The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-01-29
REGISTERING AUTOS

! Something more than a year ago the
city commissioners passed an ordi-
nance requiring automobile owners 10
register their cars with the chief OF
police and pay fee of 81 for so do
! ing. This ordinance was found to be
in conflict with a state law and was
repealed.
AS a matter of protection to honest
drivers and to honest owners, some
such registration system should be
adopted. AS the law stands now, au-
tomobie registration numbers can be
obtained only from the secretary of
state at Tallahassee, thus causing
great delay in many cases when it is
highly desirable to know the owner of
an auto at once.
Local police officials are acquaint-
ed with practically all local crooks
and If they had access to a list of au
tomobile numbers they could become
sufficiently familiar with them to
know almost for certain whether a
crook was driving his own or a stol-
en- car.
Chicago is having difficulties much
greater in proportion to the size of
the city than is Pensacola and Chief
bftzmorris has issued order that
every citizen must carry an identi :
fication card. The idea is so good that
It has the support of the Chicago Tri-
bune, which says:
North shore residents are indig-
nantly protesting the"Prussianfzed"
police methods of Chief Fitzmorris in
connection with the requirement OF an
Identification card to be carried by
every motorist as an aid to the appre-
hension of automobile bandits and au
tomobile thieves.
we will not attempt to debate any
legal question involved but so far as
the plan has been explained it an
pears to be really progressive step
in the great task of dealing with two
of the most serious problems of the
day. II might even be extended to
help solve other problems.
Certainly the fee of one dollar for
an Identification card is no argument
against it. Any one who can afford
an automobile can afford the extra
dollar. The time and energy consum-
ed In obtaining the card are insignifi-
cant compared with the time and en-
ergy consumed in tracing a stolen
auto. No honest citizen can serious
ly object TO the small annoyance of
exhibiting his card to a policeman oc-
casionally. particularly IL thereby he
Is reducing crime and reducing his
theft insurance
THAT It will reduce auto thefts and
banditry seems evident. Unless an
auto thief kidnaps the car owner and
steals his card the chances Of escape
with stolen car are greatly reduced.
as the first policeman who stops the
car will have sufficient evidence on
which to base arrest. The theft of
cars left parked at curbs will certain
ly be reduced. The greatest hardship
likely to result from the system will
be the occasional stopping of motor
lists with q request that they exhibit
their cards.
II view of such apparent advan-
tages, IL there is a legal doubt as to
the right of the city to install such
system ii might well be removed by
the legislature. And If a new law is
required the plan might be carried
even further.
strict examination of drivers to de-
termlne their ability to handle cars.
might well be required befare cards
are issued. This undoubtedly would
result in a reduction of automobile
accidents. Blanks on the back of each
card for notation of arrests in speed
ing cases etc. would also be OF value
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