Evening Star Newspaper, December 23, 1928, Page 59

TAXICABS PRESENT MAJOR PROBLEM IN CITY'S TRAFFIC Competition Between Drivers Frequently Results in Violation of Auto Regula- tions, Says Officer. BY R. J. ALLEN, Member Metropolitan Police Force. One of the major problems which in- Wariably confronts the heads of the < Traffic Bureau of most any large city s “taxicabs.” How and yet not restrict them. How to keep | them from continually inhabiting the | streets, and yet have them always | handy whenever a “fare” might want to hail one. Probably the biggest rrob]cm of all is to keep them from vio- ating, indiscriminately, the various traffic regulations in their efforts to gompete with one another. In fact, each taxicab is in itself a complete little business venture. It de-| pends largely upon the industry, expe- rience, perseverance and ingenuity which the cab driver himself brings to bear that usually determines the Te- | ceipts at the end of the week. It has been said that competition is the life, and saving grace as well, of | business, which, translated, means that | competition makes for lower prices, | more courtesy and attention to custom- | ers’ wishes, etc. One constantly hears of some new improvement in business methods, or some new idea designed to further the customers’ convenience; with the resultant benefits to the gen- eral public also. ‘These new ideas, etc., are always list- to restrict them | hope so, because if hard words could break bones, then the mystery con- nected with some of the hit-and-run cases we have been having lately would be solved. They wouldn't be hit-and- run victims at all; the victim would simplly be some luckless pedestrian who had been admonished verbally by a hurrying taxi driver whose path he had failed to take himself out of in time. The idea in all this hurrying being, presumably, that the man jnside doesn’t count. They have him already. No, indeed, let's not waste any more time on him than necessary, but let's hurry back to try and get our next fare; that's the one who is important—is what seems to be their mental atti- tude. Competition, however, has al- ways been the excuse for sharp busi- ness practice, and said sharp business practices are by no means confined strictly to taxi drivers. The private life, habits, idlosyncra- sles, etc, of taxi drivers naturally do not concern the public which employs them or encounters them in traffic, but the manner in which they drive does concern other people, and the conversation they might use as well. Cab drivers have long been noted as somewhat “hard-boiled.” In fact, it used to be quite something to brag about should once chance to best a taxi driver in a physical encounter. The times have changed, however, and ‘ed under the word competition. This is the competition which we all have just cause to be grateful for. It is this kind of competition that customarily evokes all sorts of favorable comment but the competition that exists be- | tween taxi drivers is the origin of a | great amount of a radically different | sort of comment. For instance: “Offi- | cer, that taxi driver just swore at me”— “Officer, did you see that cab almost strike my car?” or “Hey youl Why don't you do something about these taxicabs? One al- most ran over me!” or “Just come over | here, Officer, and| look what a taxi- cab did to my fender. Yes, sir! He | wheeled right, around in front 0(\ me, almost without | warning, and just > because some guy whistled at him from the other side of the street.” Or, “Officer, arrest that taxi driver! You % ought to have/ heard the language he just used when he was talking to that other taxi driver. And right in g:nt of my wife too—who is a perfect . Nomads of Streets. ‘Taxi drivers are the nomads of the streets. They work almost when they please and come and go at will. On the whole, they are a strange class, composed, in all large cities, of about the same type of men. Indeed some of them drift continually from city to city, in a manner somewhat akin to the har- vest hands out West who wander frorg harvest to harvest. This class works long enough to accumulate a stake or until a certain locality begins to pall on them, and then they are off—to new Pplaces, new people, something different, yet after a little while they find it eternally the same: Then they needs must move on again. A great many “cab” drivers are men Who make of it a settled vocation. They sometimes own their own cabs, and in- frequently several other cabs as well, Which they have other drivers operate for them much after the fashion and ;l;;;s (in miniature) of large compa- Unfortunately, there is yet another of “cab” dr'~>r who are not as they might be. Tuis type, fortunately small, is composed of ne'er-do-wells, come-ons, bootleggers, runners for gam- bling establishments, disorderly houses, etc, and men whom a weakness for strong drink keeps from holding respon- sible positions. There is, in addition, usually a sprinkling of the out-and-out criminal class, who are using this means to support themselves between jobs or Wwhile they are hiding out, etc. Of