The Washington times., 1929-03-06

It was upon this realization that
the National Conference for Street
and Highway Safety predicated its
work and concentrated its efforts
mainly upon the drafting of Il
Uniform Vehicle Code. This, it
was deemed. would prove the most
scientific and expeditions method OF
helping the individual states help
themselves and each other and
bring about effective and reasonable
control OF the 24,50O,OO0 motor
vehicles in the United States.
Uniform. License Act
In its final form, as approved
by the National Conference Of Com
missioners on Uniform State Laws
the code consists of four individual
statutes. They are: "A Uniform
Motor Vehicle Registration Act,
"a Uniform Motor Vehicle Anti
theft Act "A Uniform Motor
Vehicle Operators and Chautfeirs'
License Act" and "a Uniform
Act Regulating the Operation @ofT
Vehicles on Highways.
All regulation, the conference
agreed, must rest upon adequate
state machinery for making it ef-
9ective. The uniform registration
act is, consequently, the starting
point. This act provides the or
Eanization found necessary by ex-
perience to the successful admin.
istration of the motor vehicle law.
The conference found a wide dis
parity among the States disposition
of this matter. In some the IutieS
of vehicle registrar were vested in
the secretary of State, while others
charge various {; already existing
boards or departments with the
work. In one Western State the
responsibility was lodged with the
warden of the State penitentiary.
The registration act of the uni
form code provide for, a vehicle
commissioner astbhead of "a depart.
rnent of the State government or a
bureau of an existing department.
which shall have for its exclusive
functions the adoption and enforce
xaent of such administrative rules
ard regulations as may be neces-
sary to carry out the provisions Of
the code. ng....s
Registration Machinery
Predicated upon all available data
covering the experiences of States
and the consensus OF experts, the
act then proceeds to4huild up mach.
Inery for regulation through regis
tration. individual sections under
the eight titles OF the act relate
to the manner of registration of all
motor vehicles, traflarss and semi
trailers, the issuance and use OF
registration cards and plates. re-
newals and transfers, registration
by manufacturers and dealers and
non.residents and suspension of reg
istration upon notice. sof theft or
embezzlement.
The act specifies the manner of
records to be kept by owners OF
s'for rent" cars and fixes their
liability for negligence Of the driv-
ers Of such cars. Separate sections
determine the circumstances under
which registration shall be refused
or rescinded and define what shall
constitute violations of registrat tion.
provisions.
The revenue provisions of exist.
fng vehicles statutes vary both as
to character of fees imposed 'and"
the amounts. and, as such, revenue .
measures have no relation to safety
on highways. the uniform 'aet does%
not suggest what fees shall be col
Iected. 1t also permits the ihdi-
widual States to determine exemp-
tion from registration fees. wher
fees are delinquent and the disposi.
tion of revenue derived from
fees.
Title VI of the act covers the
driving of vehicles without owners
consent, receiving or transferring
stolen vehicles. injuring or tamper-
ing with vehicles. The remaining
titles deal with the penalties which
shall be imposed for the misde-
meanor or felonies constituted by
violation of various provisions of
the act, and the repeal of existing
statutes to make way for the uni.
form act.
AhtiTheft Act
The second statute of, the code,
the uniform motor vehicle anti-theft
act. provides that certificates of
title must be obtained before We
hicles can be registered. There is
fixed the. manner of application for
q certificate which viii be issued
by the department and its indorse-
mant and delivery upon a transfer
Of title or interest. the conditions
under which the department may
refuse to issue certificates of title
or register a car II there is doubt
as to whether the applicant is the
real owner. An important pro-
vision of the act is the requirement |
that the department maintain en-
gfHs and serial number indexes Of