Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-17

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automobile is required to carry three oil
lamps. the cost Of which Is not less than
the general public. the automobile is still
further equipped with q pair OF head
lights for use on the suburban roads.
and this. too, at a cost Of not less than
lamps and possibly $40 for q gas gem
orator. making a total of $40 on an au-
tomobile. against a one-dOllar proposition
Tor lighting horse-drawn vehicle. Natu-
rally, the large transfer companies hav-
ing a hundred or more wagons will be
put to this extra expense. but this pales
into insignifcance when we think of our
taxicab companies whose vehicles are
compelled by law or necessity to carry
five lamps.
again. the Commissioners have care
fully considered the horse-drawn vehicle
IN the matter OF expense. for the tag for
the latter vehicle Is to be but so cents.
which will little more than cover the
the automobile owner the tag costs 81
an amount far in excess Of the cost Of
making or the cost Of issue.
I. Vehicle Owners Well Treated.
mo. on the whole think the drivers
ana owners OF horse-drawn vehicles have
been particularly well treated-that is,
compared with the automobile owner.
though doubtless. having been left free
20 long, they will raise every objection
to the regulation. and l don't know that
blame them for tits human nature.
personally. however, II I drove a horse
At night would always carry a light
as a matter Of safety to myself and
property.
Identification Tags.
GAS to identification numbers, regard
less Of what I may think, the law re-
quires them on automobiles and the gen.
eral public seems to think them neces-
sary. OF course, they are simply for
Identification purposes. / never could
understand why 1t was any more neces-
sary to identify an automobile than q
horse.drawn vehicle. and If it was es-
sentiai in the one case why 1t was nom
essential in the other. The only feature
of the tag law I can see to criticise is
that private carriages appear to be omit
ted from carrying them. suppose our
Commissioners had some good reason
for making this omission, but to my
mind there is far greater necessity of
private carriages being required to carry
Identification tags than q business wagon
upon the sides Of which appear in bold
letters the name of the owner. I think
the regulation might be improved by re-
curing all vehicles to carry identification
tags except those business wagons hav
ing lettered sides, for how often have
we read Of accidents in which the I'M
identified driver whipped up his horse
and disappeared. To overcome this escape
Is the object the Commissioners had in
view in requiring Identification tags.
Why, then. should private carriages be
omitted? Unnecessary marring may be
advanced as the answer. as was the case
with the automobile, but Identification is
held not to be unnecessary and no more
marring Of a carriage will occur by at
taching tag than in the case of an au-
tomobile.
There were some remarks made at one
Of the hearings to the effect that this
regulation Is the desire of automO-
bile owners. This Is an error. SO far as
1 know. This law has been contemplated
for years, and. II am Informed rightly.
was in force years ago, before the auto
mobile was even invented. There is no
question but that drivers of automobiles
will welcome such a law, as 1t will be a
very great protection to them and their
property and doubtless prevent many col
iisions, but that they have actively and
collectively advocated the law or had
anything to do with its resurrection Is,
as have stated. an error"