Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-06-16
FEES AND FINES
FOR GOOD ROADS
IMPORTANT PROVISION OF AUTO
MOBILE LAW IN EMPIRE
STATE.
SPEED LIMIT ABOLISHED AND
OLD FORM OF TAX
ALSO.

Probably the most logical and SCI
entific motor vehicle law which has
yet been devised and put upon the
statute books of any state is the new
law passed by both houses of the New
York legislature and signed few
days ago by Governor Hughes. The
bill has two or three features which
might be pronounced unnecessarily
harsh in the burdens they impose
upon motor vehicle users, but as
vance over previous legislation in this
| field
For several years the questions in-
volved in motor vehicle legislation
have been the subject of study and
test by those whose connections and
experience have qualified them to for
mulate proper rules and regulations
| in this regard. Charles Thaddeus
| Terry. general counsel of the National
Association of Automobile Manufac.
1 lul duu COuuScl " luC 1NCW IOl
State Automobile association, is high
| ly gratified to see many of the SUP
stantial principles of motor vehicle
legislation which he has been advo-
eating for upward of four years en-
bodied at last in a comprehensive
statute in the foremost automobile
state in the country.
| The cardinal principles of a scien-
tific and adequate motor vehicle stat
ute which Mr.. Terry has set forth in
argument, and which he has defended
on numerous occasions, are all, with
two or three exceptions, embodied In
the new law. The advantages both In
respect of protection of the highways
servance of the rights of motor ve-
| hicle users. seem obvious from an In
! spection Of the provisions of the stat
| ute. The more important may be
| briefly set forth as follows:
Miles an hour limitations upon the
speed which may be maintained by a
| motor vehicle are practically eliml-
mated, and speed Is regulated by the
ordinary common law rules defining
carefulness on the one hand and neg.
| ligence on the other.
BY virtue of this elimination or
| miles an hour provisions, and by vir-
| tue OF another set of provisions re-
| curing a double report of all magIs-
trates and courts where motor We.
| hicle cases may be heard-to wit,
both to the secretary of state and to
| the state treasurer to whom must be
forwarded all fines and penalties in
| tiicted speed traps will be abolished.
All registration fees and fines and
| penalties will go to the construction
repair and Improvement of highways.
All taxes, both state and local, upon
| automobiles used upon the highways
are wiped out, although the regfstra-
| ton fees for the vehicles are some
| what increased I'm amount The inius.
tice of imposing registration fees OF
such an amount as to be in reality a.
| tax may be fairly claimed to he com.
pensated by the elimination of other
taxes upon the vehicle, and by the
abolition of speed traps and conse-
quent fines through the provisions OF
| this bill.
The extreme penalties imposed for
so-called joy riding will put an end to
the abuse which has brought in years
past the deserved criticism of the
whole class of motor vehicle users
The provisions of the bill respecting
the examination, licensing and identi-
fication of cfiauffeurs and the punish.
| ment of them for offences will put an
end to what has been demonstrated
to be ninety per cent of all the wrongs
caused by motor vehicle operators. It
has come to be known that il ia the
| professional, the expert, who takes
the chances and puts In hazard the
persons and property of others. and
as this class Is largely made I'D OF
chauffeurs, 1t may be justifiably as
sumed that the unfavorable comment
made upon the operation OF motor
vehicles will hereafter be reduced to
minimum in this state.
The use of fictitious identification
numbers has been ended by this law.
THIS is brought about by the require
ment of annual registration. and by
the change in color each year of the
number plate.
Cumulative penalties for technicai
violation of speed limitations have
been abolished. Instead of the pro-
visions, as they have been in the past,
imposing increased penalties for sec
ond, third and subsequent offences,
there will be under the present law
nothing but first offence, the ex-
treme penalty for which is fine NOT