Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-16
WANT RECIPROCITY
BETWEEN STATES
Claim Only Concerted Action Can
National Registration Be
Brought About
NEED REMEDIAL LEGISLATION
Present Conditions Of State Law
Hamper Auto Tourists and
Cause Dissatisfaction

Two important features stand out
clearly in the automobile world at this
period which is marking the close OF
the great summer touring season. They
are first, the enormous increase in the
popularity of motor travel and, sec
ond the great need of interstate re-
ciprocity in respect to automobile
laws.
Two cases, within the last few days,
have revealed these benefits and needs
in a clear-cut manner. In the nrst
place the statistics just compiled at
Mount Washington snow that during
the months of July and August 80 per
cent of the total arrivals at the White
mountain resort on the line of the
Idea tour originated by A. l.. West
gard of the Touring Club of America
a few years ago, came by motor car.
This is a marked advance over the
figures last year. The total arrivals
at Mount Washington during those
two months We're $3.50, and of those
1884 came by automobile. While these
figures show with startling Vivldness
the ever growing popularity of motor
touring, it is not believed that this rate
increase is shared alone by the Mount
Washington resort. Reports all through
New England indicate that the volume
of motor traffic this season has far eX-
ceeded all former years and these sta
tistics are borne out py the great de-
mand from members of the Touring
Club of America, and others for pleas
ant touring routes through that section
These statistics naturally lead to the
second important question. that of re-
ciprocity, between the states,
1t stands to reason that touring on
so large a scale as the present year
has witnessed would hardly have been
attained had the various states
through which the motorists were re-
quired to pass enacted laws imposing
additional burdens upon motorists.
Practically all Of the New England
states grant ten days touring to nom
residents, provided those visitors nave
complied with the laws of their home
states. New York state, under the new
Callan automobile law which has just
gone into effect, has brought this ques-
tion of state reciprocity more proml-
nently to the front than perhaps ever
before The Callan law grants the
same privileges to non residents that
their states grant to New York MOTOR
lists.
Attorney General O'Malley has set at
rest a point that was troubling the no.
tel keepers, garage proprietors and
many motorists, who feared that under
the new law visiting tourists would be
porhibited from enjoying even tenn
porary freedom from the New York law.
The attorney general has informed Sec
retary of state Koenig that the Callan
law clearly gives tourists from other
states the same privileges in New York
as are accorded in their states to New
York motorists, which virtually means
that all of the eastern states with the
exception of New Jersey have recipro-
cal relations with New York for periods
averaging ten days.
But now arises an interesting point:
Who determines when this ten days
period of touring expires? In other
words, does it ever expire? The ten
day reciprocity clause, owing to its
nonenforcement, virtually gives com
plete freedom to tourists and Attorney
Seneral OMalley's decision means that
lvew York will practically grant unlim-
tied freedom to states that admit New
Workers for limited periods according
to law.
In speaking of this situation Secre-
tary Frederick II. Elliott of the Tour
ing club of America said:
1.-THE widespread discussion which has
been aroused in automobile circles over
the nonresident provision of the Callan
automobile law has opened a splendid
onportunitv for the motorists through
out the nation to secure the enactment
at the next session of their state legis-
latures of a nonresident provision sim
liar to the New York law which will
practically give freedom to motorists
who have complied with the law of
their home state, permitting them to
tour in any state without the necessity
of registering or in other ways being
idantified' %