course, there is no business or industry entirely free from men who come under the aforementioned descriptions. Only a small percentage of this kind infest the National Capital. But, unfortunately, the taxi business offers more than the usual amount of inducements to this type. The ease with which these drivers secure such employment (despite the ceaseless vigi- lance of the “hack” inspector’s office, which is a part of the Traffic Bureau), the free-and-easy hours, the freedom from discipline, etc., all serve to at- tract this class. There is absolutely no doubt, of course, but what the vast majority of the taxi drivers are honest and decent men and as trustworthy as you could find anywhere. That is a fact that the general public should mever lose sight of. Considerable Complaint. ‘There has been in the past, and still is, a great deal of complaint directed against the manner in which some taxl drivers operate their vehicles. There 18 also no doubt but what a large por- tion of this complaint is founded upon Just and reasonable cause. ‘There is a certain class of taxi driv- ers who, in their efforts to secure busi- ness and to compete with one another, seemingly have no regard for the rights of whatever pleasure vehicles they chance to encounter on the street. It s this class that provokes the most criticism. Probably the most annoying feature that distinguishes the driving of this class is the extremely low speeds they effect in narrow, congested areas, Of course, they are looking for fares, which a fairly fast pace might deprive them from observing, but that doesn’t help the homeward-bound motorist to regard the practice in a kindlier spirit. On certain narrow streets, of which F street is a striking example, it is almost impossible to pass around the car in front of one. There is a very old proverb to the effect that “A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.” Well, we might say, to give that old adage a modern st, “A stream cof traffic on a narrow street progresses no faster than its slowest member.” Then there are certain other taxi drivers who try to drive in such a man- ner that no vehicle, regardless of the width of the street, can pass them, their idea being, of course, to keep any other | cab from passing them and so pick up | any chance fare who might be waiting | just ahead. This practice not only | helps to hold back competitors, but it | also deprives possible pl re cars of their right to pass. ‘This practice on | the part of taxi drivers familiarly known to the police, etc., as “crabbing.” f { | It is against the law, however, and they | are arrested and punished whenever | found doing it. Like Death at Stake. But when once the “fare” has been| Ppicked up and is safely (?) ensconced | on the inside of their cab—oh, boy! Then the fun begins. They wheel and dart away with a seeming utter disre- gard for life, imb and property in a manner which causes the beholder to| sp and the motorist to edge appre- ensively toward the curb. Where be- fore they dawdled along in a lacka- dajsical manner, they now tear along as if life or death was at stake. And | woe betide the luckless pedestrian who delays them! ‘There is a copy book maxim which #ays that “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but hard words can never B | ners due to be adopted by those mys- in company with a great many other improvements we have the right to expect a somewhat more “genteel” taxi driver. Even “cussing” has gone out of style lately, so let us cheér up— there may he a new set of traffic man- terious, romantic nomads of the streets, the taxi drivers. ‘When Knights Clash. If it should so happen that you were o observe a collision between two taXi= cabs, let us say tomorrow for example, and provided neither driver was in- Jjured, you would probably witness an encounter between the respective driv- ers that would cause women to avert their gaze and strong men to turn pale. You would no doubt witness a murderous attack on the king's Eng- lish, hear personalities, ancestors, etc., described with words that would cause an old-fashioned mule-skinner to turn green with envy, while the fare, whom each taxi driver had been attempting to pick up, hurried apprehensively away to catch a street car. However, should you chance to ob- serve in the (let us hope not too dis- iant) future a collision between two taxis whose respective drivers were subscceribers to this new, more courte- ous manner, yor would probably be astonished to hear tween the two driv- ers: First taxi driver— “This is a_terrible affair, and I'm sure it's all my fault.” Second taxi driv- er—"“Why. how per- fectly ridiculous. You must realize it “Really, old dear, I think you are most unjust to yourself. I have often noticed your driving, even though we have never become ac- quainted previously, and I have ad- mired tremendously the careful, con- scuntlgg: mmmn“ 1ln which you ob- serve ic rules.” (Here ensues business hibiting drivers’ licenses, etc. Then they part smiling happily and seem- ingly in the best of spirits.) Second taxi driver—“Upon my