Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-26

President Coolidge SO recognizes the
seriousness of the traffic problems
brought by the millions Of automo-
biles that he has again invited all
governors of the States to appoint
commissions of five experts from each
State to meet in conference in Wash.
ington to discuss ways for adjusting
conditions to greater safety. efficiency
and economy. The conference will be
held March % to rs, inclusive, under
the direction of the Department Of
Commerce, but the details are being
worked out by the National Chamber
Of Commerce. This viii be the second
conference upon the subject. The
problems multiply and increase In
seriousness as the 100000 net in
crease of motor vehicles per year
crowd the streets and highways.
1t is only a century since 1t was
necessary for q horseback rider to pre-
cede all railroad locomotives to warn
the people of the approach or the
modern transportation monster, whcn
breathed smoke and steam ana
screamed it's threats of death to men
and beasts. In few years tnat moo
ern iugeernaut had almost driven the
familiar canal boat traffic OF the face
of the earth, Just as canals had out
riyaled in the previous generation the
wagons and OK carts upon the turn
pixies" Yet what improvements mao
been those ''turnpikes" upon the
mountain paths and dirt roads! In
nioneer DAVIS the great numbering carts
with their s-foot wheels OF hano-
hewed oak could be heard for miles
screeching their way across country
at a dizzy speed of two or three 11iles
an hour. Yet they were such I'M
Governments over earlier pack horses
that thew seemed almos, luxurious.
The evolution Of transportation
turns 80 rapidly that within the mem
ory of the middle-aged, TO-DAY, there
rises the picture of the first pufnng
"horseless carriage" a third OF a cen
tury ago. How it scared horses! AT
q governors conference Of 1910 Gov.
Draper of Connecticut told or the ao-
yanced strict laws Of the Nutmeg
state, which required every driver OF
an automobile to slow down and give
timely signal with his bell or horn
when a horse was approaching the
frightful machine He explained that
20 miles an hour was the speed limit
on country roads, but II notice were
posted warning automobiles away they
must not approach.
Gov. Fort Of New Jersey stated that
in cities the speed must not exceed .
miles an hour, but on roads Wnere
houses were 100 feet apart-so un.
settled a region-the machines might
be sent flying IL miles an hour. No
subseouent governors conference has
had anything to say about the prob
tav,,c nf fra f33c
Today, not only do automobiles dom
mate the highways. but horses must
beg for permission to trot where NV
yers rush in" and not only are the
''horseless carriages" crowding equine
"has-beens' of of President Avenue
but in traffic even pushing locomotives
off the track as easily as did the scared
runner clear the track when he cried
to the jackrabbit to get out of the way
and let some one run who could run.
Millions Of tons Of freight and millions
of passengers ride in automobiles In.
stead of upon steam trains. What q
far cry it is from the pack-horse and
coach Of the days Of the Revolution to
the motor truck and limousine Of to.
day! Tomorrow-the airplane.
There has never been so tremendous
a problem Of engineering thrust upon
civilization as that Of handling the
suddenly overwhelming traffic of auto
mobiles, both passenger and motor car.
The juggernaut was never 80 ferocious
in moving down its victims as Is the
American automobile. This country
was grieved beyond the power of
words when war took its toll of 81 1913
American soldiers killed in battle or
who died from wounds, and Of 1872, 483
wounded and 14,363 missing" or pris-
oners. That was our toll of 20 months
in the greatest war in history. 1t