The Washington times., 1912-02-21
LOCAL MOTORISTS
ARE INTERESTED IN
CUMMINGS PROBE
Maryland Delegate to Intro
duce Bill Authorizing
Deputy.
By HARRY WARD.

The announcement in The Times that
A. j. Cummings, who represents Mont
gomery county in the Maryland Legis-
lature, had started war on John E.
George, commissioner Of motor vehicles,
attracted much attention among tho
motorists of this city. At Delegate
Cummings' request the house of dele
gates adopted an order calling on Conn
missioner George to furnish the former
with the number of automobile licenses
issued to Washington motorists. 1T IS
understood this action is preliminary
to the introduction by Mr. Cummings
OF a bill changing the Maryland auto
mobile law SO as to create deputy
salary, instead of the present arrange
ment Commissioner George has with
Leroy Mark. In asking the house to
pass the order, Delegate Cummings
stated there are more Maryland auto
mobile licenses issued in Washington
than in Baltimore. He also declared
that George, when called upon to give
him the exact number issued in this
city refused to comply with the re-
quest on the ground that he had not
sufficient office force to go over the
records. u
Washington motorists are watching
with interest the various moves being
made by Mr.. Cummings with reference
to the automobile license question.
This is washington Day" at the ai,-
tomobile show in Baltimore, and a
large number of motorists and dealers
from this city will attend the big ex-
hibition of cars. The show opened last
night in a blaze of glory. and through
out the evening the Fifth Regiment
Armory was thronged with visitors.
Fifty different makes of cars are on
| exhibition. In all, total of 200 pleasure
automobiles are displayed by the vari-
| Gus exhibitors, while the displays of ac-
| cessories are almost without number.
Last nights great crowd indicates the
| show will be the most successful ever
| held in the Maryland metropolis.
Robert II. Barrett, who has been con-
| nected with the automobile industry for
a number of years. has Joined the sales
/ force of the Zell Motor Car Company.
| In company with Manager James J.
| Flynn, Mr.. Barrett will attend the Bal
| timore automobile show tonight.
The French Grand Prize automobile
| race of 900 miles will be run over the
Dieppe course June 25 and 26. occording
to Paris advices; America, Spain, Ger
| many. italy, and England will be rep
resented in the race. which is the long
| est road ever scheduled.
| The campaign of education which has
| been carried on by makers of electric
| automobiles seems to have borne fruit.
! A point that has been driven home by
| the makers is that the electric saves
| money to owners in that il reduces the
! expense of repair and maintenance, and
does not require the services of an ex-
| pert chauffeur.
| Motorists who have made a close
| study of automobile legislation declare
| there has been a noticeable change dur
ing the past year in the attitude of the
public and legislators toward motor
vehicle legislation, which in many
States was primarily urged for revenue
producing purposes and to effect proper
means of Identification.
! While there is a wide divergence OF
| opinion as to the extent of the injury,
| II any, done by motor vehicles to the
| highways, the fact remains that auto
mobile users are contributing many mil
lions of dollars annually In license fees
which in nearly every instance revert
TO the fund for highway construction or
| maintenance.
II Is the general belief that with the
| increased usage of the automobile in
| rural communities the time is not far
distant when the fees paid for regis
tration and licenses will be materially
reduced in all the States and in many
possibly, entirely eliminated.
There is on the other hand, de-
mand for more stringent laws govern
ing the identification of operators ow-
ing to the great number of accidents
especially in the larger cities, where
reckless and incompetent drivers en-
deavor TO avoid detection after causing
. | an accident