Evening star., 1914-04-19

| fc 1t also authorizes employees of the
state roads commission to make arrests
| for violations of the laws relating to the
| state roads dncludng speed laws. Such
| employees are required to wear and dis
play metallic shields or badges 10 in
dicate such employment
Unfavorable Bills
OF the unfavorable or Objectionable
bills which were defeated there were sew
| eral. First in Importance of the bills
defeated by the efforts Of the represent
atives of the Automobile Club Of Mary
land and motorists generally who Joined
| in protests against the same was the
bill providing for increased registration
fees as follows.
Fifty dollars per year up TO 10 horse
power.
sventy-ive dollars per year from 10 10
20 horsepower.
One hundred dollars per year from ~
to so horsepower.
One hundred and fifty dollars per year
from 80 to 10 horsepower.
Two hundred dollars per year for over
40 horsepower.
This bill met an early death" says
Mr.. Yellott. land to the credit of the
senator who introduced it be it said that
he tamped the earth on its grave by
motion which prevented its reconsider
alton at the same session of the leg1s-
lature. incidentally the Maryland legis-
iature does not convene again for two
years
The sixteen-year-old operator bill was
reported unfavorably by the senate COM
rnittee on judicial proceedings. This bill
was objected to on the ground that the
old law permitting the registration of six
teen-year-old operators had been unsat-
isfactory.
Speed Measure Disliked.
Another bill which was extremely OBJ
jectionable provided maximum speed
of twenty-five miles per hour in the
open country. twelve miles 'in a thickly
settled section. where more than two
houses are in sight of each other and
six miles an hour in towns and villages
1t also prohibited the displaying of BAN
ners, flags or streamers on motor
vehicles. The bill was reported unfavor-
ably by the committee on roads and
highways, recommitted to the committee
on judicial proceedings. again reported
unfavorably, and finally offered as an
amendment to another bill. but the pro-
posed amendment was defeated.
Another bill prepared at the instance
OF the state roads commission and de-
signed to increase the registration fees
for commercial vehicles from the pres
ent charge of So to a maximum charge
OF S65 met defeat. A Ietter-writing cam
paign was started against this BILL with
the result that the chairman of the
finance committee who was ready to re-
port it favorably. received thirty let
ters of protest one day, forty the next
and before he had received all of the
fifty letters which came the next day re-
ported 1t unfavorably.
Local Autoists Unaided.
The two bills. one Of which was in
troduced bv the Automobile Club of
MARYLAND. to abolish the registration
fees CHARGED owners residing in the Dis
trict Of Columbia. died in the senate
committee on finance despite most ear
nest and active efforts to have the same
reported favorably. The objection was
that the residents of the District used
our roads. and the state needed the
s36.OOO which they paid into it's treas
ury"
The traffic law bill prepared by a com
mission appointed by the governor was
said to be a model piece of proposed
legislation. The bill. however. never had
the slightest chance according to Mr
Yellott, as the members of the legisla-
ture were seemingly convinced that
while all kinds of restrictions are neces-
sary in the case of automobilists in
their use Of the roads, pedestrians and
drivers Of horses should be permitted to
use the roads without any restriction
whatever. One by one the various sec
tons were stricken out of the bill by the
senate committee on judicial proceed
ings until there was left only the sec
ton prohibiting roller skating on the
highways in Baltimore county. The bill
as so amended was finally passed on the
last day of the session, but even as it
is. 1t is expected to be the means Of saw
ing at least a dozen lives on the York
road in Baltimore county during the next
two years.
The bill requiring lights on vehicles
after dark got less than three seconds
consideration. and was reported urfavor-
ably. bill which had varied and
checkered career finally coming to it's
death at the hands of its friends. was that
towns and villages.
Desire Of Legislators.
In conclusion, Counsel Yellott, in his re-
port says:
| Of the legislature was one of a desire to
protect the automobilists from unjust
| legislation, but at the same time one of
| in the same way the automobilist Is re-
stricted. This was a perfectly natural
frame Of mind where there still exists a
feeling that the rich own automobiles and
the poor do not And it will continue un-
| til the use of the automobile becomes far
moro general than it lie today. The rem
| edy. therefore. is not to be sought in
! finding fault with the legislatures. but in
| making automobiles more and more of
necessity to the business man, the farmer
| and the man of moderate means gener-
ally This will come In time through the
further decrease in the cost of auto
mobiles and their maintenance and
through the completion and extension of
good roads throughout the state"
4