Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-07-23
STATE HOUSE
Continued from Page Nine)

tween these strangers and our own
people and in view of the fact that
with little expense and no serious an
noyance each automobile driver can
comply with our regulations, we feel
that there should be no exception made
in the case Of any person using our
highways.
In connection with the sandblasting
of plain headlight Cor the rendering of
them translucent by any other means)
we early found that the candle power
of the bulb behind the light must be
carefully considered. If the frosting or
sardblasting be lightly done, high
candle power bulb sends through the
glass binding rays. The lower candle
power bulb does not give any binding
rays and still sends through the plain
part of the lens a sufficient amount Of
light to enable a careful driver to pro-
coed at a reasonable rate of speed. OF
course, in order to keep the rays of
light below the eyes of the driver of
another vehicle, the frosted or ground
portion of the lens must be extended
to a point below the center of the bulb
which produces the light. Although it
is fact that focusing the bulb at diff
ferent points would either raise or low
err the rays of light coming from
given lamp, this difference is only
slight and we felt that we had gone
as far as is reasonable and practical
when we decree that the line of clear
glass should not be greater than GER
tain distance from the highway anu
that the line of frosted glass should be
the indicated distance below the center
of the light power Necessarily, with
any plain glass in the lamp, there will
be times when binding rays of light
will be flashed into the eyes Of the
drivers of other vehicles. This will hap
pen when an approaching automobile
is coming over the brow of hill or
goes over a cross walk or other slight
elevation IN the highway. But Shis
binding will be but momentary and
rot involve the elements of danger
which come from the sustained glare
a considerable distance as the vehicles
approach each other.
It may be that we have not reached
the correct solution of our difficulties
1t may be that these regulations will
have to be materially changed. The
law provides for such changes by say
ing that the commission may from
time to time after, rescind or add to
the rules. 1t will be only after a sea-
son of observation that we can tell
whether any changes should be made
In considering the matter OF the
making of rules and regulations, we
naturally inquired of ourselves how
trey were to be enforced. because II
would be unfair to those automoolilsts
who comply with the law If there were
any considerable number of people US
irp the highway who did not comply
with the law. You will observe tnat
Section provides that whoever fails
to comply with any of the provisions
Of the act is liable to penalty not
exceeding S.. This may be a proper
penalty and may enforce compliance
with the law You will also observe
that in Section 8 it is PROVIDED that
this commission may prescribe penal
ties for violations Of our rules and regu-
1ations. We do not feel that we nave
any authority to prescribe penalties.
Tho law itself is the only guide ana
Judgment legislative, and penalties can
be prescribed only by the LEGISLATURE
We therefore decline to attempt "nat
we regard as legislation. But we ieei
that something more than the % pen
atty should be understood by Vlolators
of the law as the punishment which
will follow such violation. We suggest
that those employees Of the highway oe-
partment or the secretary OF state
Who are charged with the duties OF
seeing that certain laws with reference
TO the use of the highways are ooserN
ed. shall be designated as ofncials 10
report violations Of headlight fesuia
tions and that any person VINO Ialls ~
con,ply with these regulations shdh
have his license revoked, If TINS can
he done. It is realized that this VIII
o,n1v only TO our own citizens, because
o,,r State officials cannot revoke the
,icerse of an automobilst residing IN
.rntbnr state. but with reference 10
.hesa automobilists from other states
i nov he we'll that if soon after the
law goes into effect, any NONRESIDENT
who fails to observe the rules ana reg
ulaticns is promptly hailed INTO court
and actually fined, this Will serve 10
advertise the fact that Maine intends
10 enforce these regulations and will
deter our visitors from further or con-
tinued violations of the law.
Within the last two or three years
the use of what are termed spot
lights" has come to be considerable.
These spotIights are small electric
lights so arranged that they can be
easily turned on or off and are intend
ed for use by the driver to look at
sign boards at cross roads. to be turn