Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-05-26

WASHINGTON, May EFF vari-
ETY. is the spice of life, motor tourists
get plenty OF spice when they UNI
dertake to inform themselves con
corning the vehicular and traffic laws
OF different states and municipalities
and to conform thereto. And If they
are not nimble witted and quick to
learn, they may find themselves with
ample time 10 pursue their studies
during a few days in Jail or hospital,
or an indefinite ~sojourn in that
bourne whence no traveller returns.
For the law as applied to motors
speaks a decidedly varied language.
Headlights that are approved in
one state are taboo in another.
You pass around to the right of
| the traffic officer in making a left
hand turn in one city, and if you try
it in another the next thing you
hear yourself saying, Good morning.,
judge
In Pennsylvania you pass a trolley
car, travelling in the sa me direction
that you are going, OIL the left-hand
side. Cross over into New Jersey
and you must do exactly the opposite
il you don't like trouble.
The vehicle approaching from the
| right has the right of way at street
intersec tions in some places; in
others. an effort to comply with that
regulation may prove a short cut to
the repair station and station house.
With due consideration for other
traffic you may turn around any
| place in the streets Of some cities; in
others, you do your turning at cor
ners only or you-are out of luck. AS
to speed, in some states you can use
your own judgment, provided it is
good, while in others every little
village has a limit all its own.
The present situation in state
traffic laws is just as ridiculous as
the old motor vehicle law that was
to have been introduced in the Illi-
nois legislature Gin the days when
automobiles were few and far be-
Tween" says Alexander Johnson, who
qualities as an authority on the sub
ject for Motor. Section Four of
this law stated: On approaching a
corner where he can not command a.
view of the road ahead, the automo-
bilist must stop not less than 100
yards from the turn, DOT his horn,
ring a bell, fire a revolver, halo and
send up three bombs at intervals of
five minutes,
Now, we would consider such a
law utterly ridiculous: one hundred
years from now motorists Will con-
slider our present varying state laws
in the same'way."
Efforts at Uniformity
As Standardization is the watch
word of the hour in industry, so the
same idea has been taken up with
respect to traffic laws. Motor vehicle
/ - .t-s-Wp @a1 E-4v,, H. 49, a
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New
Jersey, New York, Connecticut.
Massachusetts,, New Hampshire, Ver-
mont and Maine have formed a con-
ference which is making a hard drive
to secure uniformity in the laws and
regulations which they are called
upon to administer.
William l.. Dill, the New Jersey
commissioner, who is at the head OF
the organization that was formally
launched at Newark in the latter
part of 1921, says of its work:
1--WE have been holding quarterly
meetings, working rather quietly to,
ward a goal which will represent il
some respects at least a Utopia fol
! the car owners of the eastern states
The motor vehicle officials of all thu
, states have always desired to be OF
friendly terms with their ~neighbors
The WORCESTERSHIRE must bear thu
brunt of any unfriendiy feeling
: have long hoped for a greater feel
ing of comradeship between border
: ing states. 1t is to this goal that W
have been working.
"If the ideals which the Confer
ence of Motor Vehicle Administra
{ tors has set up for attainment ar
realized, we will at least have mad
progress. With uniform license law
e similar headlamp regulations and
, score of other reciprocal laws il
6 force in all the states the motorist
will find interstate travel much NOR
enjoyable. They will not fear-as /
often the case now-that they vii
O be arrested for some trivial ofens
which is within the law in their owi
q states"
Legislation is now pending in mos
!. Of the states included in the confer
, ence that embodies the conclusion
and agreements reached by thes
officials. 1t is one thing to propos
e laws. however, and something els
again TO get them enacted, and it
being discovered that an aroused an
enlightened public opinion is a frs
essential.