Evening Star Newspaper, December 21, 1930, Page 60

In the Motor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. UBLIC opinion against the billl is gradually mak- ing itself felt. Public of clals are beginning to real- ize that the billboards not only mar the beauty of the scenery, but are a menace to safe driving as well. Important court decisions fa- voring the constitutional right of States to protect the beauty of the roadside have been cited by the American Automobile Asso- clation. The national motoring body declared that the trend in these decisions is to emphasize the ex- tent to which State authorities may consider the esthetic and cultural side of municipal devel- opment and extend this principle to beautification of highways. The latest decision, the A. A. A. inted out, is the opinion of the upreme Court of Indiana in the case of the General Outdoor Ad. vertising et al. vs. City of Indian-| apolis, upholding a city ordinance | rohibiting billboards and adver- | ising signs within 500 feet of any | park or boulevard. The court! said: “Municipal corporations, under | the police power, either by implied authority or under express statu- | tory authority, may reasonably| control and regulate the construc- tion and maintenance of bill- boards.” Other Opinions Cited. The A. A. A said that court| rulings are in general agreement | that the State has adequate power to eliminate objectionable signs, including signs interfering with safety by preventing clear vision ahead, and that the State’s power extends to esthetic values in| ;he!r relation to community wel- are. Supporting this principle, the A. A. A cited other decisions up- holding the right of States to regulate highway advertising . 5t “In St. Louis Poster Advertising Co. vs. 8t. Louis, the United States Supreme Court held that no rights under the fourteenth amendment of the United States Constitution were abridged by a municipal or- | dinance regulating the size and| construction of billboards * * *| and referred to its previous de- cision in Thomas Cusack Co. vs. City of Chicago, stating, ‘Bill- boards properly may be put in a class by themselves and prohibited in residence districts of a city in the Interest of safety, morality, health and decency of the com- munity.’ “In the above case the Nation’s highest tribunal held valid an or- dinance which prohibited the erection of billboards over a cer- tain size in any block in which one-half of the buildings on both sides were used exclusively for residence purposes without first obtaining the written consent of the owners of a majority of the frontage. “The court further stated that it would “interfere with the action of (local legislative authority) in enacting the ordinance only when it is plain and palpable that it has no real or substantial relation to the public health, safety, morals or to the general welfare. “‘Under a liberalized construc- tion of the general welfare pur- poses of State and Federal Con- stitutions there is a trend in mod- ern ons * * * to foster un- der the police power an esthetic and cultural side of municipal de- velopment—to prevent a thing which offends the sense of sight the same manner as a thing that offends the sense of hearing and smelling.’ " Army to Take Action. * ‘The Recruiting Service in Maryland viewing signs with the same intent. All blue and white arrow signs on roadside trees in Maryland, showing the distance in miles to the next city or town and the ad- dress of the nearest Army recruit- ing station, will be removed, offi- cials of the United States Army Recruiting Service at Baltimore declared. This decision on the part of Army authorities followed a conference between Col. Law- rence B. Simmonds, recruiting of- ficer of the 3d Corps Area, and Karl E. Pfeffer, assistant State forester for Maryland. The arrow &igns have been on roadside trees for many years. The removal of the signs is made at the suggestion of the Btate Forestry Department, in an effort to make the highways of land more attractive to the eye of the traveling public. In discussing the arrangement| Col. 8immonds said: ¥ “Our conference was at the sug- | gestion of the Department of For- estry of Maryland. The little blue signs with white arrows are not unattractive in appearance, but they only show the distance in! miles to the next city or town, and the address of the local recruitin, station, so they are not of great| value as advertisements for the Army Recruiting Service. They | added to the general clutter of advertising signs posted along the | highways and their removal will assist in the general cleaning-up and beautification of Maryland’s 'ways, which the State For- Department is so energeti- |MOTOR DON'TS ‘I DoNT*FiGHTY Your | | who were financially irresponsible. | ganized. Three out of four adalt cally carrying on. The State For- estry Department has jurisdiction over roadsides.” Addressing insurance commis- sioners from all parts of the United States and Canada some time ago, R. Leighton Foster, superintendent of insurance for the province of Ontario, Canada, strongly indorsed the A. A. A. safety responsibility law as means of controlling the reckless driver. He declared that it is the “best plan yet offered.” At the same time the Canadlan commissioner scored the Massa- chusetts