Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-20
VIRGINIA AUTO|STS'
LICENSE BILL FAILS
Less Stringent Measure Sub
stituted and Expected
to Pass.
BY LESTER N. INSKEEP,
STAFF CORRESPONDENT of The Star,


RICHMOND, Va, February 30
Through substitution of a less stringent
measure the House committee on roads
and internal navigation last night
killed the bill of Senators John A.
LeSner, Norfolk, and Frank l.. Ball,
Arlington, providing for the licensing
Of every automobile driver in Virginia.
The substitute measure, however, re-
tains the safety responsibility" meas
ures of the Senate bill
AT the request of T. Mccall Frazier,
newly appointed motor vehicle direc-
tor, the same committee reported favor
ably a bill that would raise the speed
limit on State highways from 35 to
IS miles an hour.
Killing of the Senate bills, Nos. 81
and %, followed a motion by Ashton
c. Dovell, delegate from Williamsburg,
on Tuesday that the measures, which
mad previously been favorably reported,
De recommitted. The vote by which
the Senate bills were killed and the
substitute reported out was IA to S.
Suspension Provided For.
The Senate bills provided for the is
suance of permits to every motor vehicle
operator in the State, the original
issuance to be free and subsequent
permits to cost 81 each. They also
provided for the mandatory suspension
OF permits for certain offenses, such as
reckless driving, driving while intoX-
Gated and leaving the scene of an ac-
cloent, and for failure to satisfy judg-
mentS resulting from traffic accidents.
The substitute measure, which was
sponsored by Dovell and Delegate John
Q. Rhodes of Louisa, provides that no
permits shall be issued, other than the
registration card now in use, by which
any member OF family may operate
the car for which it was issued, but
empowers the director of the division
OF motor vehicles to deprive persons of
the right to drive where reports of con-
v1ctions for certain offenses warrant
such action.
Presumed to BE Capable.
Under the substitute, every driver in
Virginia is presumed to be capable and
therefore does not need to be licensed.
In the case of the conviction of any
operator Of reckless driving and similar
onenseS justices Of the peace or judges
nearing the case are required to make
full report to the motor vehicle di- |
rector, the report to include a descrip-
ton OF the person convicted.
Using this report as basis, the motor |
vehicle director may deny the right of
the convicted person to operate q car,
either temporarily or permanently. I'm
der the provisions of the original law
permits would have been revoked by
the Official trying the case in the case
OF reckless driving, 1t being mandatory
to revoke a permit for the third offense.
The provision of the Lesner-Ball act
providing for compulsory insurance for
continued violations or unsatisfled judg-
mentS of more than 500 are retained |
Both OF the Senate measures were |
standard bill of the American Automo- |
bile Association and had the backing of |
the United States Chamber of Com !
merce, United States Automobile Cham |
Der OF Commerce, National Safety |
Council and other organizations.
Opinion Of Officials.
In an effort to force favorable reports |
on his bills, Senator Lesner had present |
az the hearing a number of officials of |
Norfolk, that city having q permit law. |
Their arguments were that it would be |
impossible to cancel permits when there |
were none to cancel and that the per- |
nit system had been entirely successful |
in Norfolk. There is no way in the |
world for police officers to check up on |
records of violators except by permits" |
declared C.. r. Borland, director of |
public safety of that city. He said that |
there are now % States in the Union
requiring individual permits.
Doven stated that the Lesner permit
bill was so weak as to be useless and
ridiculous" in that only the signatures
Of two other citizens was required for
an applicant to obtain a permit. ct
am here" Dovell said, ''to see that
there are no further restrictions put on
the citizens of this State at the present
time. What we need In this State is
enforcement of the present traffic laws.
There is nothing in the Lesner bill ex-
cept to make $4,000 more Republican
voters in this State.''
Advocated by Shirley.
H. G.. Shirley, chairman OF the State
Highway Commission, advocated the
permit law, but T. Mccall Frazier,
director of motor vehicles, declared that
he was opposed to both the Lesner-
Ball measures and the substitute
There are no teeth in the former" he
stated, land under the latter it would
be impossible for my office to keep the
descriptive records that would be re-
quired. You are going to make q mil