Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-20
MINT UNIFORMITY OF
sIATE AUTOMOBILE LAWS
s0neeoas Restrictions Mar Pleasure
!. lsts OF Touring In Many
Sections.
FAVOR SINGLE REGIsTRl
InhumerabIc Differences Between
50 Sftfor-Vchicle Laws Annoy Tray
elers-Could Accomplish Purpose
1Withuut Federal Action.

ss5fdtor.Vchicle Laws Annoy Tray
elers-Could Accomplish Purpose
s T. without Federal Action.
tesYSstsE,r,
!, - Thirty-si1 States Of the Union have
general statutes regulating motor We
IjlIes and no two OF such statutes are
alike These various statutes arc not
sVen Sufficiently similar TO enable the
motor vehicle user engaged in inter
state travel to make good guess As
10 the regulations 10 which he may
have Subjected himself by crossing the
Imaginary line which separates. geo
Is graphically, one state from the other.
mo one will dissen, from the proposi-
ton, that uniformity in mo!orvehiclc
: regulation is not only c1pedient. but. in
tho highest degree. desirable; and yet
'stthere,is a strong inclination on the part
OF each State 10 assert that uniformity
:, should be attained by making the laws
OF all the other states accord with its
: own-law. In other words. while every
State as we'll as every individual con-
! tcedcs tho principle, the practical appl-
cation Of il has not been found easy.
ItsiS conceded that more harm and in
Justice arc sometimes brought about by
8 lack, OF uniformity Of the laws OF the
2 various States than by imperfect or
even bad laws In special instances
Nowhere is this better illustrated than
in the case OF travel upon the high
ways.
There are two ways IN which this
particular evil may DC curcd-one is by
the enactme nt By Congress of Federal
registration automobile bill. providing
orlly,-in substance. that upon registra-
! ton at 2 bureau of the national capital
inter registration has been had in the
, State Of the residence OF the owner OF
tho, motor vehicle. his license to oper-
ate, and .use the vehicle shall be recos-
t1tzed by, every state in the Union, and
thus freedom in the dse OF the vehicle
secured without further license and
without payment of further fees; the
other. by the enactment by all the
States by = uniform motor-vehicle law
sexemptlnE non-rcsidents from it's regis
atration. provisions ~ does. for eS
ample. the law OF the state OF New
York. ~"
INTERCOURSE BETWEEN
= x. .:ss7s. STATES TO he KEPT FREE
:, It was tho fundamental conception
OF our forefathcrs who laid the foun-
dation of our government. who draft
ed 1thc Constitution and who saw the
dangers which might arise from the
:, dual sovereignty existing within
single country, that everywhere and at
all.tirnes and by all means intercourse
among the various states OF the Tn
ion should be kept absolutely free and
unobstructed. In the Constitution this
Intercourse among the States is re-
1erred 10 and forever safeguarded in
Tho - so-called Interstate commerce
clause
Methods of communication and inter-
course between state and State. not
dreamed OF by those who laid down
tho fundamental principles. have null
,iplied and have taken the places OF
those known in the earlier days: the
eailroad the telegraph, tho telephone.
the steam vessel and tho automobile.
Shall q different principle bc laid down
because or this change in the character
or the vehicles OF communication be-
tween the States. or 10 the principle
sufficiently sound and sufficiently
BROAD TO cover the changed conditions
and the changed vehicles OF intercon-
nunication? II is ohvious. or should
be II ii is not. that the principle laid
down In the Constitution is vital 10
ciEnty in this country to-day 1t
WaS-when ii was formulated.
-! Yet 1t Is fact that upon the in
s PRODUCTION OF every new form OF in
tercommunication the same struggle
must be had for n recognition OF its
i. rights under the principle already re-
-ferred. to. II was so with steam YES
sells: it was with the railroad; il
& was SO with the bicycle. and it is 80
), nowxwith the automobile.
. NAY 60 ANYWHERE
:, s. WITH HORSE: AND WAGON
This is the present situation: One
= may start with n wagon and team o.
horses and drive over any highway ir
tire United States and cross any state
boundary line from one end OF the
: country 10 rhe otheR.w1thoMt the neces-
I, sity OF procurinE.-a special license for
the purpose. without the necessity OF
paying a special tax for the so-cal!ed
= privilege, and without tho annoyance
4 ~ being obliged to stop. upon the
frontier. OF every separate STATE TO
I learn the peculiarit!es OF the law re-
speeding the use os tho particular
Z; means OF travel which he is employ
rinE, So likewise .n,n may build "a
pleasure steam yacht, register /; in his
own home port and then traverse the
from one State TO another without the
necessity OF registering in any other
port and paying additional fees
- When we come 10 the automobile the
case Is different. The courts hold ;nat
the automobile has right 20 the high
ways and to traverse them just aa any
other vehicle. Notwithstanding this The
LEGISLATURES Of the various States have
seen fit 70 erect this common right into
a privilege for which. substantial sums
must be pa!d. notwithstanding the
courts declare that the use of tho high
=. Ways. by means Of the automobile is nor
unlawful IN itself, yet the Legislatures
], have Imposed such restrictions unon
stsnch use a. to make ii appear that
4, lptoHebiiis;s are enjoying "a special
! VEtvflege,, and various Legislatures
,navef enacted such divergent laws as 10
gsnakes interstate t-ave!-and almost
:. eyery5yautonlobile ig nowadays used in
esinterstate travcI-So diricult ard or.
I. ao,XlIls as to call for immediate remedy
) as-least In respect % uniformity. The
sS9Tlysr Of motor vehicle NAV be IN.
:. beststntentioned person IN TIE world
igG yet, unless ne practically stops =,