Perth Amboy evening news., 1909-04-19
Attention Of the
State Officials
Called to Ii.
NO MORE CASES

Autoists ran their machines
through this city slowly yesterday
and Chief of Police Burke says that
he did not see one go through town
all day in excess OF the speed limit.
This was probably due to the hold
ing up of several cars on the previ-
GUS Sunday
About 2 O'Clock yesterday after
noon Patrolman Tonnesen, while at
King street, saw a man coming up
Smith street from the ferry on a
motor cycle at rapid gait. He call
ed to the motorist to stop and he
complied. but informed the officer
chat he was himself state inspector
and showed his badge. He told the
policeman that the state law allowed
him to go fifteen miles an hour
through city streets and twelve miles
around corners and that he did not
care for any city ordinance that fixed
the rate at seven or eight miles an
hour. The officer let him go with a
warning.
The question has arisen whether
or not the city ordinance holds good
and Recorder Pickersgill has asked
the city attorney for an opinion in
the matter The city attorney says
that he thinks the state law fixes the
speed limit. On April IL several au-
tolsts were arrested and arraigned
before Recorder Pickersgill on g
charge of violating the city's speed
ordinance. They pleaded guilty and
were fined, but as those arrested
were going over twenty miles an
hour the charges will stand anyway
Detectives Huff and Long made the
arrests, being on duty all the after
noon in John H. Gregory's automo-
bile. Mr.. Gregory is state motoi
vehicle inspector and did not make
the over-speeding charges, but did
make other charges where the auto
lists had wrong numbers or no IL
censes.
State Inspectors Claim.
State Inspector Shinn, who was
here Saturday, told the recorder that
all fines for over-speeding belong tC
the state and that no autoists may
be fined for violating any local speed
ordinance, as the state law covers
the point. The recorder says that
after City Attorney Hommann hai
given him an opinion he will know
where he stands in the matter, bui
he believes that Mr. Shinn is right
If such is the case the $50 collected
on April II will have to be turned
over to the state and the recorder
In making his monthly report to the
council, will recommend that sucI
action be taken.
Complaints Reported.
The New Jersey Automobile and
Motor Club have had complaints sub
mitted to them stating that Inspec'
tor Gregory was in an automobile
approaching that charged with the
speed limit violation, and that there
was no device by which he could as.
certain whether the speed limit was
being exceeded. The attention of ]
B. R. Smith, commissioner of motor
vehicles, has been called to the mat
ter and 1t is understood that com
plant will be made to him that
there was no justification for the
summary arrests and that the in
spector was exceeding his authority
In attempting to enforce a law which
does not exist, on the grounds that
there is no clause of the Frelinghuy-
sen automobile law which calls foI
a speed of eight miles an hour un-
der any conditions.
What MIR. Gregory Says.
Automobile Inspector John H
Gregory denies that any injustice is
being done to automobilists in con.
nection with the enforcement of the
law in this section of the state. He
says 1t is true a mistake may have
been made in having those who were
arrested a week ago yesterday plead
under the city ordinance, yet Mr.
Gregory declares none was arrested
excepting the most fragrant viola
tors.
When we started out" said Mr.
Gregory today, I'VE agreed that nc
arrests should be made under g
speed of twenty miles an hour, al.
though that is the limit fixed by Law
for open country; the legal rate Of
speed in thickly-populated sections
being twelve miles an hour. All oi
those arrested were going through
the streets of this city at an average
rate of twenty-four miles an hour
Some who were going sixteen and
twenty miles an hour we approached
and warned them they were exceed
ing the limit, but they were allowed
to proceed.
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