Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-08-05
DEPARTMENT ORDERS
SUMMARY DISMISSAL
STAGE LINE DRIVER
Supervisor Observes Viola
tons Of Rules on Trip
from Tacoma
CLAIMS OPERATOR
DROVE CARELESSLY
Public Works Board Threatens Re-
vocation of Certificate Issued
Company

BY an official order from the de-
partment of public works, Louis
Lamken, manager of the Olympia
Tacoma stage line, running into the
Central bus station, was notified yes
terday to Immediately discharge one
of his drivers on account Of careless
driving and not complying with the
rules and regulations adopted by the
department for auto stage drivers
under the new law passed by the last
session of the legislature. Manager
Lamken has notified the department
that he had discharged the driver,
which is believed to have been Dave
Austermuhl, until recently head of
the company.
The careless driving was reported
by one of the supervisors Of the de-
partment of public works who hap
pened to be passenger on the seven
o'clock stage out of Tacoma. The
following communication was d.
zone of the members of this de-
partment boarded your stage due to
leave Tacoma at seven a. m. yester-
day morning. The stage left the sta
ton at five minutes after seven. The
driver of that particular stage was
stopped by Tacoma traffic officer
inside the city limits for exceeding
the speed limit Notwithstanding
the warning of the traffic policeman
and in violation of the rules Of the
department and the state law, your
driver drove at an excessive rate or
speed practically all the way from
Tacoma to Olympia, arriving at
Olympia at eight o'clock, being, in
Guiding several stops and Interrupt
lions, only fifty-five minutes in COW
ering the distance. He spent at least
five minutes in talking with the traf-
fic officer, received and discharged
messengers at several points on the
way and stopped near Nisqually for
several minutes for the purpose OF
signing some sort Of documents pre-
scented to him by a passenger leaving
the stage.
Driver Smoked Cigar.
"This driver. in direct violation OF
the rules of the department, was
smoking a cigar all the way from
Tacoma to Olympia and seemed to
be giving as much attention to the
cigar as he was to the steering wheel;
and. in making the turn on the down
hill grade across the Nisqqually VIA
duct. he approached with such speed
that It was necessary to use the
emergency brake. which was not ap-
nl,ed until he was within few feet
of the sharp turn approaching the
viaduct. At the time of approaching
this yiaduct, he was driving with his
right hand and holding his cigar IN
his left hand; and. in grasping the
emergency brake lever, which he ola
with his right hand, it was necessary
IN leave the steering gear free until
no could transfer his cigar from his
left hand to his mouth; and, in the
oninion of the member riding with
him at the time, it was only oy
miracle that he escaped striking inc
curbing and going over the emoahK-
ment many feet below.
"If you were present at any OF the
conferences held at the time our
rules were adopted. you Will recall
that, among those things with which
the department was vitality inter-
ested. was the safety to the travelling
nub,,c In this case, the driver not
on,v violated the state law and rules
of this department but placed MS
messengers in actual hazard OF serious
injury or death.
ut is the direction of this depart
ment that the driver OF that stage
be Immediately discharged ana an-
,ess this direction is complied with
the department will on its own mo-
tton enter upon hearing with view
to cancelling and revoking your GER
tificate to operate stages between
Tacoma and Olympia"