word, but you are deucedly fair about this ':‘3:'5- I still maintain it was all my i First taxi driver—“Really, you are a most decent soft. Would you think me familiar were I to invite you to a tea we are giving at 3:30 tomorrow afternoon at our garage? We are go- ing to have some beautiful esthetic dancing, too. Some of eur boys are awfully clever at it, you know.” Second taxi driver—"I would be per- fectly delighted to come. I wonder if your colleagues would think me pre- sumptuous if I were to bring over and read to them a few poems I have com- posed in my spare time.” First taxi driver—‘How marvelous. Really, we would be devastated were you to neglect doing so. However, I must be running along now. See, you tomorrow, old thing, and please don't worry about this deplorable accident.” Second taxi driver—“Toodle- old dear; see you tomorrow. Right-o. G0OD YEAR FORESEEN FOR AUTO INDUSTRY Company Sales Manager Says Cur- rent Business Is Satisfying, With Fine Prospect for 1929, ‘The automotive industry in 1929 should enjoy one of its best years, ac- cording to a statement by W. 8. Isher- wood, general sales manager of a spark plug company, who has com- pleted an analysis based on Nation- wide trade and industrial reports, “Current business is good,” the state- ment says, “and indications are that agricultural crops this year will be the best since 1920 and farmers’ incomes should be 7 to 8 per cent higher. Steel bookings indicate expansion and em- ployment is at a high point. “Prior to 1928 the two largest auto- mobile production years were 1925 and 1926. Cars manufactured then will be | 3 or 4 years old in 1929, usually the age for greatest replacement as well as more maintenance.” Evidence that car and truck produc- tion in_the United Etates and Canada will this year approach and probably surpass every other year is contained in ‘the following National Automobile Chamber of Commerce figures: Production. W of 1928, it is estimated, will bring 1928 figures to a new high record. Canadian car and truck production in September this year doubled that of September, 1927, with a total of 21,193, against 11,262, the statement added. St Do, CROSSING BAN UPHELD. Supreme Court Decision Praised by Auto Association. The Supreme Court of the United States' has upheld the constitutional \right of a State to require railroads to abolish dangerous grade crossings, according to the American Automobile Association. | The national motoring body points {out that the specific opinion is that in | the appeal of the Lehigh Valley Rail- | road Co. vs. the Board of Public Utility Commissioners of New Jersey. | The American Automobile Association | says this decision will have a far-reach- ing effect on the ever-growing senti- of exchanging identities, ex- 4 How_COME HE LET ANYBODY PASS T(I:IS THING N N THE “PANNING -AMERI cA” SOCIETY HANDS FATHERS PRESENT TO MOTHER. A FEW KNOCIkksS — MERRY CHRISTHAS S * THE CT'MAS SPRIT OF 1928" FURTHER AUTO TAX RAISES DEPLORED 1928 Bill Paid by Car Owners Will Show Increase Over 1927. American car owners will pay ap- Eroxlmnte]y $785,000,000 in motor ve- icle taxes in 1928, an tncrease of $15,- 000,000 over 1927, despite a tax bill de- crease during the year of about $35,- 000,000, through repeal of the Federal war excise levy on automobiles. This statement was issued by na- tionai headquarters of the American Automobile Association as a warning to those seeking further increases in amount of taxes paid by motorists. ‘The association pointed out that, al- though the Federal Government has left this field of taxation, representing & decrease of $60,000,000 a year in fa- vor of car owners, the total tax burden has increased at least 257 per cent within the past 10 years. The heavy tax on the car owners, he A. A. A. sald, should be care- fully considered by the 42 State Legis- latures scheduled to meet early in 1929 when any move is made to further ex- ploit this field. A survey of 1928 taxes shows that the gasoline tax alone, which amounted to $258,838,813 in 1927, reached a to- tal of $140.635398 in the first six months of this year, and there is every indication that this amount will be equaled, if not increased, for the last six ‘months. Motor vehicle registration fees, 1i- censes, permits, etc, which cost car owners $301,061,132 in 1927, will easily be increased to around $325,000,000 in 1928, especially in view of the fact that the automotive industry has witnessed one of its greatest periods of produc- tion, the statement continues, adding: “Personal property taxes, amounting to $125,000,000 per year, and municipal taxes on motor vehicles costing car owners $15,000,000 annually, will re- main approximately the same for the present year. “The year 1928 was one of the most eventful in the history of taxation on the car owner, as it witnessed final re- peal of the war excise tax of 3 per cent on new passenger cars. However, this measure was not repealed until May 30, and in the meantime well over $20,- 000,000 had been paid by purchasers of cars in the first five months. “Moreover, the tremendous rise in