The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-09-15
Don't Speed Up
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN

IL New York City the same driver has
been convicted of careless driving six
times in a single year, and is still
driving He is at least AS much men,
ace to the public safety as the
average gunman.
Education is here needed. When the
people have been made TO realize that
careless driving is crime, and to de-
.nand proper punishment for it, then
the courts will begin melting out that
punishment. A campaign to educate
the pedestrian will have to go along
With the other. Beyond a doubt.
pedestrians who dart across the street
n the middle of the block, and chill
cren who chase balls across the
street, present the autoist with a
problem which he can successfully
solve only by luck
Abuse of Power.
T. B. House, presiding magistrate OF
the New York City Traffic Court, be.
lieves that tie problem OF auto acct
dents is largely problem in prevent
ing the abuse of power by applying
adequate punishment for such abuse
1t is an axiom of social observers that
any man who has power will tend to
abuse it. Every monarch, every father,
every owner OF dog. is more or less
bully. He has power over some
thing else, and he has an ir1epressibla
tendency 10 abuse it, the while
making excuses to himself fer What
he does. The man who has so horse
power under his throttle IS no eXcep-
ton. He cannot resist The temptation
| sometimes to step on her and rake
Ter fly. He cannot help feeling that
the pedestrians ought to have sense
enough to keep out of the way.
The effort to restrain this man in
his exuberent moments b. compii-
Gated regulations is a failure. For
| example, Washington has several
speed limits, according to the block.
But man does not go along alter
nateiy studying his speedomete. an1
counting the houses in the block, es-
pecially aenigh:.
Here The fallacy of so much Amer
lcan legislation is again illustrated
Here is the theory, seen in a hundred
prohibitory laws Of one kind and an
other, that if you just enact enough
regulations about mans conduct, You
can save both his life and his soul.
! What you actually accomplish !. to
make his life a buroen with your end
less restrictions, and to cramp the
development of whatever he RAY have
IN the way of soul The only legal
method that has ever worked is 10
give him all the freedom possible,
make laws as few and simple as
posslole, and when the man actually
does harm, punish him severely, or if
ne is irresponsible, confine him in an
institution. After all civilization is
only possible on the theory thai most
or US are responsible beings who can
re trusted. If most OF us are rot that.
then the EatiCn should be covered
INTO one great asylum with a nigh
fence around it.
To come back to motoring, the
speed limits have worked little except
lnJustlce anywhere. One nan breaks
the limit every day and is never
caught. Another man goes riile an
hour TOO fast once. and happens to
De arrested. Once month or SO the
cops turn out and make few arres.s.
mat is all they can do. A speed
limit cannot be enforced mole than a
few per cent, nor can any other statute
| regulating conduct. Furthermore, what
| is a safe speed depends enttre,y on
circumstances. Let man drive as he
VIII. If he Injuries some one, ana the
cause is his own carelessness, put
him in jail Punish him adequately.
II he. does it again, revoke his
license.
This, in the opinion OF most experts,
is the solution. Multiplicity Of absurd
laws, with lenient and incompetent
courts, cost heavily every year in life
| and property.