Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-12
UNIFORM AUTOMOBILE LAWS
Owners Would Like Laws the Same
in Different States.
MOVE AT NEXT CONVENTION
An Effort VIII ne Made TO Have
aaws Lioense Permit owner 60
Drive from one state
60 Another.

Uniformity in automobile laws is a. last
BEGINNING 70 attract the attention II
deserves throughout the country. scores 81
state associations and clubs have for some
tine recognized this necessity and have
been working for its accomplishment m
their respective states. The Legislative
board Of the American Automobile ssEo1i-
alton. which first advocated this policy
Of uniformity Ia automobfe laws as a sub
1sct dsserving o. the same careful atten-
ton which for years has been given 10
many other legal uueEtions widely
recognized As urgently needing uniform
legislation, IL about 70 bring the matter
more prominently before the country at
large by the first national legislative ton
1snton, which will be held IN Washing
ton, D. C., February Is. Is and II.
The purposes OF this convention were
clearly explained by Charles Thaddsus
Terry. chairman OF the legislative board.
at the recent annual meeting OF the Amer
lean Automobile association "a New York
City. AZ a further evidence OF the in
cressing interest In the importance 81
equitable automobile legislation 1t is worthy
OF note that Mr.. Terry has been invited
by the officers Of the national civic fed
GRAFTON 20 speak before that body on this
subject at the national conference on uni
form Legislation 70 be held In Washington,
January Il, Is and 70, just one mont be
fore the convention under the auspices OF
the national automobile body Of the United
States.
Al this February convention delegates
from All the clubs in the national urEani-
zstions have been requested to attend, and
invitations have been extended to the gov
errors Of all the states In the union. in
viting them 20 be present in person OF
by one or more officially accredited rep
resentatives.
Ask Government Aid.
The purpose Of the convention is two
fold: First TO secure the passage in con-
gress Of the federal motor vehicle regiEtrA-
uon bill. and second. 20 bring before the
official delegates Of the various states the
necessity Of ensctfng a uniform state motor
vehicle law.
Uniformity in automobile lsgisla ton in
the United states must be attained in these
two directions The federal registration bill
which has been advocated persistently by
the legislative board Of the American Auto
mobile association for more thar two years
seeks to permit interstate travel of motor
cars By q simple method OF one registration
through a national registration bureau. this
regulation TO be operative IN all states.
without the necessity of securing q spe-
ciAl license to tour in a dozen or more
states. As In now the prevailing system.
b national registration bill was intro
duoed into congress last year. but owing
TO the tariff agits ION, ii failed TO obtain
a hearing before the Judiciary committee
10 which IL was referred. The bill will be
reintroduced intO congress at an early date
A hearing then viii be asked for and Il
is the intention 70 have the hearing SCI
for one Of the days during which the con.
Venton win be I'm session, thus permitting
all Of the delegates to bring their Argu.
ments TO bear for the reporting Of the bill
fsvorRbly to congress.
RkRhta Are IGNORED.
we believe" said Mr.. Terry In HE an
nual report before the American Automo
bile association, that there is no adeauAt
answer 10 the expediency and the legalir
OF the measure. except its prompt enact
meut into Law, and any and every con
gresham who seeks to svAde the questio
or to attempt an argument in oppositio
should be met fairly and squRrely by BET
ter arguments, and that is not difficult
The fun rights Of Auto1nobilists have bee
too long Ignored. To a large extent. IL ma
be said that hostile automobile iegislAtio
on the statute books is there largely b.
cause we have ourselves baen lax and IL
different about It. We want, and must hAv,
the same kind Of work as has been don
IN New York. Pennsylvania and Michies,
in every state IN the union"
In referring 20 the work s~oconpHgbe
since 1907 for a uniform state motor Y,
hiele Law, M Terry said that the proEres
made thus far was highly encouraging.
WenS-eight states, which he cited 81 cor
siderable detail, some OF the more irnpor
ant features Of this state Law have alread
been enacted Those states which now e.
empt nOn-reEidents from paying an ado
tionRl Registration fee. provided such mot,
users have complied with the law in the
home states, are: New York. Californi
Illinois Indiana Iowa. Michigan. MINI
sofa Missouri Nebraska, New Hampshir
North Carolina. Ohio, oregon. South d
kotA, Utah. Washington and wiseonsi
In Massachusetts, Vermont and Pennsy
vania nonresidents are exempt from regi
trGton and license fees f0r ten days;
Rhode Island for twenty days.
n rssistnation fees. however va
greatly. In Nebraska and South Dako
The fee IL 81: IN Minnesota. S-5e: in TIE
nessea. Utah, Maine, Virginia. WashinEtS
wisconsin and Florida 8: in Oregon. Mic
igan and Maryland, g. in Ohio. North ca
olinA. Missouri and Iowa. s.: In New Ham
shire no an these being a flat reEisti
Ton Tee without regard 10 the hOrse-poW
Of the machine.
The new Michigan law. enacted Al {
last session Of the legislature. is copl
more nearly upon the plan Of the Americ
Automobile association uniform sutomoh
state btl than that Of any other sta
demonstrating, says Mr.. Terry. the Ell,
uVeness Of the persistent efforts Of so.
OF our prominent members in the state
Michigan, to-Wit; particularly s n "
don, Roy d Chaplin, William Z Metz
and others The statute prohibits local O
inanoes except Ia the matter Of speed.