Middletown transcript., 1910-01-08
H19DLsFowI. DEI.. 5AA. .. islO
pNpnpcINd AUTOMOBILE LAWS

ENFORCING AUTOMOBILE LAWS
"The Delaware.Automobile AS
sociation has taken a commend
able step in again asking the
Police Commissioners TO enforce
the laws governing the use Of
motor cars in this State. The
association asks that non resi-
dents who come into Delaware in
motor cars be required to have
State licenses under penalty OF
arrest. There is such q law, but
it is doubtful whether it is often
enforced. Delawareans going
into other states, into Maryland
and Pennsylvania, must pay for
licenses in those states. so long
as the law with respect to this
matter is enforced in other states
against Delaware, we should SIM
ply give them what they give US,
"For our own part. We doubt
the wisdom Of such laws, as we
think it would be better to per-
nit automobilists from other
states to have free access into
Delaware subject to the laws
governing speed. Relations
however, should be reciprocal,
and so long as Delawareans are
required to take out Pennsylvania
or Maryland licenses, residents
of those states will be required
to do the same here.
zone advantage of the auto
mobile is that it promotes social
intercourse. 1t is a good thing
to have visitors come into Della
ware, and we should be glad 10
see them.
The association also asks the
commissioners to enforce the
laws as to the speed of motor
cars, and the Police Commission
ers should have no difficulty in
granting this request. But doubt
less it is true, as the ommission.
ers say, if the laws were strictly
enforced, most of the users Of
motor cars would have to devote
considerable of their time to
police court duties. Riding in
an automobile seems to develop
a desire for speed. 1t goes with
the ownership Of a machine.
Often o man in a machine thinks
he is going at a fair rate of speed
when he is really moving rapidly.
However, the speed problem
must be dealt with sooner or later.
The automobile has come to stay
and its use will increase. How
to regulate the use of the auto.
mobile is the problem. There
are careful automobilists and
there are careless ones, just as
there are careful men driving
horses and careless drivers.
"In New York City and in
other big cities the automobile
problem has become a very ser.
ious problem. A new law gov
erning chauffeurs went into effect
in that State with the New Year.
The new law provides a penalty
Ofel0 fine or six months imprison.
msAt, or both, for any one con-
YieteA of such automobile driving
as endangers life, or of running
away after his car has inflicted
injury. Under the old law in
New York, no offender, however
outrageous, could be imprisoned,
except after a third conviction
for recklessness or over.speed-
ing. The motor-outlaws were
under the old law practically
given free rein to do as they
pleased. One outrage after an
other followed in New J ork be-
fore it was possible to create
sufficient sentiment to force the
enactment of q more stringent
Law. Perhaps the law should be
amended so that q person con-
vistsA twice Of violating the reg.
alaAions should be prevented
from using machine at all.
Zone frightfnl accident in Del
aware was sufficient to arouse us
to the importance of the problem
and now that the Automobile
Association has taken action, we
shall look for a more rigid en-
forcement of the laws and such
enforcement will be pleasing to
all those who employ automobiles
sanely and derive much pleasure
in so doing. ."-EUening Journal.
NEw BUILDING FoR HOPE FARM