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Show ZZTI N ALMOST every large city In the TT United States laxicabs are rapidly r l displacing horse-drawn cabs and " j carriages as public vehicles for ''".l. transportation in those horseless vehicles are almost always based Mi on the distance traveled as shown on the registering dials of the tax-Nl-mSl ! imeters it obviously becomes of the , f:ijl gravest importance that these au-tomatic au-tomatic records shall be honest VIVA j and accurate in their chronicling. ' Indeed, in many cities there have been loud protests due to alleged overcharging of taxlcab patrons-the alleged overcharging being attributed to the faulty operation opera-tion of the taximeters. Whether such false accounting ac-counting was due to a desiro to cheat the traveling trav-eling public or merely to faulty mechanism in the mechanical bookkeeper could seldom be de-termin, de-termin, hut In either event the ouecome was the r N ALMOST every large city in the C 1 ' l ffTj YT United States laxicabs are rapidly -JffijJ V TS5-" ? , f displacing horse-drawn cabs and l lfl ilh! 1 V" ; " . fl -M carriages as public vehicles for t ', ' , 11 M "L transportation in those horseless jj W )V- " " ' ' ' . ) vehicles are almost always based K t ' ' - ' ' mtWk on the distance traveled as shown Pj IJi ' ' , , . " 'ft on the registering dials of the tax- I J) , ' 1 - I JjSV i imeters it obviously becomes of the . , - ' t , ,nf"msjfl gravest importance that these an- nKXF' ' ?A ' " iS I tomatic records shall be honest (B07, ( h ' ' '' v ' , - I V,V M and accurate in their chronicling. JTf& - , . ? " , . 'A f Indeed, in many cities there liave sfe-rt- . , ' . ' " - , . J ' IS been loud protests due to alleged 1 ' ' - ' " - : T " ' , overcharging of taxlcab patrons-the alleged - , - , ' A overcharging being attributed to the faulty opera- . y , - ' 'II tion of the taximeters. Whether such false ac- a , ' , - 1 i counting was due to a desiro to cheat the trav- ,,f, , ' " '1 eling public or merely to faulty mechanism in .YLfM,' ' ' ' : " " ' T ' the mechanical bookkeeper could seldom be de- JTVH'i- ' '- - s ' Al termlned, but in either event the ouecome was the rf fyjh ; " . ' ' , mi' vA, j A I- . " . v 1 ". - 1 r-- - - I '" ''v,1! ' ' X Ail f , J II 1 - " p "..,-" iv' LA - i k - , a--"--' ,a 1 1 - --v - v ' ft y v, X s J ft In Indianapolis alone more than 1,900 homes I 4 .. ' "I a have been mortgaged during the past year in or- f '$"'r . J i " ' " v? "Ill der that Iiouseholders may hxjy cars- r " - vV 74. " ' ,V,,S vS-')-' , - '-Iffl I I Purchasers of automobiles have been deceived la j- 'W, ?? , ',' .Y 11 in the matter of cost and upkeep, the difference j , r - '--v h U ; f ' r"' - " S "t tlf ,n the representations in this respect in com- ' " " '---"'' ? y''; VM parison with actual experience, makes it unwise X 4- " J3t - V ill to take or own a car even as a gift. 4'" S "-i1' " 'lU Tbe menace of the automobile now threatens 1 ' ' l V 'i the ptabllity of the home. and the danger is by Ik' "?H v Vt'iV"v ? " lKKiDBHB no rneans confinel to any particular section, 'l" 1" fi 9' S2&'f' ' a..tAvrpmfxmr",'mmeaB-j(Mm Even farmers are buying them. Perhaps you can I EffgTydsmj " ,, JfcrCT5Sy5S; f hear or see one of these "devil wagons" while TJWA TAXSSirTf TO TF KSWC? .TSfn? of theJionlly h in Indianapolis alone more than 1,900 homes have been mortgaged during the past year in order or-der that householders may buy cars. Purchasers of automobiles have been deceived In the matter of cost and upkeep, the difference in the representations In this respect In comparison com-parison with actual experience, makes it unwise to take or own a car even as a gift. The menace of the automobile now threatens the stability of the home, and the danger is by no means confined to any particular section. Even farmers are buying them. Perhaps you can near or see one of these "devil wagons" while you read this paragraph about them. It would be worth while to think of them seriously, with the view of reducing the hazard they undoubtedly undoubt-edly signify. The bankers of Kansas City and of the southwest who are dependent on the Kansas City banks have agreed to lend no money to anyone any-one who intends to use it with which to buy a motor car. The bankers of Kansas are alive to the menace of the automobile, as well they may be when it is understood that $32,000,000 were invested in motor cars in that state during the la-st twelve months. same the public got the worst of it. Various cities have made efforts to devise some means of testing taximeters, but to Uncle Sam belongs the credit of first solving the problem. prob-lem. The system is now in successful operation at the capital of the nation, where, by the way. there are probably more taxicabs in operation than in any, other city of the size in the