Evening Star Newspaper, January 27, 1929, Page 109

PORTRAYS CHAOS DEVELOPED BY DELUGE OF AUTOMOBILES Need of Considering Methods for Elimi- nating Dangers From Operation of 25,- 000,000 Wheeled Vehicles Stressed. BY GEORGE W. SUTTON, JR. Within the next 10 years we are go- to get around to a real consideration of the chaotic, ineflicient and dangerous conditions which a sudden deluge of 25,000,000 automobiles has brourm upon us within the past quarter of a cen- tury. We will change a lot of these conditions; not because we want to, but because we have got to. They are caus- ing us mental grief, bodily suffering, loss of time and money, and they are get- ting worse. We cannot leave these problems for our children to solve. We must do it now, ourselves. You may think you are not interested in automobiles. News about their me- chanical developments, changes in body lines and such matters that appeal more particularly to the rabid motoring fan may leave you cold and slightly bored. Nevertheless, there is hardly one man, woman or moderately bright child in the United States who would not Tealize, if he paused to give the matter thought, that the gasoline-propelled vehicle in the short space of 30 years| has grown to be a mighty factor in the personal and national life of each of us. This is a perfectly obvious fact, albeit a most amazing one. Public Not Prepared for Auto. ‘We were not prepared for the advent | of the automobile, and it has over- whelmed us. It represents the greatest advance in the transportation of people and goods since mankind came out of the trees (if he did) and began to walk upright. Its benefits to our health, hap- Ppiness, financial conditions and general civilization are too apparent to talk about. But it has brought with it, like- | ‘wise, some problems which are in grave | need of solution and which we have hitherto not been equipped to solve. I am speaking now in behalf of the aver- age American motorist and in behalf of the average sensible pedestrian. There are approximately 22,000,000 of us in the first group and we are all in the second group. We simply must get to- gether and thrash this automobile thing out before it get away from us entirely, ‘Take, for example, the headlight mess. ‘That’s the only thing to call it. Of all miserable, exasperating, in- efficient, dangerous and downright foolish conditions in _the motor world, this is the worst. Progress has been made in the scientific design of head- light. The authorities in a number of the States have conducted laborious tests to decide which forms of head- light lenses are “legal,” and which are not. But, with our roads jammed with cars, the enforcing of any strict head- light laws seems to be as difficult as that of one of our most talked about constitutional amendments. Focusing headlights and keeping them focused is a difficult matter. The focus is changed by varying loads of the car, various types of roads, the condition of | our bulbs, lenses and reflectors, the strength of our batteries and wiring and a number of other considerations. Tmproper Headlights Cited. The American Automobile Associa- tion, comprising over a thousand au mobile clubs, has announced that im: proper headlights are the direct cause of from three to five per cent of all our night-time automobile accidents, and, in co-operation with various auto- mobile authorities, they are trying to correet the situation by educating the car owners to focus their lights proper- ly. ‘This is an impossible task. Meanwhile we go on. driving our cars at night blaspheming at the other fellow’s lights, seldcm focusing or ad- justing our own, letting them shiry up through the rear windows of ths car ghead with a dazzling reflection on its rear-view mirror. Many of our cars have dimmers located on the dash- board. This means we have to make a wild grab for the dimming button, turn the lights off completely and then turn the dimmers on just at the time ‘when our hands should be on the steer- ing wheel and our whole attention should be focused on the road ahead and the car or cars charging at us with lights ablaze. The whole solution of the headlight arob;em is so simple that it is aston- hing we have not realized it and acted upon it long ago. It can be stated in three words—Well Lighted Highways. ‘When our roads are illuminated prop- erly, which will happen gradually but rather completely within the next 10 years, we shall need no bright head- lights at all. In fact, on main high- ways they will all be “illegal” then. And there will be a great lessening in mobile accidents, a general sweet- of motorists' tempers and fewer ries of motor car banditries and hold-ups. It will take time; it will cost a lot of money; it