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March 2 ,___,__--.-------_'-'--- e Bill to Reduce Death Toil Is Sent to Legal f Committee Members of the Ontario Legislature are a unit in deprecating the death toll of pedestrians on the highways of the Przvince, but not all are agreed as to the remedy. Irrespective of party affiliations, they arose in the $ House yesterday to compliment W. E. N. Sinclair, Liberal House Leader, in having brought the matter up by hav-- ing introduced a bill to compel al' pedestrians on the King's highways to carry nligl;tsmat nigr;t. bl;:, t,hahy N ELE | /. c..., ... .0. o ce irpirenren m reniememecentions not all 0 e opinion that this was R 4 6 ie best methiod of henmare the Sita: | | 9f the pedgetiains. bur would qive |ation. It was decided to send the bill them safety and protection," con-- |\ to the Legal Committee for further _ cluded Mr. Sinclair. | consideration. Inhine £ nis George _ Shields _ (Conservative, } In agreeing to this disposition 0 Woodbinc) sincerely complimented bill, Mr. Sinclair expressed the hOP® myr, Sinclair on having brought the | that the bill would not end up in the| matter up. "It should be discussed | / morgue," as did so many of the! now, and discussed until something / people it was intended to benefit. I'}l is done. I think some work will have speaking to his bill, the Liber:d' to be proceeded with, and I hope that Leader stated that he had introduced ) siqepaths will be constructed. . The it in all seriousness. "I realize the) gitches might also be filled in, and necessity for this or some other 1°8i§~| ao away with the soft shoulders. It| lation for the safety of the pedestrian ) wourq be safer for the pedestrians on the highways. It would not be\ and the drivers." i necessary on the sideroads in th¢}! "j r, mill (Conservative, Hastings country, as the element of danger iS| west) thought there should be more not so great there," he said. oads | | responsibility placed on pedestrians. | The King's highways are not TO@AGS | | @y would not walk on a highway with-- | in the ordinary sense of the teIM.| | ou; a jight, I would be wiling to | | They are through highways "hich' suppor} getting something like this on 'ha.ve taken the place of railways to & | |ina statutes," he said. large extent. This is why the rail--| | "aroue Martin (Conservative, Hamil-- lways are travelling almost empty--| A t that "bicycles he highways | ton West) pointed ou Y |handed. The traffic on t :1 n'f d:%sj have to carry lights, and I think this | !h" become esn oois ie shoreased. | law, Should be more rigidly enforced. | | ger for the pedestrians has increased. | | anq if this bill becomes law it should / |\ The pavements are only about 18 91| |he vigidly enforced." , ' 20 feet wide, and with two lines Ofi Mr. Newman objecbed to cars hay--| : traffic there is little rcom left {101" ing but one light, saying that this was those who are walking," said Mr. Sin--| | D. of the greatest dangers of the dair. y \ |road, while Wilfrid Heighington (Con-- Pedestrians' Rights. | | servative, St. David's) thought the | "The laws of this Province allow | members were searching for an im-- vehicles to travel at 35 miles per hour. possible ideal, Mr. Heighington stated i 'This figures out at about 50 feet per, that one could commit 112 offenses | second. The pedestrians have a right under the Highway Traffic Act at ; on the highways just the same as: present, and doubted the wisdom of' motorists, but on the heavier travel-- | . adding to the act. | led highways there is no place for| ; J, A. Sangster (Liberal, Glengarty) | them. | | thought it was the duty of every one | "Buggies and wagons have to have| to sook after himself, and, if the lights at night, yet they are more| bill was enacted, nothing should be easily seen than pedestrians wearing ; added to it. _ dark clothes. These make it ab-- "Pedestrians are becoming more solutely impossible for the motorists | . numerous than they were, because of to see them. Civil actions resulting | | present conditions," said D. J. Taylor from such accidents are the least of| | (Progressive, Grey North), "but I the evil, but, as it is now, excellent| |hardly think this would give the citizens' can be charged with man--| pedestrian the protection 'he desires. slaughter, and may be convicted by| 'The cost of footpaths would not be a jury, even if they are not at fault| in excess of what the pedestrian pays at all. Such persons may be sen--) toward highway costs in taxes. I tenced to jail or reformatories, when | |think that the result of the bill would they had no intention of breaking | | be to take away the chance of injured | the law," said the Liberal House| |persons recovering damaZts from | Leader. motorists. Some amount should be ; "The remedy I propose would save | | set aside for the construction of foot-- ' many lives in the Province. It would | | paths." prevent many accidents. It will save Hon. Leopold Macaulay was unwill-- motorists a nervous strain, as they | |ing to commit himself as to the ad-- are always fearful of hitting some | | yvisability of adopting the bill. '"We one. If this bill were incorporated in | | have been giving subsidies of 40 per our legislation it would go @ IlOng | | cent. of the cost to municipalities 'way to remedying the situation.| | which construct sidewalks along high-- Legislation should be enacted to pre--| | ways, We have encouraged this and vent these terrible accidents. No\ 1 wish to repeat the offer. If the member of this House knows but| municipalities from here to Lake Sim-- that the next time he goes Out for & . ppe will construct sidewalks we will , drive he might hit some one. It| pay 40 per cent. of the cost," S Areacn, renorrrmnrrmnmmiccuee