NEW AUTO LAWS AROUSE FARMERS

["Ottawa Herald," 20 May 1937, page 5, column 2]

Topeka, - A rebellion has broken out on two fronts against the automobile title law and the driver's license law.

The farmers are in rebellion. They claim that automobile owners already have registered certificates showing ownership of cars on file with the state vehicle department and that a duplicate certificate is unnecessary. Also that the driver's license law is oppressive. That law requires every driver to take out a license every year at a cost of 50 cents, plus the notary fee, usually 25 cents, or a total of 75 cents. The farmers are in favor of a driver's law but they can see no need of making it an annual donation event. They say make it perpetual, not annual, and then cancel licenses of reckless drivers any time.

There are four drivers in the average farm family. This means $2 a year for driver's license and $1 for notary fees, or a total of $3 a year per family for the right to drive a car.

Open rebellion against both laws has broken out in Jefferson county. One meeting already has been held and others are to be called in every school district right away. C. W. Flickinger of Meriden, chairman of the Jefferson county committee, says the farmers of his county are furious and will refuse to comply with the laws.

He said he believed other counties would follow suit "just as soon as the farmers find out how they have been imposed upon."

Carl Newcomer, state vehicle commissioner, agrees with the Jefferson county farmers that ownership of their cars already is registered in his office and that a second one is mere surplusage so far as the farmers are concerned.

While the legislature was in session, the Kansas Motor Car Dealers' association gave strong support to the certificate of title law. Harry Imes, Topeka dealer, who helped push the law through praised it only a few days ago, insisting that it will make disposing of stolen cars so difficult that thefts will great decrease, and as a result insurance rates will cut in a short time.

Imes also charged that the old method of registering autos with the vehicle commissioner resulted in the motor car dealers being forced to do "half the vehicle commissioner's work." He declared the burden and expense placed on dealers was wholly unfair since it was one which should be borne by the owners of the autos. - Topeka Capital.