The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1951-08-16
AROUND TOWN
WITH THE EDITOR

l was deeply grieved on Tuesday
morning when l received word that
a very close friend, Howard Moore,
of Van Mugs, California, died sud
denly on August 9, Of heart attack.
Howard, who was a native of Ha-
gerstown, moved to California some
years ago, and was connected with
the Los Angeles city government.
During his many vacation trips back
to Hagerstown he never failed to
come by and see me and was many
times a guest at that famous Mutual
Admiration Society" that the late
Merrill Hays, Ford Bryan, Max
Shoff and myself formed some years
ago.
Howard was also the donor of
those beautiful hand-painted pipe"
ties that l am so proud of and every
time l wear one, from now on, my
thoughts will always turn back to
Howard and the grand times we
have had together. He was down
to-earth, warm-hearted man, who
was never so happy as when he was
bringing happiness to others.
Congratulations to Irvine H. Rut-
ledge on being elected Commander
of the Morris Frock Post of the
American Legion.
Mr.. Rutledge, who succeeds Her
bert Andrews, is a prominent Ha-
gerstown attorney and veteran of
World War II, and under his juris-
diction the Post should have really
successful year.
In our Horse and Buggy Days"
column, which you will find this
week on page four, are quite few
interesting items about the year
1904.
/ was particularly amused at the
first paragraph, which told of total
of 200 auto licenses being issued that
year, at cost of only $100 each,
and you will note that the license
didn't have to be renewed each year,
but was perpetual.
Compare that with the average of
fifteen bucks we have to pay each
year, today.
1t is also very interesting to note
that back in 1904, the c & P Tele-
phone Company announced reduced
telephone rates of $3.50 a month for
home phones and $500 a month for
business phones.
Quite a difference between them
and the present rates-to say moth
ing of the increase that the tele-
phone company is now asking for.
Another item tells of a fierce fight
being ragged in the Korean Straits,
between japanese and Russian war
ships.
So you see, that while there was
quite difference in the cost of
living As or so years ago, one thing
was still common in both eras-wars
were still being fought in the cease
less struggle for power.
Despite the fact that Magistrates
Berkson and Ingram are giving in
creaSingly heavy fines for violations
of motor laws (for which they are
to be congratulated, automobile &C
cidents in and around Hagerstown
are becoming more and more fire.
quent.
In reading the Washington and
Baltimore papers, notice where
the courts are getting away from
fines for serious accidents and are
handing our prison sentences-and
perhaps they ought to be started
here too.
People nowadays, when they
break traffic laws resulting in an ac-
cident, or when they drive under
the influence of liquor, don't seem to
worry at all about paying fines, but
just pay them and then do the same
thing over and over again-all they
seem concerned about is whether
they will lose their driving licenses
But if they were given a term in
Jail it might make them think twice
before breaking the same law again
Too many people seem to take toe
lightly such traffic laws as stopping
at boulevard signs, or waiting until
the traffic light turns green instead
of stepping on the gas as soon as
the amber light shows, and appar-
emily they will continue to disregard
these laws until such time as they
are faced with a sentence stiff
enough to bring them to their senses
IL al L i 4.