will raise taxes slightly. But it will be well worth it. Surprise Foreseen in Tax Rate. Speaking of taxes, some day within the next 10 years, we shall look back at 1928 and laugh ruefully at the small - taxes we had to pay in that year. For our cities have got to be entirely re- designed and the sooner we start it the less it will cost and the smaller burden, of taxation we shall leave for our chil- dren to pay. At the present moment we are killing almost 30,000 people a year and serious- ly injuring almost 800,000 through the use of the automobile. And precious little is being done about it. In spite of vast and expensive campaigns of public education, the fatalities from automobile accidents are rising rapidly and they will continue to rise until we take note of the situation and act ac- cordingly. There are five remedies for this sit- uation, and only five. Here they are: 1. The separation of pedestrians and automobiles. 2. The separation of opposing lines of traffic. 3. The elimination of rallroad grade eyussings. 4. More sturdily constructed auto- mobtles. 5. Properly lighted highways A pedestrian cannot exchange bumps with an automobile and yet hundreds are trying it daily. It is an unequal combat, entirely unfair to both the mo- torists and the walkers. New, wide, motoring boulevards must be built through the centers of towns and cities. Some of these will be double-decked, with high-speed express motor traffic running on the upper level. Cross- walks and underpasses for both pe- destrians and motor traffic must be con- structed by the thousands. In some places where present condi- tions will not allow the widening of the streets we must arcade the build- ings and put the sidewalks indoors. Needed Changes Outlined. ‘To make all these changes in our cities will cost billions of dollars if the work is started immediately: it will hundreds of billions if delayed 10 meers, In n aumber of our cities im- ,\\gg‘txs only as wide as its narrowest |or make purchases, will very willingly portant work of this character is now under way and during the coming decade some vast improvements may be expected in this - direction. Much radical city planning ¢hange will raise our taxes, but it will pay for itself hugely, not only in the saving of lives and time and disposition, but in actual hard cash. It will save industry millions of dol- lars in the speeding up of commercial transportation. It will save cities un- told sums in the simplification of traf- fic regulation. It will enhance the valu- ation of property upon such routes and all the merchants along them will be benefited, directly or indireetly. ‘We must not only make tremendous changes in the motoring thoroughfares of our great centers of population, but we must make equally radical changes in our main trunk highways. In other words, we must towns and not through them. One of our worst motoring offenses is the “fun- neling” of traffic. No matter how broad and smooth the highway may be if you narrow it down at one or more points so that only one or two lines of cars can go through at slow speed at a time, you slow down the entire traffic on the highway and, in a manner, re- duce it to the level of the congested district. To put it another way, a high- “Business Grief” Results. Local merchants on the main streets of the Nation reap but little benefit from through traffic and, due to the congestion caused by mixing of through traflic with local traffic, they reap much business grief. A througn traveler, who wants to stop to dine, attend the movies drive over the few blocks necessary to get from the main highway to the center of town. But for the main part of his trip he is grateful, indeed, if he can travel over a wide smooth road, free from the congestion, the delays and traffic regulations of a hundred main streets, not one of which is built for anything more than a small amount of horse-drawn and foot traffie. Pedestrians have got to be organized and regulated. You may talk all you want about the rights of individuals, but such talk, so far as it refers to the automobile situation, must be tempered with common sense and with a realiza- tion of present conditions. We have got to eliminate the jay-walker and make him cross main motoring streets at the corners. And we've got to make those corners safe for his crossing. In the majority of cases they are not safe now. One of the few logical conten- tions of the jay-walker is that in the middle of the block he has only two lines of traffic to iook out for while at the corner he has four. Until such time as we get our over-walks and un- der-passes, we have got to so regulate corner traffic that pedestrians have am- lead them around | d: ple time to cross in