motor vehicle taxes in the last few years has been a source of alarm to motordom. air taxation, with the bulk of the collections usea to build roads, has always been favored by the car owners, but they are no longer con- tent to sit supinely by and watch an ever-increasing burden without an equal gain in the benefits.” RACING OF AUTO ENGINE TAKES TOLL IN WEAR Coolican Points Out Depreciation Piles Up Rapidly Under Strain of Punishment. One of the first admonitions given pioneer automobile buyers two decades ago was “don’t race your engine!” From then until now motorists have been warned against the practice, and yet it persists, much to the detriment of motors. That the car owner cannot race his| engine as a_day-in-day-out procedure and come off without being the loser through a loosened, prematurely worn- out power plant is the contention of Oscar Coolican, director of the local Automotive Trade Assoclation, who again sounds a note of warning against a practice “which is doing infinite harm to fine automobiles every day. “Racing is probably the most harm- ful punishment the motorist can inflict upon his car and, incidentally, his own pocketbook. Racing is an extraordinary strain on the bearings, often overload- ing them before stiff oil can thin out and provide a protection. Furthermore, it is an obvious ripping and tearing process which loosens the engine from end to end,” declares Mr. Coolican. It makes no difference how fine or how well constructed is the engine, racing it eventually will “get it,” ac- cording to Mr. Coolican. _Although it is true, of course, that the finer the engine the more punishment it can handle, generally racing, he says, is a sure route to quick depreciation. “Some motorists of the flashy type seem to think it a mark of skill to race the engine furiously,” Mr. Coolican ints out. “It is ?ulu the opposite. t indicates a total lack of knowledge, or if the owner has the knowledge, a lack of judgment. Under no eircum=- stances is it to be condoned.” L Model Traffic Plan Adopted. INDIANAPOLIS, (#)—The model municipal traffic ordinance for citles evolved at the national conference on ment throughout the country to abolish the dangerous grade gs, which in many instances stand as death-dealing o8 thag Nabign, street and highway safety, which was called by Herbert Hoover while he was Secretary of Commerce, has been adopte & by the faglangpolls city counclly .- “Blatant Billboards™ Billboards along the public_highways, | and particularly along the Federal-aid highways, for which the Bureau of Pub- lic Roads is responsible in co-operation with the States, are described as “bla= tant commercial appeals” by Thomas H. MacDonald, who in his annual report to W. M. Jardine, Secretary of Agricul- ture, expresses the hope that “means may be found by suitable legislation to effect their complete elimination upon all roads constructed in part with money appropriated by the National Government.” Commenting on the standard mark- ers and direction and danger signals erected on the highways and on the cordial reception by motorists, Mr. Mac- Donald says: “The complete effective- ness of these signs, erected at public expense for the greater convenience and safety of travelers, is hindered in some instances by Aadvertising sign- boards so placed as to obscure them or withdraw attention from them. In many cases such advertisements con- tain” misleading information with re- gard to intermediate distances on the highway and the condition of the road ahead, which is-belied in less obtrusive fashion by the public signs. To the Along Public Roads Condemned in Report Made to Jardine extent that they obscure or contradict or divert attention from the proper road signs these signboards are a positive hindrance and menace to the traveling public. “Designedly placed where they will receive the utmost attention, they fre- quently obscure or mar attractive road- side views, and so detract from the pleasurable use of the highways. Acs customed as we are to their unwanted presence in ordinary surroundings, to come upon these blatant commercial appeals high on the face of a majestic cliff, marring & mountain side, or com- pletely obscuring a beautiful vista still awakens a sense of their utter incon- gruity. “In practically all cases these road- side advertisements merely repeat in the same form appeals that are made quite properly and insistently through other agencies. They are unneeded by the public and of doubtful value to the advertisers. Their disfigurement of the landscape is a national disgrace. It is hoped that means may be found by suitable legislation to effect their com- plete elimination upon all roads con- structed in part with money appropri- ated by the National Government.” PASSENGER AUTO OUTPUT SHALLER Record Level in Production and Sales, However, Is Noted by Manufacturers. Passenger car production during the current week has shown a slight de- crease, although it is, at the present time, at practically record levels for this time of the year, according to B. H. Cram, president of Cram’s Auto- motive