Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-01-02
STATE MEASURE To
CURB AUTOMOBILE
THEFTS IS PLAIVuED
Grand Jury Names LegisIa-
tive Committee Taxicab
Drivers Are Scored by So
Iicitor JohnA, Boykjn


At an open session of the Fulton
county grand jury held Thursday
morning to discuss legislation to pus
an end to the theft of automobiles,
Solicitor General John A. Boykin, of
Fulton superior court, made the
statement that taxicab drivers
should be considered as a big factor
in the situation.
Solicitor Boyllin went into consid-
cradle detail concerning his expert
ence with taxicab drivers in prosecu-
tons for highway. robbery, selling
whisky, use of automobiles for inn
proper purposes, ETC. He expressed
the opinion that no legislation will
get down to the bottom of the auto
mbile theft syndicate unless it re-
quires registration and inspection
of garages. "The thieves rent ga
RACES in respectable neighborhoods
and hide stolen cars in them" said
he
4. After a general discussion lasting
more than an hour it was agreed t.
have a special committee to draft a
bill for introduction in the legis1a-
ture at the next session.
On this committee were appointed
grand jury; John E. Smith, presi-
dent of the Atlanta Automobile as
ISOLATION; James L. Beavers, chief Of
police; John A. Boykin, solicitor gem
eral of Fulton superior court; John
NJ. Harrison, representing the Un-
derwriters' Detective bureaI; Repre-
sentative John Y. ! Smith, Yirlyn B.
Moore and Walter c. Hendrix, Of
the Fulton delegation in the house,
and State Senator Ivan e. Allen.
Besides the above-named represen-
tatives of automobile interests and
the members of the legislature, the
meeting was attended by Chief Poole,
of the detective department.; A. L.
Belle Isle, who runs taxicab and
other citizens who are anxious to
automobile thieves.
Prevention Proposed
Robert L. Foreman, as a member
of the grand jury, who was instru-
mental in having the discussion
opened it with a paper on the sub
ject of automobile thefts, in which he
suggested a law requiring the vender
of used car to give a bill of sale
showing complete chain of title, back
to the original purchaser, and fur
Their requiring a registration of such
sale with the secretary of state He
said he believed these requirements
would ma Ike st pnae tiieal ~ peEsiilse
Ito dispose OF a used car except hon
estly, more especially if there was a
law depriving the possessor of a car
of any right or title unless he had
such a chain of title.
| John NJ Harrison, whose bureau
| is engaged in running down stolel
automobiles, did not oppose the plan
| suggested by Mi. Foreman but le
suggested shat It would raise a
serious problem, inashnuch as l.
would tend to drive automobile
| thieves Immediately across the stare
| line to other jurisdictionsN to dispos
| of stolen cars.
ATLANTA" said Mr.. Harrison, "is
! the southern headquarters of syndi-
/! cate of automobile thieves. More
cans are stolen here than in any city
south of the Potomac and east of
( the Rocky Mountains"
/ State Senator Allen expressed the
| opinion that thefts of automobiles
are the cause of as much crime as
/ fiquor ever was, and was heartily
| in favor of laws to make the dis
position of a stolen car an extremely
difficult transaction.
Similar sentiments were expressed
by other mem bers of the legislature
Representative John Y. Smith,, ir
passing, remarked that it would be
easier to get through bill if the
Atlanta Automobile association would
not make itself so active in oppos'
ing bills introduced from other quar-
tiers.
The one he had in mind was bill
requiring registration of the sale OF
used cars with county sheriffs and
providing for a sheriff's fee of 81 IL
each registration. John e. Smith ex,
planned that the association opposed
that bill because it was a fee bill
which would have done nothing but
| increase the compensation of sheriffs