The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-02-28
law ENFORCEMENT
commission ASKED
TO SAFEGUARD AUTO
Uniform Legislation Dealing
With Stealing Motor ve-
hicIes Is Proposed
DYER ACT RECEIVERS MANY
TWenty.three States Recreant
in Providing Curb and Are
Dumping Ground Of Loot

Washington. FEB. o. Estimating
that 100000 automobiles are stolen
annually in the United States and
that the uncovered cars result in a
national loss of SO. 000. 900. Thomas p.
Henry. president of the American Au-
tomObile association. has called the
attention of the national commission
on law observance and enforcement
to the part stolen cars are playing In
crime conditions throughout the
country.
There is no doubt. said President
Henry in q letter to George w. Wick
ersfam. chairman. that many crini-
nal activities. such as illegal trans
portation Of liquor. gang wars and
bank robberieS. are conducted in large
measure in stolen automobiles. In a
word" he added. the car thief is a
potent factor in aiding and abetting
other criminals
The A. A. A. president asked the
commission to urge the adoption of
the uniform motor vehicle anti-theft
act. pointing out that states without
such laws are the dumping ground for
stolen automobiles. His letter follows
in part:
Dyer Act Big Deterrent
The national motor theft law, gen.
orally known as the Dyer act, enacted
ON October 20. 1919. after consistent
advocacy by the American Automo-
bile association. has done q great deal
to curb the interstate movement Of
stolen cars. You are. of course. ia
miliAr with the effect of this legisla-
ton which. according to the attorney
general. has resulted already in the
recovery Of n. 483 stolen cars with an
aggregate value Of l6.500.O 00. Dur
ing the last fiscal year alone, 2,l23
convictions were secured under the
act.
But there remains the state prob
lem. It is now estimated that 800. 900
automobiles are stolen every year.
The monthly tabulations of our a
recovery department show that
around 80 per cent of all cars stolen
are recovered. This. however. leaves
uncovered 5000 automobiles valued
at go, 000, 600.
ton took a definite stand in favor OF
automobile anti-theft laws for all
states. Such q law was embodied In
the uniform motor vehicle code de-
veloped by the national conference on
street and highway safety. which was
sponsored by president Hoover while
serving as secretary of commerce, and
Of which this organization is a par
ticipating member.
q States Neglect Law
Despite the fact. however, that this
type Of legislation has proved effica-
cious. there are still q states that do
not have legislation of this characteS.
It goes without saying. that these
states become the dumping ground
for cars stolen in other territory. since
q car can be registered in a persons
name without that person having to
show his title to ownership. It means
the weakening Of protection for the
owners. It means greater difficulty |
in the recovery Of stolen property. |
More important still. it e q
greater latitude for the prosecution Of
criminal activities in vehicles of this
character.
The national conference on law
observance and enforcement is in q
position to perform q great national
service by urging the universal adop-
ton Of the uniform motor vehicle
anti-theft act as embodied in the uni
form ve..-icle code. I need not stress
the fact that any measure that will
curb the stolen car evil will have a
remedial effect in other fields Of
criminal activity