The Washington times., 1908-02-09
CAUSTIC CONENRT
ON JERSEY JUSTICE
FROM A. A. A. HEAD
Severely Scores Anti
quated Methods Now
in Vogue.

4LeiilbeIs oL tAe oi Aaill1atioi DCiiis
spresent,
Governor Fort, former Coy. Franklin
7Iurphv, Commissioner of Motor Nehl-
frles ]. B. r. Smith, Charles TheddeJs
FTerry, counsel Of the National A.sOcia-
ttlon Of Automobile Manufactures, and
wv. II HOtchkiss. Of Bunalo, president
sof the American Automobile Associa-
zion, made addresses. President HOtch-
kiss speech in part follows:
Jersey Justice! The rogue, It's said,
lhere has short shrift, the punishment
ALWAYS fits the crime, wrong is done no
man. and common sense is law. And
You sum It all uD in the phrase Jersey
justice" Still somehow a New Yorker
and a motorist may be excused the
question: What's wrong with Jersey
Justice when applied to automobile
users, particularly those from other
States
"A Comparison.
las [ stepped from the ferry and
walked 20 the train today / was not
halted and asked whether I had regis
tered and been tagged from Trenton.
slough the officer on guard must have
guessed that l would help wear out
your sidewalks, be guided by the IA
dance of your street lights, and enjoy
the protection of your police And yeJ
II was not stopped and numbered.
Nor has any peace officer yet de-
manded that L execute a power Of
attorney TO some unknown official over
-on the Delaware through whom New
Jersey could retain Jurisdiction OF my
body and property in case I might heed
lessly violate your Laws or accidentally
invade the rights Of Jerseymen. For,
gentlemen, let it be recorded that like
stems OF thousands more in setting out
for New Jersey I left my automobile
behind at home.
Motor Car PrejudiCes.
And so ! again ask: What's the mat
ter with New Jersey In dealing with the
motor carr Prejudice has existed in
New York, rustic DObbins sometimes
Shy at the newfangled wagons. drastic
ordinances have been passed, and weird
Jaws enacted and at times enforced
Yet for nearly four years our motor
vehicle law has proved so acceptable as
not 10 require northumberland BY
motorists, il was passed unanimously by
a Legislature dominated by the farmer
vote-Strangers are free TO use our
roads. without registration or tax; mo-
tor vehicle licenses. with US are uEheard
Of; accidents, save IN congested terri
tories. relatively rare; speed traps, eX-
Cept on the borders OF. the Greater city,
all hut unknown; and the time seems
RAPIDLY approaching when the present
automobile law Of New York will De as
dead letter ga is the bicycle law OF
twenty years ago.
Rule Too Rigid.
Not 50 III New Jersey. You enforce
literally the miles per hour speed clause.
A good friend of mine, accustomed 20
the same Buffalo rule, which commands
rather a due observance Of the condi-
lions Of the highway and the traffic
thereon at the time, made seven cOntri-
buttons To Jersey justice in one day last
summer Tor real or speed trapping VIC
lations Of law and VOWS henceforth 70
keep himself and his purse beyond your
borders You use the excuse Of neCes-
sarv identification to tax all outIanders,
and thousands voice their protest by
spending their money elsewhere.
But, most unreasonable Of all, by
the power of attorney requirement you
refuse the right which for nearly if
teen centuries the average man has had
to a trial in civil suits by a jury not
merely OF MS peers tlL hl MS LlEA-AA
bors. And when they learn OF cases
where heavy default judgments have
bee. obtained because of unknown and
sometimes imagined injuries, thousands
more will resent this cruel and unusual
requirement. had almost said punish
rnent-and HE themselves, their cars
and their cash to more reasonable and
more hospitabIe States
Lack Of Cooperation.
What's the matter with New Jersey
First, there has not been that cooper
Atom among motorists themselves 10y
which alone unreasonable laws may bl
prevented: yOU have not made tbs
proper regulation of the motor vehicle
your business each winter I'm the Legis-
Iature, each month of the year, IN a.
sisting the proper enforcement Of the
ordinary rules Of the road.
''secoud. there are reasons far NOR,
potent.
"In New Jersey the prejudice Of tn,
horse and his owuer-that OF the horst
The stronger OF the two-has not, "a.
elsewhere. materially decreased. while
the desire for revenue from OUtlander
seems Of late TO have become a settled
State policy Thus. responsive to pre-
1udice and pelL your Legislatures hav,
become yearly more blind to the frs
principles controlling the use OF IN
roads
The Auto Age.
I'VE live In the beginning of Ia
motor vehicle age. The day is dawn
ing when the prehistoric beast of bur
den and the ancient cart viii both 81
but vanish from the public roads.
mighty revolution in Individual trans
portation is under way. In this new
era Of changed conditions. which i
more sensible. more just: the enforce
Inent of old customs or the adoption o
new rlles2 For a time, perhaps, tn
unrestrained use of the full powers o
the new vehicle. should be checked b.
positive laws. This granted, as to spec,
at least, what should that law be
Unless I am in error. a. rational aQpli
cation of the simple maxim that IN th
Use Of the public ways. tho individual
must so conduct himself as not to in
fringe upon the rights or endanger III
life. limb or property Of another"