Evening star., 1927-11-20
BY WILLIAM UIIMAN,
Automobile Editor pf The Star

BOSTON. November l9.-CoG-
infant of a great many more minor
defects in Mass chuSetts' compulsory
liability insurance law than it's bit
terest opponents can find Frank a
Goodwin, Bay State registrar of
motor vehicles, nevertheless is con-
vinced that it is the greatest piece
of motor legislation ever enacted,
1t makes no difference to Mr.. Good
win from how many sides the
measure is assailed; he knows all
such arguments before they are pre-
sented. For II months he has
watched the working of the law and
while he comedies the necessity for
changes in administra tive detail, he
is convinced that. basically. it alone
provides the antidote for the fatal-
ties and injuries for which the motor
car is responsible.
AS Mr. Goodwin sees compulsory
liability insurance, it has one purpose
to provide financial relief for the
dependents of those killed in high
way mishaps and compensation for
those who are hopelessly manned ana
rendered socially and economically
unfit
Many Have Yet to Learn.
Compulsory liability insurance is do
ing that more and more effectively,
he declares, and If it does not do it
so well as 1t will later. that is because
it has been tremendous underta king
i'm which nearly million persons have
had new roles to lay and all have not
vet learned their lines.
The Stars representative came TO
Massachusetts to make a first hand
study of the most sensational and
radical departure in the history of.
automobile legislation. He started.
quite naturally, with the Office of the
registrar of motor vehicles. There.
he found the man who bears burden
of administrative difficulty that ex-
ceeds that of any comparable public
official in the country. ready to talk
not only the virtues of the law but its
every deficiency-where it has sue
ceeded with no more fairness than
where it has failed.
Compulsory liability insurance Is no
new thing 10 the Massachusetts regis
trar of motor vehicles. Shortly after
he took his present Office. in April.
1920, he foresaw the need for such
statute as the only possible relief for
situation which was resulting in the
death OF hundreds and the injury of
thousands of persons annually, and
through no fault of their own. He
could see no fairness or justice in
equipping any man with an ''instru-
mentality so potentially dangerous as
an automobile. without placing behind
hot iv,It ItxyfI, Ill Ean al OF
bility."
Just at that time. he began to work
for the statute that has brought his
State into the limeight not only ma
tionally but internationally as we'll.
Today, under the binding glare Of this
farreaching interest, he works tire
lessly and inteliigently to prove the
wisdom of principle of legal compul-
sion in State that always has stood
for the ultimate in liberty. And the
liberty-lovers of Massachusetts, save
for minority whose special interests
are restricted, are working with him.
Safety Alone Is Not Goal.
Previous to coming TO Boston, the
writer had heard as the chief criti-
cism of the law that it was essentially
unsound in it's tendency to create ac-
cidents by making the individual care.
less because he knew that the insur-
ance companies would have to foot the
bills. AS a result. the question of the
laws safety aspects was one of the
first put to the motor vehicle eXecu-
tive.
This law does not have safety as
its purpose" said Mr.. Goodwin.
But just the same, it is the great
est piece of safety legislation ever
passed" he added with emphasis.
ut provides the only definite, con.
tinuing means for disciplining the
habitually careless driver and it drives
from the road the unfit vehicle. which
has been responsible for so many ac-
cidents"
But do the figures show that ef-
fect?'' he was asked.
1T depends upon the figures" he
replied, There are lots of figures
that do not. but the official figures
| show it conclusively. If you take the
figures for. 1926. it is harder to see
| than if YOU take those for three or
four years. 1t is tough luck that 1926
had to be the year of compa rison, be-
cause IN the matter of accidents ii
was far from normal"
A study of the records of Mr.. Good
wins office showed this to he true in
that during February and March,
ordinarily months highly productive
! in mishaps, weather conditions
| throughout the State were so bad thai
tens of thousands of cars simply were
| stored away and not used And even
| those which were in service were
| forced TO travel at a slow pace that
was certain guaranty against seri-
| GUS accident. This is a vital point
| Continued on Page 5, Column ~