Reports, Inc. Unless opera- tions are suspended for a longer period of time at the holidays than is now anticipated, output for December will be materially higher than for No- 'vember. ‘The current week's production is 5 per cent below the output for last ‘week and about 66 per cent above that of the corresponding week last year. Manufacturers of all classes of cars are exceedingly optimistic over the outlook for the early part of 1929 and are making every effort to get under way in as heavy a volume as possible in order to meet the demands of the market. In some cases manufacturers that were originally scheduled to get under way on new models toward the end of the month will befleln operations a week to 10 days earlier n was originally planned. Sales are holding up well for this period of the year and it is expected that final figures for the month will show a volume of business never be- fore equaled. The response of the re- tail market to both new and current models furnishes the basis for the confidence which is being expressed regarding next year. FLORIDA ROUTES CALL MOTORISTS’ ATTENTION (Continued From Sixth Page.) i thence to Charlottesville, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Monticello, ~his mansion, has been made a national memorial and is open to the public throughout the year. Nearby is the University of Virginia, founded by ‘Thomas Jefferson in 1819. Charlottes- ville is the seat of Albemarle County, nationally known for its apples, es- pecially the Albemarle Pippin. Some of I the largest woolen mills in the South | are located here. At Greensboro, N. C, the visitor should see the vast Cone denim plants, the system of parks, with an acre of playground for every 50 persons; the Memorial Stadium, seating 10,000; the spaclous and beautiful residence sec- tions, the county buildings, and Sedge- field, the year-round resort, a few miles I to the southwest. Nearby is Guilford | College, the second educational institu- tion in age in the South. Columbia, S. C. the capital of the State, is a city of fine public buildings, wide streets and avenues, and many trees, which make it very attractive. The statehouse is an imposing struc- ture bullt of granite quarried within few miles of the city and patterned after the style of the National Capitol. It contains some interesting paintings and a museum. At this point two routes may be fol- lowed, either through Augusta or Sa- vannah to Jacksonville. » o Has the motor vehicle meant a fallln% off in the display of courtesy? Or has if served merely to bi to the surface the innate incivility of some people?- s it LY RURAL CARRIERS' WORK DISCUSSED “Appealing Plea” for Better County Roads Seen in Figures. According to the American Road Builders’ Association, over 17 per cent of the mall originating in the United States Is delivered by the rural mail carrier over county roads. The mileage covered by these rural carriers presents a startling aggregate and the figures themselves present an appealing plea for better roads. In some sections of the country the coun- ty road is in such a condition as to preclude the possibility of a carrier making more than 6 miles in his eight hours of duty. The average length of the rural route is 30 miles. If these county roads were improved and better maintained, it would mean greater ex- pedition in the handling of the mail and less wear and tear on the vehicular equipment of the carrier. In the United States there are in operation 44,224 rural routes, many of which are over unimproved roads, serv- ing 24,280,000 people by 44,107 carriers, who travel 1,285,225 miles daily, or 393,278,850 miles per year, through all conditions of weather. These rural car- riers are all salaried men. On_ star routes the carrying of the mail is let to the lowest-bidding contractor. These men—and there are 11,608 routes to be covered—travel 197,637 miles dally, or 114,609,702 miles each year. ‘The total distance covered by the rural carriers and the star route con- tractor is 507,888,552 miles yearly, or a distance equal to 20,315 trips around the world. The county road over which these carriers travel daily year in and year out, regardless of rain, sleet and snow, is to be made the major topic of dis- cussion at sessions of the county high- way officials at the annual convention of the American Road Builders’ Association at Cleveland, Ohio, January 14-18, 1929. FAULTY SPARKPLUGS CAUSE MOTOR MISSING Engineers Urge Check Before Blaming Trouble to Valves or Leaky Pistons. When an automobile engine misses at high speed or in climbing hills the trouble often can be traced to the spark plugs, according to engineers. Much of this trouble, they say, is due to the spark plug points being set too far apart or because the plugs are worn out. The gap between the points should not have more than .025-inch clear- ance or .020-inch in high-compression engines. As l?l-l‘k plug trouble is often mis- taken for valve or piston ring trouble, the proper thing to do before making repairs, the engineers say, is to have the plugs inspected, which will save un- necessary expense. IGNITION