Evening Star Newspaper, June 17, 1923, Page 63

UNIFORMITY OF AUTO LAWS TENDS TO PREVENT PROGRESS Survival of Fittest in Motor Regulations Viewed as Better Than Standard Mediocre Legislation. BY WILLIAM ULLMA Directly upon the heels “of the movement toward uniformity of mo- tor vehicle laws and regulations fol- lows & movement urging a continu- ation of the present method of adopt- Jng new ideas in regulation and er- foroing them as necessity arises. One group stands for progress of motor- ing through standardization of laws; he other stands for similar progress through change. There are arguments in favor of ‘hoth, but certain facts which are just ooming to light are of particular importance in considering this new movement against uniformity. It mnarrows down to a question of which is the more progressive: Standardiz: 1ion of regulations. or variations a cording to the latest and most ad- vanced {deas of individual states, provinoes. cities and towns. If there is to be standardization of ta'l lights, for instance, what is to ha the standard and how long will That standard be effective as a means of safeguarding motor trafc? Adyocating uniformity is only part of the problem. If there is to be uniformity motoriste want to be a sured of the right kind. Will it be based on the low standards preva- Jent throughout the country, or will it be based upon the latest standards As met up for Massachusetts drivers and all who use the roads of that state? Marks Important Difference. This decision makes an {mportant ~=—"@'fference, because if the Jower stand- ardr are adopted the advantages of unlformity are offset by the disadvan- tages of backward regulation in re- spect to tail lights, and hecause if the viore advanced standards are adopted The advantages of progressive regula- Tions are overshadowed by the reluc- rance—perhaps, refusal—of the bulk of the motoring population to accept them There is as much danger in making uniform these regulations, which though common. are behind times, s in making uniform those regula which are too new for the majority of motorists. It is because of this situa- tion that one motor vehicle expert declared uniformity to be a five-vear Job, and which encourages many to tha beliat that complete uniformity of au- tomoblle Jaws and regulations would retard progress and thus hecome a pos. itive handicap to motoring There is & probahilitv. for example. that yellow tail lights will be adopted in Britlsh Columbis. Many traffic ex- nerts and engineers see a positive danger in the use of red for tail lights, owing to the constant risk of confusing signals marking road excavations, de- tours and railroad crossings with the 1ail lamps of moving automobiles. Yeilow in place of red for use on ®utomobiles would obviate the possi- ‘bility of such con ion. Thus it is ®een that, presuming this to he a de- rirable xtep. if red were adopted as | the standard progress in the develop- | ment of the vellow system would be | handicapped; while if vellow were to |be adopted as the standard the ob- jection”to it throughout the country would quickly maka enemies of the uniformity plan—and thus render it a fallure, Mont Methods Tllogical The Canadian province of Saskat- chewan recently adopted a scale of motor car registration fees based upon wheelbase. There is, and always has been, little logic dnsplayed in the methods of taxing cars. The horse- power basis glves ample evidence of this. Scaling the fees on a consideration {of wheelbase may be just as illogical, but its adoption at least serves to fo- cus attention on the fallacy of the whole thing and thus encourages new Ideas—change, development, progress. The one outstanding disadvantage of uniformity is that it gives motor- ists the impression that whatever regulations are standardized are de- irable. The experience of any Intel- driver shows him that we have Vv scratched the surface of logical auto regulation. To settle down to acceptauce of average would stifle progress Registrations are increasing at an enormous rate and the matter of reg- ulation cannot stand still What might be a safe rule for all to be guided by today might be Inadequate tomorrow. Switching all registrations over to a gasoline tax basis may be a step in the right direction, but no one can Judge the value of such change until a few states have tried {t. To switch all registrations over to thia basis merely for the sake of uniformity might prove fatal: whereas stand- ardization of our present horsepower rating method would obviate the pos- sibllity of testing /‘out newer ideas in actual practice. Points of Contention. Uniformity has alwavs been advo- cated as an ald to safety through the elimination of those variations in reg- ulations which confuse the average driver. Advocates of tha ‘keep changing” plan, on the other hand, contend "that uniformity encourages the motorist to have & one-way mind If one city insists upon making drivers perform a left turn in a cer- tain fashion it is either a whim or a necessity Public opinfon will elim- inate it in time if it is the former: or accept it if it happens to be latter. And any driver who ecannot adapt himself to a local regulation s hardly resourceful enough to be trusted with a car. Just as thesa changes make for progress in