Our Past Is Present October 13, 2017

October 13, 2017

            This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            Each of us who drive a car must have a driver’s license, proof of insurance, registration of the vehicle and a clearly posted license plate on our vehicle.  Well in the fall of 1909 the local law enforcement officers set out to be more rigid in enforcing similar ordinances in Junction City.  As a result, there had been several arrests for infractions of the Ordinances and more were likely to follow.  It seems the police officers had been checking up on delinquent motorists for several days.

            There had been periodic checks of the speed ordinance since it was enacted, but it had not been rigidly enforced.  Several arrests had been made, but at widely separated intervals.  However, to the credit of Junction City motorists there had been few incidents of reckless driving on the streets and only a few complaints of violations of the speed ordinance.

            The provision requiring each motor car be driven by a licensed driver and that the car have a leather tag number of ITS license be displayed at all times was to be more rigidly enforced.  Some motorists had disregarded this provision and one arrest had been made for failure to have a number properly displayed.  This particular motorist said he had lost his tag number off the car and did not realize it.  He was fined anyway!!!

            Another provision to be enforced was one requiring that motor cars, when driven at night, shall display tail lights showing red behind and white on either side so that the tag number of the car would be visible at all times.  Little attention had been paid to this provision in the past.  In fact, there were some cars in Junction City that NEVER displayed tail lights at all.

            Our vehicles automatically come from the factory with lights built in, so unless there is a bulb burned out, appropriate and legal lighting is not a concern for today’s drivers.  We only have ourselves to blame, however, if we get stopped for speeding. 

            Well… that’s today’s story on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.