New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-19
ASKS BETTER AUTO LAW
Secretary of State Urges Meas
ure Aimed at Reckless Drivers.
FAVORS LICENSE FEATURES
Would Give Authorities Power
to Revoke Right of Chauffeurs
to Operate Machines.

] Albany April Ex-Governor SulZer has
/ b IN asked by Secretary Of State May
/ to urge the Legislature TO enact amend
ments 70 the motor vehicle law designed
10 protect the public from reckless driv-
ers. The amendments introduced by SEN
ator McCIelland and Assemblyman Nc
/ Grath still remain In committee and the
/ Governor may send special message to
| the Legislature recommending their pas
, sage
/ Secretary May says in a statement 10
the Governor that during 1911 aud 1912 in
: this state there We're s67 persons killed
and el0 persons reported seriously in
| jurod in automobile accidents These
, accidents" says the Secretary. "consti-
tute out very small proportion of the
accidents which occur and are never re-
ported. save in numerous communications
ami complaints addressed TO the state
authorities
The report OF the Board OF Coroners OF
the city OF New York continues Secre-
tary May showing that there were 80
persons killed outright and 1908 seriously
injured i'm the Borough Of Manhattan
since 1911. points out that the automobile
law of the state is far too lenient. ana
recommends that some immediate action
be taken by the Legislature governing the
operation OF an automobile 10 protect the
! lives Of the people. as the conditions have
become intOlerable and the streets OF
New YORK more pcnl0us than battle
field. But in none of these cases has any
investigation been instituted by the state
nor SO far as known. has any nne or
, penalty been eXacted by the locality.
Great damage has been done 10 prop
erty Gom automobile accidents reported
! by fourteen out of the eighteen casualty
Insurance companies authorized TO do
business in this state. II amounts To eX-
actly Si3ii.077 paid out To residents OF
New York State since 1911 without adding
! the heavy losses paid out for injuries TO
! persons In which the use of the motor
vehicle has figured. ~ the department
has been unable To obtain any statistics
upon this feature of Insurance experience.
J The oricinal McClelland- McGrath meas
ure WAS modified by the withdrawal of
| the increased tax feature in order that
the real constructive legislation could be
more easily secured The attention OF
manufacturers. dealers. automobilsts.
chaufIeurs. newspapers and the public in
| general was then called Ia the bill. and
| almost with no exception its features
were commended. and I'm the main was
promised support for it's passage. Sena-
to- White chairman of the committee on
/ Internal Affairs Informed me that the
/ PRINCIPAL provisions OF the bill had his
support. and still there seems to he no
effort made 10 bring the matter from the
committee and into the day. where il can
| better be- publicly analyzed and debated
The only features of the admnistra-
| ton bill Which / especially urge, give
the proper state authorities the power
TO revoke license for cause and make IL
! necessary fol every operator to secure a
license before he can operate a car.
The present law is incapable OF being
enforced, As localities are burdened not
only with the duty. but with the expense
of enforcement, as no fines or taxable
costs NAV be retained The State Treas
urers report shows the feeble attempt on
the part of localities To enforce the law
as LEGS than $4,000 has been collected
during the last two years from only
thirty -three counties. while from the re-
naming twenty-eight. including Albany
and Erie. no money for fines was received
nor convictions reported To the state
Secretary May says he has no objec-
ton to the proposed transfer Of the auto
mobile bureau from the Secretary OF
States Office To the State Department OF
Highways.