The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-04-29
MOTOR VEHICLE LAW
IS DISCUSSED At
STATE MEETING

Secretary A. J. Holworthy has Just
returned from Ocala where he attend |
! ed the meeting of the State Auto AS
sociation. OF the meeting he says
''The meeting of the Florida State
Automobile Association at Ocala on
Tuesday and Wednesday of this week
while not largely attended, was an eX
ceedingly interesting meeting and
many important matters discussed
which the Association desires to &c:
before the membership specifically
and the people generally One OF
these matters relates to the impcr
fections in the present motor vehicle
law which law fails to protect our
roads from destruction by improper
motor truck traffic. Already several
of our roads are showing the effect OF
improper use of five ton trucks which
Polk County roads were never built
to accommodate. In consideration of
state license of 500, and in many
cases no personal or other tax, non
residents owning a three to five ton
= truck operate freight carrying bus
| mess the most important part of the
. equipment for such business being
the paved right of way which is fur
: nished and maintained free OF cost
r to the user This is not the case with
e the railroads who build their own
= road, maintain it, pay state, county
y and city taxes an its holdings and fol
e the building and up keep of the roads
!, so furnished free of cost to their com
, petitors. Many ideas were discussed
# but finally the whole matter referred
" to the legislative committee with in
o. structions to prepare an amendmen
to the present motor vehicle law,
THE local clubs were urged to TAX
up the Identification of the highway
in their own neighborhood so that i
Tn few years Floridas magnificen
ce highway system might not only be
S splendid utility but a thing of beaut
IN too.
n "The proposed amendment to tn
y Constitution permitting the state
Id issue bonds not exceeding in toti
* amount five per cent of the assesse
is valuation of the state for the purpoS
s. of meeting the Federal appropriate
mi for the building of highways was vel
ed thoroughly discussed and a reSolutC
er. adopted endorsing favorable actit
he at the election in November. The
d's was a very strong sentiment, ho
ry. ever to the effect that such an amen
MS, mont would be defeated if the intere
en- and sinking fund to retire such bon
ul- is to be provided for by direct tax
ay- ton. At the Tuesday morning st
th sion NJ. NJ. Smith, the President
i'm the Association and chairman OF t
,an lState Road Department stated that
the lhad plan of raising the amount n
he essary to pay the interest and ret
tho the bonds which might be authoriz
,o,, bv changing the present license
noe for motor vehicles TO a weight Das
too say seventy.fve cents to a dollar
hundred based on the weight OF
car: that there are seventy-tive tn
sand automobiles in the State a
-yn that on an average of 500 per car
income of s1.5OO.OO0 would be ?
duced which would capitalize DC
-. issue of $15,OOO,OOO. pay the inter
and retire the bonds in ten yea
% Doubtless Mr.. Smith will be he
~ from with further details. In
~ meantime Florida cannot afford
lose the Federal aid and practlci
ouit road build-neither can +
County afford to sit still in her u
'u little island of good roads, inacce
- BILE in large part by reason oil
missing links"