TROUBLE? | WE REPAIR ALL MAKES CREEL BROS. 1811 14th St. NNW. Dec. 4220 Representing 48 Leading Mfrs. of Electrical Eq b T i g WOMEN DRIVERS FIND CHAMPION Leader in Automobile World Says Tests Show Them Equal of Man. A champion of the woman driver has been found in G. M. Williams, leader in the automobile world, who cites the findings of Robert Clair of the National Safety Council and of Dr. F. A, Moss, psychologist of George Washington University, as authority for his stand. “We have been given to understand.” said Mr. Williams, “that one can never tell what the next move of a woman driver will be. The impression pre- valls that she is easily cbnfused and is unable to think quickly in an emergency. ‘Women Held More Cautious. “We are told that her attention is likely to wander and that her mind is anywhere but on the job, a phenomenon which accounts for the zig-zag course she is popularly supposed to take. I have always held the belief that the average woman is as good a driver as the average man, and it is reassuring to have my views upheld by a distin- guished safety engineer and by a uni- versity professor. Women may be more emotional than men, but at the same time they are more cautious and more unwilling to take chances. “Mr. Clair reaches his conclusion af- ter an analysis of the answer to a questionnaire sent out by him to representative groups of men and women drivers and to drivers of com- mercial vehicles. A decided majority of the replies show confidence in the fair motorist. A questionnaire of this kind records, of course, only an opinion. More scientific are the experiments un- dertaken by Dr. Moss to determine which of the sexes reacts more quick- ly to danger signals. The result of these experiments convinced him that the women students selected for the tests were fully as competent and re- liable as the men. Physique No Handicap. “As for myself, I can see no physical reason why a woman shouldn’t be the equal of a man behind the steering wheel, and apparently there is no psychological reason. Accident statistics showing the proportion of women to men_involved in crashes are hardly conclusive, as the former are greatly outnumbered by the men. Women, as a rule, drive more for pleasure, and generally avoid congested traffic. Nor do they run up as much mileage as the men. “In some communities, even the larger ones, the woman taxicab driver already has made her debut, and, so far as my knowledge goes, we have yet E hear any complaints about her driv- g.” FRANCE SEEKS NEW PLAN System of Paying at Border at Rate Varying With Power of Auto Is Sought. PARIS (#).—So many foreign tour- ists bring their cars to France that the Chamber of Commerce is trying to re- move some of the present annoyances. At present a visiting driver must pay a license of 40 cents a day, with a limit of two months. As few people know exactly how long they intend being in France, there is much complaint, either because they have paid more than necessary or because it is necessary to go through red tape to have the license extended. ‘The proposed remedy is to charge a flat rate per horsepower per day, pay- able to the customs office at the border when the foreign car is driven out. In that way the tourist would be charged only for the days he drives in France and with much less inconvenience. Check the water in the battery of your car Bf‘l regg{ar intervals. Twice a R. McReynolds & Son Studebaker SALES 1423-1425-1427 LStN.W. Decatur 686 Spectal Dispatch to The Star. BOSTON, December 22.—In a direct challenge to the automotive industry to re-design its motor vehicles to conserve | the lives of pedestrians, Medical Exam- iner Timothy Leary of Boston, issued | a statement here in which he pointed that in 1927 motor vehicles killed more persons in the United States than were killed in all but one of the world disas- ters from the sinking of the battleship Maine in 1898 to the present day. The one exception is the eruption of Mount Pelee. And to emphasize his statement he compiled the list of disasters from the World Almanac. “The front of the present automobile could not be constructed with more dia- bolical perfection were it intended to insure tfie death of every human being who came into its path,” was one of the startling statements. He demands a revolution in design rather than cater- ing to, the comfort of the people riding in the cars. Also he takes a fling at the insurance people by stating that competition is so great the companies are not making any great effort to call for safety devices. Medical Examiner Leary is one of the foremost physicians in Boston. H2 has held his present position for & number of years and because Boston City Hospital, one of the largest in the country, is in his district where most called upon to investigate every death from any cause. This has given him a wide field for study. Moreover, he is and his name appears in the newspapers very rarely. For this reason his state- ments on any question receive much consideration. Coming right on the heels of figures showing that Gov. Fuller's safety cam- paign