New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-12-06
FOR UNIFORM AUTO LAW
MR.. TERRY MAKES REPORT.
National Grange Interested IN Pro
posed Legislation.


American Automobile Association last week, much
interest was taken IN the report of Charles Thad-
deus Terry chairman Of the legislative board Since
then the report has been printed and will be sent to
clubs all the country. According to Mr. Terry,
plans are progressing for federal automobile reg
istration law and uniform state motor vehicle
law He brought out that there is a marked
Change in the attitude OF farmers toward the auto
mobile and that the OF good roads had been
materially strengthened during the year
The report says in part:
So far were the representatives of the Grange at
the Buffalo convention convinced OF the 1eaSIollty
also Of the fairness and reasona bieness of cam
paign for uniform state motor vehicle law that.
National Grange nor the state bodies which they
speak as Individuals, and accordingly one of the
resolutions adopted by the general convention was
BE It Resolved. By the representatives Of the
social ton and the American Automobile. Associa-
ton: In NATIONAL convention assembled that eac9
state legislatures and of the Congress Of the United
cooperation of all its constituent and animated
federal aid or through both federal and state AID
and that the two last named organizations, the
z6 8 f1g9 @ S as held 3s
in November. 1905 shall put forth their and eac9
a uniform state motor yehicle law prepared by the
ment Of the federal automobile registration law
and to that end that each Of those three 1s91a
their respective organizations instruct its state
tinuous and persistent aid in their respective local
tiles to the measures in question
Mr. Terry later appeared before the National
Grange IL convention at Washington on November
1S and Of this he says:
The grange declared open session for the ex-
press purpose OF hearing description OF the PHI
man was received with great cordially and lis is
tened to with close attention by as ebsge as
it has ever been his good fortune, to see. o,.
perhaps be judged by quotation from the words
Who n an intcrTiSW printed in The Washington
Times'' of November 10. 1908 spoke follows
toward the l a1tomo5e owner has seldom been
StTKng inSt aa9 man WIS sTe eT Oy ag Of
the legislative committee Of the American Auto,
grange on he Subject Ee Of auto
wag n m mot wh the
able attituue of the grangers toward the federal
ASTON on the question o feel that the majority
e I arr 0I TINS o b %d the ei next ses
sion OF Congress. but will actively support it.
achieved Wonders in To2d pTos tn that The be
payment Of the proposed Zee 1ema9d f0r 1or m
Improvement and that the income from state auto
er a2aaee y MP P0 Tdfy a3d G5
cussed the subject"
After explaining the work that has been accom-
plished toward securing uniform state motor We
hice law and the purpose Of securing equal pr"tec-
zion under the law for all users of the highways.
Mr.. Terry quotes PRESIDENT bdtcnelQeT OF tne M
tiona Grange as Indicating the extent to which the
farmers are becoming informed and getting inter
ested In q speech before the convention Of New
England Governors Mr.. Batchelder said:
Closely allied to the question Of good roads is
that of the regulations governing the use of the
highways by automobiles. The experience OF the
laws this subject in the various states have re
suited in great many complications ten niu 70
In some states the natural resentment against the
were being operated has resulted in the enactment
o. unreasonabl BILE laws which defeated their purpose
s by im p@t be en Pfg9sOhS 50 '
II is evident that from the point OF view from
which I address you-that concerted action shouId
be taken by these states TO increase their attIqc-
in our laws regulating and taxing automobiles, Is
highly desirable. While the permanent welfare
Of o1jr peopie requires that the OF our roads
snau be regarded not only as farmers question:
but first and chiefly as question 81 dneIT biT
secondary TO the transportation OF the FARMER
PRODUCTS to market it must be recognized that the
automobile is a permanent feature OF modern life,
and that the owners OF these NehlCi5s haHe my
right the of the highways; subject 10 suCh
restrictions as viii insure the rights or ali others,
mere "ouIa b,I7i5 nor he arrived at upon
the legislation that experience has shown 10 pc
one State may be able to travel through
other states without vexatous restrictions diner
nayrnent Of special taxes not imposed upon non
residents using other methods Of travelling. -
this subject which should be adopted by these
states It must be remembered that laws ImltlnS
the rate of speed which aut9nobiles may oe
operated have two purposes The mrs. i,t Is - UI
course the prevention OF accidents through uTlV-
i1g at high speed. A second reason is the pres
erTation of our roads against injury due to me
rapid passage over them Of these pneumatic TIRE"
vehicles. . .... ,.I.+,re 70 the
registration and Identification of AUTOMOBILES ana
their equipment with lights, brakes horns, et &C.
that there would TO be the greatest heea IoI
uniformity The present diversity OF Jaws on tlese
pojnts makes II possible for an automople 9" t
H1vho is duly registered in his own state ana mas
COMPLIED with all the requirements OF us avs 70
he an unconscious lawbreaker IN an aulo l!ls
state because of a misunderstanding as TO the
nature of the regulations covering certain minor
deteus This matter should be taken up prompt
" nv the legislatures of these states SO that en-
agreement be reached as to slInple cue ~
reg1Iations providing for the pubic saItty, DuI
interfering as little possible with the orderly ana