Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-23

motorist is or should be for the purpose
of identification. This identification Is
for the benefit Of the non-motoring pub
lie, not the motorist. hence. the public
ought to bear the burden Of what little
expense there is connected with the issue
Of licenses At most, however, the cost
of the license to a motorist should be
only sufficient to insure the state from
loss. Anything over and above this IS
without warrant in law In that 1t
amounts to tax. Pandering to the pub
lie sentiment that existed against the au-
tomobilist some years ago, some courts
then sustained these license laws by
| wandering shamefully away from the
| we'll known principles of law governing
taxation Of other properties. Aside from
these few scattered decisions rendered
by inferior courts, the various laws OF
today existing In the states are utterly
without foundation. and have little doubt
| but that many Of the judges who have
sustained such laws in the past now
blush for themselves. In my Judgment.
the present state laws governing the H.
censing OF automobiles are for the most
part the result of ignorance upon the
part of the legislatures as to how far
| their rights over the property OF others
extend. but be this as 1t may, these laws
no longer seek to protect the users OF the
public roads, but have degenerated into
| bold game Of hold-up and robbery, the
| pelf being used to establish political OF
daily travel these state roads and scatter
| their money right and left. and instead
| of being taxed for this privilege they
ought to receive every encouragement.
''Citizens OF the District having been
| exempted from the privileged class by the
| laws of the state Of Maryland, naturally
| feel indignant, and certain class seem
| to think retaliatory measures should De
| adopted. I am free to state that, Wnlie
sympathize with our citizen motorists. yet
/ am not in sympathy with law OF re-
| taliation; two wrongs, In my opinion,
never make right. although in this in
| stance it may be a means Of bringing
| the lawmakers Of Maryland to q proper
regard for our rights. I do not question
! for a moment but that our Commissioners
have the same legal right to enact an or
dinance against the states that the latter
have against citizens OF the District.
whatever that right may be-"
y y
A five-passenger Washington touring
car. finished in brewster green, fully
equipped, was delivered to DR.. A. v. Par
sons OF Takoma Park, D. c., yesterday.
and a four-passenger toy tonneau car,
gruder of Hyattsyille, Md. The cars were
the first OF the 1912 output.
DR.. and Mrs. Tom A.. Williams are tour
ing in their Pullman car, having left At
lantic City a few days ago for Long Is-
land They found the roads varying from
first class to very bad In stretches, &C
| cording to Information just received from
them.
Mr.. and Mrs. r. c. Mcdowell left today
in their Ford roadster over the short
route to Philadelphia, where they expect
to spend a few days visiting friends
A fore-door Hudson roadster was de-
livered last week to g. l. Bedford. and
one of the same make to r. Norton. fully
equipped.
Detroit electric extension brougham
was ordered last week by Justice Joseph
Lamar, who is at present in Florida. De-
| livery will be made in the early fall.
~ 4
A great automobile highway between
New York and San Francisco by 1916.
That Is the hope OF the automobile world,
which is now intently watching the work
Of the Premier ocean-to-ocean trail
blazers. San Francisco is making prep
arations for a wonderful entertainment
position. and there are thousands Of au-
| tomobile enthusiasts in various parts OF
the east who would like to attend In
their own machines. For that reason
on the daring Premier amateur-owner
drivers. who. with their families and
friends. are now in the great western
plains, camping out at night and cooking
their own meals, in an attempt to dem n
strate to the world, and the United
States Congress in particular. the abso-
lutte necessity Of this strip Of road. That
II Vii De something road. II II Is
obtained, is conceded by all. Congress
will be asked for more millions than
In Its Improvement.
The ocean-to-t cean tourists, in ten
cars, are confident they will prove that
national highway suitable for the gen.
tleman amateur owner tourist already
! exists. Congress will be asked to i'm
prove this road. Already mere than half
the Journey has been completed without
serious mishap, and daily telegrams
plains are extremely reassuring. The
forty Eight wealthy Philadelphians and
New YCrkers, who include eight women,
are enjoying their great tour hugely and
are enthusiastic ever the outcome. They
are carrying their camps on their rum
ming boards and are encountering daily
experiences that cannot be had in the
east. They are driving their own cars and
! are paying their own expenses
The building OF a great transcontinental
highway, which, Of course, would be
used by all other vehicles, in the opin-
ion of persons who have studied the SUBJ
western states than to the east. 1t would
have a bigger influence on the commune
! ties through which it would pass, 1t Is be-
lieved. than would the acquisition Of an
other railroad. Transcontinental automo-
bile tourists would naturally be people Of
wealth and prosperity, and they would
add to the prosperity of every commun-
lity through which they would pass NJ re-
over, they would have occasion to make
/ more stops than do railroad trave.ers
! New hotels and small towns would spring
up along such thoroughfare as IL by
magic, and hundreds of Thousands OF
\ eastern dollars would be spent in the
west that now go elsewhere. Thousands
Of fasteners and Europeans will tour to
San Francisco for the Panama show In
| 1915 II the great road is improved, while
the annual tranic will be immense
Americans viii carry out the logical adj
vice to SEQ America first with such a
highway at their command
| Sales Of Pullman oars reported yester-
day included tho following: Model O..
| fore-door touring car. to George u.
Trustt: model o. toy tonneau touring
cars to p. II. Mattiugly and Haxen-Lat-
inner Construction Company. and model