The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-28
WANT NATIONAL LAW.
American Automobile Association Wants
Bureau of Registration.

The American Automobile Association is
working hard for the proposed automobile
bill which is to be brought before Con-
gress at the present session for a national
system of registration and Identification
and creating q bureau at Washington for
that purpose. The association has issued
a form of appeal to member of Congress,
which every automobile owner and all who
are interested in the sport or the trade
in any way are requested to copy and sign,
with the idea of forwarding 1t to his Con-
gresham. The letter is as follows:
THE American Automobile Association,
which is the second largest organization
of Automobiles in the world. having be-
come convinced that great injusticeis done
by the varying and various State laws
regulating the registration and identlf-
cation of automobiles, creating a system
which is well nigh intolerable to auto
mobilists, in the use OF our highways, has
determined to support a bill in the form
of that introduced at the last session of
Congress in the House of Representatives,
and referred to the judiciary committee Of
that body, providing for a national system
of registration and Identification, and
creating a bureau at Washington for that
purpose. | ask your earnest and c%ontinu-
GUS support Of this bill, and that you will
use every effort to secure a favorable re-
port upon it by the judiciary committee
and its passage by Congress for the fol-
lowing reasons:
"First-It is unquestionably unfair that
: automobilists, in the use Of the interstate
highways, should be obliged to submit to
the diverse State regulations as to regis
tration and identification, when such
State requirements result in the imDosi-
tion of as many different taxes as there
are States through which the automobilist
passes. and in the constant necessity of
| nrOrllrInG new n1n1hprg fnF fha naphinh
and in some cases adding these numbers to
those already on the machine, in other
cases removing all those except the num-
Der of the particular State through which
the autonlobilist is passing at the time, in
some States carrying one number, in others
two numbers in some States painting the
number on the front of the machine, and
in others having the number hanging
loosely to front or rear or both, and so on.
"Second-There should be some system of
Identification which shall be uniform. and
which shall be effective. The varying re-
uuirements above referred 10 defeat tho
very object Of the different State statutes,
because they result in confusion instead OF
clear identitication. Such uniform system
or identincation will be absolutely secured
by the Federal bill referred 10.
fThird-It is to he noticed that this Fed
Graz Oil seeks to do nothing with regard
70 the regulation or limitation or restric-
tloh o. automobiles or automobilists, sx-
sept IN respect of registration and identi-
~fication
"Fourth-The enactment OF this bill into
law would result in a revenue Of at least
$4,000 to the Federal government an
nually: and 81
"~Fifth-The bill does not involve the
government in sny expense except for fhe
clerical work Of the registration bureau.
ard It does not call for any Federal police
or other machinery to enforce II. and
'SiXth-An examination of its rrov;s,nns
VIII disclose the fact that the bill is self
enforcing because n Federal registration
number will be a great boon to automo-
olnsts, no less than to the public. to whom
protection ig secured, and tho suspension
or loss OF the Federal registration tas mo.
vlded in the bilD will be the greatest nun
'shment which could be inflicted upcn the
automobilist."