Evening star., 1923-12-21
Reduce Speed Limits to
Solve Traffic Problem
Less Haste and More Policemen
Needed to Protect Pedestrians.
To the Editor of The Star:

4NCCuCu " IotCCt l. CoSoSA AuAAos
To the Editor Of The Star:
Our government purports to secure
the right to life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness to all it's citizens.
Every one of these rights is constant
ly violated by the traffic conditions
now for long time permitted to pre-
vail here. Life is taken at the rate
OF So per year, to say nothing OF the
250 injured and the crippled, according
to a recently stated printed report. and
we humble pedestrians are denied the
right, with it's attendant happiness,
to go about upon our daily concerns
freely and unafraid, as we formerly
could. Many of the drivers OF cars
who kill us or MAIN us regard 1t as
an act of presumption on our part to
cross the public highway, which by
right belongs exclusively to them,
speed on their way unconcerned. leav-
Ing their victims to their fate.
All sorts of preventive plans and
expedients, none Of them effective,
except the one certain to bring large
and speedy remedial results. That is
an immediate and drastic reduction
of the speed limit. Before the coming
miles an hour, and serious accidents
were extremely rare. 1t would be no
hardship to any one to re-establish
that rate of speed within the city
limits. Averaging IT, II might make
a difference of ten minutes in the
time taken to reach ones oftice or
other destination. Would not the
lives certain to be saved, would not
one life saved, be Of more Importance
than the trifie of lost time involved
government be justified in permitting
the slaughter to go on unchecked
when 1t can be largely preyented7
Add TO this much stricter rules for
the licensing of drivers and more
traffic policemen at congested cross
ings, directed TO hold up car move
ment whenever there are a number
of pedestrians waiting to Cross, and
not only will accidents decrease. but
pedestrians, who are still a majority
of the population, can go about with
out never-absent apprehension that
their untimely fate may be treadfng
on their heels.
OF course, all the speeders and the
| drivers, who have come to think by
long liberation that they own the
driveways, will raise a howl of pro-
test. but humane and law abiding
citizens will rejoice in the adoption
of any measure which will help to
lift from the community the burden
and disgrace of things as they are.
Try it for month and see what will
happen.
And now a word for the un-
happy, buffeted. pedestrian strap
hanger, packed with fellow humans
like sardines in box. and then
ordered TO move up front when there
is no front. To have to get into or
out of such cars. and they are run
ming morning and night, never too
full to take in more, Is not an incon-
venience merely. It is a degradation.
Under civilized governments, when
the seats in a car are all taken II Is
placarded, and no more passengers
allowed until there are vacancies.
The convenience and comfort of citi-
zens are perhaps of as much impor-
tance as the bank accounts Of the
companies, who have received their
franchises and their rights of way
from these same citizens, with the
contract at least implied that there
shall be decent and comfortable serv-
ice They should be compelled to at
once put on more cars at the rush
hours. If present conditions continue
we shall see, and l would be one to
help, conductors forcibly prevented
from letting more passengers be
rammed into car already crowded
10 suffocation.
ARCHIBALD HOPKINS.