South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-12
WANT INTERSTATE
AUTO LICENSE LAW
Kent Bill Before Congress At
tracts Attention of All
Automobile Owners.

Sen Key Pittman expects 10 OBJ
tain a report from the interstate
commerce committee in the COM
paratively near future on his auto
mobile reciprocity bill, which ne be-
Heves is peculiarly appropriate leg
islation in this wartime period when
there should be uninterrupted road
travel and transportation among the
several states.
Commenting upon this measure.
which is practically duplicate OF
the Adamson bill in the house. the
the proposition
~ has always been my belief that
automobile registration had for its
purpose the Identification Of the We
hicle in order that its operator might
be apprehended and brought TO task
if he failed TO observe traffic rules
in the various cities and states in
which the motor car might be
driven. Police authority can be ex-
tag no matter from what source it
is obtained. but, properly, this
should be from the home state, ter
ritOry or district of its owner.
1T is not possible for all people
TO live in the central counties of
state, and i'm consequence many who
reside in the border counties have
occasion repeatedly to cross and re-
cross state lines. To compel a citi-
zen TO so to the expense and trouble
of taking out what are practically
duplicate identifcatiOns is Unreason-
able and unnecessary and is essen
TALLY an interference with the in
herent rights of the individual. In
every European country a single
registration number is sufficient, be-
sides which one can secure at slight
expense an international plate of
identity which makes il possible i'm
peace times TO cross and recross in
ternational boundaries with the ut
most freedom. Previous to the
breaking out Of the war, arrange
ments had been practically COM
pleted for an international triptych
which by a single maximum pay
ment provided for the customs nee
essity in international travel.
Since we have been taught by
wartime conditions to think and
act nationally. 1 can't avoid a feeling
that opposition TO automobile reci-
procity throughout the entire coun-
try cannot be based on any conten-
ton that one state might possess
more improved highway mileage
than another, and, i'm consequence, !
the citizens of the lesser state should |
be called upon TO pay an additional |
tax for travelling over the roads of
the adjoining and perhaps greater |
New England has
set a true example in this regard, !
for its several states recipfocate with |
one another in an exceedingly lib !
eral manner and do not discriminate |
against little Rhode Island because
of it's size.
Il am hopeful that congress will
agree that the time has arrived |
when there should be the most COM
plete interchange in road travel and /
transportation by all sections of the |
country, wiping out completely any
reference to state lines insofar as il /
refers 10 the comings and goings of |
some 5000, 600 self-propeHed We |
hicles. Surely it is the duty OF every /
state to provide its own arteries of
communication, expecting, however. |
a reasonable cooperation from the |
federal treasury IN those big roads
which connect up the states. one /
with another, until we have a COM
plete network of roads. knitting to- |
gether, as Pres't Wilson so aptly puts
it. the thought and energies of the /
nation. "