Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-02
FEDERAL AUTO
LICENSE LIKELY
CONGRESS EXPECTED TO PASS
NEEDED MEASURE
Bill Advocated by American Automo.
bile Association Members
Meets with Favor
of Senate

Favorable action on the federal reg
istration automobile bill at an early
date is confidently expected by the
automobilists of the country as the
result Of the presentation of the merits
of the bill before the delegates in
Washington at the recent legislative
convention of the American Automobile
association. The encouraging feature
in this respect is due to the keen in
terest shown in the reasonableness OF
the bill by the members OF the COM
mittee on interstate and foreign COM
merce before whom the hearing was
held on the last day of the convention.
Several Of the members expressed
s themselves as heartily in favor OF the
provisions of the bill, recognizing its
justice toward auComobilists of the
country and the benefits that 1t would
naturally confer, not only upon tour
lists, but to the industry at large
While favorable action in congress
Is therefore reliably expected. another
beneficial result of the legislative con-
vention will be the wider acceptance
by various state legislatures of the
uniform state motor vehicle bill, as
drafted by the legislative committee
of the A. A. A., the more important
provisions of which have already been
Incorporated into the automobile laws
of over a dozen states.
Bill Is Advocated
AS expressing the sentiment of the
delegates attending the recent legis-
lative convention, among whom were
representatives of governors from
states extending from the Atlantic to
the Pacific and from the gulf of Mexi-
co to the great lakes, an important
resolution was unanimously adopted
advocating the passage Oh the federal
registration bill. The resolution on the
federal registration bill is as follows:
Whereas, the bill providing for
federal registration OF motor ve-
hicles known as II. r. SIG. intro
duced by Hon. William w. Cocks
of New York, and now pending be-
fore the committee on interstate
and foreign commerce of the house
of representatives, meets the APP
proyal Of all who have given the
matter careful consideration, and
the prompt enactment of such a law
is necessary for the unhampered
development of interstate COM
merce and travel by means of motor
vehicles;
And, since 1t is only through fed
eral legislation that the unjust and
unwarranted burdens now imposed
upon such interstate commerce and
travel can be removed
Now therefore, be il resolved,
that the national legislative con-
vention of the American Automo-
bile association, held in Washing
ton, d. c., on February 1917. 1870
does urge the speedy passage of
this measure and pledges itself to
use every honorable effort to ac-
complish its enactment.
One of the strongest supporters of
the federal registration automobile
bill is Congressman William G. Brant-
ley OF Georgia. who, although stating
he was a states rights man, said he
was also a United States rights man
and that he believed congress had a
right to pass any law desired relative
TO the traffic of automobiles.
Congress Must Regulate ~
'The time will come, l predict he
added, "when congress will be COM
PEELED 20 take hold of the Interstate
commerce of automobiles and regulate
and protect ii. Whatever appeal you
upon the right of congress not only
to protect and regulate but also to
restrain and properly control the
growing commerce of the country"
Senator Chauneey NJ. Depew of New
York, who delivered one of the strong
est addresses at the convention, cited
the fact that ten years ago there were
but 700 cars in use in the United
States, while now the number is $780,
600, aggregating in value $419, ,000, 900.
Two interesting questions have
arisen by this enormous expansion of
the automobile" said Senator Depew;
''one is intrastate and the other inter-
state. Nothing which has occurred in
recent years has done so much to
stimulate an interest in good roads.
But the compelling question now is
legislation. An automobilist starts
from New York for Washington and
New Jersey. Maryland and the Dis
trict of Columbia halt him in turn for
license or tax and the journey be-
comes intolerable. In asking for a
national registration law the delegates
desire to secure as has been done for
the boats travelling on inland waters
and crossing state lines and for con-
tinental railroads. a federal recogni-
tion which will permit free and un-
obstructed travel across state lines"