Evening star., 1932-08-14

| motorist, neither was it admitted for
any other class of road user
Many of the criticisms leveled at
motorists we're a traveSty of the real
| facts, which proved nothing at all. The
| problem called for the examination of
| the causation and prevention of acci-
dents. and not repreSsive laws nor panic
legislation. The cooperation of every
road user was essential. So far, the
criticisms leveled at motorists had been
destructive. but the Automobile Asso-
citation. which was a member of the
international Touring Alliance. had
established an international bureau to
collect and analyze data concerning ac-
cidentS in which motor vehicles we're
involved. BY this means the accident
figures and the respective conditions
prevailing in various countries would
be carefully studied and compared, hav-
ing regard to the traffic, weather,
speeds, nature of road surfaces, char
acter, weight and construction of We
hicles, etc. 1t would thus be possible
to obtain an insight to the real cause
OF accidents, and perhaps obtain some
preventive ideas from neighboring
countries. The information collected
would no doubt form valuable con-
tribution to the general effort to re-
duce the number of accidents The
chairman said he was confident that
the information obtained would eStab-
Esh beyond all doubt that the increased
number of accidents in Great Britain
was not materially due to dangerous
or careless driving by motorists"
Limi,ing Taxis.
The trend during the past five years
in most CT the large cities OF the United
STATES has hpnn tn limit t11n #
automobiles, taXicabS and busseS on the
streets Of the cities. Through local or
State regulation many cities have re-
duced the number of taXicabS per-
mltted to operate and have prevented
additional taXicabs from being placed
on the streets without permission from
board of control Public convenience
and necessity has to be shown as a pre-
requisite to securing a license. Most
notable in this restriction has been the
recent inauguration of the Board of
Control in New York City. where.
through friendly cooperative measures,
the number of taxicabS operated on the
street during the past Summer have
been reduced almost 5000 in number.
In cities where limitation has not
been practlced, such as Baltimore and
Washington. the competition of jitneys
and taXlcabS has made serious inroads
into the revenues of the street railway
companies. Recently the City Council
in Chicago repealed the limitation ordi-
nance which has restricted the number
OF taxfcabS in Chicago during the past
three years. But, following protests
made by the street railway employees,
who feared a disastrous competitive
condition, the City Council rescinded its
repeal, thus continuing the limitation
and barring the gates to all cut-rate
or jitney form of taxicab service.
In cities where a highly competitive
condition has developed in the taxicab
business there has been marked de-
terioration in the quality Of the equip
ment and in the working conditions Of
the cab drivers. inaugurating form of
patronage. This results in impoverished
earning power for the cab driver. who
is forced to work humanity unbearable
long hours. This is regarded as dan
gerouS to the public welfare, because
when the cab drivers speed it up under
such conditions to deliver the occa-
sional passenger and then cruise for
another, it is at the risk of life and
limb for the cab rider and the pedes-
trian on the streets.
Bus Accidents.
There are a hundred accidents on
the streets and highways involving
private vehicles to every one in which
motor bus figures, according to the
National Association of Motor Bus
Operators.
The associations statement is based
on 1881 accident statistics, which dis
close that motor buses figured in only
etght-tenths of one per cent of the
highway mishaps and was the safest
medium of transportation. There were
1921 400 motor accidents during 1881,
with private vehicles figuring in 1,O18,-
$50 and motor busses only 10490.