The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-11-23

-Aifo Sity uCAAN CI C0 yCotCA deby S~S ~~~- annual convention of the Nationa Good Roads movement held at Rich eaond, Va, under the auspices of the Pouring Club of America.
 The topic discussed by Secretary Rogers was "The Motor Vehicle Law of Connecticut and it was listened to with the closest attention by the : delegates. At the conclusion of his address Secretary Rogers was warm " complimented by the delegates and in addition to receiving a. rising vots of thanks it was voted to have the address printed in full for distribu. ton. The text of the address fol. lows:
 The statutes which have appeared on our statute books, regulating the use and operation of motor vehicles have been as marked in their ad Vancement as the improvement in the structure and equipment of the ma chimes themselves.
 To be a good law and practical il its workings, such law should have three purposes in view: first, it should be adequate and certain in, it's pro- lection of the public and Nthe careful operator; second, 1t should be practi- cal and fair in it's taxation for high way purposes; and, lastly, it should be practical in the requiremen o1
  cedure necessary to secure registra- tion or license.
 First Law Protected Public.'
 Connecticut's first motor vehicle law was enacted in 1901 as section of twenty-five lines, and seemed to have been enacted with only the purpose in view of protecting the to the motorist. The provision con- cerning the speed limit was as fol lows:
 : NO motor vehicle shall be run or any highway or public place outside the limits of a city at speed to ex- -ceed fifteen miles an hour; ands lie such vehicle shall, on any highway or public place, within the limits of any city, be run to exceed twelve miles an hour"
 the enterprising constabulary in the various towns saw for themselves a harvest in fees for arrests and allow ances; so they proceeded to mark OH a course, lie in wait for some unsus- pecting motorist, stop him with a under arrest. His trial often amount ed to nothing but a computation as to the amount of fees necessary to go around among those arms of justice. The idea of protecting the public did not enter into it, and yet will ven. ture to sat that, crude as it was. 1t was in advance, of the provisions. of the laws of many other states be- cause Connecticut was a. pioneer state in the industry and the Loco Corbin. and other motor vehicles were manufactured in the state and had been widely advertised, and there are now some states which have not yet progressed in the idea of a reasonable speed beyond that oi
 1;% ;v, hn e. ions of the law itself or of justice in enforcing it.
 The other provisions of this law were reasonable and sensible and were as follows:
 Other Provisions Reasonable.
 Upon approaching a crossing of intersecting streets or roads, the per. such vehicle shall have such vehicle under control, and shall reduce the speed of such vehicle until said crossing. of such street or road shall have been passed. Upon meeting or passing any vehicle drawn by a horse, the person having charge of the power of said motor vehicle shall re- duce it's speed, and if the horse drawing such vehicle appears to be frightened, the person in charge of said moor vehicle shall cause said motor vehicle to come to 8 stop Wherever the term motor vehicle is used in this section, it shall in- clude all vehicles propelled by any power other than muscular, excepting the cars of electric and steam rail- ways and other motor vehicles run- ming only upon rails or tracks. No city, town, or borough, shall have any power to make any ordinance, by law, or resolution respecting the speed of motor vehicles and no or dinance, bylaw, or: resolution, here- fof horao made Inv citv town, or borough. in respect to, motor vehicles shall have any force or ef- feet. The mayor of any city, the selectmen of any town, or the warden special occasion, or whenever in their Judgment it may be deemed advis- able, grant permits to any person or persons or to the public to run such motor vehicles during specified time or until such permit is revoked, upon or highways of such city, town, or borough, at any rate of speed and may annex each other reasonable conditions to such permits as they :, nsy deem proper. Any person vio- lafing any of the provisions of this section shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars for each of- fense."
 It will be observed that there were no provisions in this law for requir- Ing the TeSlSCTdtlOu or llC0uSlnS OI operators or of motor vehicles, nor any provisions providing for the taxation of motor vehicles as revenue for the repair of highways.
 More Liberal As to Speed Limit.
 In the year 1903. a law was enacted which was more liberal then the law of 1901, in that it changed the speed limit so that it was fair to the motor ist so far as highways in small towns were concerned. The law read as follows:
 NO motor vehicle shall be run on any highways or public place at a rate of speed dangerous to life or property, or on any highway or pub- lie place outside the limits of any city or borough at a rate of speed to exceed fifteen miles an hour, or any highway or public place within the limits of any city or borough at a rate of speed to exceed twelve miles an hour.''
 The apparent intention of this law was to make the speed limit no more than was reasonable, rather than to make an absolute limit outside of cities and boroughs; but it failed to the part of those whose duty it was to enforce it.
 The law of 1903 also provided for R. registration of motor vehicles which consisted of a certificate which both registered the car and licensed the owner to drive the car. The only requirement. as to a marker was that number corresponding to the reg. lstratioh should be displayed on the rear of the car. The fee was one dollar to compensate the state for the