New-York tribune., 1919-06-22
Hitting ON All Twelve
, GET. Scharps

1HeIe Wall soon De ready LOT dlStr1-
button a pamphlet being prepared by
the Secretary Of States Office, contain
ing not only the state highway laws
and the state traffic laws, but the
traffic ordinances and rules Of the
road of New York City as we'll. These
Will be obtainable, when ready, from
the Police department. here, as we'll as
from the Secretary of States Automo-
bile Bureau.
One of the questions to be asked Of
applicants for driving licenses under
the new law is: "Have you read the
state highway laws, and are you IA
m1llar with the traffic ordinances and
ponce regulations of the City of New
York 2" The pamphlet is being pre-
pared SO as to make it easy for an
applicant to familiarize himself in ad-
vance with the laws, and so that he
may be able to answer eyes" to the
question.
Motor vehicle inspectors will have
to be increased greatly in numbers
when the new licensing law affecting
all operators in greater New York
goes into effect. At present there are
unquestionably very many persons
driving cars in New York City who
have failed to provide themselves with
licenses. Only when such an operator
gets arrested is his failure to have a
license detected.
With the responsibility on the Sec
retary of State to see that all motor
lists in New York City prove fitness
before they are permitted to operate
cars, extra efforts are going to be made
TO detect those who would evade the
law The Traffic Court magistrates who
were most active in having the Knight
Wheelock bill framed will unquestion-
ably be doubly severe with any motor
list who attempts to evade the provi-
slons of that bill, now that it is a law.
The duties Of inspectors may 20 fur
ther than merely looking out for vio-
lators of the licensed operator law.
They may be instructed to act, as do
the policemen in London, to determine
the running condition Of cars, espe-
c1ally as to the brakes. There are
some automobilists who take chances
with their brakes, to the great danger
Of themselves and others. An INSPECTOR
who stops a car and finds, upon test.
that the brakes are out Of order may
not be able to go as far as the London
ponce do. That is to say, he won't,
probably, be able to order the car to a
garage, there to remain until brakes
have been adjusted and a seal indi-
eating defective brakes removed. But
he can bring charges of violation Of
the highway law, in that the car has
not adequate brakes" and this Is q
type of violation with which the mag.
istrates would be justified in dealine
severely.
If Magistrate House is quoted cor
rectly he is observing a standard in
judging automobile cases for which he
can get only the highest praise from
motorists. He is interpreting the law
in terms of safety to the pedestrian or
the other motorist. That is to say, If
minor infraction of the law is COM
mltted at place where public safety
is in no way affected, because no pedes-
trians or cars are near by, his ten
dency is to let the motorist go, the
plan of the traffic law and ordinances
being to insure public safety, this
looks very sane method Of handling
TIE cases.
It also puts a check on the activities
Of the "Ford cops" as they are calling
the "fivea-day" boys. It was Henry
who first made "fve-a-day" popular,
if you remember his profit sharing
plan.
Fashions in body styles follow a
trend, just as styles for women do.
The result is that no sooner does one
maker come out with a pleasing line
or an angle than others follow suit.
1t is getting SO that none but the most
knowing can distinguish one from
another many of the cars on the street.
q. S. Troops From Russia
BREST, June 21.-American troops
that returned from Archangel on tn,
steamer Gar last week ara laaviro a.