Evening star., 1921-07-22
BAUCHMAN REPLIES
IN HEMM|NG CASE
Automobile Commissioner
Gives MaryIand's Answer
to Drivers Charge.

| BALTIMORE. Md. July % Especially.
-Explanation of the states side OF the
case against Gerald Hemming Of Po-
tomac. Md. whose letter to The Star
regarding his treatment by enforcers OF
the Vehicle laws of the state in Mont
gomery county was published on July l9
in The Washington Evening Star, vas
given today by Automobile Commits
sioner Baughman.
| In Hemming's letter. it was stated
| that, although he had an operators
| license and a substitute caro- lot use
pending shipment of substitute tag 1or
one he lost he was taken into court and
fined $40 and $3.50 costs despite his ex-
plantations.
States Explanation.
| Commissioner Baughman said that
the party making the complaint was
at fault by not making proper appli-
cation for the issuance of SUBSTITUTE
| tags, and that when the application
was mailed for him to fill out and re-
turn to the office he failed to follow
| instructions. but filled out one OF the
! blanks and kept it for use, under
tn" impression that it was a temporary
license or permit. pending receipt OF the
| tags.
in the first place." said Mr. Baugh-
man. the party who makes the COM
plant never had license issued to
him by this Office. but was operating
a car with a license issued in the
name of Alex NJ. Nchol of Potomac
Nd. When Gerald Hemming wrote
to the office for a substitute tag we
searched the records and could find
| no record of any such license having
| been issued. When we finally discov-
cred that the license was in the name
of Alex NJ Nichol of Potomac. We i'm
| MI af1i % fa1v cd n annliNafl0n
blank to the latter. asking him to
| fill out the same and return to the
office with the proper fee and SUP
stitute license would be mailed with
out delay. Part of the blank was
filled out and made affidavit to on
July 8. but instead of mailing it back
to the office. as requested. 1t was
kept and. as we understand. used as
a temporary permit, something which
we do not issue and have no authority
to issue under the present law.
Tags Were Mailed. d.
when the application blank was
finally received at this office accom-
panied by the proper fee the tags were
mailed by special delivery the follow
ing day, and the whole trouble was
cauced by not reading the law or
regulations governing the issuance of
substitute tags for those that are lost
! or destroyed.
I
to be used when the metal tag was
lost pending receipt of new tags.
which had to be made and occasioned
considerable delay. At the last ses-
sion of the legislature this was
changed and in the event of a tag or
tags being lost a new license is issued
| Immediately upon receipt of the signed
i application blank which we send on
request and the proper fee, which for
one tag is 81 and 81 for both tags
Raughman, Il received a complaint
from a Maryland congressman that a
! friend of his had been arrested and
fined for merely drying across the
Maryland line a few hundred feet in
order to sus turn asa aEsped as the road
Il detailed one of my men to go to
Washington and investigate the case.
with the following result:
| InvestiEates Complaint.
That the man who made the COM
plant. who, by the way, is the sec
rotary of another congressman. did
| not own the car; that it belonged to
a young lady from Richmond who was
| visiting in Washington and whose
father had sent the machine there
! for her use; that she had been stay
| carded the Virginia tags and sub
| stituted District of Columbia tags;
| that at the time of arrest the car
! had been trailed by the officer for
over a mile from the state line at
Chevy Chase before he stopped the
car and asked for the Maryland
| license; that the young lady was at
+, the wheel when the officer came back
to the car after stopping 1t. although
one of the four men in the car was
driving while the officer was follow
! ing behind: that instead of being
en-
$3.45 and asked to put up $40 col
lateral, which would be refunded
when she produced the Virginia tags
1 and license which she said belonged
| on the car. but were taken off; that
| the total cash in possession of the
party was a little over $40, and that
| the magistrate told them he would
keep the balance of the $40 after de-
ducring the $3.45 fine. and return it
to her when she produced the Vir-
ginia license, which was done next
day.
| Quotes Typical Case.
Il am merely quoting this as typical
every day, and in which we are blamed
when the fault really lies with the party
who makes the complaint.
| Il am very sorry that this case hap
pened. but had either Mr.. Hemming or
! Mr.. Nichols taken the trouble to look up
| the rules governing issuing of substitute
licenses or mailed the application back
| to this office with the proper fee the
| license would have been received in a
day or two at the latest, and I do not
| see how this office can be blamed when
the fault, as 1 have shown clearly, lies
with the owner Of the car.
''It is not the intention or desire of
this office to impose any hardship on
either Maryland or District of Columbia
motorists, and stand ready at all times
to give my personal attention to any
complaint of any injustice done to any
motorist by any motor vehicle law en-
i off IN fIo or ofN