Putnam patriot., 1915-04-23

MuHIer Law r. ghau5z9.
Hartford The motor vehicle blu
was taHaH til by HE House aa8 passed
after sa1rlar debate tHaH similar
bills haze usually c8uae1. The report
of the r0aH7. bridges and rivers com
mlttee vas sustained and The only
amendments to the biH which were
passed b. the body were two which
were submitted BY tho House chair
man Of fha committee To correct tech
meal errors. The bin is a complete
revision of the present motor vehicle
laws with a number OF amendments
10 the present law incorporated.
Mr. Macdonald Of Putnam. House
chairman ~ the road. bridges and
rivers committee. which had favorably
reported the bin. submitted two
amendments. Schedules A and p e
correct technical errors and printer
errors. Both were adopted. He said
that. on account Of III health he would
ask Mr. Brooks Of Torrington to ex.
plain the bill TO the House.
Mr. Brooks explained Section ].
which forbids any police officer from
arresting an autoist unless he displays
a badge on his coat by referring to a
custom prevalent in the country Of ir
responsible men on foot or on motor
cycles STOPPING autcmebilists for mis-
chief. 80 that real officers are often
mistaken for such mischief makers
He said that the distance 81 which
rear markers should be visible at
night had been reduced from sixty to
fifty feet on account Of the difficulty
Of seeing them on fogey nights.
The change in the maffler law, he
said. absolutely prohibited the use Of
cut-outs between p. m. and a. m.
anywhere IN the state.
The license rates on commercial We
hicles WAS based. he said. on carry
ing capacity alone, regardless of
horsepower He said the fees. which
range from s11 for / 900 pound truck
and sl5 for a 1-ton truck to f225 for
l0-ton truck, seemed high, but were
reasonable when II was considered
that a high power truck carries on mar
row wheels as great a load over the
roads az the steam roller which built
them. He added that the owners OF
these trucks expected an increase OF
taxation and had not objected very
rtrenuously
Mr.. Brooks touched on the sugges-
ton thai had been made of increasing
the license fee on pleasure ears to 81
"A horsepower. saying the suggestion
had not been Incorporated in the bin
because II was thought that these mo.
florists were already paving the great
ar part Of the cost Of maintaining high
WAYS and that the number of cars
bought and the gross tax upon them
was increasing every year lie thought
that If the tax were increased the
number Of cars bought and sold an
nually would decrease and the gross
amount or the tax would actually de.
crease eorrespondingly.
Mr. Rr6afs said that the provision
chat all autos should stop at the rear
of standing trolley cars and go on only
when conditions were reasonably safe
was accepted by most autoists as
good.
Mr.. Hough Of Washington submit
led an amendment eliminating the re-
,dulrement that the officers badge OF
Office be worn on the outside OF his
outer garment He said that II would
be impossible TO get constables to
wear badges in this WAY Down East"
manner. Mr. Rogers of Liteheld said
re had long ago given up stopping on
highways for unauthorized persons
who signalled him because of expert
s.nces In attempted hold-ups. He
thought eonstables ought not to be
ashamed TO wear their badges of Of
nee.
Mr. Garliek OF Bridgeport said that
much of the effective police work of
This kind was done by detectives and
this would hamper them in their work.
Mr. King OF Fairfield said the law
would be necessary to prove in each
trial that a badge had been displayed
Mr. Bronson OF Waterbury said he had
Been held up in his auto this very
rnorningH by a man in plain clothes,
hnc that he had disregarded him and
x4ne on his way without stopping
10 ind out whether he was a consta,
nile or not. No court is so constituted,
he added. that Il will not take the
world ,nf the officer as testimony that
he wore badge In making an arrest
Ar. Heugh OF Waterbury submit
xed an amendment increasing the com
suereial registry fees 80 per cent. as
var Rs the three town class and in
creasing the registry fee on pleasure
vehicles from so cents a horsepower
10 rs cents horsepower.