River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1925-08-20
Other Bills Affecting
Highways Passed By
The Last Legislature

A number of important laws were
adopted by the legislature regard
ing highway traffic and motor
vehicles. One of these refers to
trucks and buses operating on
regular routes and carrying passen-
gers and freight for hire. Under
this law there are constituted COM
mon carriers and are required to APP
ply annually to the Railroad Com
mission for registration, giving full
information as to routes, rates,
schedules, etc. Buses are required
to file an indemnity Oond based on
the passenger carrying capacity of
the vehicle. Trucks are required to
provide an indemnity bond of
| $4,000 to any one person and $4,000
| for any one accident. The license
fee is increased. Buses are per-
mitted to run the same speed as
| automobiles-30 miles en- hour.
However, they cannot average more
than 25 miles an hour between their
terminal points. That is, bus run
ming between two points 100 miles
apart cannot cover the distance in
less than four hours.
/ This bill empowers the highway
commission to appoint not more than
| 10 of their regular employees as Of
ficers to cooperate with local officer
in enforcing traffic laws. These of
| ficers are to be furnished with a de-
vice called load-meter, whereby
they can weigh a load. If vehicle
is carrying load in excess of chat
permitted by the law, they can COM
pei the driver to dump the excess.
Another bill empowers the towns,
villages and cities to designate arter-
ial highways, approaching which
traffic shall come to stop. The
state highway commission is empow-
cred to declare any state trunk high
way or any inter-connecting street
an arterial highway and the county
trunk highways. Where a stop is
required at highway traffic cross
ing or an arterial highway, the place
must be marked either with sign
or traffic device. Highly important
is the provision that these devices
shall be uniform throughout the
state, as provided by the state high
way commission. If such devices
are now in place, the commission
may suspend the operation of the
law regarding them as long as they
deem advisable.
Chapter 234 requires that motor
trucks, taxi cabs or motor busses
licensed in another state and run
ming into Wisconsin shall pay Wis
consin license fee and carry Wis
consin license.
Chapter 200 provides that if any
person operates a motor vehicle af-
ter May l without carrying a license
for that year, he shall not only be
arrested, subject to fine, or fine and
Imprisonment, and for the payment
of the proper license fee, but he
shall pay $500 in addition which
shall go to the officer making the
arrest, with view of stimulating
local officers to become active.
Chapter 430 subjects an intoxicat-
ed person driving an automobile not
only to a fine or fine and imprison-
ment, but empowers the court to is
sue an order prohibiting him from
driving a car for one year from date
Chapter ASP provides that after
1926 no motor vehicle license shall
be issued unless the applicant APP
plies for and receives a certificate OF
title from the secretary of state
giving detailed information to show
his ownership. A license issued for
The same car in 1926 will be con-
sidered prima facie evidence Of
ownership. The secretary of stats
and sheriffs and police departments
are required to exchange information
as to motor vehicles stolen or re
covered.