The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-13
AGAINST A CHANGE
OF JERSEY CLUB
WANTS LAW TO STAND.
President Sinclair Says Auto Owners
Are Being Persecuted-Writes
Open Letter.

Angus Sinclair. president Of the New
Jersey Automobile and Motor Club, has
come out with an open letter. In which
he strongly objects to the steps that are
being taken to make the present law In
regard to the use of motor cars more
drastic. He refers particularly to the
proposed amendment to the F~relinghuysen
bill, by which automobilists would be COM
PEELED to pay an annual license fee of
from so to SIS, according to the horse
power of their cars. President Sinclair
takes up the allegations TINT the automo-
biles injure and destroy the surface Of
roads and also refers to the claim h a
the clouds of dust they are said to raise
are a nuisance to the public. He is
especially strong in his reference to State
COMMISSIONS of Public Roads E. c.
Hutchinson. His letter reads as follows:
To the Editor of the Star:
A cloud of false witnesses Is passing
over the State of New Jersey, striving
sentiment against automobilists and the
use of automobiles. The particular pur-
pose of this movement at present Is agi-
tation In favor of an amendment to the
Frelinghuysen Automobile Law requiring
automobiles to pay an annual license OF
SO or SIS. There are a variety of excuses
given for proposing this new imposition;
but when they are carefully examined
nothing Is left but the desire TO punish
automobilists for owning or operating
their motor cars. State Commissioner of
Public Roads E.. C. Hutchinsons VINO mas
been a persistent and malevoleht enemy
of automobiles, is bowling himself hoarse
to make people believe that automobiles
are destroying the roads, and therefore
ought to be more heavily taxed than
they are at present.
No proof has been offered to show that
automobiles are peculiarly destructive to
roads-merely the unsupported allegations
of people densely ignorant of the action
of wheeled vehicles on the surface of
roads, and too p~rejudiced to make rational
tests. Engineers are aware that the most
destructive action of wheels Is wearing
the surface of the highway by abrasion
or cutting. The soft tires of automobiles
no grinding action, and cutting Is
done only on very soft roads that are
more severely injured by a vehicle
having iron tires.
Then, about the charge that automobiles
destroy the surface of the roads by carry
ing away the material by their dust-rais-
ing action. Low set automobiles, when
run fast, raise a cloud Of dust. but have
the people who allege that this means
destructive action eyer submitted the dust
to scientific examination? They have not,
or they would ave found that the lust
is exceedingly light, fiour-like matter and
1t Is practically free from grit as
coarse as common sand. AS a careful
investigator, trained to scientific processes.
l boldly assert that a wind blowing
twenty-five miles an hour will carry much
more solid matter from the surface of a
road than a low set motor car running
at the maximum legal speed.
A~utomobilists are willing and ready to
carry a fair share of the States burdens.
do not saddle us with impositions
under false ~pretenses.
(Signed) ANGUS SINCLAIR,
New Jersey Automobile and
Motor Club. n Beech street, East
Orange, N. j.