traffic and its movements
complied many statistics on the acct
dents occurring from lack of system,
and recommended certain regulations
to the police commission ar. That par
. ticular commissioned did not happen
to be interested, but later commits
sioner imm ediat@ly saw the wisdom OF
Mr.. Eno's argument. He had the
regulations printed briefly in folder
form and DISTRIBUTED. and called into
existence the first traffic squad. This
was in 1908.
In other words, the traffic police
man is a twentieth century invention
: And the twentieth century accepted
t him. He became extremely popular
and the policeman who had speered
at the job of directing traffic when II
was first created now came forward
and applied for it. The New York
: traffic squad grew rapidly, but no more
; rapidly than was needed.
Meantime. Mr.. Emo went to Paris tc
induce that city to adopt the New
York traffic regulations. The traffic
; of Paris was in a state of chaos. Nc
one ever knew when he started ou
in a cab what time he would reach hi.
destination. But at this time Europe
' was not much impressed with the
r ability of the United States to teach il
anything, and Mr.. Emo did not sue
coed in arousing the interest of Paris
officials in traffic conditions. I'm
daunted, he called on the Paris cab
2 mems union. They admitted that con
: ditions were all that they were SAID
to be. and that they were losing none,
l by it, but they didn't know what the,
D could do. Write letters to your of
e ficials." advised Mr.. Emo. And keeI
writing to them
The cabmen's union must havt
t taken this advice, for in a short tint
the Paris officials sent for Mr.. En-
: and asked him to let them have
set of the New York regulations