Catoctin clarion., 1916-04-20
New Auto Law In Effect
July 1st.
Many Changes Made of Interest
TO AutOists.


Legislature regulating the operations OF
motor vehicles in this State becomes
effective on June l. Many changes were
made in the old law, and the measure
which was passed was agreed upon by
representatives of the Automobile Club
of Maryland. the State Roads Commls-
sion and the Commissioner of Motor
Vehicles
The revised law is State wide in its
effect. This means there will no longer
be speed limit of six miles an hour in
one village and twelve miles in another,
but it means that if autoists can go lS
miles an hour in the outlying poctions OF
one city in the State, they can travel at
the same rate in the outlying portions of
another city of the State. 1t also means
that if they can go rs miles an hour in
the open country in one county, they can
90 at that speed in every county in the
open country.
Pecuuiarily the law means that If auto
lists pay their taxes on their motor vehl-
cles as personal property in the county
or city in which they reside and then pay
their operators fees and registration
fees to the State that is the end of all
forms of taxes and charges for the privi-
eges of operating cars anywhere in the
Sta'e
In reference to the registration fees,
IN .nges were also made. At present
the motor vehicle Of 10 h. p pays $40 a
year and that of ~ h p pays the same.
Th motor vehicle of 20 h. p. pays Sl5 a
year and that of 20 h. p. pays the same.
The owner of light weight % h. p. car
pays the same now for using the roads
as the owner of a 20 h. p car weighing
nearly twice as much. Following the
lead of number of other States, the
horsepower basis was determined upon
as the method of fixing the registration
charges, and the rate was accordingly
fixed at 80 cents per horse power. Five
dollars is the minimum charge for any
car, no matter how low its horsepower
AS somewhat counteracting the saving
to the motorist from this reduction the
present monthly schedule of registration
fees and refunds was abolished and a
quarterly schedule adopted. This was
partly for the convenience of the Com
missioner of Motor Vehicles and partly
to counteract the loss of revenues from
the above reduction in charges. Under
this charge, anyone registering his car
during January, February or March
would pay the fee for the entire year.
If during April, May or June, the fee
for the three fourths of the year, and SC
on by quarterly instead of monthly peri
DDS. The same rule would hold as to the
registration certificates surrendered be-
fore the expiration of the year.
In the case of solid tired motor vehicles.
chiefly motor trucks and other commercial
vehicles, the present charge is SO pei
year regardless of the size or weight OF
such vehicle or the extent to which il
uses the roads. This charge il changed
so as to be as follows after June l: | tor
truck So; 2 ton truck $l4; ton truck
$40; 4 ton truck $26; ton truck $32; {
ton truck $3S; 7 ton truck $44.
The annual registration fee in the case
of motorcycles has been raised from 81. 80
to $3 per year For dealers licenses the
charges under the new law are slightly
higher than under the old law, but the
latter contained number of restrictions
upon the Dealers right to use his specia
tags for other than clearly business pur-
poses, and these restrictions have al
been abolished under the proposed law.
The only change made in the law rela,
tive to operators licenses is reduction
in the charge for chauffer's license:
from SIS to SO per year.
The speed limits remain as they are ir
the present State law, and are applica'
BILE all over the State.