compulsory plan, and termed it “undesirable, unwork- able and inimical to the public interest.” Mr. Foster’s address was one of the high lights of the National Convention of Insurance Commis- sioners, and he urged his col- leagues not to be misled by the circumstance that the enactment of these laws is now being spon- sored by organized motordom and that administration is vested in motor vehicle commissioners. Mr. Foster declared that up un- til five years ago safety was the objective of all motor vehicle leg- islation, but that it gradually dawned upon the public mind that accidents could not be en- tirely prevented and that thou- sands could own motor vehicles “Thus developed a demand,” he continued, “which I conceive to be general throughout ‘the United States and Canada today, that the innocent victims of these acci- dents be protected, that laws be formulated looking to the ‘respon- sibility’ in damages of all motor- ists as supplementary to the broader subject of ‘safety’ on the highways.” The commissioner pictured the chaos that followed in the wake of compulsory insurance for all motorists, as adopted in Massa- chusetts, with every accident a potential insurance claim, and also cited the growing opposition to this plan. He continued: “Leadership in such a matter would naturally be expected from the organized motoring public. The rapidly dwindling minority of the public, known as the pedes- trians, is not and cannot be or- pedestrians today are motorists.” Approves State Laws. Citing the principles of the A. A. A bill, and pointing out that it gave the stamp of approval to legislation already in force in many States and provinces re- quiring all operators and chauf- fellz;s to be licensed, Mr. Foster said: “It embodied provisions for the mandatory suspension of such licenses of all persons found guilty of serious violations of the motor vehicle laws and definitely barring such persons from the road until, in addition to what- ever penalties the laws provided | ped for these offenders, they have submitted satisfactory proof of their financial responsibility. It provided for the suspension of the |pe driving rights of all persons against whom final judgments arising out of motor vehicle acci- dents had been obtained and had been allowed to remain unsatis- fled, the suspension to remain in effect until the judgment was sat- | clothe isfied and, in addition, until such persons proved their financial re- sponsibility touching future acci- dents. Finally, it contemplated reciprocal arrangements’ between States whereby there would be an inter-exchange of suspension rul- ings, thus making the disability nationally reciprocal. “The A. A. A. bill met with a very favorable reception. It ap- pealed to the man who was look- ing for a constructive step in the direction of the solution of the problem which would not bring| with it more ills than it cured. Ob- viously it was not ‘freak’ legisla- | THE SUNDAY S’i‘AR, WASHINGTON, D. C, DECEMBER 21, 1930—PART FOUR. DOWN THE ROAD—The Acid Test of Friendship. PLANS SIDEWALKS LEADING T0 SCHOOL Louisiana Parish Approves Proposal to Safeguard Young Pedestrians. ST ~ It's dangerous to be a pedestrian, par- to or school, according to E. E. hway educational writer. In lengthen the life expectancy oBt‘l&a"ymm: lents, s& John the P! parish recently approved a plan w) mile of sidewalk will be built along n%l':}h:! leading to a school. Uy -riding passed awa; with t.he'eommflf uze'wwmobue. the art of walking is one of the hang-overs from the pre-machine age that is still very much in mxe Many motorists, not km)'rln#| . trequu‘:‘fly‘pllce estrians in embarrassing if not prone Ppositions. Pedestrians Often to Blame. But in fairness to motorists,; it must admitted that they are not always to blame for collisions with trians. Pedestrians occasionally fail to recog- nize that a highway runs in two direc- tions, that to cross a street one should look both ways. Littly forms dart out on the highway from some hidden nook. Then at ht pedestrians in dark es along the pavement edmnd with the blackness. uch as very few local commu- ames. and mlllb::v:;r aul':l“. ?'.l’&"“fli legally poss! construct wal along country roads, this step taken by St. John the Baptist pa: may be zested as an indication that the pedes- &m may soon come into his own. Measure Approved in Jersey. Last Spring New Jersey's Legislature 2] ved & measure that makes it pos- ed #lb3e Tor the -~ State flhmy Commission to bulld rural sic ‘Wayne County, Mich., and Al ! have constructed ccess. =~ The need for pedestrian facilities is nnom-ndthaymutbeflovidedu any headway is to be made in combat- ing motor casualties. Man; tion. All its cardinal principles! other than the reciprocal feature had already been experimented with successfully in Connecticut | and other States, or generally dis- cussed for two or three years with | general approval. It was n- sored by the motoring public’s own-organization. Best of all, it only applied in a compulsory way to motorists who, by reason of their own individual unlawful acts, brought themselves within' it. Its outstanding virtue was the elimination of any features of universal or absolute compulsion ! or prohibition.” | AUTOINDUSTRY READY FOR 1931 PROBLEMS R | Manufacturers Are Prepared lor' ‘Whatever New Year May Bring About. By the Associated Press. DETROIT.