perfect safety, even if it does hold up the motor somewhat. Accidents on Highways. One State commissioner has reported that of 22,000 serious motor accidents in his small State last year, over 11,000 occurred on broad highways where there was plenty of vision for drivers ahead and behind. This means that fully half of the accidents, and un- doubtedly the same condition exists all over the country, are caused by unwise passing of other cars. Much of this, of course, is due to the motorist who trundles along in the middle of the road at a speed slower than that at which drivers of following cars are will- ing to go. This is one of the main reasons why opposing lines of traffic must be sepa- rated. It will be expensive to put steel and concrete fences down the middle of our main roads, which, of course, must be widened for the purpose, But some day some State will try this and the reduction in automobile accidents will be so great as a consequence that motoring authorities will be glad to spend more of our money for the same purpose. Another answer to this prob- lem is the creation of great parallel one-way highways with slow drivers rigorously kept to the right at all times. There will be progress in both of these things during the next decade. Problem Seen in Parking. ‘The parking question is crying for an answer, not only in New York, Chi- cago, Boston and San Prancisco, but in every little hamlet in the land. The complete motorization of America has brought about the almost universal open-air street storage of private vehi- cles. In other words, the streets are being used for a purpose for which they were never intended. A man who parks his car in the business district, or in a residential district for that matter, is using up from 45 to 100 square feet of precious space for which he pays not at all or only partially in the indirect way of motor or general taxes. For the time that his car is there that space is not usable by any other of our 22,000,000 motorists. He removes that space from the public use. And not only that, but car parked at the curb definitely removes one line of traffic from that street, even if his is the only car parked in the block, This is an intolerable and silly situa- tion. It must be changed. One method which seems to be producing a good result is through the erection of pri- vately or municipally owned garages in business districts where from 500 to 3,000 cars can be stored at very nominal cost. It may be that in the future this movement will grow until we have vast public and private spaces in connection with all shopping, mercan- tile, theatet, hotel and other busy city districts in large and small towns. The creation of one-way streets and similar expedients are only temporary stop- gaps and do not represent in any degree the final solution. Grade Crossing Evil Stressed And.now let us speak, as delicately as we can, of railroad grade crossings. During the past five years approximately 7,000 persons have been killed at rail- road grade crossings. The railroads have done much through educational | campaigns to reduce the yearly toll of lives from this cause. To be explicit, the railroads have succeeded in telling motorists to keep off of railroad prop- erty, including grade crossings. But vo long as thousands of our main and rec- ondary highways cross the railroad right-of-way, we must use zrade cross- | ings or give up motor travel. It is ob- viously a foolish siwuation, typical of some of the othe: motoring conditions we are enduring. However, the answer to the grade crossing problem is just as simple as that for the headlight trouble and can b2 stated in almost a fow words—The elimination of grade crossings. There is no other answer possible. The cost THE NEW WHIPPET THE SUNDAY of this tremendous and necessary work has been estimated at a figure in excess of $15,000,000,000. To ask our railroads to shoulder the new and staggering burden is entirely out of the question. The people must pay for the elimin: tion of grade crossings, whether they do it in the form of increased freight and passenger rates or whether they do it through bond issues or taxes. In New York the politicians and rall- roads did everything they could to de- feat Gov. Smith's proposed bond issue of $300,000,000 to eliminate all the grade crossings in New York State. There are over 4,000 of them. But Gov. Smith went directly to the people, via the radio, the people voted for the bond issue and it went through. Death Traps Being Eliminated. ‘Today great progress is being made in eliminating these motorists’ death traps in New York, the expense being divided between the railroads and the State and the towns and cities in which the crossings are located. There