New-York tribune., 1907-12-06
FOR FEDERAL AUTO LAW
RILL TO BE INTRODUCED.
Measure Will Prouide That One
License DO for All States.
tFrom The Tribune Bureau ]

washington. Dec. 5.-Representative Cocks OF
the Presidents home district, on Long islald'
who brought a storm about his head last MHh'ei
by opposinc free seeds, is preparing 10 piaHs
another tornado by introducing Dill which VIII
hiring automobiles under the interstate commerce
,.,, he helieves that all power driven wagons
hnuId take out federal licenses if they are taken
by their owners or used beyond state boundaries,
and is of the opinion that automobilsts VIII call
him blessed if his measure becomes law
Il don't believe in automobiles as seneral
thing" said Representative Cocks to-day, and
when in Albany I introduced the first bill TO
regulate the pesky things. But think the per
sons who do like them will thank me If the blIl
i am preparing becomes law, for it VIII save
them from an endless amount OF trouble
In brief my measure is to license all auto
mobiles that have first taken out permits IN uie
states where they are owned BY so dong lhelf
users will be spared the continual hold-ups 'hes
are now subjected TO soon as they happen 10
travel into where they have falieo 10 'AfAe
out licenses For instance. if man wants 10
take a trip from Washington 10 New YORK IN
his machine he ought tC have licenses from
MARYLAND. Pennsylvania, Delaware. New jersey
and New York. If he has just got his nachihe
or has not had occasion TO make the trip oe1ore
il is not at all probable that he has all THESE
licenses and the moment he gets into any one
of these states he is likely 10 find ninsen IN
trouble.
a trip TO the license office or the police sta
ton is likely delay him for hours. ana put hlln
10 endless discomfort If there was federal
license law and he had an interstate permit. all
This trouble would pc obviated. think that the
automobile users all over the country will be
glad TO help push this bill The only thing that
NAV stand in the way of the measure Is the con-
stitu.ionality of the proposition / have been
informed however. by men that know that this
point can be successfully met I'm no lawyer,
so don't know. but I'm going 10 pass it up TO the
constitutional sharps of Congress
This bill was drafted by Charles Thaddeus
Terry counsel 70 The National Association of
Automobile Manufacturers and chairman of the
legislative board of the American Automobile
Association. The a. a. a. legislative board, un-
der Chairman Terry's direction. has been work
ing on this bill for about year Its chief pIir-
pose is 20 do away. as Representative Coke says.
with the vexations now experienced by motor
lists who wish to travel in a number of states.
The New jersey and Pennsylvania motor laws
at present require that all automobiles driven
within their boundaries must have state regis
trations In New Jersey these licenses be
obtained IN number of cities from deputies of
the State Motor Vehicle Commissioner. In
Pennsylvania however, the licenses must be
obtained before entering the state the driver
of the is arrested.
The various automobile clubs that MEM
bers Of the American Automobile Association
are pledged to work for the passage of the bill.
The bill itself has attracted good deal of at
tention. and at a recent convention of automO-
bilists in Germany referred to model
measure.