Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-05-24
LICENSING AUTOMOBILES.

ures from Trenton, published yes
terday. showing the great increase
in registration this year over the
same period last year proves that the
automobile owners have no intention
of ~boycotting New Jersey. The ar
gument of those who would throw
the state wide open to the speed
fends and joy riders is readily
smashed into smithereens.
The n stock argument of those
who favor the repeal of the present
automobile law is that more money
would be brought into the state by
the increased number of tourists.
When It is realized that a ten-day
tourist license can be secured for 81,
it is evident that an autoist who has
any money at all to spend will not
/ deny himself the attractive roads of
New Jersey and the pleasure of our
resorts for such a paltry sum. The
man who has money to spend comes
here now. The elimination Of the Ii
| cense would only throw u roads
open to the class who have no money
to spend. but who would delight in
tearing across the state merely for
a days outing.
There is another feature to be
considered. New Jersey has a great
many summe homes of people who
are residents Of New York or Phil
adelphia. These people would come
under the class of non-residents and
would therefore escape paying a Ii
cense, while those who live in New
Jersey all the year round would have
to pay the tax and bear the entire
burden. But there is comparatively
little automobiling during the Win
ter months so that these summer res
idents would actually get as much
use of our roads as do Jerseymen,
yet they would nave to pay no Ii
cense. This would hardly be fair,
would it? Besides, these non-resi-
dents who spend the summer months
in New Jersey own and operate the
machines that do the most damage
to our highways. This is shown by
a tour from this city, through Mon
mouth county to the coast resorts.
During the past few weeks regular
trains of automobiles have been pass
ing through tbi. city into Monmouth
county. The first car contains the
owD6rs, the next has the personal
reflects of those in the first car; next
is a car with the servants and there
is usually a fourth car with the
heavier baggage of the outfit. All
the cars are of the big, heavy type,
the kind that sweep up the surface
Of the road as they pass along.
These cars will be using the roads
of New Jersey almost constantly for
the next three or four months. They
are owned by people who "spend
money" and to whom the amount of
a license fee is nothing. Would it
be fair to let these people escape
without paying any tax while the
ordinary Jerseyman who seeks a
little pleasure in his modest touring
car or runabout is forced to pay still
more than he now contributes for
the upkeep of the highways worn
out, to a large extent. by the non
residents?
There is still another feature in
connection with this that should be
commented upon. All of these
wealthy summer residents have
chauffeurs who seem to think that
once out of the jurisdiction of the
New York police they are privileged
to use the highway as their own.
They tear along the country roads
with their high speed cars at forty
and fifty miles an hour regardless of
all other traffic. They have become
so accustomed to "close shaVes' in
New York that they Craze by a pass
ing auto with hardly an inch to spare
so that the careful driver who does
not are to take any risks, is kept
out on the side Of the road and into
the ditch the greater part of the
time. AS a matter of fact, a party
out for a pleasure ride of an after
noon usually steers clear of the road
to the shore because of the heavy