Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-07-11

the State are not enough to make secure
the lives and limbs of motorists against
disciples of the speed craze. One man in
each county would constitute a force that
would come as close to being such pro-
lection as anything could. But the more
novel phase is that which will make Of
this force Of speed chasers sort of State
constabulary, ready for anything from a
race with speed demon to battle.
1t is not intended that they should be
: called out to break strikes or dispense I'M
lawful gatherings, but that they should be
ready at a moments notice to leap on
their motorcycles and dash to a jail in
remote part of the State, where mob
might be trying to lynch a prisoner, or a
fire where there might be looting and an
unruly crowd. Where foot soldiers such as
National Guard organizations would re-
quire the better part of day or night to
mobilize at given point the motorcycle
battalion could get there within few
hours after the call to arms. One of the
motorcycles, it was suggested, might be
equipped with machine gun. The force
would be entirely a State force. not con-
nected in any way with the Federalized
National Guard.
Another piece of legislation the Com
missioner of Motor Vehicles is contem-
plating asking for looks to the extension
of the use of the Traffic Court, which grew
out of his recommendation about two years
ago. 1t will require the designation of
one coroner to handle all investigations and
inquests arising out of deaths caused by
automobile accidents. 1t will not necessi-
tate the creation of a new position of
coroner, but merely the designation of one
of the coroners already acting to handle
all automobile cases, in addition to others
that come before him regularly
The coroner can use the court room of
the Traffic Court for his hearings. and all
the records of cases can be kept there in
files. They are now kept in police courts
all over Baltimore, and are too scattered
to be of any value. The scheme will make
it possible. the Commissioner says. to have
representative Of his Office present at all
inQuests or investigations thing that
many times is impossible when two or
three such cases are being heard at the
same time on the same night in different
parts of the city Furthermore. it will de-
velop coroner familiar enough with the
automobile laws and with Automobiles,
to make it certain that responsibility for
deaths is fixed properly, just as the Traffic
Court has developed an almost certain
medium for justly fixing responsibility in
traffic cases.
Ideas like those of Commissioner Baueh-
mans have grown out of the tremendous
growth of automobile traffic in the State
during the last nine years, when the re-
ceipts of the Automobile Commissioners
Office have grown from $56,304 to ST.
690,693.42 when licenses have been
issued between May 1. 1918. and May 1,
1919, to the number of 23l,54l; when
during the last year there have been 1920
cases of law violation by Automobiles
handled by the Commissioner. with the
result that 1928 licenses were suspended,
$3.50 revoked. 1.043 refused and 1,240 auto
mobiists reprimanded.
In the year l9l7-191S 1877 people we're
killed in automobile accidents in Maryland
and during the last year 203 were killed I;
not an alarming number when considered
in connection with the increase in auto
MODELLING, but enough to preserve. if not
increase, the rigidity of control of the
drivers. Even this number of 203 is not
believed to be accurate, for the Automo-
bile Commissioner says it virtually is i'm
possible to get reports on all deaths, since
some occur in distant parts of the State.
1t is impracticable to even attempt to
compile accurate records of people injured
by automobile accidents and there are no
existing records of such casualties in the
State.