The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-16
CHANGES IN
 THE AUTO LAW
High Speed Test Cars Are
 Objected to Better Control of Machines When Passing Trolleys- Higher Horse Power Tax Is Proposed.

The general hearing of the con- mittee on roads, bridges and rivers yesterday afternoon on automobile Brooks, secretary of the Connecticut Automobile Association, discussed some recommendations for straighten- ing out the present automobile laws, which however, this association con- siders to be on the whole the best set of automobile laws in the Union.
 The association wants the definition of a dealer modified somewhat, com- polling dealers to have an established place of business, so that individual owners cannot club together to sell automobiles, thereby lodging taxes and licenses.
 Another matter discussed was the requiring of manufacturers to place front and rear number plates hor1- zontally on cars, to fasten same so that they could not swing, and to have their lower edges at least eighteen proposition to change the distance at which light can be seen from sixty feet, as in the present law, to less dis tance, Joseph F. Futile thought that such a change would bring in a lot of technicalities and annoyances when- ever an attempt was made to enforce the law. Another proposed change. one of many offered by Secretary or State M. H. Rogers raised the old linn it for charge of each horsepower over twenty-five from 25 cents to 30 cents. MT. Brooks requested the committee to thoroughly consider reducing taxes of automobilists, pointing out that automobile owners in Connecticut were paying more for the privilege of own ine fivoc c11oI was the case anywhere else in the Union. Charles H. Cole of Middle town made humorous speech, and concluded with the suggestion that the only way to get equal rights was for the state to impose a direct tax upon every vehicle, of whatever des- cription, used on the public highways.
 Secretary Rogers offered a recom- mendation to the effect that witnesses at automobile trials be paid by the Secretary of State, the same fee as IS paid to witnesses in criminal cases be- fore the Superior court. Perhaps the feature of MT. Rogers recommends tive to nonresident automobilists. Messrs. Futile and Brooks urged the opening of the State highways to out side automobilists for the sake of the business thus brought in, for the sake of the broad ethics entailed in it, and for the publicity the State got from outside automobilists.
 MT. Rogers also set before the com mittee a suggestion that where local prosecuting officers could not punish violators of speed and other automobile laws, the State Secretary could collect the necessary evidence leading to prosecution, and that whether prose cution resulted or not, his acting at- torney should receive his fee just the same.
 Another matter for general discus sion was with regard to a speed limit for testing cars. Representative H. A. Huntington of Windsor showed that high speed testing cars tear up the highways and produce seeming dang CT. George B. Churchill of Newing- ton graphically pictured the dangers to which frequenters of the highway near his home were exposed by high speed testing cars. Mr. Rogers said that the fault lay. not with the man. ufacturers of testing cars. but with the man. who sees drivers violating the law without reporting the same to the proper authorities.
 Colonel George Pope of the Pope Manufacturing Company. Max s. Hart of the Corbin Motor Vehicle Company of New Britain, W. W. Owen of Hartford, representing the Columbia Motor Car Company and B. A. Rus sell of the Locomobile Company of America presented the manufacturers S point of view and the measures used by automobile companies to curtail abuses of their testing car operators on the highways.
 The final important measure before the committee had to do with the bringing of motor cars to a full stop when about to pass standing trolley cars. Messrs. Brooks and Futile point ed out that complete control of the car was the vital thing and that such control could be better maintained when proceeding at a rate of three miles an hour, than if the car should be at a full stop. Representative Chas H. Calor of Plainville claimed that the committee ought not to reject a provision of so much merit.