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Show CLUB IS FOUND iNRJBLICITY Newspaper Real "Big Stick" in Traffic Safety Work, Says Graham. "Constructive newspaper publicity has been one of the Important factors fac-tors In bettering traffic in New York," said George M. Graham, chairman of the traffic planning and safety committee com-mittee of the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce. "It hiis pilloried the careless driver. "It has published the names of those whose licenses were revoked or suspended. sus-pended. "Credit, to be sure, cannot be allocated allo-cated to one source. Praise Is Due. "Charles A. Harnett, motor vehicle commissioner, Is deserving of great praise In the reduction which has come about during his administration. "He has enforced the law rigorously. rigor-ously. "He has had a good law supporting him. "He has had Intelligent backing In various municipalities. "The combination of these elements in removing the reckless driver from the highway, plus the activity of the newspapers In publishing these lists, Is, we believe, one of the most helpful demonstrations in the progress of traffic traf-fic control. "Persecution of the careless driver, however deserved, would tend to bring a reaction. "But the calm, constructive attitude of the press in simply publishing the facts, listing the persons who have lost their licenses Is, I believe, one of the most potent measures that can be used. "It Is hard to enforce Jail sentences and in a large city traffic lines do not have much news value. But the drivers driv-ers of communities have food for sober so-ber thought when they see several hundred of their neighbors listed for revocation of licenses. "Nobody on that list receives sympathy. sym-pathy. The average motorist will take particular -care to keep off that list. Licenses Revoked. "But there are other states where revocation of licenses is In effect and where tremendous, constructive effort has been exerted, without avail, to bring about reductions. "Such cases need special analysis by the persons in charge. It may be tbat only a few newspapers are publishing pub-lishing the revocation lists. It may be that there are a number of danger places on the state highways that are causing accidents, even when the drivers driv-ers are careful. There may be inadequate inade-quate police patrol to check up on recklessness. "Certain it is, that If New York state with Its great number of cities, Its large foreign population and its great volume of tourist traffic can reduce accidents, the work of other communities commu-nities earnestly working on this wiU in time be rewarded." |