world. The matter of keeping tab on the taximeters was placed in the hands of Col. W. C. Haskell, the United States superintendent of weights and measures, and he invented the first machine specially spe-cially designed for testing the accuracy of the "taxi." The first apparatus was rather cumbersome and the most conspicuous feature was a large wooden wheel which was turned by hand. The principle of operation involved the Insertion of a small wire through the shaft of the meter to he tested and turning the same a certain number of times to cover distance, verifying this test over an official mile and fraction thereof. The large machine when fitted with the same size eccentric, sprocket wheel and spiral shaft in use in taxi-cabs taxi-cabs gave a correct test, but it was a time-consuming process, ten revolutions of the large wheel being required to show one-quarter mile of travel. After much study of the subject Colonel Haskell Has-kell perfected the small machine which has lately been introduced for this work. With it one revolution revo-lution of the crank wheel through the aid of a system of cogwheels represents a quarter of a mile of travel. With this small machine attached direct to the shaft of the meter to be tested it 1b possible to test ten meters In the time formerly for-merly required for trying out one. Moreover, the system of cogwheels is so adjusted as to give an absolutely accurate test. The government now requires that all taximeters attached to cabs at the seat of government be tested at least twice a year, and when a meter upon test is found to be accurate a round blue seal is affixed to the face of the meter showing that it has been "approved." "ap-proved." Incorrect meters are given a yellow seal with the word "Condemned" thereon and must be withdrawn from use under a penalty of $100 fine. One of the latest ideas evolved for a safety attachment for automobiles is a "cow catcher." The "cow catcher," or man catcher, is attached to the front of the motor car and, when not in active use saving the life of some one who steps - :r nt of the moving machine, it looks exactly ' ;-i!rt of a hig locomotive. Used in this s feared that pedestrians might be hurt, for the car would throw them to one side, hence an attachment was added, operated by a button fixed conveniently on the seat near the driver, which, when pressed in time of danger, drops the cow catcher so that it is similar to the fender of a street car, adapted to catching the unlucky person and carrying him with the machine ma-chine until rescued by the driver of the automobile. auto-mobile. According to the inventors of this contrivance, con-trivance, the "cow catcher" will prevent many serious accidents if placed on the front of the automobiles. The frequency with which the claim is made that the automobile is largely an exiravagance arid that the people have grown motor-mad and are annexing themselves to power conveyances with a rapidity and lack of discretion that threatens threat-ens the stability of the country, is largely borne out by the results of recent investigations. An editorial in a recent issue of the World's Work, under the caption, "Burning Both Ends of the Candle," makes the startling- statement that in the city of Minneapolis alone 1,500 homes have been mortgaged to enable their owntrs to purchase pur-chase automobiles. It Is stated that about $375.-000,000 $375.-000,000 represents what the people of this country coun-try will spend for motor cars next year, and the editorial adds that "there are plenty of judications judica-tions that it is time for the average American to stop and think." Look out of your office window, 110 matter what city you are in, and you will see an automobile. auto-mobile. Try to cross the street and one of them Is more than likely to come along with sounding horn warning the pedestrian to get out of the way. If a man is deaf or a little slow in his footsteps foot-steps he is too frequently run down and the chauffeur sets up as a defense that the accident was quite unavoidable. Every one knows that more than half the "unavoidable" accidents could be avoided if the cars were run slower and more attention was paid to the rights of others in their use of the public streets. The automobile almost monopolizes the country roads and has become a positive menace. It looms large in the annals of accidents as reported by accident Insurance companies. The secretary of state of Indiana has recently found that the automobile is also a menace men-ace in a financial way. According to his report covering the months of April and May, he issued 3,50-4 licenses for automobiles for the two months. Assuming an average of $1,000 for each car, it would of course appear that $3,5G4,000 had been spent for automobiles in Indiana within a period of sixty days. The statement has been made that |
