Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-26
continued FROM First pagal

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sion of the Federal aid highway prin-
ciple to include greater system OF free
express highways for the future.
In this category falls the work of
promoting safety on the streets and
highways. To the American Auto
mobile Association is due the introduce
ton of safety education into the school
rooms of many of the States To 1t
and its clubs are due the setting up OF
the schoolboy patrol system, which has
done so much to assure the safety OF
school children and the cost of which
Is borne entirely by these clubs.
It was the A. A. A. that led the way
in the enactment of motor vehicle legis-
lation to meet present-day traffic con-
ditions. In this connection, 1t need
only be pointed out that the associa-
ton headed the list of 10 national or
Hoover Conference on Street and
Highway Safety, out Of which came
the National Uniform Motor Vehicle
Code and the National Municipal Traf-
flc Ordinance. It was the association
that formulated what has now become
famous as the safety responsibility
law, aimed at the control of the reck-
less and financially irresponsible driver,
which has been adopted in whole or in
year and which was the subject OF a
recent inquiry in Washington by Ca
madam royal commission.
Taxation Battle Is Cited.
The battle to secure equitable tax
alton for the motorist has been inces-
SAINT. The association and its clubs
have fought it on all fronts. Suffice 1t
to say that the campaign which re-
suited in relieving the motorists OF the
war excise tax on motor vehicles and
parts was waged under the banner OF
the association. And it was through
the efforts of organized motordom mo-
bili1ed under the oval emblem that the
principle was established that all motor
vehicle taxes must be used for road
building and maintenance purposes.
It was the association and its clubs
that Fioneered the great work OF sign
posting in the United States, and at the
present moment the clubs have invested
hundreds of thousands of dollars in
signpostS along hundreds Of thousands
of miles of highway.
One of the most serious evils that al
fected motoring in the United states
was the fee system, whereby justices OF
the peace and constableS shared in the
fines extracted from motorists on ac-
count of alleged violations Of local or
dinances. The campaign to eliminate
this evil from the highways was crowned
with victory when the Supreme Court
Of the United States handed down
momentous decision declaring that the
"fee system" was unconstitutional.
Direct Service to Members.
It IS q far cry from the time when
some one said that the letters A. A. A.
stood for Always Aiding Autos" It
Is true that for many years the Amert-
can Automobile Association and its
clubs dispensed motoring service to the
exclusion Of service in other fields OF
travel. but the governing authorities OF
the national organization were keen
enough to see the signs Of a tremen-
dous broadening in the horizons Of the
people, broadening which Is now rec
ogniZed as the motive power behind the
ever-swelling stream OF travel; they
were far-sighted enough to appreciate
that service must follow through and
that the motor club must be prepared
to act as the travel agency of the MEM
Der wherever that member may desire
to travel and whatever mode of trans
portation he may, employ. Thus, by Or
derby process and keeping step with the
tempo of transportation, the emblem
came in a very true sense to mean
travel service awheel-awing-af1o
Out of the broadening came the or
ganization of the Foreign Travel Dr.
vision of the A. A. A., which, in 1929
the second year of its exiStence-han-
died approximately 1000 automobiles
transported from the United States to
Europe, one-fifth of all the cars thus
shipped.
Out Of the broadening also came the
Air Travel Division of the A. A. A. At
the close of 1929 and within six months
of inaugurating the service, close to
200 A. A. A. motor clubs had set up air
travel bureaus At the same time the
prestige of the organization in this
field had increased to the point where
1t was oficially designated to act as the
distribution agent for air travel infor-
nation collected and maps compiled by
departments Of the United States Gov
eminent.
Example Of Work Is Given.
Since the services Of A. A. A. clubs
are standardized and nationally reci-
procal, take one unit in the national
chain and examine what 1t offers to its
members. From one, judge all. For
this purpose the District of Columbia
division, in Washington, will sufice as
well as any.
The following free services to men,
beers are found listed in q handbook
picked at random from the touring
counter OF this club: Emergency road
service, touring bureau service, includ-
ing motoring at home and abroad:
air travel information and steamship
reservations for cars and passengers
In domestic waters and on ocean
liners, legal services, personal injury
insurance, adjustment of brakes and