are approximately 256,000 railroad grade crossings in the United States. Eventu- ally they all must go. In New Jersey they are attacking the thing gradually and eliminating grade crossings at the rate of something like 10 or 12 per year. This is a step in the right di- rection and, while it is a dragging step, it is away ahead of anything that is being done in most other parts of the country. The grade crossing is a relic of a more leisurely and less efficient And, although we shall have to finally for its elimination, we must Automobile Buyers big ¢S H STAR, ‘WASH do so because it is not in keeping with the rapid pace of our present-day mo= torized existence. Automobiles themselves will be ren- dered much safer during the next 10 years. The increased safety of the all- steel full-vision body has been demon- strated to such an extent that it is now being produced on many of our pop- ular chasses at the rate of hundreds of thousands a year. This is a logical motorized development of the same kind that has caused the Pennsylvania Rail- road and other important steam car- riers to eliminate the deadly - wood coaches in favor of all-steel cars. Sound Glass Safety Factor. Non-shatterable glass is another safety factor which is coming along at a great rate and will presently beé uniformly adopted by the automobile world. Bet- ter brakes, better tires, better lighting equipment and better roads for our cars to travel upon may all be expected within the next few years, 10 at most. It is almost impossible for any mo- torist to discuss the subject of traffic lights without & sudden and dangerous rise in blood pressure. It is a matter which is being conducted in a most haphazard and exasperating manner. And that is putting it gently. Most of this is due to a lack of uniformity in light regulation. Much the same com- ment can be made concerning the gen- eral regulation of traffic. Each town throughout the length and breadth of the land seems to have adopted its | own particular system with no refer- ence to what being done in oth within reach ‘of everyone. It’s the big new Six-61—a brilliant expression of Peerless ideals, And today, for the first time in this city—we are making public the price. Car buyers — dealers — distributors —even other manufacturers who have seen the Six-61—have guessed the price would range several hundred dollars higher. But— GTOX, Think of it—a —acts quality And at a price easily LD SANTARY MORE EFFECTIVE SERVICE IS URGED Sloan Sees Big Year Ahead for Auto and Discusses Problems. 27, Commenting on the motor car outlook for 1929, Alfred P. Sloan, jr., president, General Motors Corporation, says: “The beginning of each year appears to me to be an opportune time for us to re- view the past year, and in that way ob- tain a better prospective of what our hopes and ambitions should be for 1929. The annual automobile shows, coming e municipalities, even those a couple .of miles away. This year the National Safety-Council, at its New York conven- tien, adopted -a model traffic.code for uniform adoption throughput the United: States. Great progress will' be made! in this ‘direction during the next 10, It must, else we shall all burst] d ERE’S a message that’s vitally important to everybody! It’s the biggest news Peerless has ever announced. car that looks quali —is quality. SPECIFICATIONS Engine—Six Cy! 7 Bearing Crankshaft Four point rubber suspension Faorced feed to all bearings Gasoline Pump and Filter 1929 _PART 8. as they do at this time of the year, af- ford an excellent opportunity to do this from the standpoint of the automotive industry. “To my mind in 1928 the industry has carried still further forward the principle which has contributed so much to its marvelous achievements. It has served the public better through the de- velopment of more outstanding values than ever before. All this has been made possible through increased en- gineering knowledge or a better under- standing of the fundamentals, capital- ized by more effective manufacturing and more intensive merchandising. Added attractiveness in appearance or a greater appreciation of the artistic side has probably been the outstanding development of the year from the standpoint of the industry as a whole. With it, however, the technical or me- cluktml side has in no sense been over- looked. There has been a very general advance forward, particularly in the re- lation of power to weight or increased performance and acceleration made de- sirable by road congestion and higher speeds, the latter particularly in the lower price models. Values Declared Unbelievable, “When one looks at the values that are being offered at this time it hardly seems believable, yet I will venture to