The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-01-23
MAKES STRONG PLEA
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Continued from Page One.
its registration provisions, as does, for
example, the law Of the State of New
( York
Highest Degree Desirable.
NO ono will dissent from the PROPOSE
ltion that uniformity in motor vehicle
Regulation is not only expedient, but In
the highest degree desirable. 1t is con-
lceded that more harm and injustice are
sometimes brought by lack Of uniformity
of the laws of the various States than
Iby imperfect or even bad laws in special
instances. Nowhere is this better Illus
!trated than in the case of travel upon
highways.
TO take a concrete example, suppose
that one were 10 start in his motor We
Ihicle at New York TO make trip to his
National Capital at Washington to trans
act business with his government. lie
will have no sooner left the ferryboat
on the Jersey shore before he will be
stopped and notified that he can proceed
no farther He will find that what he
had always assumed 10 be his natural
fright 10 use the highways OF the coun-
TRY, so long as he scrupulously regarded
the rights Of others upon the highway,
has been erected into privilege, TO be
purchased only by the payment of money
and the expenditure of time and trouble
In seeking out one Of the government Of
fcers and paying fees for a sO-called IL
cense.'
lie must find the proper officer at the
place where these fees are received, hH
out and sign an application blank. pay
his money. and receive four tags. each
one Of which is good for two days en-
Ijoyment Of this grand privilege Of using
the highways; and after he has done all
Ithese things. he will find that the State
is not yet satisfied,
He must. before he may proceed. fill
out and execute A regular power Of at
torney, making the secretary of state
his agent TO receive process in any pro-
ceedne which may he brought against
him while he is enjoying this so-called in
estimable privilege.
The DISADVANTAGES.
When he reaches tie borders Of the
State Of Maryland he will be again held
up and obliged. before he will be allowed
to continue his journey. 10 go through
very much the same process as he did
when he attempted to cross the borders
of New Jersey. He will be put TO pretty
much the same annoyance. inconvenience.
ana expense when he attempts 10 cross
the line into the District of Columbia and
it viii be very likely that when he reaches
the seat Of his national government he
viii be 50 incensed as 10 have entirely
forgotten the business upon which ne
came. and be possessed only with the idea
that there should be some power IN the
national government to remedy the evil
of which he has been q victim, and that
# there Is such power it should be speedily
and effectively applied.
There seems to be no reason why regu-
lations applicable IN one section Of the
country should not be equally applicable
10 every other section Of the country. why
the provisions OF law adequate for one
State should not be equally adequate for
every other State. It would seem that in
this country OF ours. if we are really a
nation, there is no reason why a license
TO operate a motor vehicle good in New
York should not be equally good in san
Francisco. and in every portion OF the
highway between these two cities, and
why one knowing thoroughly the law
under which he has secured such license
should not be able 10 proceed from New
York 70 San Francisco I'm the perfect con-
fdence that II he obeys that law he will
not he violating the law in any Of the
/ jurisdictions traveySed by the highway
upon which he travels
The automobiles claims no special
privileges, but he claims the right 70 fair
treatment, and to that end that the laws
which regulate the use Of his highways
shall he so plain and reasonable that he
who runs an automobile may read them
and may obey them and still may travel
with comfort and freedom from intoler-
able eXacuons and needless burdens"