The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-05-27
new AUTO SPEED
Governor Yesterday Signed
the Bill Which Was Pas
sed BY the Last Legis-
lature.
TO GO INTO EFFECT IusE FIRST
Secretary Gray Explains
In an Elaborate State
ment the Executive
Action.
TO GO INTO EFFECT JUNE FIRST
Special to THE Jersey CITY News. :

TRENTON. May p, 1905. Gov
erisor Stokes at noon yesterday signed
House Bill 81, providing for the regis
ration of and uniform rules regulating
the use and speed Of automobiles. In
addition to the signing Of the bill, Ed
ward Gray secretary Of Governor
Stokes made this statement:
After careful consideration the Gov
ernor signed the automobile bill passed
this session of the Legislature He was
urged to do so by the representatives of
the agricultural sections Of the State
as well as others interested in this legis-
lation. How far the present act viii
remedy the evils complained Of is
question yet to be determined. The de
fects or merits Of the bill, however, will
be demonstrated within the current
year, and if it should not prove to be an
improvement over the present law the
next Legislature can provide for such
remedy as a years triad may seem to
warrant.
The new law which will go into ef-
feet June l, was compromise between
those who advocated such a drastic bill
as would tend to bar automobiles almost
entirely out Of the State, and those who
took rational view on the subject.
It is expected that the new law viii
be taken into the courts to have its con-
stitutionality passed upon, aud it is said
that at least one Of the new provisions
has already been declared invalid in
some of the western states.
The new law is the result of a compro-
mise between automobile owners of New
York. New Jersey and Pennsylvania and
the farmers and provides that every resi-
dent and nonresident owner whose motor
vehicle shall be driven in the State shall
file a declaration with the Secretary Of
State, duly verified, that he is competent
to drive the vehicle for which he desires
a license, shall give the rated horsepower
of the machine, and pay a license fee Of
81, the certificate TO become void if the
machine is sold the new owner 10 secure
new license. Manufacturers and deal
ers are. however. not required TO register
all their machines, but each may procure
registry number to cover all his ma
chimes until sold or let for hire, or loaned
for period of more than five days, and
all of his machines shall be regarded as
under such general numbers. The letter
M must, however, be added to the
number. on each machine, and the license
fee is $40. The license number in fig-
ures not less than four inches high and
one-half inch wide must be displayed On
the front and back Of every machine.
The usual provision for lights is made,
but the license number must be displayed
also on the sfdes Of the lamps. The sec
tions of the law regarding speed are as
follows:
Section 5. A rate of speed of one mile
in three minutes may be maintained, but
upon any public street, public road, or
turnpike, public park or parkway, public
driveway or public highway in this state
the said rate of speed shall not be ex-
ceeded BY any one driving a motor We
hicIe; provided, however, that nothing in
this section contained shah permit any
person to drive motor vehicle at any
speed greater than is reasonable having
regard to the traffic and nse IF highways,
or 50 as to eadanger the life or limb or
to injure the property Of any person;
and il IS further provided that nothing
in this section shall affect fhe right Of
any person injured. either ID his person
or property. by the negligent operation:
Of 4 motor vehicle, to sue and recover
damages as heretofore
Section 0. ANY person driving motor
vehicle upon any public streets, public
highways public roads. turnnises. parks.
public parkways or public drivewass, III