Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1936-03-27

would not be able to accomplish
much. The patrolmen can continue TO
arrest drivers who violate the law
unless the judges convict these ar
rested and impose penalties that hurl'
the arrests mean nothing In the I'M
al analysis it is the judges ratner
than the patrolmen who enforce the
laws"
Gives Credit To Press
If it were not for the fact that the
newspapers have taken fearless
stand favoring the enforcement of the
highway laws and the reduction OF
highway accidents, the record would
now be going up instead or down.
Farmer said. There would also be
many more judges who would con-
sent to change the charges in war
rants sworn out by patrolmen than at
present, as did the judge OF the re-
cOrder'S court in TarbOrO TINS week,
when he allowed a man arrested for
drunken driving to plead guilty to
reckless driving instead, so he would
not lose his drivers license for year.
There are still a few judges who
permit warrants to be changed to
less serious offenses and in whose
courts it is very difficult for patrol
men to ge convictions, but not
many" Captain Farmer said. 1.-The
reason so few try to do this is be-
cause they know the newspapers will
not hesitate to print the facts and
that the public opinion will react
against them. But if it were not for
this fact, it would be very difficult to
get convictions for drunken and reck-
less driving That is why we need
the continued support of the news
papers and their safety campaigns"
On Right Track
North Carolina is at least on the
right track and making real progress
in reducing the number of automobile
and highway accidents, B. r. Stroup,
field representative of the National
safety Council in the southeastern
states, and director A. w. Boland, of
the motor vehicle division of the
South Carolina Highway Commission,
said in the course of a visit here
Thursday. They paid especial atten-
ton to the new drivers license law
and the manner in which it is being
administered by the Division of High
way Safety of the Department of Rev
enue.
THE North Carolina drivers license
law is one of the best in the country
and one that has real teeth in it"
Stroup, who was formerly director of
the South Carolina motor vehicle dl-
vision, said. DRIVERS in other states
are already finding out about it and
are realizing that it is not safe to
take any chances in North Carolina.
The provision in the law under which
those who are convicted of drunken
ing permits for one year and for an
additional year on a second offense,
are splendid. I wish more states had
the same type of law"
Commends Newspapers
81 wish you could tell us how you
get the newspapers of the State to CO.
operate aud especially to print the
names of those convicted of drunken
driving whose licenses are revoked,
Director Boland said. 1--WE revoke the
licenses of those convicted of drunk
en- driving in South Carolina for 60
days on the first conviction and 120
days on a second. Our law would be
much more effective if we could re-
voke<the driving permits for one year,
as you do here in North Carolina, how
ever. We are also hampered by the
fact that we have to try most of our
cases in magistrates courts and that
we frequently change the charges in
warrants to a lesser offense that does
no carry automatic revocation of the
drivers license"
Director Arthur Fulk of the North
Carolina Highway Safety Division,
told Director Boland of the South
Carolina Motor Vehicle Division that
the newspapers in the State have
been backing up the safety division
100 percent both in its highway safety
campaign and in giving publicity to
the names of those whose driving per-
mits are revoked for drunken driving