New Britain herald., 1924-04-26
THE OBSER VER-
Makes Random Observations
 On the City and Its People

trock and his wife, Mary, who were born on the same day of the same week and month of the same year, 1600. They were married on their Birthday, and had 10 sons and daugh- ters. They both died in their S0th year on the day Of their birth within five hours of each other"
 Whitby, Yorks.
 Erected to the memory of John MacFarlane. Drowned in the Waters of Leith By few affectionate friends"
 Scotch.
 Sometimes it is refreshing to look at proposition from the other side of the fence. For several years ora tors have protested against the whole sale slaughter of innocent automobile riders by the horrid railroads. Prop- aganda in this direction has been so overwhelming that few people have stopped to wonder whether the rail- roads have a leg left to stand on. That there is some justice in their contention that they are not always to blame may be realized by any fair minded individual after reading the address delivered before the New York Railroad club by A. T. Rudd, chief signal engineer of the Pennsyl- yania railroad system.
 Mir. Rudd argues, with great deal of truth, that, "The trouble with us Americans is that we are in too much of hurry" There is hardly any use in denying this assertion. From the moment we get up in the morning and pour a cup of scalding coffee down our throats until we rush into the house at night leap ahead of the miliman we are in hurry. Do 1t now" has ceased to be our slogan. Do it an hour ago" has been substi- tuted. We have no patience. We are a nation of "Go getters" and some- times we get it in the neck and then We cease to hurry and the neighbors say to their husbands: What kind of flowers do you think We should buy for poor Dick?"
 In his talk Mir. Rudd said that in 1922 there were 1i,O00 deaths in the United States from automobile acci- dents. In the same year the railroads killed in collisions 72 passengers. In a year and a half the Santa Fe rail- road carried 16,0o0,000 passengers without killing one yet in 1922 and 1923, 65 persons met their death at grade crossings on the Santa Fe lines. For four years the Chicago, Milwau- kee and St. Paul had clean record for collision deaths but in the same period 46 people gave up their lives on grade crossings. The Northwestern also had no collision fatalities against its record but on grade crossings of the company there were 54 killed and 155 injured,
 Mir. Rudd's talk was protest against what he considered the in- justice of public bodies in ordering railroads to install safety control de- vices at crossings and he scored a point when he declared: 'Now, the first method of attack, as I see it, to eliminate this terrible slaughter at grade crossings, is to eliminate care less, incompetent and unfit drivers" He emphasized the constant watch over enginemen and the repeated ey- aminations they must submit to and asked the question: How many au- are examined for physical defects which may cause them to lose control at a critical moment when they are not At to drive at all? How many are checked up by the highway people on stopping at the proper places or slowing down st the proper places?" He answered his own qucs- ton by saying: Not one !"
 The suggestion is made by Mir. Rudd that the way to eliminate large percentage of this trouble is to make a rigid examination--an ex- animation and re-examination, not as severe as we give our enginemen. but a real examination, and every time man scratches the paint on another car or even on his own, give him re- examination" This would be rather extreme, the Observer believes, but it offers food for thought. It has in 1t the germ of an idea which is certain to grow and grow until in- or criminally careless au- tomobile operators are driven off the roads.
 An amusing-if you look at if that is related by Mir. Rudd who says: T do know that in one in- stance they stopped a train on the crossing on the Northern Pacific and while they were standing there Ford ran into the left hand side. While they were cleaning up the wreck. Buick ran into the right hand side"
 Now chalk up your cue and take another shot at "the railroads" \
 Credit this week for performing the act of greatest public benefit goes by unanimous consent to Judge Ben- iamin W. filling of police court who has sent a thcater masher to jail for 30 days. There is no more annoying animal pest alive than the smirking man who makes himself obnoxious to young women who attend the thea ters for the purpose of being enter tained, not hooking a husband. Us- ually the pest wears suit which makes a noise like a boiler shop at the rush hour, his hair is plastered down with grease and he is literally sprinkied with a cologne which sells Tor eight cents quart two quarts for fifteen cents He is a sef-confdent sort of person who has hypnotized himself into believing that all females are consumed with love the moment Ihey cast their eyes upon his charms. He is the type of human a girls big brother likes to meet when he feels that he simply must hit something or burst.