New-York tribune., 1922-02-11
Aldermen Told
Truck Drivers
Arc Speed Mad
O'Shaushnessv Declares
Women and Children Are
Slaughtered Daily, in Plea
for Regulators on Cars
Big Firms Oppose Plan
Insist Limi, Would Stall
Motors on Bridges: Blame
Pedestrians for Accidents

There was a large attendance yes
terday at the public hearing before
the Committee on Thoroughfarcs Of
the Board o Aldermen on the pro-
posed ordinance requiring all motor
car OF truck owners TO place a rcgula-
tor or governor on the cars which
would limit tic speed to ffsccr miles
an hour within the city limits. Most Of
those heard were in favor Of the or6i-
nance as safeguard against automo-
bile accidents. but strong opposition
developed from the big truck COM
panies and tae Fifth Avenue Coach
Company.
William O Shaughncssy. lawyer
representing lie Inwood Civic Forum,
favored the ordnance. Mr.. O'Shaugh-
messy, formerly Assistant District At
torney. said chat while in the District
Attorneys cfice he had appear red
daily in the s,ty courts 20 prosecute
speedcrs
Il know conditions as they exist" he
said Nv omen and children are being
slaughtered daily along First Avenue,
betweeo Forty-seeond and !25th
streets. This is the truck drivers
playground. Tnei- attitude appears to
be: Let 'em look out II hit en-, all
right. If / miss EN-, Ill right They
are speed mad. and absolutely dlsre-
gard human life. Eighty per cent of
those killed and Injured in the course
of years time have been struck by
motor trucks and taxis.'
In answer to a question the lawyer
said that many truck drivers who arc
forced to drive ten hours a day or
more Gay of for an hour to pay craps
and ride away at a terrific speed in
order 10 make up time"
Leach Favors Ordinance
Johr A. Leach, First Deputy Police
Commissioner, made an appeal for the
proposed ordinance. He said he was
requested by Police Commissioner En-
right to appear before the committee
for the purpose of obtaining automo
bile regulations.
The figures show that TIE deaths by
cess, III proportion of their number. to
those caused by pleasure cars said
the Deputy Commissioner. Trucks
killcd 273 persons in the last year.
while the deaths caused by privately
ewncd cars we're only $40. There are
only 10 63i commercial vehicles licens-
ed in the city and there arc private
ears mum berng 249,07A. We favor this
ordinance. Ii there is any mechanical
device that can successfully prevent
speeding 1t ought to be adopted, and
you cant give us enough police to en-
force the law
Charles NJ. Hall, representing the
Monarch Governor Company. Of De-
-rolt, said that any OF the governors
pow in use on motor cars would auto
matlcally limit the speed of the ma
chine They could be set for various
snceds. but when car reached tina:
speed limit it would come to stop b.
the chuttn- off OF the gas. He said
there were thirtv-hve concerns making
governors and the passage OF the ordi-
nance would not result IN any business
adv ntage to any one concern
The representatives OF the trucking
companies algIeI that, wnlie they
would all prefer not to have their
trucks driven beyond fifteen or even
ten miles an hour, because of the saw
ing in wear and tear and operating ex-
pcnses. it would not be practical to
? ace sealed governors on them limiting
thc speed 10 fifteen miles an hour, be-
cause The average truck. loaded to
capacity, would he unable to mako the
incl'ncs on She bridges and thorough
farcs without reserve power beyond
hat limit. They also pointed out that
the scaled governors would prevent
trucks going out OF The city limits
from making speed on country roads,
where they night be run fast with pex-
feet safety.
Fear Block in Traffic
Alderman Hugh A. Alwell, Of Glen
daie, who Is in the trucking business
nutanot a member OF the tboroughfarcs
committee, declared that the adoption
OF such regulator would block traffic
/ on all the bridges and on many other
thoroughfares IN the city where the
trucks could not negotiate tho incline
without additional power. He said the
real solution of the dangerous traffic
problem was to get a governor that
could be set and regulated, but not
scaled. The ordinance proposes that
the governors be sealed by the Police
Department. Alderman Awell told OF
having TO unlock governor on one
~ AAS VI uSNS, StI a. tNtiNS ullicS All
hour, in oder to get over one OF the
East River bridges.
If YOU had 10 unlock the governor"
said Alderman Peter J. McGuinness, of
Grecnpoint. who introduced the ordi-
nance. "you overloaded that truck"
7. y. Pratt, OF the Motor Truck AS
sociatlon, conterded that the accidents
were not caused so much by speed as
by congestion, and that high percen-
tage of the accidents we're due to the
fault Of the pedestrians. Most of the
accidents occurred, he said, "bchind
the line of vision OF The driver" He
insisted that the installation of gov
crnors would not limit the number Of
sccidcnts. He gave figures to prove
that within three years. while the num-
Der Of commercial trucks had increased
so per cent, the number OF accidents
aad remained stationary.
Alderman NcGulnness told M Pratt
that any one who opposed the ordi-
aances ought to be ashamed of him
self
"Who knows" said the alderman,
when you get home tonight, there
say come knock on the door and
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