Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-08-07
SMITH MAKES
A STATEMENT
State Auto Commissioner De-
tends His Position.
sp.ctaI 50 The EHENINe NEWS.

sioner OF Motor Vehicles J. B. r
Smith was asked II he had yet re-
piled to the communication OF the
Secretary of the New Jersey Auto
mobile Trade Association, containing
resolutions condemning his action in
refusing short term licenses to resi-
dents OF New York, he replied that
both the letter and the resolutions
had been received, but that their
spirit was so deliberately and IN
necessarily offensive that he must
decline to either answer or have
further intercourse with their au-
thors until suitable apologies had
been made. He said, however, that
inasmuch as the authors of the Teso-
lutions had seen fit to give them
general publicity, he thought 1t
might be well if the public under
stood who these authors really are,
and what their motive, or rather,
lack of motive is.
Not From Association.
He said that, in the first place,
the resolutions did not come from
the Trade Association at all, and the
rank and file of that organization
ought not and would not be held
responsible therefor. They did not
even come as the unanimous vote Of
the executive committee. That vote
was far from the unanimous express
sion even of those present at the
time and the secretary's statement
to that effect is a deliberate mis-
statement. There was a strong pro-
test from leading members who re-
froinnI FROM rOttnn fnr 4ha nvnracc
purpose of preventing further dis
cord, but their opinions were well
known. The voting was done by a
few men who were affiliated with
the New Jersey branch of the Amer
lean Automobile Association, and
who are trying touse the local trade
association as a catspaw to pull the
rapidly burning chestnuts of the
parent association out of the fire.
This parent association is a national
body composed mainly of non-resi-
dents of New Jersey, has been the
leading propaganda of the free
privilege without registration policy
throughout the country, and as one
of the means to secure the adoption
of that policy in New Jersey has not
scrupled to hold up to ridicule and
persecution New Jersey motorists,
including members of their own as
ISOLATION, while touring in other
states.
l do not hesitate to charge those
in official position in this association
with being the prime cause of the
tourists troubles.
Because of this campaign of per-
r-4,+3~- 49, ~
the part of this association, It's for
mer membership in this STATE las
dwindled to a mere handful, proba-
bly, not more than four per cent. OF
our motorists now being eve nomi-
nally members of any club affiliated
with that association, and of this
small percentage a very large num-
Der are either in open or secret re
volt against its purposes. The In
iuence of this association in New
Jersey is practically nil, and it is
only by the most unwarranted ore.
sumption that any member of that
I association presumes to speak for
New Jersey motorists.
These, then, are the people who
criticise the department, and their
statements will be dismissed without
further thought by those who under
stand their origin. For those who
do not yet so understand, l shall
take up seriatum the statements con-
tanned in the resolutions referred to.
The First Statement.
The first statement, to the effect
that New Jersey has compelled non
residents to submit to many indigni-
ties Is not only deliberately and will
fully untrue, but the exact opposite
is the case. While the indignities
heaped upon New Jersey motorists
at the express request of those in
authority in the American Automo-
bile Association have lot been so
great in New York as in Massachu-
sets and Pennsylvania, 1t has still
existed; whereas every resident of
New York, Massachusetts and Penn
s~ylvania has received in New Jersey
the highest degree of courtesy, as
the trainers of this resolution not
only we'll know, but as the majority
of them in private conversation free
ly admit.
Next, the p~ettifogging argument
against their WI state and in be-
half of the policy of New York in
charging that there is a feeling of
resentment manifested in my act
which one state should not show O.
ward another" is an effort to befog
the situation, entirely I'm keeping
with their methods, acts wholly un-
worthy of sincere and candid gentle
men.
The trainers of this resolution
know very we'll that the feeling of
resentment is not in New Jersey, but
elsewhere. They know very well
that there Is no feeling of resent
ment in my act; that it is only the
performance of an official duty; that
the creation of our eight day license
act was wholly for the purpose of
giving special privileges to those
who gave special privileges to us;
that if others refused to give special
privileges to us, u special privi-
leges to them should cease. They
know very well that 1t Is the resi-
dents and authorities of other states
who are the aggressors, who are the
prosecutors of New Jersey motorists;
that New Jersey has striven for more
than a year In behalf ( her motorists
to secure for them fair treatment at
the hands of the authorities of other
states. They know very well that
the officials at the head of the Ma
tional Association have been striving
for even a longer time to bring about
annoyance and humiliation of our
motorists. They further know that
the very minuta 1ustica is dOnR 10