STREET DANGERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 32, 1 November 1917, Page 9

STREET DANGERS

SPEED LIMIT FOR MOTORS

RECOMMENDED BY EDUCATION BOARD

Town Clerk, Wellington—(l) .Need warn school children of the danger they incur in drinking from horsctroughs. (2) 'Dangers from motor traffic—necessity for upccial wiirnine to children. '['he above item beaded (he business under the. heading of ."Correspondence" at yesterday's meeting of the Wellington liducation Board, giving riso to a (,'ood deal of pungent comment, that is scarcely likely io be Hid last wold on tho question. The first question was speedily disposed of. Tho chairman (the Hon. i. (.}. W. Aitkcn) etated that there were jioiv rcc.v few horse-troughs in tho city, lie knew of very few. One was at llio i'oot of Majoribanks- Street, but in no cusp had he ever seen a child drinking out of it. though he passed it three or 'four times a day.

Mr. G. London suggested thai: a warning might be written on or near (ho trough, by the proper authorities. Referring to item No. 2 the chairman said i£ was strango that the- council should write to tho board on such a question. They could very well reply by asking the City Council to foiko firm steps to moderate the speed of motor traffic in the pity. Ha had noticed timo and again in the main streets motor-cars travelling at anything between 20 and 30 miles an hour, and that along streets in which there were intersecting streots, so that a car travelling at over 20 miles an. hour could not possibly pull up if a child caine out of a side-street in time to avert an eccident. JEotor-cars were bad, but motor-cycles worn perhaps even worse. Hβ moved that the secretary bo instructed to write- to the headmasters of schools asking them to draw the attention of tho children to tho dan- ■ gers of the streets, and that tho secretary also write to the City Council recommending that a. by-law bo passed making a. speed-limit for motor-nars and motor-cycles (if one did not exist), and pointing out the necessity that this should bo done at once.

Mr. William Allan raid ho would second the motion if the speed limit was made ten miles an hour in tho city. It was simply scandalous the way the motor traffic was being alloved to take control of the etreets. If everthare was a time when thoy should look after their children it was the present, but that was not being done in this regard. After nil. the streets were for tho people, not for the motor-cars in pnrticnlar. It was admitted in evidence in a recent accident case that the car was travelling at 20 miles nn hour. Not so lone ago tho speed of eight miles an hour was tho maximum, and drivers were arrested for going round corners at other than a wallviiiK pace, but motor-cars were permitted to whip round corners at 15 miles an hour.

Mr. T. Jfoss Raid that he had noticed the speed at which ears Trent along Willis Street.. The mofcor-enrs had to puH up when a tram-car, going the same wny, stopped, but in order to avoid doing bo. the motor-cars were allowed to slir> off at a tremendous pace. The resolution was carried unanimously.