Imperial Valley press., 1922-10-28
WESTERN STATES
SEEK SAME LAWS
FOR AUTOMOBILES
Conferences Held to Make
Uniform Gasoline Tax
and Speed Laws
By United Press

oy 0ALOSA iSoo
PORTLAND, Ore, Oct. 2S.--Authorities
of western states appear determined t.
save the automobiles from himself
They also intend to save some of hi:
pocket money for their respective
states.
If the automobile were live thing
one might picture it crouching in a
corner, shivering, presenting much the
same picture as would condemned
dog while group of eminent surgeons
confer as to the best method of OBJ
serving the working of it's brain and
finding out what makes him work.
About two years ago Secretary of
State Sam Kozer, of Oregon, conceived
the idea of having the representatives
of the governors of Oregon, Washing
ton, Montana, Idaho, and California
meet in Portland to fran Il common
law.
The conference was held in peace
and accord. Much discussion took
place and delegates went home well
satisfied. A uniform law was drafted
but somehow it managed to strike
snags in the various legislatures, with
the result that nothing came of it. A
few months ago another conference was
called. To all intents and purposes the
result of the second conference was the
same.
Early this fall, October 9, to be exact,
delegates Of seven western states again
gathered here, along with one from
British Columbia. They got around "a
conference table and talked about the
4,
nas discussed. This conference ended
with the appointment of d committee.
its members are: l.. ID. McArdle, di-
.cctor of the department of efficiency,
Washington; Fred j. Dibble, director
Of licenses, Washington; Robert d.
Jones, secretary Of state Idaho; II. T..
Crockett, secretary of state, Utah
Charles j. Chenu, chief of the division
Of motor vehicles, California; and Sam
Kozcr,, secretary of state, Oregon.
Now Drafting Law
The committee held Il preliminary
meeting Tuesday night, October 10
During the next few weeks these mer
will draw up uniform motor vehicle
traffic law, and common Legislative
program to facilitate it's ultimate adOp
ton. This will be done by correspond
ence and by frequent meetings. 1t is
proposed to have the legislative pro
gram in such shape that when western
state legislatures meet next winter they
may get right to works and speed tin
laws onto the statute books. Ii is eX
pected that the committee will effect
a law that members Of legislatures a'
well as ordinary motorists will undc,
stand.
The law will deal with safety equip
ment, such as lights and signal devices
loads for trucks and AUTOMOBILES; speed
and protection of life and the publ,
highways in these several western
states involved in the conference. A
program of education for the genera
public will also be formulated. Sim
plicity and not complexity, brevity ol
detail and not exhaustive volume are
the committee S slogans.
Hardly had the echoes of this thrd
conference settled themselves int
quictude in the conference room anL
the conferees dispersed to their homes
than Governor Louis +. Hart of Wash
ngton, on October IL, issued call Il
the governors, or their representatives
Of IL western states to meet him in
San Francisco November 16, there to
discuss uniform gasoline tax law, d
uniform speed law, and diverse Other
matters pertaining to the automobiles
in particular and the public and Ii
states exchequers in general.
The states invited to send representa-
tiyes were: Montana, Wyoming, Colo
RADIO, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nev,
ada, Idaho, California, Oregon, and of
course, Washington, whose chief eAccu
tive will pass the pipe of peace at the
pow-wow--or the gasoline torch as the
ease may be.
Seventeen of these more or less
United States now have a gasoline tax
law. Fifteen of these have a, tax OF
one cent per gallon. Oregon and
Washington alone impose a two cent
tax. The revenue from this tax is
used i'll the maintenance and extension
OF the state highway systems. or the
states invited, Montana, Colorado, New
Mexico and Arizona are among thos,