Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1928-02-09
Mclean Raps Police for
Failure to Cooperate
Governor Says Motor Vehicle Laws
Are Not Being Enforced in
State

part of local officers sin enforcing
the state motor vehicle laws, appar-
entity because they seem to feel it
| is not a part of their duties, has
been the cause of many complaints
that have come to me recentlyP"
said Governor Mclean today, in call
ing upon local authorities to en-
force the acts.
''They seem to feel that such laws
are to be enforced only by officers
of the motor vehicle bureau" con-
tinued the chief executive. This i'm
preston, if there is such, is entirely
erroneous, for every sheriff, deputy
sheriff, constable, rural policeman,
city policeman or other peace Off
Ger is required to enforce all state
traffic laws just as diligently as he
is required to enforce laws against
murder, burglary or other crimes.
Officers of the bureau devote their
efforts almost entirely to running
down automobile thieves and to col
lections of license fees and fines. Yet
in this also, the local officers are
!
served.
| ''The state has no state constabu-
larry or state police to enforce state
laws, and, under our dual form of
government, it is the duty of local
officers to see that both their local
laws and those of the state are en-
forced, just as it. is the duty of To-
cal officers to see that the prohi-
bition laws are enforced. The fact
that there are federal officers seek
ing to enforce the federal prohi-
bition laws does not relieve local Of
ficers from diligence in enforcing
the state liquor laws.
"The automobile laws are more
recent enactments and therefore,
probably not we'll known to citizens
! generally, though every officer
should make it point to acquaint
himself with what is required of
| him as soon as he takes the oath of
! office. These laws are based on
common sense and reason, seeking to
promote the best interests of the
public generally.
ga heavy penalty is provided for
| the driver who is responsible for an
accident and who drives ons without
stopping to give aid to any one who
may have been injured as result"
the governor pointed out. 'Such
! drivers are referred to as 'hit-and-
run drivers, and when they are ap-
pretended it goes hard with them.
"The law requires every vehicle
! travelling on the highways at night
to have light of some kind, even
| the horse-drawn vehicles. Automo-
bile headlights are required to be
examined at intervals, and while
there is no penalty provided for fail
ure to do so, such neglect is taken
! into consideration in case of acci-
dent. Two lights are required on
the front of automobiles and one
on the rear, all regulations seeking
to make the highways safer for oc-
cupants Of automobiles, as we'll as
pedestrians.
"a driver is not permitted to stop
his car on the pavement of high
way, being required to drive to the
side before stopping in order to pre-
vent possible injury to his car or
! person and any that may pass.
Reckless driving or driving at
such a high speed as to endanger
life, limb or property of any person,
is, of course, prohibited. Motorists
are required to be careful in passing
other vehicles, particularly on
curves and at crests of hills, for
, obvious reasons.
Local Officers are required un-
der the law to see that all automo-
biles carry the proper licenses. This
is an important part of their duty.
They are urged not only to cooper
ate with motor vehicle bureau of
ficers, but to use their best efforts
to see that owners of automobiles
comply with the license regulations.
"Chapter 140, Section %, Con-
solidated Statutes, 1927, provides
that any such officers who shall
neglect or refuse to carry out duties
imposed by this chapter shall be
liable on his official bond for such
neglect or refusal as provided by
law in such cases.
"As governor of North Carolina /
desire to urge upon such officers the
Importance of seeing that the motor
vehicle laws are observed, as al
means of reducing the number of
deaths and accidents on our high
ways. feel that greater diligence
on the part of the officers we have
is more important than the creation
of new officers. With due diligence
and faithfulness, I feel that the
criticisms for failure to enforce laws
will be fewer and that we can ma
terially reduce the rates of death
and injuries from automobile acci-
dents"