Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-05-26
AUTOMOBILE
RECIPROCITY
State Commissioner Takes
Steps to Protect Jersey
men in Other States.
The TOURING PRIVILEGE
Special License Denied Auto
lists from Pennsylvania and
BeIaWare--Hsar Others.
THE TOURING PRIVILEGE
Special to the EVENING NEWS


Trenton, May 26:-The long agita-
ton for a show down between New
Jersey and other states who have
been discriminating against New Jer-
sey because of the latter's law re-
quiring foreign motorists to take out
a tourists eight-day license for which
the state exacted a fee of 81 which
resulted in New Jersey motorists be-
ing compelled to take out yearly
licenses when travelling in other
states, because of the refusal of
foreign states to extend to New Jer-
sey like courtesy has resulted in
the issuing of an order by Commis-
sioner of Motor Vehicles ]. B. R.
Smith to the various agencies to no
longer issue tourists licenses to resi-
dents of Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Unless New York and other states
come to some kind of satisfactory
arrangement in the near future, it is
intimated that like action will be
taken against residents of those
states. In the cases of New York
and Massachusetts, it is said by Mr..
Smith that he feels quite confident
that satisfactory arrangements will
be agreed upon at an early date.
The order issued to the agencies
follow:
The Order Issued.
To the Licensing Agents of the Motor
Vehicle Department of New Jersey:
For several months this depart
ment has been earnestly endeavoring
to bring about reciprocal relations
between the motorists of our own
and many of the other states. Nego-
tiations, having thus been begun and
which are still pending in several
states, have come to a fruitless ter
mination with the states of Pennsyl-
vania and Delaware. These states
have absolutely refused not only to
extend reciprocal courtesies to resi-
dents of this state, but against the
earnest and often repeated protests
of the department, they have not
only Disseminated in their legisla-
tion and in the Interpretation and
execution of their own laws against
residents of this state and in favor
of residents of other states, but in
many instances have committed acts
amounting to offensive persecution Of
New Jersey motorists, always ignor-
ing the spirit of our legislation,
which seeks to extend the courtesies
of our roads to non-residents upon
what the legislature has regarded as
the most favorable terms compatible
with the best interests of our citi-
zens.
1t therefore becomes the duty of
the department to exercise the dis
cretion vested in it by the act and
refrain from issuing eight day lie
enses to residents Of Pennsylvania
and Delaware. This order is not to
be modified except as these states or
either of them, shall establish reci-
procal relations with residents of
New Jersey.
Commissioner Smith Explains.
Commissioner j. B. R. Smith,
when asked if his order-would not
work a great hardship on Pennsylva-
MIA automobilists, replied that II 1t
did they would have only themselves
to blame; that the organized auto
mobilists of that state, in his opinion,
were wholly responsible for existing
conditions; that they had urged the
offensive legislation; that they had
supported arbitrary and discriminat-
ing construction of the law, and that
they had aided and abetted the petty
police prosecutions.
Mr.. Smith said: "I have endeav-
ored for nearly year to secure for
New Jersey residents touring In
Pennsylvania privileges at least equal
to those which New Jersey extended
to Pennsylvania residents, but have
always been met with the statement
that unless New Jersey would give
Pennsylvania residents absolutely
fra
tend any courtesies to New Jersey
residents In addition, they have
been extensively active in securing
arrests of New Jersey motorists on
technical grounds, and innumerable
petty prosecutions had been INDUCED
in, with the purpose, freely express
ed. of annoying Jerseymen. and of
coercing them into enacting laws
dictated by non-residents.
While conditions of a somewhat
similar nature have existed in other
states, In no state has there appeared
to be the systematic orderly scheme
of persecution that has existed in
Pennsylvania, and its origin has al
ways been easy to trace.
Contemplated Last Summer.
This action was seriously contem-
plated last summer, and was deferred
in the hope that time would work
change, but notwithstanding the
most earnest and prolonged efforts
of the department, supported by a
large army of New Jersey motorists,
the antagonistic course of the Penn
sylvania motorists and authorities
has been intensified rather than
modified.
1t is only fair to say that Pennsyl-
vania motorists receive much more
from New Jersey than New Jersey
motorists receive from Pennsylvania
Whenever Pennsylvania will under
take to treat New Jersey motorists
with either the same consideration
with which they treat motorists from
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