Evening star., 1927-10-13
COMPULSORY AUTO
INSURANCE FLAYED
Foes of Proposal Meet Before
D. C.. Chamber to Ex-
press Views.

actment of a compulsory automobile
liability insurai law for the Dis.
trict of Columbia last night when op.
ponents of the proposal had their in
ming before the special committee of
the Washington Chamber of Com.
merce which is studying advisability
of the applicable of such a law here.
Principal arguments delivered against
the proposed law, which would pro
vide means for the indemnification
Of persons injured in traffic mishaps,
were that the cost of compulsory in.
surance would prove excessive, that
1t would cause the courts to he clog
Ced with lawsuits of persons seeking
. DANA geS that il would Increase care
sesS driving rather than crrb il, and
that Naturalization of injured parties
always would not he assured.
Dozen Foes Attend.
About n dozen opponents of the pro
<rosed law attended the hearing. and
among those presenting arguments
were spokes,ue for the District of
Columbia advls hoard of the Ameri-
can Automobu> association and Six
teenth Street Heights Citizens Asso'
ciation A letter from the United
states Chamber of Commerce opposing
the law and another from the Nation.
nj ASsociat ton Of Finance Companies
also were entered in the record.
\ final hearing for proponents Of
the insurance measure is to be held
ana then the testimony given at the
hearings is to he compiled and report
ed to the committee of the chamber
on police and fire protection and pnb-
lie safety, which plans to draft pro-
posed law for consideration of the
nd ~ Wi
he forwarded to the District Commits
sioners and to Congress. Charles j.
Stockman presided over the hearing
last night in the absence of Jerome
Fanciuli, chairman of the special
committee in charge.
Compulsory automobile insurance
was branded dubious remedy" for
tragedies that arise from careless driv-
ing under tiir~ present system, in the
letter from the United States Cham
her of Commerce. signed hy A. Won
Thaden of the insurance department
of the organization.
Cites Farley Action.
opening his statement by remind-
tng the local chamber that the ma
tionsl chamber does not interfere
with activities of its member organi-
cations, or seek to persuade them by
arguments to agree with the national
SroiIn. hut rather TO- cooperate by
seeking to extend education. Mr.. Won
Thaden cited the action of the four
teenth annual meeting of the United
States Chamber. which went on record
opposing the insurance measure. Mr..
Thaden quoted the resolution adopt
ed by the national chamber, which
said. in part
ITO reduce traffic accidents, compul-
sorry insurance has in some quarters
been advocated for the owner of each
automobile. A careful study fails to
disclose reason TO believe that. If
adopted, it will reduce accidents. For
that reason, aid for other reasons, we
oppose the; principles of compulsory
automobile insurance and advocate
efforts which are calculated to in
crease the safety of our streets"
The letter from Mr. won Thaden
also cited results of study of actions
growing out of all deaths from auto
mobile accidents occurring in the Dis
trict during the period July !, 1928. to
August 81, 1925, TO determine the
number of heirs of persons killed who
were unable to collect damages
Out of a total of SO claims for in
Identification which grew out of the
total of 176 deaths. the statement
showed, "a were disposed of in favor
of the claimants, although the mo.
torist was shown to be clearly liable
in but % of the cases: that of the 81
claims, the full amount of damages
was collected in 80 instances and part
of the damages in two other cases
and that there were but two cases in
which no damages could be collected
oo,,,;e In Address
Speaking for the local edvisory
board of the American AutomoDlie
Association. Al. M. Loomis, member OF
the board. presented long list OF 90
iections Ito the insurance proposal
chief of which were the cost thai
would be placed on all automobile
owners. that it would not curb reck
lessness and that ii would not pro
vide Insurance. for all injured.
Quoting figures which he said were
ruhlished by the Workmen's Compen
sation Publicity Bureau, Mr.. Looms
said that the total annual cost OF au
tomobiIe insurance in the State o.
Texas amounted to 24.000, 600. while
the amount of uncollected judgments
in accident cases over two-yeal
period had been computed at 5000
Declaring that the psychological
effect of "A compulsory insurance Law
would be to increase reckless driving
Mr.. Loon1is said that in Massachu
setts. where similar law has beer
in operation for about nine months
the number of persons killed in traffic
accidents during the first six months
of this year were 35 more than during
the preceding year.
Young Delays Verdict.
q Henry c. Young. speaking as mem
= her of the Insurance Exchange OF tbs
District of Columbia, which he SAID
had not acted formally on the pro
posal. pleaded for delay in decision or
the proposed compulsory insurance IT
order that it be given first fair tria
in other sections before its application
here. He declared, however, that the
Law would tend to increase litigation
over damages and doubted that i
would prove to be measure for tht
good of the majority, placing a con
siderable cost on all automobile own
ers for the benefit of few.
G. Fl. Warrington, member OF thf
Washington Automotive Association
termed the proposal "a sham and al
excuse" rather than panacea for In
iured persons, and corroborated many
OF the arguments made by Mr.. Loomjs
n. NJ. Phillips reported that the Six
teenth Street Heights Citizens Asso
citation had opnoSnd the insurance