Show lights of new york by L L STEVENSON at alk Mul nerry street Is an old graystone gray stone building once upon a time it was as new york cites police head quarters a sign oer the door still declaring it to be such the sign Is an error howe however er police headquarters Is in ID fl a gold turned domed stone honed ture lure over on centre street since 1916 the ancient graystone gray stone has been the place where all bad motorists go it houses traffic court also homic homicide idL court so whether the infraction ol at the law be a mere violation or a fa the driver reaches reached BOO mulbern Mul berr street those who are taken to hemf elde clde court are few those who reach cradic court are many the court was wae established june 14 1916 the num her ber of cases handled since then Is now well over a million the average Is from KO to a day the days work chiq ha reached a peak of 1000 cases the cases are handled at the rate of about three a minute on one oce slon GO 60 were disposed of in less than a minute 0 0 0 it the sentence meted out by the judge that Is the real punishment of a motorist who has passed a red light parked la in the wrong place or too long in the right place ignored an of bleers signal or committed any of the sins that bring tickets its the cout itself traffic court Is a place of travail for one who must face the bar of justice it seats only it 31 rest of the violators have to stand until the clerk calls their names oo on hot days women and occasionally a man faint sometimes an extra magistrate Is called in to relieve the congestion but always there la Is a walt wait that wait speeds up proceedings materially many a motorist who has comito the court firmly convinced that justice 1 I on his side and that hell make a fight Is so eager to get away that when his turn comes tie be cant say guilty quickly enough those who plead not guilty are ordered to return in a week with their attorneys that order often changes belligerence belll gerence into meekness A second visit Is almost unthinkable 0 4 0 mass production methods which es a new high for cases a min ute late were instituted by magistrate michael A ford last february he was in a hurry to get through ev here who intends to plead guilty raise his hand he ordered sixty hands were hoisted sentence suspended in those cases continued the court now lets hear what the rest of you have to say the rest said their says in short order the usual cost of a traffic violation Is 2 another bit of punishment in connection with a visit to traffic court if that the wait may be so long that the motorists wll wil get a ticket for overtime parking that tins has happened also cars have been stripped of everything of value while owners have been waiting to face the bar of justice 0 0 0 hardened to excuses are the traffic court magistrates it takes an exceptional explanation to bring a suspend ed sentence A twenty two cearold girl had one the traffic cop testified that be had whistled but she stopped the girl testified that she heard the whistle but thought it was some masher I 1 traffic fines are payable in cash and that introduces the subject of money A lot of money Is carried around mid town without anyone knowing anything about it at least the carrier hopes so merchants and others carry large sums to the banks in the course of the business day they also carry considerable sums from the banks in the way of cl change iange the rolls of silver are stowed in various parts of the clothing by some of the overcautious others put them into bags which look liet uk the reticules cules of our grandmothers women seem to think the bags they carry over their arms the safest means meana of transportation 0 ml 1933 boll bell service Stry lc |