Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-05-11

UHUOIO WAN WUhf
| DUTIES FOR POLICE
Although traffic in this city has
not reached its height this season
| 1t has increased many hundred per
cent IN the past few weeks and is
sun increasing every day. From
! early IN the morning until late at
night Main street. the principar
business thoroughfare of aWterville
! is lined on both sides with all sorts
OF motor vehicles
i The duties OF the police depart
ment increase rapidly as the spring
advances. City Marshal William H.
Murray said yesterday that all the
| business establishments on the
street were very reasonable about
/ parking their cars. He said that
! there were certain rules and regu-
! lations that had to be made on ac-
count of the width of Main street.
lie called attention to the fact that
A.. this street varies in width from 40
/ TO 5S feet. the widest point being
| opposite Landry's shoe store and
/ mans book store.
|
the busiest streets system of park
| ing cars at an angle with the curb
has been instituted. A careless OBJ
| server might think that was the best
i method for Main street, WaterVille,
but city officials have made meas
urements that have proved that it
Is not safe for cars to park in this
manner. Chief Murray said yester-
day that all cars are supposed to
park close to and parallel to the
| curb. Many drivers are parking at
an angle at the present time. This
| does not matter very much when
| the car is a Ford. or a small short
| car but when a big car IL to 20 feet
apt to come.
| Marshal Murray explained how
this trouble might happen. to the
reporter yesterday afternoon. The
street is only on an average about
% feet in width. The car track
running in the middle OF the street
is about three feet wide. leaving %
feet roadway on each side. A street
car is somewhat wider than the
rails and when long car is slanted
| out into the street the road left for
traffic is only about seven to nine
| feet. The fire alarm blows. The
! big Stutz hook and ladder truck
comes rushing down the street 30
| miles an hour. A street car comes
| up the street. The fire truck tries
| to squeeze between the auto and the
car The big truck is nearly seven
feet wide. This leaves pretty
! narrow space for a car going 10
| miles an hour and the chances are
that an accident will happen.
There are certain places on the
| business streets where cars cannot
| park One OF the worst places for
heavy traffic is at the intersection Of
Main and Temple streets. The Oak
land car comes in and stops to let
passengers off and on just before
coming onto Main street 1t is alb
! solutely forbidden for anyone. to
park car on Temple street between
J Charles and Main streets. yet almost
every day someone stops at this
point.
This means that police Office has
to look up the driver of the car and
standstill at this point until the
driver moves. OF course the car can
be moved without the driver and the
driver pay the penalty. but it is
! much better for drivers to pay at
{ tention to the city ordinances as we'll
as the convenience of others.
The main street of Waterville
would probably have been made
wider if those who founded the city
had realized that thousands of autos
We're some day to traverse its length
every day in the year, but as it is not
wide and can not he made wider ex-
thing that can be done is to make
traffic.
Another regulation often disre-
garded is the rule about parking near
corners and intersection, Of streets.
Every car is supposed to keep at
least 90 feet back in order that the
fire trucks can have plenty of chance
to swing at a high rate of speed.
Cars are not expected to park on
the main street longer than an hour
and ample parking space is provided
in front of the City hall for people
who wish to leave their car for a
longer period. In this space in front
OF the City hall many of the business
men of the city leave their cars
every day.
Many people seem to think that If
they are going IL miles an hour they
are Obeying every speed law made.
but there is State law that states
that cars going along the city streets
shall not exceed a speed OF eight
miles an hour at the intersection of
streets and other places where it
might be dangerous to the lives and
welfare OF others. This law covers
such intersections as the Main
Temple street crossing and the inter-
section of roads at Post Office square.
Perhaps there are not officers of the
law enough to guard every danger
Gus place in the city but car drivers
should remember that they are
breaking the law when they exceed
eight miles an hour in such places.
Another thing l want to speak
about" said the city marshal. lis
the carelessness of pedestrians. BY
;; using the cross walks people would
minimize the number of accidents in
this city,
Automobile drivers are expecting
people to cross at the proper places
and it is the duty Of these drivers to
use the utmost care at all times, but
when a "jaywalker" takes it into his
head to cross the street from behind
an auto or team he is taking his own
chances. lawmakers are all too
common in this city, according to city
authorities. Hardly a moment in the
day but what several people can be
seen lodging in and out among the
autos and street cars.
According to the city marshal. If
neonle will only take heed Of these