The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-09
AUTO MEN HEARD.
Kansas Car Owners Insist on
Some Legislation.
The Western Enthusiasts Hold
a Meeting.
CHANGE LICENSE LAW
Want the Money Used to Inn
prove Roads.
Many Farmers Now Have Auto
mobiles of Own.


in the legislature to regulate the use
of automobiles on the public highways
of the state. Some thirty automobile
men of Pratt county held a meeting
recently and considered the Harbough
bill D. W. Blaine, former repre-
sentative from that county an en-
thusiastic autoist, has sent the follow
ing letter to one of the members of
the house committee on roads and
highways which may be said to
represent the sentiment of a large
number of autoists of the state:
Pratt County Autoists Held Meeting.
'Thirty-five automobile owners of
this vicinity, met in my Office last
night. we took up the Harbough bill
by sections and wish to suggest the
following changes: That all moneys
collected for license, by the secretary
of state, after deducting the expense
of furnishing the license tag. blank,
etc, be returned to the counties from
which the license money was re-
ceived and that the moneys so re-
turned shall apply to the public road
fund each township, in said counties,
shall be entitled to their portion, ac-
cording to the number of automobiles
in said township.
when you take into consideration
the large number of automobiles that
are now in use, in this state, and the
many thousands that will be sold
within the next two or three years,
the license fund that will ac-
cumulate with the secretary of the
state will be very large and it should
not be the purpose of the state to make
this department a source of revenue
Therefore if the amount named in the
bill as a license fee becomes a law,
the owners of automobiles, who pay
the license, would seriously object to
the amount they are compelled to pay,
if it is not returned to the several
counties, to be used in improving the
Dc We -iG1 RI a L n
ial fight for this particular amend
ment of the bill.
I'VE, also, object to that portion of
section 4, that requires the number
of the car to be displayed upon both
front and rear and on the lamps of
the cars. We believe that the num-
Der on the rear of the machine where
the tail light can be thrown on it, is
all that is required to identify the
number OF the car, in daylight or at
night. To display the number on the
front of the car would be of no spec
ia1 advantage, in the event of the car
passing.
5000 Autos in State
There are now, as near as we can
estimate. between 1000 and 5000
motor vehicles in use on the public
highways of this state and the prac-
ticability and usefulness of these
motors in facilitating travel is a great
improvement over former means of
u rails pOI IdlIOH.
Rules of the Road.
"Our next objection is to part of Sec
ton IA, which, according TO the bill,
as now written, towit: Amy person
operating motor vehicle shall, at re-
quest, or signal by putting up of the
hand from the person riding, leading
or driving a horse or horses or other
domestic animals, guide such motor
vehicle to the right of the wrought or
Travelled portion of the highway and
Immediately bring such motor We
hicles to stop and if requested shall
cause the motor of such vehicle to
cease running" We object to this par
agraph on the ground that it is be-
coming the practice of some people on
the highway, to hold UP their hand
and stop car, merely for the purpose
OF mountaineering the operator. There
fore, we suggest that any person driV-
ing horse or team that is afraid of an
automobile, that the driver shall, upon
approach of an automobile, drive his
team to one side of the road and then
give notice to the automobile driver
by holding up his hand, that his team
is not safe and wish the automobile to
come to stand still until he can pass.
We believe that this effort, on the part
of the driver of the team, an evidence
of his good faith in wishing the auto
mobile to stop, but, under the present
wording of the bill, if the drivers of
the team were inclined to abuse the
privilege OIL stopping an auIOmO pile,
at will, they could cause the operator
of the automobile an immense amount
of trouble and delay Therefore, this
section should be carefully worded
with the view of protecting both par
ties against unnecessary delay or dam
ger of an accident.
Object to One Sided Legislation.
This bill must not be one sided. There
should be just as much responsibility
attached to the driver of the team as
to the operator of the automobile. Past
usage of the highway should not cut
any figure in the matter. Modern bust
ness methods of transportation de-
mands the use of the motor car, it
has come to stay and it is not unreas-
enable to suggest that within the next
three or four years more than so per
cent of the transportation of persons
on our public highway will be per-
formed by the motor car. Therefore,
the owners of teams should be COM
PEELED to accommodate themselves to
these changing conditions.
In section 10, line 3, we desire that
the words use and be stricken out
and read as follows: The cities of the
second and third class of this state,
shall have power, by local ordinance,
TO regulate and control the speed of
motor vehicles within the limits of said
cities etc.
Our reason for this is, that with the
present reading of this section, the
cities could add an additional license
fee for operating the automobile with
in their limits and thus adding addi-
tional burden of expense and cost to
the owner of automobiles to simply
Increase the city's revenue. This is not
just and should not be permitted, as
under this bill if it becomes a law the
cost of obtaining a license from the
state is sufficient. 1t serves all the
purposes of Identifying the car and its
owner, which is the real object of the
law. Therefore, cities should not be
permitted to place an additional bur-
den upon the owners of motor vehicles
as the plan of identification, by the
state. is sufficient to meet all renuire-