Evening star., 1928-04-01
DEMAND AUTO TAGS
): : Be KEPT IN VIEW
Maryland Officials Order
Drive Against 0bscuring of
n |. License Plates.

snecial Dispat,h to The star.
=. BALTIMORE. March 3i.-An inten-
ave drive against obScured or partially
ohscured license tags has been ordered
hy e. Austin Baughman. commissioner
! pf motor vehicles. and In addition to
: Ntafe state police he has been promised
'sthe co-operstino of the city police and
trafic court magistrates in breaking up
this practice.
The drive has been generally adver-
t.sed in advance by radio broadcasting
and in other ways and those persons
who still continue to operate their cars
with the registration plates obscured
or dirty or insecurely affiXed, will be
prosecuted. according to announcement
hy Commissioner Baugham this week,
1t should hardly be necessary In these
days of the criminaily irresponsible hit
and-run' driver to point out the impor-
tance of the necessity that all registrs-
g tion tags be so placed and kept in such
condition as to be at all times easily
readable" says Commissioner Baugh-
man.
Purpose Served by Tags.
The registration tags are issued not
only to show that the registration fees
have been paid. Another function, and
probably the most important one, In
connection with the display of registra-
ton tags is that they shall serve as a
means of ready and sure identification
of all motor vehicles operating on the
highways.
Much Of the difficulty with obscured
markers is to be found in the improper
placing Of the tag. and, subsequently.
the improper placing of bumpers bump
lffnvaCN
similar accessories" in the opinion of
Commissioner Baughman. "All Of these
accessories are" in the words of the
commissioner. excellent things, II prop
eriy attached to the car. II not proper
~ affixed with the relation to the vital
IL important registration tags. they are
apt to- and very often do. obscure the
tags in such manner as to make them
utterly useless as means OF Identifying
the car
The commissioner pointed out that the
provision for Identification Of Car
which may have been In an accident
and is engaged in the ''hit-and-rua"
game, is important but this is not the
only angle TO the matter.
Duty of All Car Owners.
"Car owners who are not and are
'hit-and-run' clan. should as matter
Of protection see TO 1t that their
registration tags are at all times unob-
scured. clean and firmly affixed and in
such place as to be easily and quickly
read
III q car Is stolen it is. as general
rlale. promptly reported TO the police.
who Immediately broadcast a general
alarm The quickest and surest way 10
pick up the car and apprehend the thief
in POSSESSION of 1t is by the registration
tag Manifestly. II the tag Is so OBJ
scured or dirty or so attached that 1t
swinss-that it cannot be quickly and
easily read-the difficulties surrounding
Its recovery are greatly multiplied"
Commissioner Baughman stated that
q check has shown SO many obscured
tags that II Is deemed necessary to i'm
press the importance Of the matter upon
the car owners. He added: This mat
ter Of obscured tags is one which OBJ
servation has demonstrated 70 be OF
such primary importance that I have.
resretfuliy. had TO issue orders that OH
GERS cease issuing warnings in serious
cases and prosecute the charge. In the
work the city police are cooperating"