—Whatever 1931 may hold for the automobile industry, makers of motor cars will be ready for it. | So effectively has it met and disposed | of most problems that beset it with the collapse of its market in 1930 that the industry might quite be said to be “stripped for o gl ik a Certalnly, it has stripped itself of the problem of overproduction. Through the simple but effective expedient of Xem% e dealer lead instead of lead- ing the dealer, the industry has dis- pgzot;d of a huge overproduction from With comparatively little “distress 1,000,000 cars and call on producers for new models many weeks before they mm.gi,n would have been placed in uction. It is from this fact that the industry finds much of its encouragement for 1931. Virtually all motor car builders: have brought out new models earlier M than usual. —_— CASTOR OIL GAINS Castor oil, largely through the effort wnmncbmlit.hmhdum- eral oll as a lubricant for automobile m-lrphle:&-zwn y ties report that more than people killed or maimed are pedes- trians. The sidewalk along the rural road is one effective measure. Local communities and State hfi:wly de- partments should co-operate in building these walkways—if the laws do not pro- vide for them, change the laws. A Novel Battery. ‘Two metal-bottomed ferries have been anchored at opposite sides of & bay in California because it was found that immersed in the salt water they formed | With a t electric cell when berthed to- h“n:nd this caused corrosion —By FRANK BECK UNTIMELY POSTCARD FROM PAL SOJOURNING IN _SOUTH % OR WI Z F /// @130 wyvwavNe, e SPECIAL SAFETY RULES DRAWN TO GOVERN ALL MOTOR DRIVING Speed Used Only as Measuring Stick When Really Reckless Violate Factors Tested for Value in Protecting Public. BY MILLER McCLINTOCK, 1 et Rt Restaret, Hutvara Uaiverslly. How fast may automobiles be driven with safety? This question has long Dbeen recognized as one of the most diffi- cut problems in highway regulation. In the hope that this situation may be clarified, the National Conference on Street and Highway Safety at Washing- ton has promulgated a new basis for speed regulation. The new rule was Y | formulated after a careful consideration of the methods which have been used in the several States. These may be sum- marized as follows: So-called fixed speed limits were the earliest used in highway regulation and are still retained in several States, though they are generally considered ob- solete. ‘l.'hL ‘method provides that speed in excess of the limits set is conclusive ground for conviction. The chief fault with this method lies in the fact that the application of the rule results in arbitrary and inflexible enforcement. Driving Conditions Vary. Drit conditions are so varied that it is quite impossible to set fixed rates of speed which can be equitably and safely applied. For the more favorable conditions they are of necessity too low, and for the less favorable conditions they are invariably too high. No_ single factor in highway regula- tion has resulted in so much bad feeling Letween the driving public and the sgencies of enforcement than has this tm{ speed control. izing the inequality of fixed limits, many States have attempted to soften the arbitrary results by add the so- prima facie clause. limits are retained, but provision is made that an operator who is appre- hended for exceeding the limit is not conclusivel guilty, but only prima facie guilly, and that he may In- troduce evidence showing that under the conditions he was not driving in fact in a dangerous manner. In this form the rule is most generally used at the present time. T cally it remedies many of the defects of the fixed limit regulation, but in actual practice there is little dif- ference, for the courts are customarily unwilling to look favorably upon such refutatory evidence even though the ?hpmwr has time or desire to contest e case. Safety Factor Governs. A number of States, having tried both the fixed limit and the prima facie rule poor success, decided to abolish speed limits entirely and base their of | control on the requirement that opera- tors should at all times drive at a rea- IFree-Wheeling Principle to Be Applied To Other Autos During Trial Period “BETROTT, . December 20 IT, , — wheeling is the newest mechanical prin- ciple to be applied to American motor . For it, as advantages, savings of ofl and 12 uunt hx.x: 8s a new chassis trend. Following Studebaker, which was first to introduce it in this country, has come the new Lincoln, with free-wheeling in its new models. Hupmobile and Au- burn, according to reports, are to em- ploy it in additions to present lines that time. on European cars. one type known as Sandberg, which is brought to America and shown here by Capt. late s?r Henry Segrave's Golden Ar- row, 231-mil-an-hour car, two “qumm criticisms that have been made as to increased brake usage re- sulting from free-wheeling, Mr. Ro0s pou{uh"loutmmtl;nmggm cent brake capacity compe: this and more than takes care of free- throughout Prance, b, Increased Jack Irving, designer of the |record time, gineer! opinion, is on trial with the cess d on extreme mechanism employs if they are to bear their share of the driving load and on ability to withstand wear. The name of