The Washington herald., 1921-08-09
EIGHTEEN RACERS
TRIED In One DAY
BY POLICE JUDGE
Number of Speed Viola
ton Prosecutions
Increases.
PRESENT LAW GOOD
Enforcement Needed, Not New
Legislation, District Com
mittee Finds.
PRESENT LAW GOOD

The number Of prosecutions for
traffic violations greatly Increased
Yesterday, according to the report
Of the days activities at Police
Court, probably because Of Judge
John z. McMahon's charge OF laxity
IN the enforcement of the traffic
laws by police officials, and the
increased collateral demanded by
Commissioner oyster Immediately
after Judge McMahon's charges
we're made public
Whatever the cause, eighteen
speedsters were brought before the
Pclic Court, with the result that
fir.es aggregating s?sS were col
Iected. The increase is evident by
the fact that during the months OF
Nav and June only sixty-seVen
speeders were brought TO trial. an
average of approximately one
day.
Collateral Forfeited.
However, even though the collat-
erals have been increased thlrtS-
two Of the traffic cases on the
docket yesterday forfeited coilat-
craI amounting to $3.50.
Drastic legislation to bring the
speeder to a realization OF the gray
ity Of his offense has been consul
cred by members of the House Dls
trict Committee, at the request oI
ether members Of Congress II was
learned last night, but the comHliI-
tee, after a careful study Oh lne
situation found the existing law 10
he sufficiently drastic and the pres
mt condition to be caused by
Iaxity in the enforcement oil It's pro-
visions.
cash collateral and allowing the Of
| fender to go otherwise unpohisneo
IN these cases is almost unoei1eN-
.b,e" Representative William H
Uammer OF the House District Com
mittee, declared last night.
Purpose subverted.
THE purpose of the deposit rs 10
secure the presence of the defend
ant in court. II the deposit is so
small that the offender prefers to
| forfeit his collateral rather than ap-
near, then the purpose Of the law Is
being defeated and the bond should
be increased sufficiently to bring
| the defendant into court. He should
not be allowed to escape by any FOR
! feiture Of his collateral
When laws governing the opera
ton OF vehicles were promulgated
| II was not supposed that any special
consideration would be shown those
who deliberately broke them and II
was not SO intended. For excellent
reasons il was provided that bona
be accepted in many cases in order
| to insure the appearance of the Of
| fender in court and at the same time
allow him his liberty until sueh
| time as the court had decided MS
case. 1t should not be supposed that
his collateral is his fine and to ac-
cept 1t as such would be illegal.
Jail or Fine.
when a speeder or any other
person who deIiberately jeOpardizes
| the lives of men. women and chill
dren cannot produce bond sum
ciently large to insure his appear
ance In court. then his place is in
Jail.
The fine for the first ofrense NAV
be $50 and ] fail to see by what
process of reasoning a sum less than
| this amount should be fixed for
bond. 1t is obvious that an offender
would rather forfeit small sum
than receive the maximum hne Of
$50 or a less amount IL the court
I so decided. Even in case where
the fine. was no more than the col
lateral the defendent would be put
to considerable trouble if compelled
to appear.
For the second offense the maxi
mum fine being 500 the bond should
be still larger and in the third Of
Tense the collateral should not be
\ less than $500.
Increase the Deposit.
Until these speed maniacs are
brought into court the public may
expect littleN in the way OF I'M
provement and the best way In
which this can be accomplished IL
to increase the collateral to sucn
an extent that they will come.
Publicity has been given to
statements that at times the num-
ber of accidents in Washington ex.
coed those of New York City with
a population of millions and II this
is only partially true it is de-
plorable condition"
Commissioner Oyster explained
yesterday that the first step to
apprehend the speeders had been to
double the collateral, and he hoped
that it would not be necessary &c
increase II again or to reduce the
speed limit.
) The need for a traffic court was
emphasized yesterday at a confer
ence attended by Counsel Hart
Maj. Gessford and Capt. oyster
Hart pointed out that II all th'
cases of speeders were placed OF
the docket OF the ploice courts i
would be necessary to hold nigh
sessions. He suggested that thu
might impress Congress with th'
urgent need of such a court. how