drive showed more tead of less accidents and deaths in October, the revocation by Motor Registrar George A. Parker of nearly 2,000 cars and trucks in 15 days, his statement that the age limit for granting driving licenses should be raised to 21 years instead of the present 16 years; the Legislature about to meet in session in January, there is bound to be some sort of action in some way. But how? The answer will have to come from the automotive industry, it is believed, whose engineers have solved many other complex prob- lems in the past. 25,775 Killed in 1927. “As medical examiner of Suffolk County,” Dr. Leary starts his statement, “I have performed several hundred post-mortem examinations on the bodies of victims of automobile accidents. Be- cause of the alarming increase in these fatalities, it is desirable that the haz- ards arising from the use of motor ve- hicles should be brought before the public in such form that the average man will be able to appreciate how serfous the matter is becoming. “Statistics indicate that about 25,775 human beings were killed in the United States during 1927. As boldly stated, these figures are not impressive perhaps, but they have stenificance if one com- res the total with the totals of deaths 'om other causes. “If we include all the deaths from railroad, street railway, accidents with other vehicles, quarries, machinery, elevators, building operations, ships, lightning, electric shocks, drownings (and they number 6453), sunstroke, mechanical suffocation, fractures, chronic interstital pneumonia, occupa- tional diseases of the respiratory sys- tem, the grand total does not equal the deaths from automobiles. “Combining all the deaths arising in all the Americas from earthquakes, floods, notable fires, hurricanes and the sinking of ships beginning with the bat- tleship Maine in Havana Harbor in 1898 (which caused one war) including the sinking of the Lusitania (which strong- ly influenced our entrance into a sec- ond war) and closing with the recent sinking of the steamer Vestris, exclud- ing only one disaster during that period, the eruption of Mount Pelee, we reached a total for disasters for 31 years of fewer deaths than are produced in the United States in one year from auto- mobiles. Disasters Total 23,979. Reproducing the list of catastrophes and making the minimum 40, and call- ing attention to the fact that those un- der 40 included such well known ones as the sinking of submarines S-51 and F-4, cruiser Memphis, dirigible Roma, dirigible Shenandoah, . Chicago race riots, naval munitions explosion at Lake Denmark, N. J.; Nixon Nitrate explosion in New Jersey, he says this group ac- counts for 1,013. He adds that the grand total of all is 23,979. “These mortality statistics do not tell the whole story,” he goes on. “Those familiar with traumatic surgery in hos- pitals are aware that even those who are said to recover from their injuries often do so only in a sense which is incomplete. The victims of skull frac- tures who do not die frequently show a mental deterioration, sometimes with a complete change in character, and may be converted from intelligent, ca- able people into inefficlent semi- valids. “Statistics show that 65 per cent of automobile deaths occur to pedestrians, and the pedestrian percentage is much higher in the cities than in the coun- try. Striking is the evidence that the high death rate among operators and passengers in cars occurs between the ages of 16 and 35. Rampant youth largely responsible for is mortality, which is due mainly to collisions. The high pedestrian mortality, by contrast, is met with outside these ages. S S S SR SR SR SR R SR AL SR S SR 2 put into practical use as well!! we charge you only for three. you pay for only five, and on only seven. Here Are Some Firestone Tires Fires o Tubes Weed Tire CI A. C. Spark Champion Spark Plugs Prestone ers Schrader Valve Gai Schrader Valve Insides We are also the District distrib- utors for the Lorraine Control- lable Driving Light. A BLOCK BELOW THE of the accident cases are taken he is | very quiet, keeps out of the public eye, | RADICAL CHANGES FOR SAFETY DEMANDED OF AUTO BUILDERS Boston Medical Examiner Says Cars Are Diabolically Perfect for Killing Humans in Their Paths. “Many of the deaths of pedestrians | under city conditions are due to cars | which are moving at a relatively siow | rate. Post-mortem findings from urban | automobile accidents lend themselves to a relatively simple classification. Result from Collisions. “Simplest are those from collisions of slowly moving cars with pedestrians. The effect is that of an assisted fall 1f, as is usual, the victim is facing the car, he is thrown from his feet. If he | falls to one side his shoulder protects head and the injury is minor. “If he falls backward, the result of the impact of his head on the hard road is a fracture of the skull, with njury to the brain and death in & very high percentage of cases. In this type of injury the victim is not run over by the car, which usually can be stopped. “In urban automobile acecidents it is