The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-07-15
WHAT THE AUTO LAW PROVIDES FOR Recklessness to be Real Test of Speed Under
 Act Just Passed. FEES AS PRESCRIBED Secretary of State and His Deputies May Revoke
 Licenses.
FEES AS PRESCRIBED

The automobile law, as it was passed by the senate and has now been passed by the house will be of interest to ev- erybody, whether driving a machine or not. Below is given a summary of the various sections:
 l. Under Section each separate motor vehicle has to be registered an nually, while under the present law only the owner is registered for a limited time.
 2. Special provision is made for manufacturers or dealers license. but the operator of the car registered un- der this section must display his oper- ator's license number in such manner as the secretary of state may prescribe.
 3. Numbers on the plates or markers must not be less than the present size, but the secretary may prescribe larger ones if he thinks necessary (SectioR A.
 4 Each operator of a motor vehicle must, under Section ', obtain license which is good for one year and these licenses must be carried by the operat- or and be subject to examination by any proper officer No one under the age of Is (1S) can obtain license.
 5. Fees are prescribed in Section 8, and are based upon horsepower ex- cept the manufacturers certificate, which is $1OO and the dealers $1o.
 The secretary of state or his deputy may after hearing, revoke any operat- ors license subject to appeal, and jus tices of the peace are required to fur nish abstracts of all convictions to the secretary, and may recommend regard ing revocation of licenses, after three convictions during the same calendar 1 year the secretary must revoke the license, but he may, after any conyic- | tion, or even without Q conviction. The revocation of license Is an additional penalty; the other penalties are pro- vided for in Section 19.
 l [. Non-residents may operate Tn this state for ten successive days with out complying with the law, but If once convicted of violating the speed provisions, are required to register, (Section 10).
 l S. Section Ii Is the principal speed provision, and makes recklessness the real test of speed, but provides that excess over twenty five miles an hour for the distance of one-eighth of d mile shall be prima facie evidence that the person operating is reckless. All reference to city borough and oth- CT limits is Intentionally omitted, as l the rate of speed must always depend upon the condition of the highway, that | IS width, traffic and the use of the same and the liability of danger to person or property. Prinla facie provision means that in criminal as well as in civil cases, the burden Is placed upon Jarn ,1,o,.I IA cl, hot ha N5kt improperly operating his car, simi- lar provision was adopted in Masaschu- setts in 1906. and it is the law of Yer mont just passed by the last legisla- ture Section 12 provides that upon approaching a person or vehicle. the operator must reduce his speed, and stop the car if signalled to do so; and a new provision Is added that upon ap- 1 preaching bridge, sharp turn etc, the operator must give q signal With his horn Section 13 provides that no one shall operate car when intoxi- cated or in race, or on bet or wag- CT.
 g. Section 15 provides that no car shall have displayed upon it more than two sets of registered numbers, and lnon-residents under Section 10, must I display only the Identification plates ot the state in which they reside. A Con- necticut operator can display one set of nonresident plates in addition to the Connecticut ones.
 10. Adequate brakes and suitable bell or horn are provided by Section 16, which also provides that every car must display from one hour after sun set to one hour before sunrise, at least
 one white light in front. and one light in the rear showing red, and also show ing white at the side, so arranged as to illuminate the rear marker,
 II. Section l9 increases the penalties
 for violation of the law, by providing that an one who violates any provision
 may be fined or imprisoned, while in
 the old law, fine of $50 was the max
 mum penalty for any violation, ex-
 cept speed provision. Under Section % lall registration and license fees, and all
 fines go to the state for good roads
 and under the present number of ve- fhicles registered, the income would moi
 be less than S50,000 a year, probably
 considerably more. This sum is the
 amount fixed by the tax commission oi
 Massachusetts as representing the
 amount of damage done to macadam
 roads in Massachusetts.
 12 Any one who registers under the
 new law prior to September may, un.
 der Section 22, keep his same license
 number and markers,