New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-10
REGULATION OF AUTOS
Secretary of State Explains
Need of New Law.
SEES LITTLE OPPOSITION
Public Safety and Highway
Upkeep Justify Proposed
Changes, He Says.


law governing the taxation and regula-
ton Of automobiles is explained in a long
statement by Mitchell May. Secretary Of
state The safety OF the public. he as
serts. demands more stringent supervision
of motor car drivers. With regard TO in
creased taxation, he has figured that the
oxpense 10 owners would not he great
enough 70 make objection worth while
In part Mr.. May says:
AT the outset of my term ! felt some
what embarrassed concerning proposed
notifications OF the motor law. because
of my then inadequate knowledge of the
subject. and because Of the apparent on
position 10 any notifications Of the law
An analysis. however. OF the situation
since that time has proven that the op-
postion 90 tho proposed changes is not
near SO great as would appear upon the
surface and that. on the contrary. the
efforts 20 make notifications looking to
the better protection of the public have
met with the approval of a large per-
centagc Of the automobilists in the state.
THE opposition to any modification
m the law is due in the main 10 the 20
sltion taken by the opponents that the
present law 81, adequate If properly en-
forced While it is true in the past the
law has not been as we'll enforced as il
could have been. nevertheless in its pres
Ont shape II fails 10 deal with some Of
She moro serious phases OF automobile
operation.
"In .ho Jaw. as now proposed by me
arc amendments which have been i'm the
main enforced i'm Other states. and with
out any apparent Inconvenience or dis
turhance 81 business. ! have no quarrel
with manufacturers or dealers; on the
contrary. feel il my highest duty to do
VERIFYING 10 subserve their interest and
- advance their cause.
Il know Of no better way Of bringing
e bout such accomplishment than by civ
ing 20 tho great public assurances that
every safeguard is thrown around them.
and that the automobile is no longer the
property. IL is unquestionably true that
thousands Of persons have been re-
strained from purchasing automobiles be-
cause OF their knowledge Of the made
quatc protection now accorded under the
law. fearing as they must, the dangers
that may confront them in meeting with
operators upon the public highway who
are reckless. incompetent or intoxicated.
The Callan law. which went into ef-
feet i'm 1870 while good so far as il went,
has proven entirely inadequate. with the
result that the toll OF the automobile in
deaths and damage shocks US. At the out
get II IS necessary that there should be a
cooperation between the local authorities
an the one hand and the state authorities
on the other, so that the local authori-
les could be in a position TO uphold the
hand OF the state authorities in the en-
forcement Of the law.
1T IS probably unknown. but il is the
fact that our inferior courts in the main
have no power 10 punish for violation of
tie motor law except for charges involv-
ing excessive speed. our local authorities
are obliged TO bear the cost Of the prose-
cution IN the collection OF fines, while the
money under thu law must lie turned into
the state treasury.
The result has been in twenty-eight
counties automobilists when arrested for
violation OF the motor law. have been
charged with the violation % some local
ordinance. for no inducement has beer
held out 10 those local authorities TO aid
the state In various other departments
of the state there has been allowed TO the
local authorities sufficient Of the fines col
iected 10 compensate them. / believe such
a provision should be incorporated into
the motor law, leaving IT entirely 70 the
discretion Of the Secretary OF State 10
allow such amounts in order to prevent
speed traps ana 10 encourage reasonable
enforcement Of the law.
From the meagre statistics had. and
which failure Of statistics is due in a
large measure TO the failure OF the law.
il appears that about 90 per cen: Of the
accidents are caused by persons other
than chauffeurs or owners. Under the
proposed amendments such persons would
lot IN the main he entitled TO operate, or
II entitled would be under restrictions and
supervision which would unquesuOnably
minimize 10 q great extent the dangers Of
their operation and would place upon
some responsible person the responsibility
n'proper cases ~ making pecuniary COM
pensation for carelessness and negligence.
j appreciate that any increase in the
license fees viii meet with some opposi-
ton. but in view or the charges made
abroad. in Italy ana Germany and France
IN particular. which far exceed our
charges and which appear TO have had
no deterrent effect on the DEVELOPMENT OF
the Industry. ] feel safe in ascribing that
opposition 10 the natural opposition OF all
people 10 the payment OF direct taxes.
This increase in both pleasure ard motor
vehicles bears such an Insignificant part
Of the cost OF the maintenance OF a ma
chine as 10 he entitled 20 little considera-
ton.
The increase OF the fee Of vehicles IN
der % horsepower from s 10 $40 means
an increase in the cost OF maintenance
Of such machine OF less than AZ cents a
month, and so down the line. The in
crease on commercial trucks OF six tons
from s. to $50 per annum would mean an
increase in the cost OF maintenance OF
such truck OF trine more than 81 per
month No man contemplating the pur-
chasing OF n car would give such addi-
tional cost the slightest consideration.
The fee for both pleasure and CONNER
dal cars is increased. Our highways are
being rapidly developed 10 meet the de-
mands and requirements OF the motor
vehicle. Last year we expended about
S3oCu.000 on our highways. The cost of
Development and maintenance is rapidly
increa ginl, due I'm tho LARGEST measure IA