The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-04-24
AUTOISTS MUST
CUT SPEED, SAYS
MAKER OF CARS
Head of Franklin Co. AS
serts Public Will Act If
Motorists Don't

at is time for automobile own
ers, manufacturers, dealers and
others vitality interested in the in
dustry to stop fighting any and
all legislation for the regulation
of automobiles and to unite upon
some means of bringing an end to
the accident menace"
These are the words of Glenn
A. Tisdale, car owner, president
of the Franklin Motor Car Com
pany, Inc, president of the Auto
mobile Dealers Association, and
one of the leaders in the automo-
bile industry.
Mr.. Tisdale believes that facing
of facts squarely and the use of
horse sense will do more to en-
courage the growth of trade than
the violent resentfulness at criti-
cism which appeals to many men
in every business.
"The truth of the whole mat
ter he said, pointing an express
sive finger at the string of cars
passing his office at 1928 Broad
way, New York, ''is that we have
Igot too much speed. Very few
of the automobile owners are
reckless drivers or speed maniacs.
Most of them want to be careful
and have no desire to deliberately
violate the law. But they're doing
it. Look at 'em.
Good Business to Slow Down
There is no one more interest
ed in this accident problem than l
am. There is no one | know that
wants to see them cut down TO
the lowest limit. And that's good
business as well as humane. That's
what a lot of our fellows can't
see.
1--WE got speeded up during the
war and we've been speeded up
ever since-the whole world. The
whole world has got to cut down
its speed or history may repeat
itself.
"a lot of the car owners and
others say that the pedestrian has
got to be regulated. And they
run up to Albany or down to the
Board of Aldermen and fight ev-
cry piece of legislation that has
been introduced to prevent acct
dents by regulating the automo-
bile. That's not the way to go
about it, in my opinion.
On the Wrong Track
Regulating the pedestrian Is all
right. But they're pretty well reg
ulated now. They know that UNI
less they get out of the way
they'll get killed. So they get out
of the way. Of course, the pedes-
trian is to blame in many cases,
but the thing for the automobile
industry to do is not to keep
pointing at that, but to initiate
some legislation or other method
of its own that will stop speeding
and reckless driving.
"Unless we do something of this |
kind and stop fighting legislation
the pedcStrians-and there are a
lot more of them still than there !
are car owners-are going to put !
some legislation that will |
hurt the whole industry. That is
necessary. By putting their heads |
together and stopping the fighting |
among themselves and the opposl- |
ton to every suggestion that is
advanced the automobile men
themselves can cut down acct
dents to the point where they
won't be any accident problem.
"Such a solution will help the
whole business. And it will help |
the car owner, too. He doesn't |
like to have accidents increase any |
more than any one else. He, too,
is liable to get hurt.
His Solution
81 have my own ideas as to
what could be done to cut down
accidents. | would have some in
1uential automobile organization
appeal to every car owner to
keep within the legal speed limit
at all times. | would have the
same organization appeal to its
members to discharge any chauf-
feur in their employ who at any
time exceeded the speed limit and
make him pay the fine.
81 do that with my chauffeur.
And believe me, he doesn't go over
the speed limit, not even if one OF
my daughters urges him to hurry.