Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-03
Furnishing THE SPEEDY
BY Frederic j. Haskin
\ YEW YORK CITY, Feb. 27.-New York
NJ has a Traffic Court. which, due to the


of the richest courts of it's kind in the world.
Thousands of fines at $25 or more apiece,
are collected here every day from automobile
| operators who can or cannot explain why they
were rushing through the city streets at the
rate OF over 30 miles an hour. About 5000
such cases are tried every week, and last year
over 100000 was collected by the court
from speed violations alone.
In the same year, 746 persons, or more
than an average of two for each day, were
killed by automobiles in New York, in ad-
dition to thousands who were knocked down
and injured. This year, it is predicted the
number will be considerably increased.
In other words, it is a foregone conclu-
sion that about 500 individuals who now walk
the streets, presumably in good health and
with no thought of suicide, will be hurried
OH to the morgues before this year is end
ed 1t is equally certain that hundreds of
! children will be crippled during this period
and that the city hospitals will be kept busy
attending to motor casualty cases.
! With the tremendous increase in the use of
notor-df1Ven vehicles, a certain number of
accidents and fatalities are inevitable New
YORK City alone now has over 100000 auto
mobiles, with extremely little space in the
| downtown section in which to accommodate
them. Its traffic system, while unusually eff
tlc1ent for some thoroughfares, is hopelessly
inadequate in others, so that in many con-
| gested places cars are wholly unsupervised
and pedestrians are left to cross the streets
| machines
| cars and elevated posts
| The pedestrians, moreover are woefuIIy
| careless. Exceeding lodging has made the
! New Yorker over bold at street crossings
| while many persons, unacquainted with the
| limitations Of motor mechanism, calmly place
| all of the responsibility of risk on the auto
! mobile drivers tt is not uncommon to see a
man or woman step heedlessly in front of
moving automobile, with the airy remark
We'll, If he hits me, he'll get sued,' or
something of the sort.
Speeding Greatest Cause of Accidents
Nevertheless, while traffic congestion and
the heedlessness of pedestrians are important
| contributing causes, the greatest cause for
motor accidents is unquestionably speeding
| According to Magistrate Frederick B.
House of the traffic court, the rate of speed
at which automobiles are driven has in
| creased dangerously in the past few years
Four years. ago, the record of speeders hailed
! into court was seldom over thirty miles an
hour, while today it is frequently fifty and
| fifty-five miles.
on this popular form o. sport. At least, it's
aim is to inspire in the metropolitan automo-
bist healthy respect for the speed laws by
filming him literally every time he is caught
breaking them. If filming fails to make the de-
sired impression, it cannot be said that the
court does not rise nobly to it's duty.
All day long, with the exception of a couple
! OF hours recess at noon, its small, cramped
! quarters are filled with diSgruntled motor
car drivers, in the process of forl1ing over
their fines, or waiting patiently for the gal
| liant opportunity to do so. It is interesting
to see the different ways in which the guilty
take their punishment. Some are trembling
| with rage at what they obviously consider an
| outrage; others are sullen with resignation
and few exhibit exaggerated nonchaance be-
| fore the bar.
| One of these was being heard the other
afternoon when the reporter visited court.
"You are charged" said the Judge pleas
| antly, with running at speed Of thirty miles
an hour. Is that true?"
mo, Sir" replied the Immediately dress
ed offender, swinging his cane carelessly back
and forth. "The information of your Of
ficer is quite wrong. My eyes were on the
speedometer at the time he came abreast of
! the running board, and it clearly recorded
| forty-two and one-half miles,
Have you any legitimate excuse?" in
CURED the judge, unmoved by this remarka-
| BILE frankness.
mo-" said the young man, cit was pleas
ant morning; no one was in sight, and [ want
ed to see how much the old boat could make
down the drive
'"Twenty-fve dollars, or ten days in the
city prison., murmured the judge imper-
| turbably
The next case, a trim, young, blond matron
also pleaded guilty to the charge of thirty
| five miles an hour but raised pair of large,
| pleading brown eyes to the judge.
! Il was hurrying home to my baby" she
explained gently. He has er-whooping
| cough
'Speeding-late afternoon-many people
serious offense-$25 fine again came the
! indistinct boom of the voice of the judge.
The man on the reporters left was OBJ
viously perturbed by this decision The young
woman was so attractive so gentle, and she
| had a sick baby.
! Gee, the old crab might have let her off :"
| he declared to his companion on the right
She had good excuse. What's motor car
! for II you can't use it in an emergency?
| The law says somethin about extenuating cir
| cumstances, but this judge never heard of it. -
'Oh, they all have good excuses" said the
| other The judge can't listen to all of
| them. Probably, if you knew the truth this
! woman hasn't any baby at all, but Peking-
csc with bad temper. 1t amt no use to
| argue about this speed question, anyway
When they got you, they got you-and you've
| got to pay up"
The next case. a tall, gaunt man with a
| square chin, had been hailed into court for
| the second time, which he regarded as an in
| eXcusable inconvenience. He was inclined to
| argue; to fight if possible
This arresting business is wholly personal 4"
| ne grumbled. This officer took a dislike
| 10 me before because I did not offer to buy
| my way out, and laid in watch for me-
| mad an appointment at my office and was in
| hurry, but even SO the speedometer showed
! speeds occasionally-wha do you suppose we
! BUY hlgh-pOwered cars for?''
Speeding is a serious offense." the iud ge
| repeated We are not here to argue the
| question. Second violation-S1OO."
All Glasses Fined for Speeding