Col. E. J. Hall came back into the headlines with the for- mation of the Devaux-Hall Motors Cor- P“'m to manufacture a new six-cyl- nder car at Grand Rapids, Mich. Col. Hall is remembered as co-designer with Col. Jesse G. Vincent, Packard vice president, of the Liberty motor during the World War. At that time he was head of the Hall-Scott Motor Co. on the Pacific Coast, and was chosen with Col. Vincent as one of the two men in the country competent to build an air- plane engine under emérgency condi- tions that would serve war-time pur- poses. The story of how the worked be- hind closed doors for and with- out sleep to put the Liberty on paper and set out specifications for it in 4 has been told often and now y. Since then, one of Col. Hall's major connections has been with the Ameri- can Car & Foundry Co., on bus power-plant design and marine engines. Norman sonable and proper speed. Among these States are Connecticut, Michigan, In- s Generally o ly known among compe- tent observers that speed limits have negligible effect upon the speed at which vehicles are operated. Drivers mw at that speed which appears to to be safe and desirable under the circumstances. Periodical “drives” by motor cycle officers may tempo- |n.rily affect this situation, but not for long. Recently the Albert Russel Erskine Bureau of Harvard University con- ducted inve ns in several States ving fixed ts, prima facle limits and no limits. Under comparable traffic conditions, the average highway speeds were approximately the same in all States. After reviewing National Conference on Street and Highway Safety determined that no one of the present rules was satjsfactory and that modern highway conditions demanded a new policy. Fixed and prima facle rules were discarded be- cause of their inaccurate and inflexible quality. The abolition of all speed limits was not approved, for it was felt that | tor the practice left no guide for operators or_for enfc officers. In the new rule, therefore, there was an attempt to combine the practice and Special Rule Devised. ‘The rule as promulgated by the con- ference is in two parts. Part one, which is called the basic rule, prohibits (a) driving a vehicle “at & speed which is e speed | mig fction even though driving &t & specd viction even thoug! g at & of 5 or 10 miles an hour if under the conditions such action is in fact un- reasonable or improper or results in collision. A conviction for violation of the provisions of the basic rule carries the normal penalties provided for gen- eral regulations. Technically, the basic rules accurately followed and enforced wugluld’bo entirely adequate for the con- o 3 As a practical guide for such obe- dience and enforcement a second part of the rule is set forth under the cates s o miles per hour near schools and under sim- llar conditions, 20 miles per hour in business districts and other special lo- cations, 256 miles per hour in residence districts d other and of locations and 45 miles?per hour in the open ‘These are not limits. An op- erator is mnot subject to conviction merely for having exceeded the indi- cated limits. Thus on an open high- way, under favorable conditions where there is no of the basic rule, driver may operate at 50, or even ), hour. In other words, It is, however, used as a measure of the degree of m&oflmu which may be called bad iving. This is the vision which makes 8 regulaticn the most severe which has ever been enacted inst reckless drivers. Any operator who while mov- ing at & rate in excess of the indi- cated speed violates the basic rule by driving in an unreasonable or im- proper manner, or so as to collide with any person or vehicle, or who violates any rule of the road, :hx:mph. driving the This begins with a minimum of $25 fine or five days' imprisonment or both, and has & maximum for a second of- fense of $1,000 fine and six months’ imprisonment or both. The applica- tion of the rule will divert ltunfio; rates of speed combined with speed re- 2 @ it the qualities of present | tractors, trucks m.uzheevfl. SNOW BELT T0 GIVE 20,000 MEN 1085 $10,000,000 to Be Spent to Keep 200,000 Miles of Highways Open. Approximately 50,000 men in the thirty-six States constituting the “snow belt” will be given employment this Winter in keeping the main highways open, the American Automobile Associa- tion announced recently. The national motoring body declared this year's snow removal program is the most extensive on record and that $10,000,000 will be expended in keeping 200,000 miles of main highways open throughout the Winter months. ‘The estimate of the A. A. A. for 1930-31 is based on the actual survey recently completed by the Bureau of Public Roads for 1929-30, which shows that last season 184,748 miles of roads were kept open at a cost of $8,224,- current practice, the | 368, Commenting on the estimate for this ‘Thomas P. ¢‘The large expenditure for snow moval this Winter has a fourfold significance. It will considerably help the unemplo; sure open v hways lo‘x;’ 20,000,000 mo- and ! the new | highest 3 and ::lp industry. And it me;n gl onignvay mainienanes he cost | weary these TAUTOMOBILE ADDS TOENJOYMENT OF CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SEASON Motor Car Enables Entire Family to Gather From Distant Parts for Reunion. Held Ideal