automobile regulation so do they make for improvements driving through teaching motorists 10 be able to adapt themselves to new circumstances in a new w Many a traffic official has caught an idea from the errors made by some out-of-town driver who unconsclous- Iv carrled with him the more logical lations of his own locality. is often said that the only con- regulations | n.ni in| { ) | | § | 1 camp sites and highways free from papers or other litter s meeting with enthusiastic co-operation, it was {announced at the 'league's head- quarters today. Hundreds of letters and pledge cards, containing promises to “clean up” after stops along the roadside, are being received daily. The re- sponse is not confined to men in pub- le life but covers als citizen who “tunes. up” his flivver for week end outings during the hot summer months. . William G. Shepherd made a per- tinent query when he mailed in his pledge recently. “Where'll 1 throw it>" Mr. Shepherd wants to know At the suggestion of officials of the league, the editors of MoToR, the national magazine of motoring, have undertaken to solva this problem in lthe current issue of the magazine. Of courss, many municipally operated amp sites are equipped with recep- stant in existence is change; and the truth of this is an important consid- eration in the motorist’s attitude on proposals for uniform motor vehicle regulations. (Copyright, 1023.) MOTORISTS AID PLAN TO PREVENT LITTER Hundreds Pledge to Leave No Refuse at Camp and Pic- nic Spots. The campalgn to interest motor vacationists in_the movement insti- tuted by ths Motorists League for Countryside Preservation to the private | {tacles for the garbage and litter of | | campers, but many tourists prefer to !make their stops at spots removed |from such sites. MoToR suggests, in | |this connection, that garages be equipped with barrels and that mo- torists convey their after-the-pienie ‘hu-r to garages. Invariably, cars | visit garages as they tour about and refuse can be gathered up and taken | there without difficulty, and the gar- jase owner is certain 1o get a return in the way of sales of fuel, ete Tt is suggested also that soms of the litter ‘may be buried or burned, but care should be exercised not to disfigure the landscape when the former {s done and to guard against fire spreading in the latter case Motorists interested in tha move- ment are urged to write the league ]!nr information as to how they can help. a {m jti mi i fc {in; TEMPLAR TO BE MADE, Stockholders of the Templar Mo- | tors Company of Cleveland, for which receiver was appointed several onths ago, pending a reorganiza- on, are forming an entirely new |corporation to acquire the assets con- trolled by the Templar Syndicate and again enter actively into the field of otor car manufacturing. Complets detailx of the reorganiza- on are being handled exclusively by the Templar stockholders, who have »rmed a reorganization committes, | composed of about twenty-five lead- |ing stockholders. the general thosa | particular, are ripe at this time to In their opinion business conditions and in the automobile industry in sure the successful completion of itheir plans to restore the production, ribution and to normal sale of Templar Aviitude of Maryland Polic E e. ' Addsto Trouble of D. C. Driver Offensive Treatment New F uel_v to Fire of Motor War Which H urt_'.é Interésts of Au Concénéd—Cqu{'tesy Is Urged. BY THEODORE P. NOYES. - Overzealousness on the part of cer- tain deputy sheriffs and members of the Maryland state constabulary -1 causing Washington motdrists much concern. Arrests for alleged speed- ing, alleged violations of petty regu lations and general demeanor toward District of Columbia drivers is said.to be fanning into flame the long-felt resentment against thé stats of Maryland in Its. treatment of traffic matters While the helpful and co-operative attitude' displayed by Maryland re- cently in the matter of establishing motor reciprocity was thought- to have gone a long way in clearing up “misunderstanding” between - Na tional Capital autoists and.their state neighbors, the treatment accprded local motorists by state police.and deputtes is said tb be rapidly de- stroying the new-found.harmo “That the.motor laws ofMaryland of any state in the Union is not ques- tioned, but the method of enforcemen is #aid to be open to discussion. The motor laws have been well conceived and make for the best &nd aafest dri¢- ing. 5 : Leadare in Ignorance. That state offiofald, such as Col. E Austin Baughman, John Mackall and others, know nothing.of abuses. heap- ed on motorists from the District .of Columbia is certain. worked untiringly for better traffiic conditions and would not tolerate the offensive attitude of the police, said to be displayed where a local motorist is_concerned. Three specific cages have been re- ported. 