predict that with the spirit of progress that has prevailed from the beginning, and still prevails in the industry, the end has in no sense been reached. greatest probiem that confronts the in~ dustry from within is more effective merchandising of the product. I mean by this, the building of a sounder foundation for the automotive dealer and with this the development of good will toward the industry through more effective service. The greatest asset that any industry or business can possibly have is the good will of the public to- ward it and its products. To my mind, effective service or a satisfled customer will exert for us a greater influence in developing good will than millions of dollars spent in advertising. I mention this bec*sse I do not believe the in- dustry as a whole has intensified on this most important subject to the same degree that it has on other phases of its activities. “Indications point to 1929 as likely to be the biggest year from' the stand- point of production that the industry has yet enjoyed. Our replacement de- mand will increase; wealth will be add- ed to the country which will further in- crease our opportunities, The more in- tensive effort that is being put into overseas business. aided by a- greater appreciation of the motor car and its use as an agent of transportation, will result in still greater possibilities in that rapidly expanding field. “There are many problems confront- ing us all that are far from finished. There are many constructive things that can be done that have not even been started, and some not even thought of. A realization of those facts, to- gether with the willingness to worl makes progress certain new Six-01 1195. (womasas | ’ ‘Prof-Einstein Wanted ). One of the most interesting letters received of late was from a motorist who apparently had some considerable degree of trouble in keeping up with the traffic regulations of his home town. He hazarded a stiff bet that Dr. Ein- stein, the scientist who developed the “theory of relativity,” would be pinched twice a day for failure to comprehend the Intricacies of the traffic system. i Still “conveniently located on 14th street” and the same set slogan of “Satisfaction Plus” from smiling sales and service f men. th St. N.W ur 3320 / LRYerman . PRES. PEERLESS MOTOR CAR CORP, vantages make it an automobile such linder, 333"x4” Stromberg Carburetor with accelerating lever Axles—P e erl section, with frame. Lubricating high Pressure. Air Cleaner and Oil Filter Clutch—Single Plate, dry disk Steering gear—Ross Cam and Propeller Shaft—Spicer grease type—Universal joints Columbia type . Bearings—Timken throughout Brakes—Lockheed Hydraulic international expanding Frame— Seven inch —Channel Bumpers, integral system — Alemite pump ess designed A Complete New Peerless Line Simultaneously with the announce- ment of the Six-61 Peerless is intro- ducing another new model—the Straight Eight-125. Also exhibited at the show will be the 1929 Six-81 and the Six-91, both of which were in- troduced within the past few months. as you have never before been able to own for so small an investment. Every graceful line, every detail of ‘quipment and finish—every turn { the motor tells its story of quality. This means that you can have your choice of four different Peerless cars It is only $1195 Peerless invested over a million dollars in developing this car to sell at a price so low. For .it is big, powerful, roomy— larger, faster on its feet, more beau- tiful than any automobile that ever sold at a price approaching this. Get out your rule and check the Six-61 specifications against those of any car in its price class. You’ll find that this car’s many ad- Tom’s Auto Service, 635-37 N St. . Chromium finish N.W.—0th & O Sts. N.W. Shock ‘Absorbers—L ovejoy (Hydraulic) Seats—Full pleated, form fitting Bum pers— Special Peerless Design Parking Lights — mounted on Fenders throughout Colors — Rich blue, soft tan, midnight black Tire Rack — Special Peerless Depign Appointments—of chaste metal Bodies—Murray designed Fenders—Full crown Wheel Base—116 inches. R. Bruce Livie, President Dealers: J. M. Fasanko, Baltimore Bivd., Md. —varying in size and price—but one in quality and value. Compare them with the other auto- mobiles on display. That’s the only way you can fully realize the values that Peerless offers today. PEERLESS MOTOR CAR CORP. Cleveland, Ohio Six-81 . . . . $§1595 Six91 . ... $1895 Eight-125 Five-passenger Sedan . . . . $2195 Eight-125 Seven-passenger Sedan . . . $2295 (All prices at factory) Bumpers extra on Standard Models PEERLESS BRUCE MOTORS CORP. 14th and P Streets N.W. Decatur 3400 BAL’_I'I)]ORE-—WASH[NGTO RICHMOND—NORFOLK Roanoke Bat. & Eleet. Co., Roa; noke, Va.