Evening star., 1927-10-21
LOCAL AUTO UNITS
ATTACK TAG PLAN
A. A. A. and Other Groups
Hold New System viii Work
Hardship on Owners.

The American Automobile Associa-
ton, assisted by group OF other or
ganizations concerned with the well
fare OF motor vehicle operators of the
District, made a. vigorous attack to.
day on certain features Of the Bureau
of Ef1ciency's plan for the registration
Of automobiles and the issuance Of
Identification tags. which were
adopted recently by the Commits.
sioners.
Appearing before the Board of Com
missioners at a previously arranged
hearing the delegated representatives
Of these organizations not only criti-
cised the new system, but urged that
the present method be continued until
mobile title act.
See Hardship in New Act.
The protest was based chiefly on
the ground that the procedure requir-
ing motorists to present their old
registration certificates at the license
Office would work an undue hardship
on them. In some cases, under this
arrangement, it was pointed out,
motorists who use their machines in
their business would be faced with
the alternative of foregoing the use
Of their cars or Of driving them
illegally, since the traffic regulations
require that the registration card be
carried in the machine at all times.
It also would make 1t dihicult for
motorists who are employed, 1t was
explained, to obtain their tags through
various agencies.
George w. Offutt. a member Of the
advisory board of the A. A. A., sum-
married the organizations position in
connection with the changes in the
tag distribution plan, as follows:
"The use of the term pleasure cars
on the proposed forms to be used
in the registration of passenger
vehicles is objected to, because, 1t
is our opinion that there can be no
definition of a pleasure car as IL
Is a common practice for many cars
to be used for both pleasure and
business.
Loses Use OF Auto.
1--WE object to the requirement that
the owner of the so-called pleasure
car present the old registration GER
tificate when renewing licenses. We
object to this on the ground that the
law requires these certificates to be
fore. TO require an owner to appear
at the License Bureau with the old
certificate would necessitate his Civ
ing up the use of his car while he
Is obtaining his new license, or bring
ing the car to the License Bureau
with him personally, or else violat-
ing the law requiring the certificate
to be in the car at all times.
"Our experience shows US that many
residents of the District OF Columbia
are in other States during the period
Of registration renewal. This require.
ment would necessitate those residents
to operate their motor vehicles in the
States in which they happen to be at
the time without registration certifi.
Gates for the period of time necessary
to send in to Washington in order that
this regulation could be complied with.
This would subject them to arrest in
those States and lead to much em.
Sees Return to Old Chaos.
"The requirement of the owners
signature on the registration certifl-
cate Is, ir our opinion, Of no value,
since any one authorized by the owner
may be in possession of the vehicle
and therefore the signature has no
significance"
Mr.. Offutt also pointed out that such
a. radical change in the system of
registration and issuance Of tags at
this late date may lead to a repeti-
ton of the chaotic conditions that
existed last year, which resulted in
all sorts OF inconvenience to motor
vehicle owners in the District. who
were questioned in other States by
reason of operating vehicles on 1926
tags"
vogue may not be all that 10 desired,
Mr.. Offutt explained, the objections
to that system are insufficient to
justify radical changes, and that the
most practical plan would be to con-
tinue the registration Of motor vehi-
cles for 1923 along the same plan as
for 1927 and in the meantime a con-
ferences be set up with view toward
developing n certificate OF title act.
together with the necessary forms and
method Of procedure, so that such
plan can be put into operation for
1929 with a minimum Of inconvenience
to motorists.
Charles w. Darr. who represented
the Washington Chamber OF Com
merce, also urged that the present
plan of registration be kept In force
until q title law Is enacted, and then
make whatever changes necessary
simultaneously. Automobile registra-
tion, he said. should be simplified
rather than complicated.
TaIiaferrO Defends Act.
Commissioner Sidney +. TaliaferrO
expressed the belief that under the
new plan the registration of vehicles
and the issuance Of tags can be ex-
pedited. 1.-The changes can he ac-
complished without any particular
hardship on the motorist and should
prove q benefit: he said. IT believe
YOU gentlemen are more pertughed