Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-09-21

west and is also known in Legislative
halls throughout the country He ha:
fathered more than one movement il
his own state that has proven to bt
of universal good to all states. His
present article dealing with automo
biles indicates that the state super.
vision of the traffic laws as outlined
is one of the pet hobbies of the ex.
ecutive, hobby that he can ride with
the assurance that both theory anC
practice are based on solid fact.
The American people have beer
slow to realize that the automobile
is too ambulatory and to numerous
to be regulated by local government
entirely. There should be state uni
formity of regulation. Some central
authority should have power to reach
across several counties, to reach into
or outside of any city and compel
obedience to traffic laws. AS long as
enforcement of these laws is left To
local police, the degree of enforcement
will vary according to the varying eff
ficiency or whims of the officials.
Eighty y-three per cent of the auto
mobiles in use in the world are in
the United States. There is one auto
mobile to every II persons in the en-
tire country, or total of 10,448,6 ,633
In Illinois we have 100000 automo-
biles, or one to every 9.87 persons
In some other states the percentage
is higher.
Last year 12,50O persons were killed
in automobile accidents. This was
an average of .00119 per car. How
many more were injured and how
much property was damaged through
reckless driving and lack of observ-
ance of traffic laws cannot be stated
accurately, but the figures are enor-
nous.
Obviously there is a crying need
for better regulation of the operation
of automobiles in a country where
they are SO numerous.
The Illinois Law
In most states the administration
of automobile laws has been placed
in the hands of the Secretary OF
State, but he has been given no power
to enforce observance This is left
entirely to local police and sheriffs.
In Illinois we have just concluded
very successfully an experiment
which seems to prove beyond ques-
tion that the State official who IL
censes automobiles and administers
automobile laws should have police
power so far as automobile laws are
concerned.
For some five or six years we ex-
perimented with volunteer automobile
Investigators. These were responsible
citizens in each community who, be-
ing drivers of automobiles themselves,
were interested in seeing automobile
laws obeyed. A badge to be worn on
the radiator of the car and certifi-
cate of appointment were given those
who would accept voluntarily this re
sponsibility, and some good was ac-
complished in this way. The volun-
teer inspectors, however, had no police
power. They could only report viola
tions to local authorities and in the
end the degree of enforcement of the
automobile laws depended entirely
upon the attitude of the sheriff, chief
of police, or mayor.
State Inspectors
Investigations showed that thous
ands of dollars which should have
come into the State Treasury in the
form of automobile and chauffeurs
license fees was not being collected
and that traffic laws frequently were
ignored. While in some communitie:
there was scarcely any violation o.
the law, in other communities ther,
was the SEOSSSSJ ldxIlSSS.
In view of this situation, the las
legislature passed a law permitting
the Secretary of State to appoin
State automobile inspectors investe,
with power. to make arrests for viola
tion of the automobile or traffic law
of the state. Under this law, % IN
spectors were appointed.
These inspectors are costing tn
state for salary and expenses less thai
$4,000 per agnum and by their effort
they have increased the returns fror
automobile license fees by at leas
a quarter of million dollars yea,
In other words, they have paid 70
themselves five times over merely i
the collection of fees.
But the efforts of the inspector
are not confined to this one activit,
They have aided very. materially i
increasing the safety Cs travel on th
highways f.the state by enforcin
traffic laws and headlight laws.