The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-18
MASSACHUSETTS, AUTO LAW
Not SATISFACTORY TO THE
WORCESTER club.


ttANUW hlh EAtV, Uut tuNt w
Be brought TO last ConstitutiOnsiity.
wc(cEsrER. Mass. Aug. I7.-Counsel
fSr the Massachusetts State Automobile
Association are preparing TO test the con-
stitutionality OF the law which % into
effect August 1 compelling owners OF
machines 10 pay n fee OF IS for eac car
instead OF 81. which has for some years been
required. Members of the Worcester Auto
mobile Club are ~instigators OF the test case.
but they are being Joined by members in
other cities.
Heretofore when the owner OF a car took
out a license and paid 81 for the registration
the license was considered perpetual. but the
new law requires that on August 1 Of this
yea the owner should pay SIS on that date
for each car. another S. On January 1. 1908.
and zach succeeding January 1 a like sum
should be paid. The money thus obtained
was to be paid by the State Treasurer to
the State Highway Commission for road
improvement.
From the time of the introduction OF the
act In the Legislature there has been OBJ
lection from automobile owners, it being
assorted that the law was not only uncalled
for but that the amount Of money thus
cOIleCteu tollI UOt De eADtIutu eutlTely
for the improvement Of highways. How
ever, when it came time to pay the additional
fee on August 1 members Of the Worcester
club held a meeting and il was voted to
comply with the new law under protest.
Since that time the required S. has been
paid by every member Of the club. as well
as clubs in Maiden and Brockton, while
several members OF clubs which as a body
had not taken n decided tand in the matter
have followed suit on their own respon-
sibility.
Francis Hurtubis. Jr,, counsel for the
Massachusetts, State Automobile Associa-
ton. has from the first denied that the
association favored the new law, although
it has been reported hat he appeared be-
fore the committees on roads and bridges
and taxation which heard the matter. and
that at that time he was instructed to
favor the measure. Senator George II.
Garfield Of Brockton was chairman OF
the joint committee on taxation, before
whom the matter was heard before it be-
came a law, and since the act has stirred
up TO much trouble there has been a cross
fire OF accusations between the two men
and the interests which they represent.
MIR. Hurtubis maintains that when the
matter was first talked Of in 1906 he APP
peared before the taxation committee and
acknowledved hat automobiles injured the
roads of the State and that some means
should he resorted 10 whereby funds might
he obtained from owners Of machines to
help keep the highways in proper repair.
Il said at that time, said MIR. H~urtubis,
that perhaps the Automobiles would not
object to paying an annual registration Zee.
II the Legislature thought II wise to exact
one. of 81 for a certificate Of registration
md n like ANN for a lnpnQQ hpllaypd
then, as | believe now that the sum which
would have been raised by the payment Of
these amount would be a fair contribution
by the a~utomobilists toward helping the
State TO maintain its highways.
Senator Garfield's committee thought
otherwise. however, and reported a bill
providing that the fees required for the
registration OF automobiles should not be
less in any year than S.. nor more than
SIS. that the fee for every manufacturers
or dealers certificate should he SIS and
that every certificate of registration should
expire the first day Of January. 1907.
Il opposed this bill before the Committee
on Taxation in the Legislature and advanced
the same proposition which ! had advocated
before Senator Garield's committee. The
committee on taxation. however, came to
the conclusion that a fiat rate of IS registra-
tion fee would be about right and reported
a bill ~embodying these provisions" To
this bill Mr.. Hurtubis thinks there would
nave been but little objection.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee
insisted. however. on the bill reported by
Senator Garfield's committee. with a sliding
scale fee from s. TO SIS and the provision
that it should take effect July l..
Mr.. Hurtubis opposed the measure on
behalf Of the Massachusetts Automobile
Association, but the Senate Ways and
Means Committee insisted upon getting
something out of the Automobiles this
year and adopted a sliding scale fee of from
* 70 ak m talp of pnf .Illy \ IN07 /
This bill was then presented to the House
Ways and Means Committee and Mr.. Hur-
tubs appeared before them arguing on the
same line as before the Senate Ways and
Means Committee. III House COM
mittee was satisfied that a fiat S. registra-
tion fee to take effect January /. 1908, would
be sufficient for a starter and reported a
BIZ. upon those lines. The House approved
the bin, but the Senate would not.
A committee on conference was then APP
pointed at the very end of the Legislature
aud a compromise bill was drawn up
making the registration OF a SIS fiat annual
fee and providing that every certificate Of
registration should expire August 1. 1907.
The bill as passed not only includes
automobiles. but motor cycles, except
ambulanccs n fire engines. 1t requires
that application for registration hall he
made by mail or otherwise to the Massa-
chusetts Highway Commission or any agent
and shall, in addition 70 such
otIlt DdiliNhAtiS tH nay w NibiAtd W iuo |
commission, give practically a life history
OF the applicant.
II the applicant shall during the year
transfer his machine to another party
the registration expires with the old owner,
a feature which it is asserted will give the
commission a fair estimate Of machines
owned in the State as we'll as the name and |
residence Of the new owner. There are regis
tered at present in the State about q, 700
machines, but that number does not by any
means indicate that as many automobiles
are owned in Massachusetts. Neither does
II indicate that the machine assigned by
in the blue book belongs TO the man
name in given with the number.
IL in said that there are many men named
In the blue book an owners OF automobiles
who are either dead or else do not at the
present time own an automobile or motor
cycle.
There are several other drastic clauses
In the new law. so autoists allege, and tho
PRINCIPAL stand which club members take
In that IL il in conflict with the State tax
The Worcester Club, when il started
it's fight against tho new law, voted to make
a test case and stand the expense. but the
members Of the Massachusetts State Auto
mobile Club refused TO sanction the vote.
The Worcester Club. however, has decided
to act on it's own initiative and have as
.-o,o. ,ka, tha NIaIIap Clrk Utn tnsn -