Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-02
Furnishing the Speedy
Bv Frederic J. Haskin.


f,om automobile operators who can or
,,apnot explaln why they were rushing
through tho city streets at the rate OF
over 40 miles an hour. About 5000 such
cases are tried every week. and last
vear over s4OO 600 was collected by the
court from speed violations alone.
In the same year. 746 persons. or moro
than an average OF two for each day.
vera killed by AUTOMOBILES IN New
N.rk IN addition to thousands who we're
bn,el,ed down and injured. This year.
II is predicted, tho number will be con-
sidcrahly increased.
Iu other words. IL is n foregone con-
rt,sion that nbout 500 individuals who
aoV walk the streets. presumably IN
rood health and with no thought of sui
.4dc viii be hurried off To the morgues
ieforc tho year Is ended. 1t Is equally
certain that hundreds Of children viii
he crippled during this period. and that
the city hoapitaiH viii he kept buHy
attending 20 motor casualty cases
with the tremendous increase I'm the
use Of motor driven vehicles. a certain
number Of accidents and fatalities are
A, evitubN New York City alone now
h,. cver 500. 900 automobiles. with ex-
tretneiy little space IN tho downtown
r,.csiuz, In which To ecoounmodate them
,as traffic syrtern. while unusually ef-
reieut fcH souns thoroughfnres. iH hope
S,~~iy fn,de q uate I'm others. 40 that In
nany congeeted places cars arc wholly
.lraupsrvised and pedestrians arc loft
- cross the strrcta best they may.
.aofgfns machines, street care and ele-
~ated posts
rha pedestrians. moreover. ara Voc
,rily careles- Exceeding lodging has
Srads the New Yorstar over bold ut street
1s1s,~,sfns~ wfIne many persons. unao-
uuaint-d with tho limitations of motor
u1lsc hanisIl1. calmly place all or the re-
Nponrihrity of rink on tho automobile
sirive~s II Is not uncommon 20 see a
pan or woman atPp heedlessly IN front
srf n moving automobile with tho airy
genark. We'll n ne hits mo. hon Eet
~ued.- or something of the sort
Speeding CRu.es Accidents.
Nr-y ar-.h eieSaa. vhfle traffic congestion
ssnd tho heedleFRneaH of pedestrians are
s1 portant contributing oauses, the
greatest cauee for motor accidents iq
Nruuestionahly speeding.
Accorliug ~ Magistrate Frederick II.
-Io,ac ~ tho Traffic Court. tho rate of
vreed az which automobiles are driven
+pr Increased dangerously III the rast
yrv wears Four ycnra ago. the record
HTlnRlrfT
~, 81 80 miles an hour. while today ft tH
sreGucntiy so and 81 miles.
Tho Traffic Court IN the only exfst~
srr ch.ck on th's popular form of sport.
A. lesst IT. ann is 70 inspire IN the
metropolitan Rutornohf'ist n healthy re-
I~ra~s ror tho rpeed laws bv lining him
giberaiiy evprv time he n caught break
srr rhegn n fnfnR fafls 20 mako tho
-sesired impression n cannot be said
tyTlat the court fc~~ not riwe nobly 20 ita
sttv
A'I any long. wtr'l ne excsptfon of n
couple II hours recees NJ noon IT'S email.
crnrnrcd quarters arc filed with dla-
.frrunt' - motor car drivers. IN the pro-
sesr - f'rking cvrr their fines. or
waitina 7f'ontfv for the gallant or
rartnnff> IN 70. II n interest
're - the different WAYS in
vhich Tho lluty take their punishment
Faine ara treu1hIins with rase at what
tNoy obviously consider an outrage
cther- arc eullen with resignation and
frw exhrht exaggerated nonchalanCe
before the bar
ono ~ theae was hefus heard the
cther afternoon when tho reporter vie
ned court
You arr oharTed" said the .rudgs
,Tleasa ntly. with running az a sreed Of
> niles an hour Is that trueT-
No STR" replied the imracula triy
dressed offender. swinging his cane
earplessly back and forth The in
scrtnati1n ~ vcur officer fs 1rIfte wrong
Nj evcs were or the speedon7eter ~
I-he time he csme abreast Of the run
mtg hoard and q clearly recorded 4.
~nd ore-ha'f miles"
Have Won any Legitimate excuse -
sriuutred the Judge. unrnoved hv thfs
---.rnsrkatle frarkne-s
No said the voung man 1T was
% pleasant morning no one was n
,rrh; and I wanted 70 see how much
-'.e old boat could make DOWN tht
Drive
Twenty I've dusfnr-. OF 10 dayu II
So CTfv Prison rnurmUred the Tndee
ssnpcrturhahly.
Ths next caae = trim. Young. blond
snatron. also plea dei guilty 70 the charr,
trf - miles sn hour. but raised pail
fof lnrro. pleading brown eyes to N,
rudec
7 was hurTvtns home 20 nv baby
lsae explained rently He has er-
v-hoopinr cough"
"speodlnr-iste afternoop-rnan,
2peopiN rerfous offenre-25 dollars fine
raVain came the infistiuct boom cf IN,
A~roice ~ Tho Judge
The man on the reporters left wal
.ohvious'v perturhe6 by this decision
Tho vo3rr woman was 20 attra ~tfve
= Eer;'e and she had a sick baby
c.o tht old Crab might have le
n e@ BE declared n his companion
o. tie rteht She had good excuse
V-ha' motor car for n YOU can
use = n an emergency" The law say
sometbin about extenuatnR circrm
le'ances but tbs Judge never heard Q
~
"Oh thev sn have good EXCUSES.
.said the other The Judge can't nste
10 an ~ them Probably II YOU kne,
fhc ruth this woman hasn't any bah
- AT but + Pel,inrose WITH a bad tempe
J. Amt ~ use - argue about hi
tneed question anyway When the
Fof ou. they got YOU and you've &c
~ phy uT
The next cAse. tail gaunt mar
v-lfh q square chin. had been hailed int
.o'r' for fhe second time which he re
rtrded as m inexcusable Inconvenience
1+- vas Inclined 20 argue 70 fight
f..- Sole
THE arreetfuE business IS who'll
soual he Crumbled This office
tao6 dislike 70 me before because
5d not oaor % buy nv way out. an
lid ir watsl for me- had an appoint
fueuf a. hts l0t.r nj was ~ }7,,-y-