Gift. BY H. CLIFFORD BROKAW, Automobile Technical Adviser. To contemplate the enjoyment of holidays without the use quite unthinkable to the average American citizen. If he ever has a thought that such & vehicle was not always avallable in connection with the pleasures of this holiday sea- son, he probably wonders how folks in the pre-auf le to get full value out of now it is simply taken for & motor car is » ity in most hases of modern life and especially on There is an_ opinion which I have heard expressed many times to the ef- fect that there ted that does not seem to be as try fairly clear of snow during the Wniter season. A few years back many of these roads were practically impassable dur- ing certain seasons of the year. Year-Round Touring. ‘The fact that most highways are now 80 constructed and so kept free of snow that automobiles are used throughout the year, makes it possible for people to tour during the Christmas holiday t4 i ?535 season almost as conveniently as any | Even other part of the year. This situation has had a very important effect on the observance of Christmas. Of all the holiday seasons, it is prob- able that Christmas is the time when there are the greatest number of home- coming events and family gatherings. It is the time when members of fam- 1lies mge an \;numll g&néo be to- gether for enjoying hristmas cheer. Students are coming home from school and colleges; elderly folks their offs or are ent ing them. The great which has taken in such gather- ings is due largely to the automobile. Before the motor car prevalled, it was The automobile is responsible for & lot of Christmas cheer in that the auto- It provides countless j quently pays checks so that folks thus benefited can do some Christmas shop- I-cummmmhflwpuu-rl‘. But when at a late date some friend’ has been overlooked, & trip some store in the family car saves owner's embarrass- no easy undertaking to effect these | au It often meant Milady’s Motoring BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. H E ent situation. It will as- | pads and tire covers will dress up ber. A good-looking lap robe - | asset to any car. What woman hasn't jumped her eux'-n g:er I’n :normn.l of of wishing might be lhlgoio shift touching FREAK MARYLAND TAG| futsie 2 ins wacet NUMBERS ARE SOUGHT | “eimtes o oo™ Commissioner Baughman, However, Will Not Comply Witk License Requests. Bpecial Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, December 20.—Hun- dreds of requests for freak automobile license tags will not be complied with, according to Commissioner of Moto: Vehicles E. Austin Bat ar 5 i In the past years, it was said, as many as 500 automobile owners have numerals o)(k;hel.r It complications arose When several chose the same num- bers. The custom also added additional work for the clerical force and in many instances caused a mix-up of the records. . No. | the ug] 3 “One would be surprised,” sald D. Marshal Schroeder, deputy commission- er, “of the many novel excuses given in the requests for the freak license tags. “Several motorists asked tha given the same number license piates as their telephone numbers, as this would be a means for remembering their license numbers 1f the car were stolen. “One man asked that he be given tag No. 11-111 because it nted the hand one could d in auto- mobile poker. The five ones represented five aces, and none of his friends would be able to beat him, the automobilist said. “Still others want tags whose first two numbers correspond to their age.” Quite & number of motorists are not & bit superstitious, the requests show. An even dozen male drivers have re- a:med tags bearing in their make-up number “13.” Australia Finds Oil. WHERE TO MOTOR AND DINE. Lafayette Tea Room 106 W. Patrick St. Frederick, Md. R ing ;xwmpe nwmu] is haste 58 n a - tion in revolution. — With the air of one s fully nourished fact one the species recently there were onl; A new clock, available for the auto- mobile instrument panel, tells not only time to split seconds, but has the showing home to your on without. bothering to remember e at the start. Ihnv;‘h;g:um uipment s extra, a5 & means of the olt'l.q car look a little more like a current model. the thought of the car with practical nmumt.l\whulmmolfi- t'ha notflnlybgve';mngammw t in slippery may easily save an accident in ‘weather. Some one has said that the auto- the _tired | 4 CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS Maryland Commissioner Outlinr~ “Mental Lapses.” as follows what serious: ‘When the driver engages in back-seat conversation and momentarily turrs of the driver's seat. ““He " of the road. M lapses, some intentional, come under gk clas- sification. “Strict attention to simple rules of conduct will save many lives and pre- vent multitudes of accidents,” in tly suggested the in- long tly to the cars’ beauty. There has an _intensive md{u‘o( elimination. There will be drum- noticeable, fewer squeaks extraneous noises. ¥ Authorized Service Harrison Radiators CREEL BROTHERS 1811 14th St. NW. "BEST OIL IN THE WORLD' Good oil, as you know, is the life-blood of a motor. Poor oil is its death-warrant. Autocrat Motor Oil “Pennsyl- i, By its use you avoid all brigation troubles. Beware of Substitutes Try u.:lduo:':l : next time il judge its mm for yourself.