Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-02-21
octs,sat.26t
Editors Letter Box
That Proposed Ordinance,

, A01SV4 y ANI1N1 Iva
| That Proposed Ordinance.
Editor Kennebec Journal:
At the regular meeting OF the City
Council, held on February 16. a pro-
posed amendment TO the city ordi-
nances. further regulating street traffic,
had its first reading in both branches.
The amendment as reported in the
Journal Tuesday morning. is as follows:
Section : No private automobile OF
private horse drawn vehicle shall stand
on Water street. between Bridge Street
and the Maine Central station for more
than 10 minutes on secular days. be-
tween the hours of 10 in the forenoon
and six in the afternoon. between May
first and November first in each year.
Public carriages and public automobiles
shail not at any time stand on said por-
ton Of said street within 30 feet of each
other. No vehicle at any time shall
top or stand within - feet Of any fire
hydrant.
Section .. Whoever violates any pro-
vision of the preceding section shall be
punished by fine of five dollars for
each offense, and, if said violator is the
driver of a public carriage or public au-
toInobile he shall in addition thereto be
subject 20 the revocation OF his license
as such.
4 Is such . drastic regulation called for
or needed IN Augusta? Or can Water
street do business under such traffic
regulation The question is of interest
not only to those Of us who do busi-
ness on Water street. but to all owners
of automobiles or teams who come into
Water street for trade.
Our merchants and professional men
advertise for trade. The lawyer. the
doctor, the grocer. the shoe dealer, the
clcthier. the bookseller, the hardware
man, the druggist. the banker, our no.
tells and restaurants, all bid for pat
ronage.
! Under the provisions Of this amend
nent the Is minute limit really means
that no person coming into Augusta
either BY private team or private au
tonobile can trade anywhere between
Fridge street and the Maine Central
Railroad station with anybody for any
thing. Neither the farmer with his
horse nor person with an automobile
could drive to curb and get the small
est bill Of goods from 4 grocer. He
could not consult an attorney, or a
physician Of a dentist. He could not
lie fitted to pair of shoes. look for a
suit Of clothes r buy a dozen screws
at hardware store. He could not do
business with bank. get lunch at Il
restaurant, eat dinner at a hotel or pat
roniZe an ice cream or soda counter
He could not get a shave or hair cut
or buy a yard Of cotton cloth in a dry
goods store.
Think of the growing business from
tourists who pass through augusta or
from those who come here in increasing
numbers from our surrounding lake
region. Consider we'll a traffic rule that
would bar the tourists automobile
from standing On Water street before
a dry goods stor. or drug store or a
ank or a restaurant or hotel. a
grocery or candy store more than Is
minutes. Shall we turn these people
lack by signs on the highway warning
t?iem that they can stay but Is minutes
and that a further stay will subject
hem to fine of five dollars:
The Federal highwa' passes through
Augusta, and within q few months we
Rave fought against the loss Of a GER
u
enough that the Federal highwa.-
rasses through Augusta. We want the
travellers on this highway to stop here
and trade with US. nd We want to
treat them we'll. It seems to me a poor
sort of hospitality that is hitched to
club, in the form of fine, for the
stranger whose dar is on Water street
more than Is minutes.
II the proposed amendment is finally
adopted. it might be well to erect some
| large signs on the streets and highways
| leading into Augusta. directing strane-
ers and residents who approach our
business street. either by team or au-
] tomobile. to hitch their horses and park
their cars in the Augusta Driving Park.
! For an order to move on after Is min
utes would be equivalent to an order to
leave the street: and to a stranger Il
would amount to an order to leave thu.
city.
Or think Of the inconvenience ana
hardship which this proposeds regulation
! would put upon those who pay rent and
do business on Water street What "
| the light delivery trucks and the de-
livery teams Of merchants? How mucn
can he done as to loading and getting
away from grocery store in Is min.
utes' Or. being denied the privilege Of
returning to their own store. where
shall the merchant DO when he comes
back empty? Must it be that the ply
stefan and the small merchant and the
automobile dealer, the insurance man
or the real estate man or any number
Of others whose business is much out Of
doors, shall suffer in their business ana
be denied the use of their horse or auto
mobile?
The reader should notice that public
automobiles and public carriages sre