Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-12-22

which have reciprocal laws. He
urged that Maine be more hospitable.
for there IL q general tendency In the
states to throw open the doors ana
let outside cars come in.
Question was asked Of the seere-
tary Of state IL he did not believe
written examination made under
oath similar to those used for TAX
ing out life insurance, would be as
effective as the examination which
required the applicant to be present
in person. and the speaker replied
that he did not think 1t would be so
effective. He believed that the appli-
cant should be made to appear before
someone for examination.
Attorney General Guy II, stursis
The fact that there is no law on
the State books authorizing the en-
ployment Of automobile inspectors was
shown by the next speaker. Attorney
General Guy H. Sturgis. There was
custom created to maintain a force Of
inspectors. perhaps primarily to col
lect fees. and those inspectors also
assisted in the enforcement Of the
auto laws. That has been continued
purely as far as custom is concerned,
a custom backed up by commonsense.
The speaker said that the greatest
element that must be commended with
is human nature. All sorts Of people.
men. wcmen and children of all ages.
are licensed to drive powerful automo-
biles. Persons without financial re-
81 10,
large class Of individuals driving
without mental or moral requisites.
Those people do not willingly comply
with the law and it is necessary to
employ clerks or inspectors to go out
and enforce these laws for the pay
ment of the auto fees. That force
should incidentally etake up the matter
of the enforcement Of the other motor
vehicle iaws.
One of the greatest of indoor sports.
he said is to avoid the payment of the
auto fees. And he spoke of the neces-
sity Of having, a force Of clerks or
agents for this purpose.
The State has created system of
State highways, he said, and 1t Is look
ing forward to extending them by
trunk lines throughout the State. BY
the custom established the State in
specto:s should assist in the control
of those State highways. The speaker
told of the cooperative arrangement
which had been made between Cumber-
land county and the secretary of
state, in which the county should fur
nish the motorcycles and the State
should pay the drivers. and he spoke
of the system of radical enforcement
which followed. to such an extent that
it brought protest from automobilists
and every good citizen. The next year
the county commissioners of that
county said that they would again
furnish the motorcycles il they could
control the men. to which the State
did not agree. The attorney general
stated that he did not believe it should
be necessary to make a mass Of ar
rests in order to police a highway
the great mass of citizens can be con-
trolled by courteous treatment. And
he spoke against system in which
any patroiman should take fees.
The condition regarding policing of
highways in York county was cited by
the speaker. who showed that the
counties pass the buck" to the State
as soon as the State takes any part
in the enforcement He believed it is
necessary to have force of collectors
for the collection of auto fees. He
did not believe that was necessary for
a force in each county. but thought
that flying squadron would be bet
ter.
The attorney general expressed the
belief that the State highways should
be patrolled by motorcycle police by
the State. first for the regulation Of
speed, and second, to check any tenn
tation for speeding on the good roads.
In relation to the question of the
length of time an out of state auto
should be allowed to remain in the
State without registration, he said he
did not believe in any reciprocal ar
rangement if the time was short, but
he believed we should get the auto
mobilists here to the State which is
the playground of the nation. He re-
ferred to cases in which automobiles
from out Of the State may easily
dodge our laws. For instance a man
fro manother state staying at Bridg-
ton might easily remain 20 days in
Maine, and then go over few miles
to North Conway, N. H., and take din
ner and return ard yet claim that he
had been out of the State before the
30 day limit. It must be decided also
whether we mean 80 consecutive days
or 80 days in the aggregate. And he
showed the necessity of having some
method of registering foreign tourists
when they come into the State and
checking them when they go out. This
registration would not be necessarily
for any payment, but so that Maine
officials could keep track of them.
The use and abuse of the dealers
licenses the speaker referred to. He
said we can't look at it purely as a
matter of dollars and cents, but when
it comes to keeping up our highways
we must thipk about the dollar and
cents problem.
Many questions were then answered
by the attorney general. Perley NJ.
Lawrence of Augusta told the speaker
that the Automobile Dealers Associa-
ton is ready and willing to assist the
State in these matters of law enforce
ment. He asked the question If there
was not a way by which a dealer
could pay a registration and still be
able to use any of his cars for pleas
ure, even if he did not own a car for
himself The attorney general an
swered that this would take away the
benefits of the registration by which