The Washington times., 1917-02-10
SENATORS WRATHY
OYER AUTO LAWS
Rise Up in Indignation Over
Treatment of District
Motorists.
Continued from First PageJ

pay a license to the District so long
as there is not reciprocity DetwecR
the District and Maryland.
Explain Amendments.
Senator Smoot in explaining the
amendment said:
This amendment provides, for in
stance, that so long as the State of
Maryland charges a tax for a license
upon a motor vehicle owned in the
District, Maryland automobiles COM
ing into the District must also pay a
license to the District"
Senator John Walter Smith main
tanned that the license OF any State
was accepted in the State of Mary
land, but Senator Smoot sprung on
him a letter to show that II he went
into Maryland with a 1istrict license
tag on his machine, even though he
had one from Utah. he would have
to get a Maryland license.
Letter From CommIssIoner.
Senator Smoot said:
- have a letter here signed by
E. Austin Baughman, commissioner
of motor vehicles, IL East Lexington
street. Baltimore, Nd. dated Febru'
airy 8, 1917. The letter reads as fol
lows:
Replying to your letter OF the I'd
instant, beg to advise that an auto
mobile from another State, IL it is
not being used for hire, and is prop
erly licensed in its home State, need
not be registered in Maryland il it
is here temporarily for a period OF
not exceeding three months. II the
car in question, however, displays
District of CoEImbia license, it Is
also necessary to have a Maryland
license.
- am inciosing copy OF our latest
automobile law.
Sees MiscOnstruetiOn.
Senator Lee contended the Maryland
commissioner had misconstrued the
law most gregiously," but Sena-
tor Smoot showed that the facts were
as stated by the commissioner.
Senator John Walter Smith in de-
Tending Marylands course said:
II want to say that the State OF
Maryland has spent S25,ooO,Oo0 in
making good roads So far as reci-
procity is concerned, it is the inten-
ton of Maryland to have reciprocity
with every State in the Union; but in
one instance a gentleman told me that
in Montgomery county, the county OF
my colleague (Mr. Lee), three-fourths
of the use of that road is by the peo-
pie OF the District of Columbia.
Calls 1t Unfair.
1--WE are taxing our people from
s75O.OOO to $1,000. 900 a year in order
q L. dc if iS
| fair that We should have reciprocity
with the District of Columbia when
the District of Columbia have nothing
to offer to us except. the right to go
| through the streets of their city when
we come from the State of Maryland
to do business with them. 1t is un-
fair 10 ask us to keep dp roads at
large expense. amounting this year
to 100000, and allow the people OF
the District of Columbia to use those
roads without compensation. On the
other hand. the District OF Columbia
offers nothing to the State of Mary
land in the way of reciprocity in the
use of roads"
"Mr. President. the Senator and /
disagree upon that point" said SEN
ator Smoot when l drive through
the Washington parks on a Sunday
afternoon, or any other day. but par
ticularly on Sunday. I hnd' Maryland
citizens enjoying an automobile ride
over the roads of the parks. and upon
every single day of the week Mary
land people come into the District of
Columbia to do business with the
people of the District of Columbia"
Public Nuisance.
Senator Lodge called the Maryland
practice "a public nuisance and a
very small way in which to squeeze
the people of the District"
Senator MARITIME. thought IL strange
none wanted to go to Virginia and
West Virginia.
Marines View.
at seems passing strange to me-"
declared Senator MARITIME, that ev-
erybody wants to go one way. None
seems to be discussing the need of
| travelling in the direction of Vir-
ginia and West Virginia. You all
want to go to Maryland. I have
been seeking a reason why all these
distinguished gentlemen are trending
in one direction, and it occurs to me
that it is because Maryland is wet
Much as / love old Virginia and West
Virginia, !, too. prefer to travel the
| other way Give me Maryland, with
her good roads, her good whisky and
her beautiful women"
How the Ballot Stood.
In the end, the amendment was