Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-07-20
SMITH
OPTIMISTIC.
Hopeful for the Continued Better
ment of Automobile COndi-
tons in This State.

new automobile law:
The first two weeks under the
motor vehicle law have been highly
satisfactory ones. There have been
issued since May Z, the day the Offices
we're opened for registrations, S,206
registrations to vehicles and 11.252
licenses to drivers. We have collect
ed $40,23S in fees, all of which is
turned over to the state treasurer
for repairs to the improved roads of
the state. Since July list, we have
revoked the licenses of three drivers,
n have made permanent the order
deny the applications of other,
while the temporary orders in ten
other cases await final action. The
department has been criticised in
some quarters for putting the bur-
den of the proof of innocence" as
the critics are pleased to call it, upon
the applicant for licenses. They over
look the fact that we do not sit as a
court of justice, but rather as a board
of examiners, charged by the act to
license at our discretion, and it is
manifestly the duty of the applicant
to prove his fitness rather than that
we prove his incompetency. While
we are daily receiving many reports
VI IN III uIltIlH, HGI
many of these reports are accompan-
led by the statement that conditions
as a whole are very much improved.
Every report is investigated as
thoroughly as possible and such ac-
ton taken as seem fitting. In fact,
only from cne section of the state
does the information indicate a
worse condition than that which ex-
listed last year, There SENS to be a
very general disposition among driv-
ers, particularly 'Jerseymen, not only
to respect the law, but to insist that
others do likewise. The organized
clubs of the state especially, and
prominent autoists generally, are
rendering the department great as
sistance.
THE criticism of the law as we'll
as whatever defiance of it has been
so far reported, comes almost entire
ly, | an sorry to say, from persons
residing outside the state. The re-
sponsfbilitV for this, | believe, rests
very largely with certain trade journ-
ais and motoring periodicals, who
seem to be ignorant both of the neces-
sity for and the aims of the new law.
These papers, instead of supporting
its reasonable provisions, are covert
ly, If not openly. advocating defiance
of them. | find hat some of these
publications have been teaching a
Moctrine aDtly described by another
fSs the divine right of automobile
Ets.' They would probably have re-
iASardedc as a public nuisance, all who
with
whatever use of the roads motorists
see fit to make. They endeavor to
impress their readers with the idea
that the conduct of a few thousand
motorists and their friends should
not be interfered with by the millions
of other users of the roads. They in
woke the wrath of the gods upon the
board shoulders of Senator Freling-
huysen and implore motorists to get
together and elect a legislature
pledged to such action as they sug-
gcst.
II wish these writer's could be inn
pressed with the fact that other users
of the highways have rights in New
Jersey Is well as In other states, and
TINT they could understand the
depths of bitterness and hatred that
the abuses of the roads by motorists
have developed. / believe that the
o%utlawing of the entire use of motor
vehicles on public roads would be re-
garded NO great abuse of power than
that which has been suggested by
scne of these journals in behalf of
what they regard as the interests of
motorists. ], can think of no greater
misfortune TO the state. or set back to
its progress, at this time than such
a course would be. yet its adontion
has been seriously considered in
mn 4 n rfn1,c nc n nnccih1o nnnoccitv
so intolerable have some drivers of
motor vehicles made themselves. 1
do not believe that such heroic meas
ures will become necessary, but some
course must be found to save motor
ing from the effects of the folly of
some of its devotees, and this is what
the Frelinghuysen law proposes to
do. That is why the great army of
common sense drivers are rendering
sHch great assistance in securing the
laws enforcement. They see what
reckless speeding is doing for them,
they realize that for the same reason
that the owner of a horse in the 2:10
class Is not permitted to maintain
that speed on the public ways. so the
owner OF a mile - minute motor car
cannot be allowed to maintain his a
mnximum speed under the same con
6itions. but each must avail himself
of a private way; they see that the
very life and existence of motoring
depends upon the enforcement of rea-
sonable regulations and they want
the provisions of the new law to
have q fair trial. If these regulations
are not found adequate they will ask
for others until something effective
is found. But they. with non-users
of motors, are unanimous in regard
ing the Frelinghuysen regulations
generally reasonable. They have
found that the law compares very
favorably with those of other states.
They understand that it is not more
drastic but rather more liberal in all
those provisions defining the rights
and privileges of the motor vehicle
than was the act of 1903, which was
so popular with motorists. They see
that the difference is in those pro-
visions for the enforcement of the
respective laws. The old law was
good, but not enforcible. 1t relied
unon the integrity of drivers for
obedience, and was, in effect, direc-
ox- co{hor fhon mandatory The