New-York tribune., 1909-01-27

UNIFORM AUTO LAWS
PROGRESS BEING MADE.
Mr. Terry Reports on the Worh OF
the LegislatiUe Board.

,rLa oar,naIg, m secure the enactment Of uniform
state motor vehicle laws throughout the Cnlteu
States for the protection of automoblists Is behs
pushed with gratifying results, according to the
renort of Charles Thaddeus Terry chairman Of the
Ie.fslativ board of the American Automobile AS
sociatIon Progress has been made ana indlcatioHS
point to even better results during the co1nne
year. when in all probability the federa4 regis
tration biIn will become law
The annual meeting of the legislative board was
held on Saturday in this city, at the headquarters
of the American Automobile Association. and Mr.
Terry's printed report issued yesterday as Iol
lows:
Without any cessation et-up whats9,eoeT, ,eor,T
state ,nPtoT vehicle laws throughout the United
States has carried on with remarKaoi ply q
Chairman had the pleasure and honor OF SUBMITTING
TO % l% c vas 9puro2ed and adopted put in print
form with comments. sent to all tneabs tne As
sociation and put in the hands Of upward OF tWen-
ty thousand autoIaob!liss included IN Nth the tbe r
quest that the form of bin be studied caIsItI5' t
warded TO Your CHAIRMAN, ana of The same into
IN every tos3sy s sected t it's SUBSTANTIAL provisions
provisions and designed to protect alike the rights
Of ali the users Of the highways on the one haRu
and Of automobilists the other II was 10! 70 pT
o1i behind the bill It would meet with
success and the cause OF unf9rniy b bibest
eXDecta ton of those who working for the
gRidb EGGe haye adopted many the chief provisions
Of the bill ye States which have adopted its 6oT
almost in toto and four more in which 1t seems
likely to be enacted into law at the present sessions
3y @ far the most encouraging feature Of our cam
paign for uniform motor vehicle legisiaflon con
ss in The n fact x6Pesse6 5n9t e9e their eep in the
n1ovenent for uniformity but have expressly De
ment. and the governors Of FIVE OF those 5d Si
recty for the accomplishment OF the uniformity IN
question. His excellency, Governor Hughes IN MS
New York. not only. expressed sentiments directly
in ns Th n as ths By wong %PGn wf fo four to
accomplish uniformity Of motor Tehice eglsISatio,1 IA on
irresistible impetus by touching the keynote OF the
situation when he said in his annual M MESSAGE TT r
ferred to that this matter was one to be taken ~
by the commissioners uniform state laws OF @ tns
1aSus states 0I the be ebd a m the borders
Of the State Of New York, 10 w.t. our neighoors'
In the conference of New England Governors.
which vas recently fae6 ana % 9ga 5e ro 0y
announced by him for consideration was that or
uniform motor vehicle legislation Your chairman
Governor Guild the question and q had had the the
posed uniform bill. which placed IN the hands @
Of the achusetts ighway Commission SION aI1 @
that state.
Of coespondence with the Governors Of three other
states upon the subject and believes that the
proposed bill put in the way OF enactment at the
iegisla tive sessions Of those states whose
executives the Governors referred 10 are at ule
present time. .
Thus the good cause goes forward; and all this
means that Uniformity Of motor vehicle legislation
is now practically accomplished fact Ihere
NAV he some small dversities Inevitably left. owing
to peculiarites in the situation OF some particular
states but upon the main features and the I'M
portant provisions there be no question but
that all the states will unite. And this Is wellt
because. almost without exception, every autoTno-
bile in used In interstate travel, and the
legislation which is wise and reasonable for the
government OF autumobsts in state or section
is surely wise and reasonable for the governmen MT
Of automobilists in all sections, and legislation
which Is harsh and drastic unnecessarily and which
expresses nothing but sonng hostility TO the
motor vehicle such has no more place In the
laws OF than in those Of another and VIII
by this process inevitably be eliminate
had intended to speak in detail OF the work
that has been done In behalf Of this measure and
the present situation with regard 20 II, but the
subject Of uniform legislation has taken such
prominence. and the consideration Of It has become
so urgent and immediate. that | shall not press
the federal registration bill upon your attention at
this time further than 10 say that all those mem
hers of Congress who have given the bill their close
attention have without exception acknowledged its
expediency. and for the most part they have also
agreed upon its constitutionality.