The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-06-02
NEW MOTOR LAW
 TO HELP ''JITS?"
Local Regulation of Autos is Restricted By General
 Law of State.

The new law as to the regulation, numbering, use and speed Of motor vehicles became effective yesterday, but the time between the expressing of the law and the date when 1t be- came effective was too short to pro vide for it's printing for general dis tribution.
 The main provisions of the act, how ever it's fixing the registry fee accord ing to the rating of the engine, and the abolition of the livery class, are well known, while most autom obi1ists also realize that, If they break the law, they are entitled to be arrested by an officer who bears some badge of au- thor1ty.
 The real heart interest in the new law for many a city official lies in it's relation to the jitney. The lawyers, who worked in the interests of the various automobile clubs, were anx- ious to get @ law which would do away ceeded admirably. They were, un- doubtedly, justified in their efforts for any aUtomobilist in Connecticut ought to find conditions about the same in one city of the state as in another.
 The question is now raised, however, as to whether this effort to eliminate the local feature of restriction has also made it impossible for the cities to regulate the matter of the jitney. As to this, the important part of the act is Section 16, which ts as follows:
 ''No city, town or borough, nor any board or officer thereof shall make any ordinance, bylaw or resolution respecting the speed of motor vehicles | or respecting the regulation, use, lighting or other equipment of the | same, or respecting the use of any equipment or accessories upon motor vehicles; provided authority given to any town. city or borough or any board or officer thereof, to regulate 1 shows, processions or assemblaEes traffic or parades in streets or public places, and all ordinances, bylaws or regulations enacted in pursuance of such authority, which apply to all ve- hicles, shall remain in force.'' | It is certain that very few reg1lIa,-
 tons can be framed for the jitney which may not apply to other motor vehicles and it is equally certain that not many regulations outside the law. can be made for the motor vehicles unless they apply equally to all other vehicles.
 State Secretary Charles D. Burnes l was asked yesterday whether it would require a special license of the jitneys i and he said that he did not think it
 would be A city, he said, could re- Qu1re a, license of peddFers but they i are not the possessors of licenses from l the state.
 l Neither, apparently, under the Ian- guage Of the act, would it be easy for a city to adopt an ordinance limiting the number of passengers to be ear Tfed at one time by jitney that would not apply with equal force to any ot1l-
 CT motor vehicle, so that a party oi hilarious young folk who might h1l an auto in an attempt to see a newly mar ried couple leave town might land al
 the polfce station instead of at the railroad station.
 The jitney at present occupies wfat might be termed a strategic position
 It is not mentioned in any law of this state and the elimination Of the livery -Eclass in the old law, while it may raise the license fee, leaves the Jttney on q par with every other automobile regis Itered in the state. It will be interest. | ing to see, after the law Is circulated whether any city or town in the, stat
 win endeaWor to work out it's Ioca tproblems by local regulations.