Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-15

State Association of Freehold
ers Plan to Abandon Reel
pr0City agreement

eTS Ftdn 10 HUdI1uOIl ncCi-
procity agreement
RIVERTON, Aug. 15.-Possibility
of New Jersey abandoning automo-
bile reciprocity agreements with
Pennsylvania and New York doomed
yesterday at a business session of
the New Jersey Association OF
Boards of F~reeholders, at the River
ton Country Club, following charges
that thousands of visiting automooil-
lists are violating the ~fifteen-day
privilege by failing to take out state
licenses. The proposal to issue a
monthly license at a cost OF $1.25, to
nonresident motorists using New
jersey roads came as a sort of back
fire from the agitation started by the
action of Pennsylvania authorizes
to compel New Jersey farmers de-
livering loads in Philadelphia to
take out motor licenses in that state.
Elimination of the reciprocity
plan was proposed by A. II. Kohler.
Of Woodbury., spokesman for the
South Jersey farmers. He said an
average of 10000 pleasure cars from
the Philadelphia territory enter
New Jersey every weekend en- route
to shore and country resorts h
tremendous cost of road upkeep, he
said, is growing greater every year,
being 10Y the chief item Ct tax bills,
and he declared the cost is being
borne by a large percentage of citi-
zens who do not participate in the
benefits accrued,
I'VE employed agents to count the
Pennsylvania care entering New Jer-
sey at Market street ferry last Sat
urday and Sunday between 8 A. M.
and 8 Z. M, and found hat out of
a total of S,242 Pennsylvania pleas
ur. cars only thirty-six carried Ii
censes of both states" said Kohler.
I'VE know that does not begin to
represent the proportion of automo-
bilists who remain in the state more
than fifteen days.
Rather than make law v%iolators
out of these visitors why not ask
them to share the cost of road up
keep by a monthly nonresident Ii
cense system? Few Automobiles
would b~egrudge the small cost OF
such a license if it guaranteed them
splendid roads over which to travel,
and the system would be more equit-
able than the present arrangement.
If the plan were adopted of fixing
the monthly license for non-resi-
dents at $1.25, it would mean an in
come for the highway department
of 100000 or more a year which
would help relieve the road tax bur-
der now placed upon the tax
payers"
KohIer said the state road building
program is now designed almost en-
tirely to cater to interstate traffic
needs rather than local require
ments. He said there was no way
of telling, without much expense and
annoyance to visitors. who are vio-
lating the reciprocity privileges at
present.
Kohler's argument was attacked
by William II. Roberts, of Hacken-
sack, president of the State Asso-
citation, who said that it would work
against Jersey Automobiles, who
tour extensively through New York
state. The proportion of weekend
tourists through Bear Mountain
Preservation, in New York state, he
said, is about three Jerseymen to
every New Yorker. Director John
Prentice, OF the Camden County
Board of Freeholders, expressed fear
that severance of reciprocity rela-
lions would injure Jersey interests
more, than a short term license fee
from n~on-residents would benefit.
The discussion was ended by a mo-
ton to lay owe the matter until the
September meeting at Lake Hopat-
cong. as guests Of the Morris county
freeholders, a motion requesting
Motor Vehicle Commissioner Dill to
attend that meeting and enlighten
the freeholders of certain reciprocity
issues. ~
The f~reeholders were unable to
agree upon a bill to permit the re-
payment to the state Of county APP
portionments of the now famous
Federal loan of 1887 for the use OF
school districts. The counties are
carrying this item as a part of their
bonded Indebtedness and at present
there is no law by which it can be
repaid, although some counties are
ready to make restitution.
1t was figured that the loan had
been repaid to the state 500 times
over in the form of interest com
bounded, and some of the freehold
ers advocated the introduction Of q
bill by which the state itself would
now sun the debt. Others de-
clare that as a business contract, al
though made more than a century
ago, the loans must be repaid by
the counties. The draft of a bill pre-
sented today for backing the asso'
citation. would make it optional witt
the counties to pay the sum in 6
lump or at any time within ten years
from July /, 1928. The f~reeholders
finally agreed to hold over the bill
until the next meeting and seek fur
Their legal advice on the ISSUE.
About 100 freeholders attended
today's session. Rain interferec
with plans OF the Burlington county
freeholders to give the visitors al
airplane trip owe Burlington coun'
tvs famous orchards and fertile
farms. The association voted to &C
cept invitations to hold the Septem'
Der session at Lake Hopatcong; Oc'
tober, in Jersey City; November. II
Bergen county. and December. II
Camden.