Page:California Highways and Public Works Journal Vols 8-9.djvu/22

 courteous to him. He must be kindly without sacrifice of firmness. He must be both a teacher and an officer, his attitude instructive toward those who desire to be instructed, and his control, courteous but immediate and certain, toward those who refuse instruction.

It may be an idle dream, but I have been hoping, since I knew the Division of Motor Vehicles was to become a part of the Department of Public Works, that we may be able to change both the attitude of some, not all, traffic officers toward the motoring public, and the attitude of the motoring public toward traffic officers.

It seems to me that the chief function of the traffic officer should be to expedite the movement of traffic with safety; that arrests should be made only as a last resort to accomplish this; that the “gas station” traffic officer and the one who lurks behind a tree to pounce out upon the unwary motorist will have to go: that the traffic officer should be a friend of the motorist aiding him in distress and assisting in making his travel safe and pleasant.

To accomplish this would mean that a traffic officer would patrol the highways, always in sight, and distinguishable to the traveling public by the color of his car and uniform. Color of car and uniform, however, will not of themselves accomplish the transformation. The attitude of some of our officers, although I am happy to say, not all of them, toward the motorist would have to change.

I have also hoped that we may be able to change the attitude of the motorist toward the traffic officer.

My observation has been that some men, who are normally courteous and considerate, lose every sense of obligation toward their fellow men when they get behind the steering wheel of an automobile. Happily again this does not apply to all drivers, but rather to a small minority. Their attitude seems to be that they are not only the sworn enemies of the traffic officer but also that they owe no obligation to show consideration for the other fellow’s rights and the other fellow’s welfare. I have sometimes thought that we should amend the slogan “safety first” to read Safety FIRST For the Other Fellow. It seems to me that a great many things come before safety first for ourselves. Honor should come first, and consideration for the safety and the wellbeing of the other fellow. Then safety for all would follow. A motorist should not feel angry when stopped by a traffic officer. He should feel ashamed. Let me suggest that if motorists would force themselves, just for one day, to be courteous and considerate to fellow motorists, they would get so many thrills in that one day that they would never return to the old practices and the old ways.

If the motorist and traffic officer would both play on the same side, the old game which has existed so long between the two would no longer have any zest.

I have the utmost confidence that the California Highway Patrol will come to be known the world over for the possession of those qualities and the exercise of those duties I have attempted to outline in the foregoing paragraphs. I believe that there will be added to the reputation that California highways now enjoys for comfort and beauty, the further encomium that they are the safest in the world, and credit for this will belong to the California Highway Patrol. 

(Continued from page 8.) of ample width for safe and quick access, and all floors have the necessary baths, toilets, storage spaces and accessories. The exterior of the structure is designed in a modernistic style of concrete construction and has a military appearance. The completion of this unit comprising the cell block, hospital and administration quarters will represent an expenditure of $313,000 including furnishings and equipment.

The State of California in addition has also prepared to care for the expansion in our prison population by appropriations from the legislature of 1929 for a prison for first offenders and a new women’s prison. These institutions will be entirely new ones and when proper sites have been selected and approved the Division of Architecture will be called upon to study and plan buildings and auxiliaries to cope with the exceptional housing problems.

With the exception of a superintendent of construction and a foreman to lead in the various trades involved, all labor on these new buildings is performed by the prisoners. We are sometimes asked if we do not have difficulty in handling the convicts during construction. The answer is "not very often," for insolence and disobedience will not be tolerated and such cases are referred at once to the proper prison authorities. If the offense is repeated the prisoner goes into the “hole.” which means solitary confinement.