Milford chronicle., 1923-10-12
HOLD EXAMINATIONS
FOR AUTO DRIVERS
Secretary OF State Sets Aside Four
Saturdays In November To Quail
ify Drivers Of Hired Cars
FOR new LICENSES FOR 1924
Which New Law Requires By jan
uary determinations To Be
Held In Wilmington.

The conviction of paid chauffeur
in the New Castle county courts in
Wilmington on a charge of manslaugh-
ter in the past few days, emphasizes
the need, State traffic and highway Of
ficers claim, for one of the new, rigid
motor laws passed at the 1928 session
of the General Assembly of Delaware
and which will become effective Janu-
airy 1, 1924.
According to this law no chauffeur
who cannot speak and read the Eng
lish language will be permitted to op-
crate an automobile for hire.
Between now and January 1 all ap-
plicants must take an examination
which Alden r. Benson, Secretary of
State, is now arranging for. The driV-
er will have to show State motor Of
ficials that he can operate car with
safety and has complete knowledge Of
all details of the State motor vehicle
laws. He must also demonstrate these
powers and drive an inspector about a
street in Wilmington or Dover to show
that he understands local traffic re-
quirements
The man who drives his own car
applies for what is known as mo
tor Vehicle Operators License" He is
not required to pass an examination
unless the Secretary of States requires
it but if he owns his cars and works
for someone else as a chauffeur he
must take the examination.
The man who drives car for hire |
applies for what is known as "Chauf- !
feur's License" and must be eXamin-
ed
The chauffeur who drives a public
service motor vehicle, in addition to
securing a motor vehicle operators
license, or a chauffeur's license, as the
case may be, must secure a Public
Service Motor Vehicle Drivers Per-
nit" Such an applicant must be over
81 years and must furnish evidence of
good moral character. To be valid
these licenses must first be signed by
the licensee and in the case Of a
chauffeurs license a photograph of the
icensee must be attached.
Secretary of State Benson is ar
ranging to hold examinations in Will
mington the four Saturdays in Novem-
ber. Those who fail to take the exam
ination on one of those days will be
compelled to take it at Dover.
This work was imposed on the Sec
retary of State with no provision
whatever by the legislature for meet
ing the necessary expenses. Mr.. Ben I
son announces he will enforce the law '
to the best of his ability and with as
much consideration for the convent I
ence of the public as the circumstan- \
ces will permit. t
According to his present plans he Q
will have motor vehicle inspectors To- 7
Gated on the four Saturdays in Novem- /
ber at a certain point in Wilmington :
where those seeking to obtain chauf- +
feur's licenses may be examined and
tested. He expects to use the two in
spectors from Kent county and use
the two New Castle county inspectors.
If these should not be sufficient he
may summon the two inspectors from y
Sussex county and possibly some State
police, who would act as in
spectors in the examination of I
chauffeur.
If on the first one or two Saturdays y
in November it should be demonstrat-
ed that the force is not sufficient to
those who want to OBJ =
tain such licenses, other arrange !!
ments will be made, such as conduct Il 1
ing the examination for several sue u
ceeding days. But these details will y y
have to be worked out when the ex- Il
animation starts. How many chauf- y
leurs are affected is not known but it
S expected that there will be upwards
If 1000 who will be required to take II
his examination. They must take the
est in order to procure license to
lrive a car for 1924 and those who fail
will be liable to the consequences af-
err January 1. 1924 p