Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-11-23

Reports received at the headquarters
Of the National Safety council IN Chi
cagO indicate that wave of alarm
and righteous Indignation, accompa :
MED by one of increased interest in
preventive activity, is sweeping the
country as a result Of the rapidly in
creasing numbers of persons killed and
MANNED in automobile accidents.
A tendency to resort to radical meas
ures to curb recklessness and careless
ness on the part Of both the motorist
and the pedestrian is exemplified by
recent developments in the following
cities:
Chicago, where automobile speeders
are sentenced to make slow trips
through the morgue under the guild
ance Of deputy coroner.
Youngstown, Ohio. where the auto
mobile speeder Is sentenced to hold
watch beside the body of the person
killed by his machine or at the hos
pital bedside If the accident victim is
injured.
sPEEDERs' RoGUE's GALLERY.
New York city, where "rogues'
gallery for traffic law offenders is
maintained by the police department
"a plan to photograph and finger
print chauffeurs has been proposed to
the Chicago board of aldermen).
st. Louis, where grand jury after
being in session for four months sub
mitted a lengthy report two-thirds OF
which was given over to the recon-
mendation of public safety measures.
The intensity of the contest be-
tween st. Louis, Cleveland, Rochester
Detroit and a number Of other cities
for the title Safest City in America
is revealed by an unusual report sub
mitted to the circuit court at St
Louis by a most unusual grand jury.
CONSTRUCTIVE PROGRAM.
Deviating from the beaten paths OF
grand jury procedure, the st. Louis
inquisitorial body, in the words of its
foreman, Clarence Howard, president
of the Commonwealth Steel company
decided that it's duty should not be
merely to indict some one for some
thing" but that constructive con-
sideration of the causes of those
things for which people are indicted
would make constantly decreasing
number of indictments necessary.
On investigation the grand jury
found that enc of the principa
the automobile accident resultint
either. from the recklessness of thu
motorist or the carelessness of TIN
pedestrian. And so instead of in
| dieting Some one for something" tn
grand Jury set about making dee
study Of traffic conditions.
CALL IN SAFETY CHIEFS.
The jury called in Arthur T. Morey
former president of the nationa
safety council Carl l.. Smith, publ
safety field secretary of the safet
council, and other loNi safety expert
and asked their advice on how t.
make the streets of ST. Louis safe
On the suggestion of Mr.. Morey tn
grand jury discarded another 1oni
established rule, that of hearing onl'
one witness at time and bold,
called in all the avoidable safety tai
ent. with the result that the final re
port of the grand jury made the fol
lowing recommendations:
That additional traffic and motor
cycle officers be employed.
That police officers, other thai
those of the traffic squad, be thor
oughly familiar with traffic regula
ticrs and that they be required t
make reports of all such violation
observed.
That consideration be given to tn
working out of plan of one-wa
traffic east and west, where there
great congestion.
That an ordinance be adopted re