20 do by the authorities of such municipality, and thereafter 21 maintain the same. In case any bridge within a municipality is 22 wholly maintained by the state road commission, the munici23 pality shall, while such bridge is so maintained, be relieved 24 from all liability in connection therewith.

Sec. 67. Any person who in any manner paints or affixes 2 any advertisement, sign, notice, or other written or printed 3 matter, other than notices posted in pursuance of law, on or 4 to any stone, tree, fence, stump, pole, building or other struc5 ture, which is in or upon the right-of-way of any public road 6 or highway, except that the commission may provide for suit7 able danger signals, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon 8 conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than 9 five dollars nor more than one hundred dollars. The commis10 sion is empowered to remove any such signs in place upon 11 any road taken over by it for construction or maintenance.

Sec. 71. The state road commission and such of its em2 ployees and servants as are designated by it as special officers 3 for that purpose, shall have authority to enforce all laws of this 4 state relating to highways, and shall have the same authority 5 to make arrests as duly qualified constables as to a violation of 6 the provisions of chapter one hundred and twelve of the acts 7 of the legislature, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-one, 8 regular session, and amendments thereto, and violations of the 9 regulations and orders of the state road commission in relation 10 thereto, including offenses against all laws made for the pro11 tection of motor vehicles. Every such employee or servant 12 shall, in exercising any such authority hereunder, wear and 13 display a metallic shield or badge indicating that he is a spe14 cial officer of the state road commission; provided, however, that 15 no contractor, his employee or servant, shall be permitted un16 der this section to make any arrests by virtue of any authority 17 conferred by this section. Provided, further, that no person 18 designated by the commission as such special officer shall ex19 ercise any authority under such designation until he shall first 20 have executed a bond with security to be approved by the com21 mission in the amount of not less than two thousand dollars 22 conditioned for the faithful discharge of his duties and the ac23 counting for and paying over, as required by law, of all moneys 24 that may come into his hands by virtue of his said office.

Administration of Vehicle Laws.

Sec. 75. The state road commission shall have charge of the

3 lection of all license fees and charges, forfeitures and costs, and 2 administration of the vehicle laws of this state, including the col4 all other fees and charges arising therefrom or incidental thereto, 5 and for that purpose shall have power to employ such assistants, 6 deputies and employees as may be required to carry out the 7 provisions of this act, and to fix their salaries. The commis8 sion shall also have power to dismiss or discharge such as9 sistants, deputies and employes at its discretion.

10

11

Definition.

Whenever in this act, or in any regulations authorized by this 12 act, the following terms are used, they shall be deemed and 13 taken to have the meanings herein ascribed to them:

15 (a) Any mechanical device for the conveyance, drawing or 16 other transportation of persons or property upon the public 17 roads and highways, whether operated on wheels or runners or 18 by other means, except those propelled or drawn by human 19 power or those used exclusively upon tracks.

21 (b) Any motor vehicle designed and used for carrying 22 freight or any regularly constructed passenger automobile reg23 ularly carrying freight, or any reconstructed motor vehicle. 24 used for such purpose.

26 (c) Any self-propelled vehicle not operated exclusively upon 27 stationary tracks, except tractors.

28

29

Tractor.

(d) Any self-propelled vehicle designed or used as a travel30 ing power plant or for drawing other vehicles, but having no 31 provisions for carrying loads independently.

33 (e) Any vehicle without motive power designed for carry34 ing property or passengers, wholly on its own structure, and 35 for being drawn by a self-propelled vehicle, except those run36 ing exclusively on stationary tracks.

38 (f) A vehicle of a trailer type so designated and used in con39 junction with a self-propelled vehicle that a considerable part 40 of its own weight or that of its load rests upon and is carried 41 by the towing vehicle.

42

43

Pneumatic Tires.

(g) Tires of rubber or other material inflated with air,

44 and depending solely upon confined air, for the sup45 port of the load, and tires of rubber or similar elastic 46 material commonly known as "cushion" tires, when des47 ignated by the state road commission as pneumatic 48 tires.

50 (h) Tires of rubber or similar elastic material that do not 51-53 depend upon confined air for the support of load.

55 (i) Any vehicle equipped with two or more solid tires.

56

Manufacturer-Dealer.

57 (j) Any person, firm or corporation actively engaged in the 58 manufacture, sale, purchase or exchange of motor vehicles who 59 has an established place of business in this state.

61 (k) Any person, firm, corporation or association holding 62 title to a vehicle.

63

Operator.

64 (1) Any person who drives or operates a motor vehicle or 65 tractor, except for hire.

66

Chauffeur.

67 (m) Any person who operates for hire, or who receives pay 68 directly or indirectly to operate, any motor vehicle, or tractor 69 upon the public highways.

70

State.

71 (n) The state of West Virginia, or other constitutional unit 72 or a territorial or federal district of the United States.

73

Political Sub-Division.

