Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-28
Group
Asks Basic Auto
Law Changes
O'Conor Praises Bill
RemodeIine Code
Held Obsolete
BY the Associated Press

by me ASSOCIATED Press.
ANNAPOLIS, Dec. 28.-Sweeping
changes which would completely
modernize" the States obsolete"
motor vehicle laws have been pro-
posed by special commission ap-
pointed a year ago by Gov. O'Conor
to study the present code.
Gov. O'Conor said a proposed bill.
covering 372 typewriter pages and
providing drastic changes in the
present motor vehicle code. was
submitted to him and the LegiSla-
tive Council by the commission, to-
gether with supplemental recon-
mendations regarding phases of the
present laws that affect State reve-
nue..
One supplemental Recommended
ton called for favorable considera-
ton of fat license fee and elimin-
alton of the personal property tax
on automobiles.
The law, as it stands now. calls
for a fee based on horsepower.
Fears Loss to State.
The commission called the pres
ent basis Of computing license fees
fictitious and voiced fear that
postwar automobiles would be de-
signed in such manner that the
State would lose much revenue II
the present horsepower basis of reg
istratiCn were continued.
Gov. O'COnor said the more i'm
portant changes embodied in the
new bill were the following:
|. To allow the Department of
Motor Vehicles to adopt special
means of identification and regis
tration of vehicles in times of emer-
gency, with the Governor S approval.
This would dispense with present
mandatory provision for the change
of plates and colors, Gov. OConor
explained.
z. To set up central bureau for
handling problems resulting from
automobile thefts and require police
and other law enforcement officers
to report all stolen and recovered
vehicles to the department.
3. To set forth additional re-
quirements for drivers of school
buses and common carriers as a
measure of public safety.
Minors to Be Signed For.
4. To require persons between the
ages OF Is and Is to have their ap-
pilcations for operators licenses
signed and verified by parents.
guardians or employers and to make
those signing responsible for the
acts OF the minors while driving
). To give the Department of
Motor Vehicles power to summon
witnesses on behalf of any party
interested.
8. To make horse drawn vehicles
and bicycles subject to the bills
provisions.
T. To bring about uniformity in
trafflc signs and traffic-control de-
vices.
3. To revise the definition of school
buses to include vehicles TRANSPORT
ing children, students or teachers to
and from school or to and from any
school activity"
9. To permit appeal from
magistrates decision, regardless of
the nature of the plea, and from
forfeiture of collateral.
Code Never RemOdeled.
The special commission, in it's re-
port to the Government, criticized
the present code as one which had
its birth with the automobile and
has grown by amendments, but has
never been remOdeled.
The report and proposed bill"
Gov. O'Conor declared, represent
a Well-considered effort Of a thor
oughly competent group of men who
have worked long and diligently,
without compensation, to bring
clarity to the law in this most i'm
portant field, which so thoroughly
affects not only the lives and con-
venience Of all our people, but con-
stitutes as we'll an important part
OF the States revenues"
The proposed bill would become
effective June l. 1913.
Members of the commission are
Chief Judge Robert France of the
Baltimore Traffic Court, chairman:
d. Marshall Schroeder. deputy COM
missioner of motor vehicles; State
Senator Earl Bennett, Democrat, of
Dorchester County; Delegate John
S. White, Democrat, of Prince
Georges County; George E. Keneipp,
manager Of the Keystone Automo-
bile Club; Palmer r. Nickerson.
counsel to the Automobile Club of
Maryland; Folsom B. Taylor, Cum
berland: Edgar r. McShane. execu-
tive secretary of the Maryland Traf-
f1c Safety Commission, and DR..
Justinus Gould, research consultant
and secretary.