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Show GOVERNORS HOLD MEETING IN EAST SIXTEENTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE CONFER-ENCE IS HELD AT JACKSONVILLE, JACK-SONVILLE, FLORIDA Laws Regulating Growing Traffic Is Urged; Commission of Safety Is Also Recommended Jacksonville, The conference of governors meeting here in sixteenth annual session entered its concluding conclud-ing day's discussions Tuesday, with Governor Branch of Indiana with Governor Cox of Massachusetts leading lead-ing with papers on prevention of grade crossing automobile accidents and safeguarding the highways, respectively. re-spectively. After the morning session, the governors gov-ernors were the guests of the chamber cham-ber of commerce at a luncheon, and later were to board a steamship for a trip up the St. John's river for San-ford San-ford and a tour of inspection of the state, thence across the Everglades to Palm Beach and Miami. The party disbanded at Miami Saturday. In opening the discussion, Governor Branch declared it had been estimated esti-mated that 800 persons would be killed and more than 8090 injured in accidents of this character during 1924. The situation in Indiana had greatly great-ly disturbed him, and finally action was taken when ten lives were snuffed snuf-fed out at one below. A conference was called in October, at which 132 representatives rep-resentatives of various interested organizations or-ganizations took part in discussions of measures designed to "prevent and save." Governor Branch said he would make specific recommendations to the next session of the legislature, legisla-ture, asking it to enact a law regulating regu-lating grade crossing traffic. He said the resolutions adopted by the safety conference in October would be the basis for his suggestions. Resolutions adopted by the confer ence, he said, called for the creation of a department of safety of the public pub-lic service commission, headed by a member of the commission, to be designated as "commissioner of safety." safe-ty." To this department would be referred for investigation and recommendation recom-mendation all matters pertaining to the safety of persons and property as related to seven persons, not members of the public service commission. The commissioner of safety would appoint an advisory committee of seven sev-en persons, not members of the commission, com-mission, to serve without pay. Other steps called for by the resolutions reso-lutions were: Elimination of grade crossings wherever possible; railroads to be required re-quired to install and operate light signals sig-nals or modern signal devices at crossings; correction of safety zones at crossings; that the legislature invest in-vest the public service commission with the power of eminent domain for straightening and relocating or for removing buildings, trees or other obstructions along highways. That a "Stop, look and listen" law he enacted authorizing designation of langerous grade crossings at which vehicular traffic should stop and traf fic, regulations be standardized. Frank O. Lowri-en, ex-governor of Hlinois, who addressed the convention, reached Savannah on crutches. He feil on the train en route from Atlanta At-lanta and was injured. |