The Madison Daily Leader

TO PROTECT TOURISTS
Minnesota Citizens War on Overzealous Officers.
Organize to Save Motorists From Unjust Fines by Small Town Authorities Who Prey on Highway Tourists.

Minneapolis, Minn.—Tourists, especially those from other states than Minnesota, will not be the prey of overzealous authorities in the small towns of Minnesota, who are rigidly enforcing local traffic codes with a zest, bent upon enhancing their own salaries or enriching the coffers of the village, if a movement started among several towns continues to spread.

Vigilance committees, composed of residents of the communities, have been formed, which the tourist who has been haled into court may depend on for fair, reasonable treatment. These committees will see that too rapid justice will not engulf the innocent, especially when the motorist happens to be a tourist from outside the state, and therefore expectedly ignorant of the traffic laws in that locality.

With the tourist industry developing by rapid strides in Minnesota, the action of the small town officers in strictly enforcing petty infractions was seen as a possible deterrent and menacing factor to its progress, according to Perry S. Williams, manager of the Minneapolis Journal travel and resort bureau, who was instrumental in organizing the first vigilance committee.

"The trouble apparently threatened as a result of the fact that at many points both the constables and deputies making the arrests and the court officer before whom the alleged offenders must appear profited with the assessment of the fine," Mr. Williams said.

"Part of the work of the vigilance groups will be to correct this arrangement where it exists. Efforts will be made to place such officers on a definite and increased salary basis. Also it is planned to have moneys procured from fines placed in road funds to help along the general work of bettering the state highway conditions."

Communities lying along the state highway leading to and around Mille Lacs lake, on trunk highway No. 18, were first to organize the "vigilantes." Princeton led the way with the organization of a highway vigilance committee and similar groups are being formed at Onamia, Milaca and Isle.