rare that impact of the car produces fatal injuries. Death arises from im- pact with the ground or beinz run over. When automobiles run over human bodies injuries include crushed chests, crushed skulls, fractures of the spine or pelvis, crushed abdominal organs, the picture often bearing a close resem- blance to that seen in rgilway accl- dents. Mortality in this group is essen- tially 100 per cent. If the car gets you down, death is almost a certainty. th these medical facts in mind it s, from the standpoint of the pe- n, that the prevention of auto- mobile accidents should includ2 some consideration of the strncture of tae automobile. The automobile of today is a horseless carriage. We have taken shafts and constructed a mecha- nism solely with reference to the com- fort and protection of the occupants and the efficiency of the machinery. AS w 1esull we n&¥e prodiced the most efficient civil-killing agent Ricwn. The airplane in its present experimental state is its only rival, on a minor scale. None Willing Victim. “We speak with horror of the car of Juggernaut, but the highest reiord of deaths under that vehicle was the kill- ing of 28 human beings at one time in India. And it should be remembered that all of the victims were rfady and willing to die. This modern Jugger- naut kills annually in the Unifed States almost 1,000 human beings for each victim of its less efficlent Oriéntal pro- totype, and none of its victims are willing. “The automobile has reached essen- tially its limit of perfection as line-driven piece of ma<hanism. $o- called improvements of recent years have been largely trimmings. It seems to me that this degree of mechanical efficiency having been attained, there is now time to stop and consider safety devices. “Every new safety device introduced into industry has been received with jeers by employes it was planned to protect. Any suggestions of safety de- vices on the autcmobile will provoke similar reactions from the motor indus- try. However, the minds which perfect the automobile and its methods of pro- duction should be able to modify the present vehicle and check its 1 possibilities. “The front of the present automobile could not be constructed with more diabolical perfection were it intended to insure the death of every person who came within its path. One does mnot suggest specific mechanical devices to the masters of mechanics in the indus- try, but modification of the present structure with reference to the pedes- trian is a necessity. “There is too much compstition in the accident insurance busi mit of adequate pressure foi vices from Insurance companies on the automobile manufacturers. The atti- tude of some insurance representatives is that a wholesome fear of death is a good stimulant to business. The non- medical public fails to measure at iis real value the mass effect of the deaths and disabilities which automobile cas- ualties are producing. “More rigid regulations may serve to curb the death rate among the oper- ators and passengers in cars. The cure for the present situation, with reference to pedestrians, lies, in part, in a pub- licity which shall compel, in the con- struction of the automobile, cons! - tion of the pedestrian on an equal basis with the operator and the passenger.” Capt. George A. Parker, trar of motor vehicles, says: “The fac- tors are the highway, the car and the driver, or maybe four, adding the per- son in the street. We have plenty of laws to try to encourage safety. We have had safety campaigns with some good result. But there is always a per- centage who refuse to co-operate in anything. “The best evidence of this was that during our safety campaign, when I re- quested motorists to have their cars checked up and get a sticker showing it had been done, and that there was little or no cost for doing it, thousands of owners refused to do anything about it. Then when my inspectors went out on the highways and began a checkup, also the police department, we found thousands that had faulty brakes, poor lights, some with broken bulbs, etc. After they began to read in the paper about 500 licenses being suspended and plates taken away the first day, and like amounts other days until thou- sands were put off the highways tem- porarily or permanently, there was a rush to co-operate. It is not surpris- ing, therefore, when we know these facts, that we have many fatalitles. I am glad some one has started on an- other angle, and shall watch the out- come of Dr. Leary’s statement.” FOR TOURIST LICENSES &&&&&%&’C&C&%@G&&#&‘#&‘#Kfifi # TOMORROW IS YOUR LAST CHANCE FOR XMAS SHOPPING Drive down tomorrow morning or afternoon and purchase a gift that your motoring friend will not only appreciate, but FREE FOR TOMORROW ONLY On each set of four spark plugs bought here tomorrow Likewise, on each set of six, each set of eight, you pay for Gift Suggestions: Tire Repair Kits and full line of repair materials Extra Light Bulbs Weed Spare Tire Chains and Locks Full line of Top Dressing rease THE MODERN DOWNTOWN STATION STARSERVICESTATION AVENUE AT TWELFTH 12th and C Streets N.W.