San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-21
TAKE ACTION
To CUT TOLL
Of MOTOR CAR
Public Demands Protection
From Reckless Automo-
bile Driver.
WHAT SURVEY SHOWS
Cities Everywhere Dealing
With Law Violator
L. Mere Severely. ~

Chicago. I'LL, Jan 20.-Public opinion
is compelling action throughout the
United States to forestall the slaughter
Of $4,000 persons by automophes III
1928. =,
injury.
uill he killed or injured by an auto
mobile in the course Of the year are IN
2I5. Tnking the family Of five as a
basis. / out of every 4S families in the
country will be saddened this year By an
automobile accident.
The death toll last year In IA states
that keep records, was 5000; the toll IN
I the "a additional states, based on par,
I tial reports, is conservatively estlmate9
at 5000. Total injuries are calculated
as numbering 100000.
/ A nationwide survey shows the pup
lie loudly IL demanding protection IRON
what Judge Asa Adams Of Chicago calls
/ smachine morons." Az.
4 The result in many communities fs
more arrests, substitution OF jan SEN
fences for fines and new measures 10
put fear into the reckless.
0 What Survey Shows
PHILADELPHIA, Baltimore and St Louis
are the only cities covered by the sur
yey which fail 30 report greatly IN
creased severity in dealing with traffic
law yiolators.
( In Philadelphia two motorists who
ran down and killed persons year
$40 were not tried until three weeks
! ago and then were acquitted. Mean
while more than 200 persons were
| killed by automobiles in the city In
! 1922, as compared with 100 in the pre-
/ yious year.
Everywhere new plans are beinl
worked out to curb machine morons
[ who insist on taking a sporting
chance" at other persons expense.
Judge Francis Barrelli Of Chicago
who jailed &c speeders during thu
Christmas shopping season., wants
every automobile equipped with an au
tomato device which would make speed
ing impossible.
He proposes court sessions in tn
county morgue where speeders can se'
their victims.
Los Angeles, which has had tn
highest traffic death toll OF any larg'
city, had 400 fewer accidents in De
cember than in November as the re
suit of a jail-the-speeder crusade.
OlNC
Judge George Page Of Milwaukee,
in meeting out workhouss sentence
with hard labor"
Colonel Phillip H. BrocNman, hea,
OF the st. Louis police force, Is ask
ing the legislature for 100 more pc
licemen for traffic duty, but st. Loui
judges have failed to substitute jat
penalties for fines, though 1871 pei
sons were killed in 1922, an increas
of 30 over the preceding year. Their
is talk Of making every AUTOMOBILES
carry $4,000 accident insurance befor
getting license.
Pittsburg has established d specit
traffic court which puts considerabl
reliance in the efficacy Of revoking
censes.
California laws would be drast
caily revised under a bill 10 be intrl
duced by Assemblyman Walter
Schmidt, whose brother was killt
recently by an automobile. Schmidt
measure will include provisions:
That death caused by drunken I
careless drivers be punishable By ii
imDrisonment.
That every applicant for an aut
mobile license be examined as TO b
ability 70 drive.
That no person under IS years Of a
Z, be allowed to drive a car.
Increased severity In dealing wi
San Francisco offenders was mark
by the sentencing Of Xavier Selma
merchant, charged with reckless DIR
ing resulting in a death, to prison
year.
Justices Of peace Of Central Ca
fornia have organized a permanent 1
ISOLATION which meets monthly and d
cusses traffic violation cures.
Judge Fred B. House Of New Yol
traffic court has announced he will 50
Z tence all second offenders TO Jail. A
thorities are revoking a license a d.
Three thousand policemen enforce
metropolis traffic laws.
Lieut.. G. G. Carr Of the Seattle tr
fic squad urges all speeders arrested
tested as to their sanity. He thin
speeding Is a sign Of lunatic and u
"machine morons" ought not TO
permitted TO drive.