The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-09-28
FtW CHANGES MADE IN
AUTO LAWS OF STATE
MAXIMUM FINE is REDUCED
POLICE OFFICERS GIVEN
MORE RIGHTS.
to Capture ViolatOrs of
the Law.

| With the adjournment of the Wis
consin legislature, a sigh of relief es-
capes from motorists. who feared that
| the 1915-1916 body would pass new
| laws of menacing character and, while
| much ado was made early in the ses-
sion to change the automobile laws,
particularly in respect to the distri-
! button of license money, nothing seri-
Gus went through the law making
mills. The activity of the Wisconsin
State Automobile association had its
effect and the officers of the associ-
alton worked zealously in behalf Of
sane consideration of the problems
which confronted the law makers.
James t. Drought, president of the as
sociation and legislative counsel, re-
ports that twenty-four auto bills and
thirty-five highway bills were offered,
but the changes are very few
Now that the session is ann event of
the past, it is found these laws are not
generally modified and the distribu-
ton of the fund remains exactly as 1t
gin, and 25 per cent. to the state high
way fund, all to be used for highway
purposes outside of cities and incor-
porated villages, after the cost of ad-
ministratiOn OF the law is deducted
One of the new laws provides that
any person who drives an auto veh-
icle on a public highway while intox-
icated shall be subject to a fine not
to exceed $500 or to Imprisonment
from five days to three months.
Another act provides that garage
keeper who keeps posted conspicuous
ly fee bill may have lieu on any
auto vehicle left to be cared for. 1t
is practically the same as the hotel
keepers lieu.
Cities and villages are given author
ity to enforce ordinances regulating
automobile traffic not in conflict with
the general laws. Police officials are
given the right to exceed the speed
limit when in pursuit of criminals OF
law offenders.
The license fee is unchanged, $5 for
an automobile, So for motorcycle
and $40 for dealer, including four
sets of number plates
Chapter 170--Limits the speed of au-
tos to eight miles per hour through
any county or state hospital or poor
farm grounds--in addition to ceme-
teries, public parks and in passing
school grounds-to which latter the
law heretofore applied.
Chapter 233-Gives to every garage
Keeper a lieu for storage charges on
automobiles, but requires as a condi-
ton prerequisite for such right in
lieu, that there shall be posted in a
conspicuous place in the garage a
card easily read at a distance of fif-
teen feet, stating the charges for such
storage.
Chapter 317-Provides that any per-
son driving an automobile while in
toxicated shall be punished by fine
not exceeding $100, or by imprison-
ment not less than five days nor more
than three months or by both fine and
imprisonment.
Chapter >379-Reduces the maximum
me LUZ NlOidIlOHS Oh the speeding
and stop on signaP' sections of the
law from 5000 to 500. This was done
SO as to permit prosecutions where
there is no municipal court, and where
otherwise, on account of the law In
all speeding cases, the offender was
bound over for trial at the term of
the circuit court of such county.
Chapter 557-Strikes from section
1636-49 of the statutes the provision
which required that upon meeting any
vehicle on any highway, the travelling
track of which was less than twenty
feet wide, the speed of the auto was to
be reduced to fifteen miles per hour
until such vehicle shall have been
safely passed.
Chapter 468 - Authorizes county
boards to replace cornerstones and
markers lost or destroyed in the re-
pair of highways.
Chapter 548-Appropriates annually
$785,000 for state aid and $65, 900 an
nually for the support of the state
highway commission, in place of ST.
100000 for state aid and 100000 for
the state highway commission under
the law for the past two years.-Wis-
consin Motorist for September