The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1947-03-15
Traffic Court
Success Credit
Given Murphy
BY 10 Wong

AhAA lA--AlAaN HGH
culiar feeling when a policeman
comes in sight No matter how
carefully the driver is driving.
he Immediately becomes more
law abiding. The policeman in.
deed has the power To arrest in
major cases or to write a viola
ton ticket for minor infractions.
but the original discretion Of the
officer in issuing 4 ticket on
making an arrest must be care
fully weighed in court Without
a strong court system and an
able. sincere Judge, who is ac-
lively interested in fair and con-
SiStent traffic enforcement. the
best police department in the
world fails to accomplish its
purpose.
Detroit is famed throughout
the land for its handling OF the
traffic problem II is considered
one Of the safest OF the big
cities. And why not2 In the 10
year period that ended with
1887 traffic deaths in Detroit
averaged $40 a year. Since 1887
the yearly average has been cut
TO slightly less than 200.
Considerable credit for this
saving OF life goes TO Detroit's
Traffic Court where George T.
Murphy. candidate for reelec-
ton April Z, has been Judge
since 1896 Judge Murphy has
established a policy Of consis-
tent fair penalties for traffic
offenders Under this sytem the
motorist, who for number Of
years has been a good driver.
has nothing TO fear should he
receive a minor violation ticket.
but the fragrant or constant vio-
lator is in for trouble and faces
a heavy fine or a Jail sentence
and possibly suspension OF his
driving privileges.
This system has proven to be
of extreme benefit to the pub
lie. II has made the streets SAT-
err even in the face OF a great
increase in population and in
volume OF traffic. Judge Muir
ply has added the final and
most important touch to a pro-
gram that has saved 100 lives
annually for the past nine years.
semblance to the modern edu-
Gated Negro who is often as
well dressed as his white neigh
Dor. and sometimes more so.
Being good-natured people,
show folks (and Americans in
the aggregated forget easily. APP
parently too many are foget-
ting the lessons in racial ster-
eotypeS" provided by the Ger
mans. This is no Struggling mat
ter. As people think, so may
they act. II race hatred grows
in America. the foundations OF
our society are weakened. It's
especially ill-adviSed for all
those who live in and can only
thrive in liberal environment
10 thoughtlessly degrade certain
racial groups and excuse the
gags The dialect. the stock-in-
trade on the grounds that it was
well-intentioned spoofing Ridi-
cule is never well-intentioned II
wasn't well-intcntioncd back in
Boston in the 1905 when Yam
.kee natives" made sport Of
the impoverished Irish immi-
grants It's never been merely
innocent" TO kid Poles in Buff
falo. Swedes in St Paul. Jews
in a Park Avenue drawing room
or BohemianS in the coal pits
And il isn't merely innocent"
when radio programs. TO which
millions OF people listen. make
laughter by catering TO the snob
feelings OF one group at the eX-
pensc OF another.
Radio comedians ought not 10
need a diagram. A racial" ster-
eotvpe" is an allusion. bit, atti-
tude. plot generalization or gag
that stems from folk lore and
is fed by propaganda It's not
so much funny as supposed TO
be funny not so much dramatic
as traditional. One thing is GER