Executive Order 2451

by President of the United States

By virtue of the authority vested in me I hereby establish the following Executive Order for the Canal Zone:

Section 1. There shall be collected on motor vehicles owned by residents of the Canal Zone and operated therein, an annual license fee as follows:

For each passenger automobile for personal use only, five dollars ($5.00).

For each automobile of twenty-nine horse-power or less, used for carrying passengers for hire, twenty dollars ($20.00).

For each automobile of more than twenty-nine horse-power, used for carrying passengers for hire, thirty dollars ($30.00).

For each truck or omnibus of one-ton capacity or less, twenty dollars ($20.00).

For each truck or omnibus of a capacity of more than one ton but less than three tons, thirty dollars ($30.00).

For each truck or omnibus of a capacity of three tons or more, forty dollars ($40.00).

For each motor-cycle, two dollars ($2.00).

In case of a dispute as to the horse-power or capacity of a vehicle, the issue shall be referred to the Board of Local Inspectors, and the decision of the Board thereon shall be final.

License fees shall be paid for the calendar year; but if any part of the calendar year shall have expired when the license is taken out, then the license fee to be paid shall be proportioned to the part of the calendar year remaining, including therein the calendar quarter in which the license is paid; but the Governor shall have authority to issue short-term licenses at rates proportionate to the rates in the above schedule, in such special cases as he may deem proper.

Licenses heretofore issued shall continue in force, and the licensees shall not be required to pay fees hereunder until the licenses previously issued to them shall have expired.

Section 2. Motor vehicles owned by residents of the Republic of Panama and operated in the Canal Zone, shall pay the same annual license fee as is imposed by the Republic of Panama on motor vehicles owned by residents of the Canal Zone and operated in the Republic of Panama; Provided, That the Governor of the Canal Zone may enter into arrangements with the authorities of the Republic of Panama by which any class or classes of vehicles owned by residents of the Canal Zone and operated in the Republic of Panama may be exempted from the payment of license fees in the Republic of Panama, or required to pay fees at a reduced rate, and any class or classes of vehicles owned by residents of the Republic of Panama and operated in the Canal Zone may be exempted from the payment of license fees in the Canal Zone, or required to pay fees at a reduced rate.

Section 3. The Governor of the Canal Zone is hereby authorized to exempt from the payment of license fees hereunder motor vehicles operated exclusively within certain areas or districts of the Canal Zone to be defined by him, and the Governor is also authorized by public notice to prohibit motor vehicles of any or all kinds from operating on such portions of the roads in the Canal Zone as he may designate, when, in his judgment, the public interest requires it; or he may permit any of said vehicles to be operated in any areas or districts designated by him, upon such conditions as he may deem necessary and convenient for the welfare of the Panama Canal.

Section 4. The use of flare lights on vehicles, within the limits of any city, town, or village in the Canal Zone is hereby prohibited; and on roads outside of any city, town, or village limits, the drivers of automobiles and motor-cycles shall extinguish their flare lights at least one hundred and fifty (150) feet from an approaching vehicle, and shall pass such approaching vehicle with the use of their dimmer lights only.

Section 5. Section 1 of the Executive Order of February 28, 1912, No. 1489, relating to motor vehicles, is hereby amended to read as follows:

Section 1. It shall be unlawful to drive or operate a motor vehicle or bicycle over the roads of the Canal Zone outside of town or village limits, at a speed exceeding twenty-five (25) miles an hour on straight roads, or at a speed exceeding twelve (12) miles an hour when approaching or traversing curves, forks, or cross roads, or when traveling over the streets of any city, town, or village of the Canal Zone, or when approaching another vehicle. The owner of an automobile, if within the car, shall be held responsible for its speed. In the absence of the owner the person actually operating the automobile shall be held responsible. The person operating a motor-cycle or bicycle shall be held responsible for its speed.

Section 6. Any person violating any of the provisions of this order shall be punished in the manner prescribed in Section 5 of the Act of Congress, approved August 21, 1916, and entitled: An Act Extending certain privileges of canal employees to other officials on the Canal Zone and authorizing the President to make rules and regulations affecting health, sanitation, quarantine, taxation, public roads, self-propelled vehicles, and police powers on the Canal Zone, and for other purposes, including provision as to certain fees, money orders, and interest deposits.

Section 7. This Order shall take effect on and after October 1, 1916.

Woodrow Wilson

The White House,

5 September, 1916.