4 5 They fnclude the following: ent - of Washington driving Maryland with Virginia tags and Dise trict tags. Stopped, bawled out and hailed befors the jstice ‘of peacs at Silver Springs. Policemaf that he did not live in Virginia and having & Marvland tag. Motorist protested, but. with nb results. Or- Appeared thers énd was promptly dismissed both at the time of arrest and trip to_Hockville. Woman driving big car. cense partially obscured fore justice of peace and fined Ona 1i- Haled .be- plaint over the agrest; the license was partially obsduredi but metliod and attitude of policeman to a wom an was questioned. Man driving roadster at thirty-five miles per hour on open road. rested and told that the speed limit was twenty-five miles per hour but that motorists. were allowed thirty- five with no othdr traffic on the road. Clear ‘misunderstanding of the read- ing of the law. Motorist thought he was adhering to the speed limit as "1 presoribed are, taken as a whole, as good as those: These men have. A resident of Virginia and former: n claimed | that he was violating tha law by not, dered to appear in Rockville for ‘trial. Total results, 1088 of time| Ar- | Policeman . thought dif ferently. Fined for believing he was. observing ‘the law. < ' Treatment Offends. The, - thras cases mentioned smoh how pecullar -treatment of District | drivers. -The Virginia man_was nat | violating the law in.any wav. vet.hs [ was compelled ‘to_suffér the humiiia- |'tion of arrest.” The’'woman was vio }ating the law and should have besn ned. but she should have besn | treated with: the utmost respact. The | roadster driver violated' the law in | theorv, because: of its unique con- | truction, but did.so unintentionally. | Poliey would have dictated a wand- | ing only in this case. |-~ Maryland has the highest type af |meh at_her .traffic “helm. Commis- sioner Baughman is-a man of broad | vision, and, were thess three peopls to report their grievances:to him, wonld jundoubtedly make am intensive in- ° | vestigation. There is no need-of that | because tha trouble lies in the {1l - conceived notion of many of the pe- |Jice - that. Washington motorists. when [‘caught,* are. te be- treated without |'mercy - and dre legitimdte prav on | Maryland's roads B . | In s connection it may bs.men- tioned thay nd police treatment | of departing Shriners was not all that might be desired. Everything wis done by the District to make for: the comfort of the convention. Maryland motorists were even allowed to drive into Washington without licenses for the week. . Great numbers of out-of- town carj arrived, most of, them pass- ing through Maryland “When these Shriners left Washing- ton homeward- hound they were met in Maryland by speed traps especially designed to catch those who were not thordughly familiar with the trafic laws. While there may have haen many flagrant ‘violations of the stat- | utes” which deserved heavy punish- ment. there, were probably some whn might havée received more lenfent treatment The interests; business and other- whee,- of the' state and the National Capital'are too rlosely allied to per- mit. continual fiiction. They should work together in harmony.and good- will. . If the traffic_sore is removed by reciprocity, and the police of Mary- land and the .District are disciplined as the case may he. a most welcome state of HMving will have besn at- tained, and the little “civil war” will be a thing of the past. . 1n | this case there is sald to be no ‘com- | *-FAVOR ASPHALT ROADS.’ | ITha board of road commissioners in Saginaw county: Mich.. in a five-vear | road-bullding program recently adopt- |ed,” har determined that na county road shall be constructed less. than twenty. feet wide. ‘The use of con crefe .for -either foundation or tep has been eliminated. except in cases whers ‘existing 0ld bases gan be uti- lized. Asphaltic penstration, sheet asphalf’ or asphaltic. concrete sur- faces will ba laid Unusually Attractive Time-Payment Plan Six-Cylirider Sport Model as shown “‘Déalers in Virginia Birvon Nash Motors Company, Clarendon, Va. District Nash Motors Company, Roanoké, Va. - -~ Lynchburg Motors Company, Lynchburg, Va. Mathews. Garage; Maihews. Va: Virginia' Motors Company, Charlottesville, Va. H. L. Lockhart, Cp;vington; Va. White Auto. Service Company, “ Richmond, Va. Myers Bros., Ale‘xuid‘u-'i?,' Va.' Alexander, D'r'apexf,',Vn. Durant & Son Motor. Co. Culpeper, Vi - s ~ Hurley Motor Co. ', .. DISTRIBUTORS . 1522 1ith St. NW. . ~ - Phone North 6462 Open E_verllng:s and Sundays - i} Spend a Wonderful Summer in - THE NASH SIX SPORT - Takeyonr_outings,thisym,intheNashSix an eye to particular touring features. : Sport—an ideal -car-for cross-country travel. Note the two extra tires and wheels; the Wherever you go,on short tripsor long journeys, ~ bumpers, front and rear; the extra-large trank you’ll get the utmost in touring enjoyment. riding securely on a rack;and Fhe high-powered Nash has surrounded this car with more worth- - il : ; < -l it s oots. e fowidd oe: any 0.bserve the _windshield wiper, windshield other car in it ekl wings, rear-view mirror, and deep, restful upholstery. ’ These and other highly inviting conveniences fo.r touring will appeal to you at once, along with the surprisingly low price. - Plan now for a summer of keen enjoyment in this car! Roadster . . o o « o'-$ 918 Five-Passenger Touring fws 935 SportCar . « . o o, 1195 Carriole (S-Prss.Enclosed) o3 1275 Sedah ¢ 0 o o o o ofe 1445 ¢ £ b Milwanhee Huzrley Motor DISTRIBUTORS 1522 14th St. N.W. Phone North $462 Open Evenings and Sundays Every road problem has been admirably mastered by Nash achievements in fine car performance. ‘ Come in today and go over this model with