Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1933-01-19
o. s. A. A. Will Sponsor Fonr Leg
isIafuro Bills

W % As In
isIafure Bills
The legislative committee OF the
Ohio State, Automobile association
put the finishing touches today upon
four bills 1t will sponsor before the
present session of the legislature.
The bills, discussed by the COM
mittee at conference with repre-
sentatives of automobile insurance
companies and farm organizations,
are the drivers license law, the f.
nancial responsibility bill, n1ea-
sure providing reductions in license
fees for passenger automobiles and
a provision for reducing the gaso-
line tax one cent gallon.
Three of the bills-the drivers
license, gas tax reduction and fl
nancial responsibility measures,
have been introduced into the leg
islature today.
The drivers license law requiring
cure state license before being
permitted to drive, is similar to that
already in operation in other states.
Each driver would be required to
make application for a license to
| the commissioner of motor vehicles
| in the secretary of states office, or
one of his deputies. Contingent
upon the applicants record as to
convictions for law, violations. ply
sical defects and the like, the COM
missioner would decide whether the
applicant should take an examina-
! ton. In the event an examination
/ were deemed necessary, it would be
officer of the political subdivision
in which the applicant resided
All examinations would be for
warded to the commissioners for
final decision. A nominal fee, not
exceeding so cents, would be charg
ed for the license. Renewals welld
be granted without further examina-
ton provided the applicants record
in the meantime were clear. The Ii
cense would be revokable, or could
be suspended at any time for cause.
On the theory that the issuing of
licenses could be speeded up con-
siderably, with resultant earlier
flow of revenue into the state treas
Try the association proposes that
the present scale of automobile Ii
cense fees namely 81, SO, SIS,
$50 and So, be reduced to So, SIS,
So. $15 and $50, and that reduc-
tons be made at mid-year only in
stead Of at the end of each quarter
as at present 1t was explained that
many motorists now hold their cars
in their CARA ges until April / in or
der to take advantage of the first
quarterly reduction, whereas, it was
believed these same car owners
would not hold off until July /, to
procure licenses.
The committee believes that the
reduction in cost to the motor We
hicle commissioner department in
dispensing licenses under the pres
ent system would work to the finan-
cial benefit of the state, as we'll az
simplify the distribution of tags.
The gas tax cut measure would
reduce the state tax from four to
three cents a gallon, the one cent to
be taken from highway construc-
ton fund There is a specific pro-
vision that there be no reduction in
the maintenance fund, a portion of
! which is now being used for relief
work.
The financial responsibility bill is
aimed, the committee explained, at
the reckless driver. 1t would pro-
vide that a driver involved in an ac-
cident would, upon applying for a
license for the next year succeeding
that in which he had been in an ac-
cident in which he was at fault, be
required to establish satisfactory
evidence of his financial response
bility before receiving a license.
This bill, it was explained, is not
compulsory insurance, since it only
affects those drivers who have been
at fault in accidents and have been
unable to make satisfactory settle
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