74 (0) Any county, city, town, or other similar governmental 75 unit of the state.

76

77

Local Authorities.

(p) Representatives of political sub-divisions of the state 78 duly elected or appointed to administer the laws and ordinances 79 of the state.

80

81

Open Country Highway.

(q) A highway, or portion thereof, greater than one-fourth 82 of a mile in length, along either side of which the buildings 83 average more than three hundred feet apart.

84

Urban Street; Suburban Street.

85 (r) An urban street shall be a public road or highway, or 86 portion thereof other than an open country highway, or 87 suburban street. A suburban street shall be a public road, high

88 way or portion thereof, not less than one-fourth of a mile in 89 length, on either side of which the buildings average less than 90 three hundred feet, but more than fifty feet apart.

Sec. 76. No motor vehicle shall be driven upon the public 2 roads, or upon any road or street within any incorporated city, 3 town or village within the state until the owner first shall have 4 obtained from the state road commission, as herein provided, 5 a license or certificate of registration therefor. An applicant 6 desiring such license or certificate may obtain the same by 7 filing with the commission, by mail or otherwise, a statement 8 setting forth the character of the vehicle to be licensed, in9 cluding the name of the manufacturer, the style, color of body, 10 motor numbers, type and factory number of such vehicle, the 11 character of the motor power and the amount of such power 12 stated in figures of horse-power as advertised by the manu13 facturer, the name, age, residence and business address of the 14 owner of such motor vehicle, and the name of the county in 15 which he resides; provided, that if such motor vehicle is used 16 or to be used in the public transportation of passengers or prop17 erty or both for compensation, the applicant shall so certify, 18 and shall, as a condition precedent to the securing of such 19 license or certificate of registration, obtain a certificate of con20 venience from the state road commission in the manner here21 inafter provided.

Sec. 82. For the purpose of determining the horse-power 2 of any internal combustion engine used to propel, a motor 3 vehicle coming within the provisions of this act, the follow4 ing formula shall be used.

5 Multiply the square of the diameter of the cylinders in 6 inches by the number of cylinders, and divide the product 7 by two and one-half.

8 The horse-power of an electric or steam motor shall be 9 taken as the manufacturer's rated horse-power for the indi10 vidual motor.

The following fees shall be paid to the commission for the 12 certificate of registration and corresponding registration plates 13 issued by it in accordance with the provisions of this act. 14

Class A. The registration fee for all motor vehicles, other 15 than trucks or motor vehicles used in the public transporta16 tion of passengers or property or both for compensation, 17 equipped only with pneumatic tires, shall be thirty cents per 18 horse-power of motor, and in addition thereto thirty cents per

19 hundred pounds of weight of the vehicle and load, and for the 19-a purpose of determining the weight of a vehicle and load, ex20 cept those used in the public transportation of passengers or 21 property, or both, for compensation, the actual weight of the 22 vehicle shall be taken, and in addition thereto the adult seat23 ing capacity multiplied by one hundred and twenty-five. 24 Class B. The registration fee for motor vehicles equipped 25 with solid rubber tires and used for the transportation of 26 merchandise, supplies, and for any purpose other than the 27 public transportation of passengers or property, or both, for 28 compensation, shall be twenty-five dollars yearly for motor 29 vehicles of one ton or less capacity; fifty dollars yearly for 30 a vehicle of more than one ton and not more than two tons 31 capacity; seventy-five dollars yearly for a vehicle of more 32 than two tons and not more than three tons capacity; one 33 hundred dollars yearly for a vehicle of more than three tons 34 and not more than four tons capacity; and one hundred and 35 fifty dollars yearly for a vehicle of more than four tons and 36 not more than five tons capacity; provided, that the manu37 facturer's rated capacity for the chassis shall be used in de38 termining the capacity of any vehicle licensed under this 39 class. The registration fee for vehicles of the kind enumer40 ated under this class but equipped with pneumatic tires shall 41 be three-fourths of the amount of the fee charged when equip42 ped with solid tires.

43

Class C. The registration fee for vehicles trailed or pro44 pelled by any motor vehicle or tractor required to be regis45 tered, other than any motor vehicle used in the public trans46 portation fo passengers or property, or both, for compensa47 tion, shall be five dollars for a vehicle of one ton or less ca48 pacity, equipped with tires of solid rubber or steel, and seven 48-a dollars and fifty cents for each additional ton capacity, or 48-b fraction thereof; provided, that the registration fee 49 for vehicles trailed or propelled by any motor vehicle used in 50 the public transportation of property or passengers or both 51 for compensation, equipped with tires of solid rubber or steel 52 shall be two times the fee above stated; and provided, fur53 ther, that the fee in the case of a vehicle equipped only with 54 pneumatic tires shall be one-half that shown for solid rub55 ber or metallic tires.

55-a Class D. The registration fee for each motor cycle shall 55-b be five dollars yearly, and for each side car attached to a