The Republican journal., 1917-08-09
. A New Law.
The following is of importance to auto
mobile owners:


mobile owners:
The 18th Maine Legislature at its last
session passed law entitled can Act to
REQUIRE certain vehicles to carry lights at
night and to control the glare of head
lights" being Chapter 272 of the Public
Laws, approved April 7, 1917, by Cover
nor Milliken and going into effect on July
7th last. One of the requirements OF the
act is for the Public Utilities Commission
to prepare the rules and regulations there
for, the same to take effect when approx
ed by the Governor and Council and pub
lished at least one in each daily news
paper in the State. The penalty provid-
ed for violation of the act is fine not
exceeding SIS for each offense. The Pub
lie Utilities Commission has accordingly
prepared a set of rules and regulations as
follows:
The Public Utilities Commission of
Maine, having under consideration CHAP
ter 272 of the Public Laws of the State OF
Maine for the year 1917, and particularly
Section which provides that said COM
mission shall prepare rules and regula-
tions governing the use and operation OF
headlights on motor vehicles used on pub
lie highways, and having carefully in
formed lCSell dlQ uldtuiOty SoiSiuSi W 1AAS
matters involved in said chapter, does
hereby make, subject to the approval OF
the Governor and Council of the State
of Maine. the following rules and regula-
lions governing the use and operation of
headlights on motor vehicles used on pub
lie highways in the State of Maine.
After August /, 1917, no motor vehicle
shall be operated on or along any high
~ bar hatuaRn the hours of
one-half hour after sunset and one-half
hour before sunrise unless the headlights
on any such motor vehicle are construct
ed and operated as follows, viz:
ID No bulb or lamp used in any such
headlight shall be of greater candle power
than "a tor equivalent wattage.)
(2) The lens or glass in the front part
of any such light off the lens be of plaiI
glass shall be sandblasted or frosted on
the inside so that no direct or reflected
ray from said light shall be on level
road and seventy-five (75) feet ahead OF
any such motor vehicle, more than forty
two 42) inches from the ground
Note: Experiments have shown that
this result may be accomplished by sand
blasting or frosting the lens on level
line down to point one I inch below
the center of the lamp bulb. No clear
glass should be left above this line. Some
lamps are hung lower on some cars than
on others and care, by experiment, should
be taken to see that the direct or reflect
ed rays are not higher than the above
named forty-two Az inches.
t3l In case "Fracto" or similar de-
vice is used, sandblasting or frosting is
unnecessary, but great care must be used
in focusing the light as improper focusing
will throw the rays upward and produce
the unlawful glare.
a. Persons using lenses so construct
ed that no glazing rays are supposed TO
be produced (the Warner, Legalight and
others being types are not required to
sandblast or frost such lenses; but strict
regard must be had to the 24-candle pow
er limit on bulbs as higher candle power
produces the dangerous glare from any
such lens.
(5) Any light may be 'dimmed'' in
cities and villages where street lights
exist and are burning not over three hun
dred 900 feet apart.
o. No spotlight shall be used on any
motor vehicle except for the purpose OF
casting d light to the right or the left or
the rear of car and then only where the
car is stationary or in low speed or re-
verse When any motor vehicle has got
under Roadway, the spotlight shall be
turned entirely out and under no circum-
stances shall be turned toward any ap-
preaching vehicle.
Note: A committee representing the
Maine Automobile Association and the
Maine Automobile Dealers Association
recommends the barring of the use of
"spotlights' so-called. AS used by many
motorists, this light embraces all the dan
gers and annoyances of an unprotected
headlight. 1t has, however, its legiti-
mate uses, among which are the search
ing out of signboards, the observations
on the driving side of the car made to
avoid bitches or see where the rear
wheels are going while the car is back
ing. 1t may also be used to cast light
under the hood in making repairs to or
of the engine. Fearing
that it may at present be unfair to en-
tirely bar the spotlight, we make for the
present the above regulation giving no.
tice that if these lights are improperly
used, they will be entirely barred.
u 70 avoid misunderstanding; let it !
be understood that all these regulations
apply to motor cycles,