Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-08-09
ALL TRACTORS AND
TRACTION ENGINES
MUST Be REGISTERED
Necessity Of Complying With
Law Impressed Upon All
Owners
A HEAVY FINE
TO BE IMPOSED
Provisions Of Section 140 Apply
Both To Owner And
Operator

Since the passage of Chapter S5 of
the Acts of 1918, which is the General
Motor Vehicle Law of Maryland, all
tractors and traction engines are de
fined as motor vehicles, within the
meaning of Sec. 134 of the law. says
Motor Vehicle Commissioner E. Austin
Baughman.
All tractors and traction engines,
therefore, must be registered when
operated on public highways the same
as any other motor vehicle, the provis-
ions for registration being contained
in Sec 140 of the law Every such
tractor or traction engine must in ad-
dition to carrying the registration tag,
have the certificate or registration
which accompanies each tag. The pen
alties for failing to carry a certificate
of registration are contained in Sec.
140, and provide fine of not less than
Ten Dollars $4,000 nor more than
One Hundred Dollars (S100.00) for the
first offense, except where the certifi-
cate of registration has been issued,
but where the operator has, through in
advertence, failed to have it with him
at the time of his arrest. In the latter
case the fine is from One Dollar
($100) to One Hundred Dollars $780,
O0). The provisions of Sec. lao apply
to both the operator and the owner.
The registration fees for tractors
and traction engines are set forth in
Glass H of Sec. 141. Each tractor or
N*h haY. cir nj q
vehicle used for transportation or
hauling, is required TO pay registra-
tion fee of Twenty-Five Dollars
($25. .00) per annum. This fee does not
apply to tractors or traction engines
used exclusively for hauling threshing
outfits, clover hullers. hay balers, bind
ers and other similar farming imple-
nents not designed for hauling pur-
poses AS to such traction engines,
where no fee is charged, the provision
as to registration applies, and the Com
missioner will issue tags and certifi-
Gates free of charge.
Sec 145 gives the Commissioner of
Motor Vehicles authority to refuse, re-
woke or suspend the markers and GER
tifcate of registration of any motor We
hicle which is so constructed or oper-
ated as to cause unreasonable damage
to the public highway. The provision
is of great Importance, because it en-
ables the Commissioner to enforce rig
idly the provisions of the law from the
excessive wear and tear caused by
careless operators of tractors or trac-
tion engines, and to put an end to the
practice of driving such machines
along the public roads without having
the spikes of cleats on the wheels COW
cred. In addition to forfeiting the reg
istration tag and certificate, those con-
victed of unreasonably damaging the
public highways are subjected to the
penalty provided by Sub-Sec. 1 of Sec.
149. Those who damage the public
highways are also liable to prosecution
and to the penalties imposed for such
violations by the State Road Law.
The Commissioner of Motor We
hieles is very anxious to impress upon
the owners of all tractors and traction
engines the necessity of having their
machines registered in accordance
with the law.