The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-02-25
prEA FOR BETTER AUTO LEGISLA-
TIOS.
chairman Terry af A. A. "a. Legislative
Roar Advocates Uniform State We
hicIe Laws.

CHARLES Thaddeus Terry's plea for
.-,,ifarmity in automobile legislation
hafore the convention of the National
riric Federation in Washington, last
weak. struck popular chord. -
chairman Of the Legislative Board Of
III American Automobile Association
7rr Terry has devoted, perhaps, more
rtudv tn the question Of uniform au-
+omobile legislation than any other
investigator in the country. He drew
~ the uniform State vehicle law, The
-olient provisions OF which have been
odonted BY several State Legislatures,
ond he also drafted the bill for Ma
+ional registration law. which j. to b.
raintroduced into Congress at The
Dresent session.
Mr.. Terry, in view Of his familiarity
with automobile legislation in the
United States, was invited by the off
ears Of the National Civic Federation
n explain the necessity for uniformity
n this respect The Importance OF the
subject was clearly realized by the
cTaar-cut statement that thirty-SlX
states Of the Union have general stat
,rtes regulating motor vehicles and -
two Of them are alike. MT. Terry's
sneech virtually outlined the funda-
mental objects Of the coming National
legislative convention to BE- held under
III auspices Of the American AutOmO-
hi1o Association i'm Washington just
nna month later, on Feb. 10, 16 and 17,
n which the Governors Of all the
States have been invited to send a.
delegates their accredited representa-
ives in charge OF the enforcement of
their respective automobile laws. He
said !: ,
There are thirty-three States which
have separate, distinct, and in many
respects very different motor vehicle
regulations. When you consider this
and the further fact that even within
the borders of a single State in not
few instances the separate counties,
towns. villages and cities have passed
motor vehicle ordinances peculiar TO
such localities and differing one from
another and all differing in some re-
enects from the motor vehicle law ap-
nlicable to the State in general, you
get as a net result confusion worse
confounded.
There are two ways in which this
narticular evil may be cured--One il
bv the enactment by Congress OF
Federal Registration Automobile bill,
providing only, in substance, that upon
registration at bureau OF the Nation
al capital, after registration has been
had i'm the State of the residence OF the
owner of the motor vehicle, his license
to operate and use the vehicle shall Dc
recognized by every State i'm the Union,
and thus freedom i'm the use OF the We
hicle secured without further license
and without payment of further ices;
the other, by the enactment OF all the
States of uniform motor vehicle law
exempting nOn-residentS from its reg
istration provisions, as does. for eX-
ample, the law of the State of New
York.
NO one will dissent from the prop
osition that uniformity in motor vehi-
Gle registration is not only expedient
but in the highest degree desirable. lt
il conceded that more harm and 1nJuS-
tice are sometime brought about by
lack of uniformity of the laws of the
various States than by imperfect or
even bad laws in special instances
Nowhere Is this better illustrated than
in the case of travel upon the high
ways.
ITO make a concrete example, sup
pose that one were to start in his mo-
tor vehicle at New York to make
trip to his National Capitol at Wash
ington, to transact business with his
Government. He will nave no sooner
left the ferryboat on the Jersey shore
before he will be stopped and notified
that he can proceed no further lie
will find that what he had always as
sumed to be his natural right to use
the highways Of the country 50 long
as he scrupul0usly regarded the rights
Of others upon the highway has been
erected into a privilege to b. purchas-
ed only by the payment of money and
the expenditure of time and trouble
in seeking out one of the Government
officers and paying fees for q So
called license" He must find the
proper officer of that place where
these fees are received fill out and
sign an application blank, pay his
money and receive four tags, each one
OF which is good for two days enjoy
ment of this privilege of using the
highways and after he has done all
these things he will find that the State
is not yet satisfied He must, before
he may proceed, fill out and execute q
regular power OF attorney making the
Secretary of State his agent to re
celVe process in any proceeding which
may be brought against him while he
Is enjoying this so-called inestimable
privilege.
When he reaches the borders Of
the State Of Maryland H. will BE- again
held up and obliged before IL will b.
allowed to continue his journey, to 20
through very much the same process
as ne did when he attempted to cross
the borders of New Jersey. lie will
% put to pretty much the same an
hoyance, inconvenience and expense
Whenhe attempts to cross the line into
he District of Columbia, and it will b.
very likely that when H. reaches the
seat OF his National Government he
VIII be 90 incensed a. to have entire
" forgotten the business upon which
he came and b. possessed only with
lhe Idea that there should b. some
power in the National Government to
remedy the evil of which H. has been
victim, and that if there il such pow
er IT should be speedily and effective
ly applied.
There seems to b. no reason why
regulations applicable in one section
OF the country should not b. equally
MN r,+h I'M