Evening star., 1927-10-05
DISTRICT DEFIANT
IN AUTO TAG WAR
Officials Ready to Tax Vir-
uinians if State Ruling
Is Enforced.

The District of Columbia today threw
down the gauntlet to Virginia in the
lncipient motor reciprocity war"
threatening retaliation If Virginia per-
sists in her announced determination
of prosecuting certain classes of local
motorists under the automobile regis
tration laws.
w. II. Harland, director of traffic.
today informed Commissioner Dough
erty that the reciprocity provisions of
the District of Columbia traffic laws
will compel the National Capital to re-
strict Virginias privileges to the same
extent as she may curtail these OF DIS
trict residents.
At the same time Director Harland
said he would recommend to the Dis
trict Commissioners that they take up
direct with Gov. Byrd the controversy
that has arisen over reciprocal rela-
tions between the two Jurisdictions
with respect to automobile licenses.
Traffic Directors Letter.
The traffic dill ector advised Commits
sioner Dougherty of the receipt of
letter from James NJ. Hayes, jr., COM
missioner of motor vehicles of Nir-
ginia, which ''is not very clear and
leaves the matter very Indefinite and
stated:
"Heretofore the District of Column
bia has enjoyed complete reciprocity
with the State of Virginia. In this
connection your attention is called to
section of the Traffic Act, which
provides that the District of Colum-
! bia may extend reciprocity on tags
and permits to non-residents to the
same extent that similar privileges
are extended to residents of the Dis
trict of Columbia by any State or Ter
ritory.
''If the State of Virginia is going to
require residents of the District who
have temporary places Of abode in
Virginia to take out Virginia tags
and secure certificates of title, it will
be necessary for the District to re-
quire residents of Virginia to comply
with the District laws in regards to
registration and permits"
Director Harlan in his memora ndum
explained that the reciprocity problem
first came to his attention on Septem-
ber % last, when DIR. Louise Taylor
Jones, physician, of the Rochambeau
apartments. complained that she was
arrested and fined in Virginia under
Chapter 149, Section z. of the Vir-
ginia motor vehicle laws. Last Mon
day he instructed Assistant Director
of Traffic Eldridge to make a thorough
investigation of the matter, as result
of which Commissioner Hayes at Rich
mond was requested to clarity the sit.
ualiOn.
Consider Letter Ambiguous.
Mr. Hayes reply, received yester
day, made it plain that District of Co
lumbia residents who reside in Vir
ginia temporarily for even a brief
period. as in a Summer cottage along
the Potomac, must equip their auto
mobiles with Virginia tags. The letter
failed to settle the controversy regard
ing commercial vehicles, however, Mr..
Hayes stating merely that he didn't
"think" the registration laws would
apply to merchants delivering in Vir-
sinia articles purchased in Washing
ton.
Local traffic authorities character
lied Mr.. Hayes letter as ambiguous
and evasive of the point desired to be
settled. They submitted to the Com
missioners today all correspondence
in the matter, including a copy of a
letter from Attorney General Saunders
Of Virginia to Mr.. Hayes, in which q
blanket ruling is made that owners of
all motor vehicles doing business in
Virginia must purchase Virginia tags.
Specific mention is made of bakeries,
stores and newspapers, but the subse-
quent statement of Mr.. Hayes that he
didn't think this would apply to de-
livery of products purchased in Wash.
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