Putnam patriot., 1926-09-24

V . instances where they will become involved with the disciplinary officers of the other state As yet there is TO stated reciprocity agreement which covers police activities and consequent | ly no guiding rule when out of one i home state. except to be sure 10 be l right" There is ample opportunity I for self expression on the part of the man who would rather be right than he President. Police regulations on ] the highways are similar in principle in all eastern states. Almost every one of these now maintains some organization in the way of a highway patrol which looks after motor vehicle traffic But there is no stated uni- formjty. and it is quite probable that there never can be. because this par tirular police activity is governed by so many local conditions. + may be generally stated that the person who is well mentioned and careful will not be bothered except in rare cases where in some states local otfi-
 cer has decided upon strenuous meas
 ures.
 Disefpline of motor vehicle operators generally takes one of two forms. One is found in a case where an interpreta- ton of law is given to the policeman or he interprets t for himself, and then hews to the line of it's enforce ment The other is illustrated by a situation where some petty ofense has become SO prevalent that a so-called drive has 10 be made against t. Tn both forms there is nothing which the visitor can do except to be cautious. Co inform himself SO far as possible and ! 10 obey Most regulations and rules after all have a basis in common sense. They are mostly predicated on safety. Their object is to keep people out Of trouble. l. can be confidently stated that police interpretation now recog- nizes this fact. and the man who ls trying to be reasonable and safe will usually not get into difficulty. Police . enforcement is SO good. as far as fl , goes. that the presumption IS now , against any man who rufs afoul of it, : and the proof that he was reasonable . and right. which he always has the privilege of presenting. is mere difii- ] cult than 1t used to be. That is, of course because conditions are worse and a greater degree Of responsibility and care is now required than was formerly needed.
 Discipline By License Revocation But although there is only this gen. eral adherence tn the same principles where police are concerned. there ex-
 ists a much more closely knit and planned interstate management gov erning the operators licenses of per sons who need to be disciplined. Sew eral years ago the administrators of motor vehicles. the commissioners. sec retaries of state and highway officials having charge in the respective states. organized a Conference through which. hy general discussion and gradual adaptation. there has been evolved method If cooperation in the handling of license suspensions. The exercise of the Conference plan make if nrac- -cdilv impossible for any person fa commit a serious offensc and Het he nan he'd bv heinz taken or the road AnFHnc wha gives f thought will admir- that regIsfrant af one ztate wha found driving while intoxicated lu another state oF who evades respon- -lbiIty nr commits some act Of reck- less driving has thereby proven him self unfit Q operate anywhere. So fhe punishment. though sometimes de laved invariably follows such an of- fender in the form of license suspen- sion Assume that a foreign regis trant k convicted of one Of these seri- ous offcnses in a court of the state he Is visiting The process followed is, that the court reports 70 the state mo- for vehicle department, which sus- ponds the right of the convicted op- orator t6 drive in the state which con virted notifies tbe motor vehicle de- nartment of his home state. which in turn suspeuds his operators license for the term provided
 During 1925 Connecticut notified other states of tho conviction ef 1.341 operators resident. therein fer action hv their authorities and received sm- liar information regarding Connecticut operators.
 This cooperative suspension power Is becoming af use az dn aid to th6 police + affaa happen that D man resident u are state after he gets safelr out af another iH which He was served 1y1tr mrur ..a -rccari aHAAAA H#ffE5tNH E. hmc adm --rIt7r EHs tH power. most .f chem HlW aa aH# notifies ttm tha. Ea ua-- eeaHH rfiai CT lose has operator license 4Ha.E h- a.ee. a aH, s Hataza- ing
 lrH#EEE car- aeat.ar a n Ha5f.r- # 1lz Ea-fa f5zz5a request
 ara which intention fa rH. been forthwith HaA aH8 + has beeH successful n making jsl rstaro.
 Goodwill
 Reciprocity and cooperation ia zen- efal depend Gnau goodwill. the eaod- wIii 6f the officials ia charge df the subject upon which it is to be exer- cizad. and the goodwill of all law ahid- ing people r Is safe to say that Con HectIcut extends this goodwill for these essential purposes Co all af the other states and s confident in The belief and expectation that it is receiving the same at their hands
 it Is essential that there be a firm hand over every operator of any in- terstate ear all the time This makes foF the protection of all T. is thus imperative that an the states work te