Evening star., 1928-05-27
AUTO RISK BILLS
AWAIT NEXT TERM
TTcadWay and Mrs. Rogers
Sponsoring Compulsory
Insurance Measure.
by WILL T. KENNEDY.

Two compulsory auto liability In
Surance BILLS now are awaiting thC
December session Of Congress fol
earnest consideration.
Representative Treadway of MasSa-
chuSetts has introduced one bill based
on ;he Massachusetts Law and Mrs
Edith n Rogers, also OF Massachusetts,
has introduced the other based on The
New Hampshire law. and known as the
stone nlan" Hearings on the Tread
way bill have been held before the
subcommittee on banking and in
Suvance oE the House District commit
tee Of which Representative Underhill
Of Massachusetts is chairman. and
owing 10 the closing rush IN Congress,
action has been deferred until the De-
Cenber session with Representative
Treadwsy serving notice that he Will
then press vigorously for passage Of the
measure. NsrS Rogers bill on Wcones-
CAV was referred - this same commit
tee for consideration,
As q preliminary statement 10 en-
courage study of her bill, pending the
tlrle when hearings viii be resumed.
Mrs, Rogers says
Financial Responsibility,
The Massachusetts act merely Sc
cures financial responsibility It in
ncwiSe acts as 4 safety measure. be-
cause the companies themselves are
rot lett free % decline risks or 10
cancel policies. They must so 10 a
board a appeal on motor vehicle
liability policies and bonds. and that
board has not done much more than
20 back I'D the companies III the cases
where liquor has entered into it.
This Is not mere negative opposition.
but s constructive bit Of legislation
which would give greater protection
than does the Massachusetts, act. The
Massachusetts, act affords protection
70 the injured party, which is the
real evi! behind the demand for COM
pQlSoTy automobile liability insurance.
only when the injured party is injured
by 6 Massachusetts car upon the high
ways Of Massachusetts,, II other
words, the only persons who under the
Massachusetts, Law are compelled TO
take cut a motor vehicle liability policy
CT bond are those who have cars which
under the Massachusetts, law must be
registered. with the exception Of the
cars owned by the State. all the Yari-
Gus cities counties and towns, and
the corporations under the supervision
Of the Public Utilities Commission, and
the law applies as respects these cars
in its compulsory feature only within
the territorial limits of Massachusetts,
The Stone plan" IS working very sat-
lstactorLy In New Hampshire.
Applies to All.
The Stone plan. y so-called. set forth
n the bill. applies 10 all persons wheth-
ev residents o. non-reSidents, and af-
to-ds protection on private property
as well as on the public highways both
within and without the Jurisdiction TO
which it applies. The Massachusetts
act would apply only to those District
G! Columbia cars that are obliged TO
be registered in the District Of Colum-
bla as respects accidents happening on
the highways Of the District OF Co
luulbia if he has followed, as he says
re has the Massachusetts act whereas
the bill sent YOU would apply not only
70 the residents Of the District of CO.
lumbla. o. whoever else may be called
upon there 10 register their cars, but
70 al persons who have occasion to
come into the District Of Columbia
irrespective Of where their cars are
registered. and the kind Of policy that
those persons would take out would be
one that would afford protection to the
injured person. no matter where he
was injured, whether on the public
highways Of the District OF Columbia
or on private property or outside
There is nothing in the Massa-
causerts law 70 prevent the registra-
tion O. some Of the worst wrecks I
have ever seen, because these persons
would probably be able to take out
liability insurance. or. az any rate. If
they could take out liability insurance
they would still be upon the highway,
and the only way they can be ef-
fectlVely uninsured is by the action Of
the board Of appeal