Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-08-18
LA WIS SHOULD
BE CHANGED
STATE UNIFORMITY WANTED BY
AUTO ENTHUSIASTS
DISAGREEABLE FEATURES MET
ON LONG TOURS
A. A. A. Proposes to Educate Legis-
Iators in Regard to Needs of
Automobiles and Secure
Cooperation
BY HAINEs w. REED

The need of securing uniform state au
tomobile laws is more and more occupy
| ing the attention of auto enthusiast
throughout the country. The early an
tagonism toward automobiles has result
ed in cluttering up the state statut,
books with lot of needless restrictions
these restrictions varying from state t.
state and making interstate touring an
noying in the extreme.
Especially is this true where each state
has different license requirements. In the
| big tours, such as the tGlidden, contest
ants are greatly Inconvenience by the
many petty restrictions placed on then
by different local communities through
which they pass
| With the more general use of automo-
biles the feeling of antagonism for them
is abating, but the useless statutes re-
main.
The automobile ignores state limits just
as does the railway. 1t will not remain
a local mode of conveyance to be used
within the city or county or state linn
it's Varying statutes and useless re-
strictions may annoy automobiles, but
can never confne the sphere of use that
automobiles fill.
In the Atlantic coast states, where the
touring possibilities are the greatest be-
cause of good roads, the nedd for uni
form state laws are most seriously felt.
Tours lasting several days, during which
time many state boundaries may be
crossed, are becoming more and more fire.
quent.
In the western states hostile legislation
has not been so marked. Good roads are
fewer and villages are farther apart.
But even here the need of uniformity is
felt.
National Legislation
Many propositions have been advocat-
ed for securing reform of state automo-
bile laws with view to making them
uniform. National legislation is suggested
as a possible way of securing the desired
end In view of the failure to secure uni
form laws governing interstate railways
it would seem that little hope for the
automobile may be expected from this
source.
The legislative board of the A. A. A.
seems to be on the right path. 1t pro-
posed to keep in touch with the various
state Legislatures through members IN
various states A set of ideal automobile
laws have been drawn up which it is pro-
posed to have enacted as far as possible
by all the states.
The board sends copies of these laws to
influential members of the association in
each state urging that influence be.
brought to bear on the state legislature
through local automobiliStS to have the
laws enacted in place of the old ones.
This plan may, if persistently pursued,
bring about a fairly uniform set of laws
throughout the various states. The ques-
ton of uniform license is one that is
especially desirable to have settled as
soon as possible.
But whether state laws be made uni
form or not. the touring and long distance
use of automobiles will continue to grow
in importance with the development of
the geographical possibilities of the
horseless vehicles.
Ferry Conditions Hard
San Francisco automobile dealers are
up in arms over the rule of the Southern
Pacific which prohibits more than four
automobiles at one time on the ferries
going across the bay. A petition will
probably be presented within the next few
days TO the railway people requesting
better accommodation for automobiles.
The roads where autos can be used
around San Francisco are confined almost
exclusively to Golden Gate park and the
Preside. The roads to San Mateo and
Redwood City are too rough for pleasure.
1t is almost necessary for owners to get
over to the other side of the bay II they
are to get any use out of their machines.
If there are no accommodations for
crossing the bay prospective purchasers
of automobiles will figure out that 1t will
not pay them to invest. AT present the
condition of transportation is so uncertain
that an automobile may have to wait
from fifteen minutes to three hours for
chance to get across the bay.