The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-02-27
OF AUTOMOBILISTS
 ON NEW LAWS
Hearing on All Bills Will Be Held in Capitol Next Tues
 day
Circulars Distributed Broadcast by Legal Committee of
 Association
8y Our Staff corres.)

(By Our Staff Corres.)
 Hartford, Feb. 27.-Next Tuesday will be automobile day at the State Capitol Hearings on all bills relating to motor vehicles, have been assigned for that date by the Committee on Roads, Rivers and Bridges. They will go into session at o'clock. It is ex- pected that motorists from all parts of the state will be represented.
 The lConnecticut Automobile As- sociation has taken a vital interest in the proposed legislative changes. Through Attorney Charles M. Robin son, chairman of the legal committee, the association has. issued a com pendium of the proposed laws, indi- eating the attitude the association is to assume at the hearings next week.
 Following is an extract from the circular, with the arguments which will be advanced either for or against the bills. The circulars were mailed today throughout Connecticut, to all owners, irrespective of in the association.
 The Senate and House Joint Com rnittee on Roads, Bridges and Rivers has set these bills down for hear ing at 2 P. M. Tuesday, March 4th, and you are urged to attend that hearing and bring your autom obi1ing friends with you. Nothing will help the work of your Legal ComInittee more than a large attendance. If the attendance is slim the Committee nat . urally believes the interest is slight. Do not leave this for others. Come to the hearing. See your Senator and Representatives and tell them you are there on account of the automobile bills. Watch the daily papers for an announcement of the room in which the hearing will be held, or inquire in the Capitol lobby when you arrive. The various measures, and their inn port to you, are as follows:
 Speed.
 The two bills introduced are an at tempt to establish once more the old graft trap., fixed, speed limit. Our Connecticut, sliding scale, speed linn it has been adopted in some sixteen other states since it's establishment t here. In one particular city in this State the police have made no pre- tence of enforcing our present law. The Representative from that city asks new law on the ground that the old law lacks strength. The question is. how does he know? If the pres ten days he will know that iC is the best law obtainab1e.
 Lights.
 The first four bills are in accord with the belief of the Connecticut Au- tomobile Association that there should be a light on all vehicles after dark. This is for the safety of all An ordinary barn lantern costing 2 com parativeIy few cents will comply with the law proposed by the Association. The last bill attempts to remedy an evil which would not exist if the present rear lamp law were enforced in all places.
 
 The H. B. 58, entitled ttAn act con corning automobile horns" is mas querading under an assumed name. It should be entitled "An act for the promotion of automobile fatalities The Court records show that the great majority of automobile fatali- ties occurring among pedestrians are in crowded city streets. The rec ords show that in practically every case the automobile was proceeding at a slow pace, within any fixed limit that has been proposed by anyone. This bill, H. B. 58, while introduced with good intent, would be deadly in it's effect as it would take away from the automobilist every quick acting. ing signal frequently means the differ ence between life and death for hu- man being. This bill should be de- feated. H. B, 737 is designed to do away with the unreasonable or ua- use of electric or power horns and is favored by the Associa- ton.
 Operators License.
 The particular change sought in this measure is a reduction of the age necessary to obtain an operators n- cense from eighteen to sixteen years. This reduction of age was opposed by the Association in 1909 and 1911. While there are exceptions to every rule, yet there is no evidence at hand that the average boy of sixteen is en- dowed with more caution this year than he had in 1909 or 1911.
 NIuff1ers.
 The two amendments proposed are not approved by the Association as they are indefinite and would lead to arrests on petty technica1ities. An enforcement of the present law would be sufficient.
 Taxation.
 The first two bills are introduced for the purpose of reducing the pres ent double taxation and placing us more on a par with the owners of oth- sr forms of personal property. An 1ther bulletin will be issued later GOV srfng this subject.
 Number Plates. This bill will cut down the unrea- sonable size of the present number 11dl0Ss W1lIiOuJ OlIn1Il1SnInS US l6S1- oility and should be favored. Non-Residelit Commercial
 Motor Vehicles. This is an attempt to return to the game of holding up people on our State line and is thoroughly disap proved by the Associatio
 Brush in Highways. This is measure to cause the high way department, the railroads, and he towns to cut the brush at inter 'ecting highways, and for the safety If everyone upon the highways mould be passed.