Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
April 10, 2018 — “‘V’ for Victory,” was the famous motto of Winston Churchill as he rallied international support for winning World War II. North Dakotans answered the call and willingly rationed vital goods needed to win the war.
Key elements among the rationed goods included tires and gasoline. The best way to save both was to reduce the speed limit on roads and highways.
On this date in 1942, Governor John Moses requested that all police officers in the state enforce the 50-miles-per-hour speed limit then on the books.
However, that fall, President Roosevelt instituted a nationwide Victory-Speed limit of 35-miles-per hour, starting October 1. Governor Moses then asked all North Dakota motorists to observe the 35-miles-per-hour speed to conserve “rubber tires and gasoline,” and to save lives, but acknowledged that he had no power to change the limit from 50 to 35.
Nonetheless, the state highway department began installing new road signs in highly visible locations with the words: “Victory 35 Limit.” Officers could not arrest or prosecute anyone for exceeding 35 miles-per-hour, because the official limit remained at 50, but the rationing authorities were known to take away gas-rationing coupons from speed violators.
The situation changed in June 1943, when Governor Moses decreed a new wartime speed limit of 35 through an executive order. This meant that speeders faced a fine as well as losing gasoline coupons.
Later that year, in Cass County, a speeder got arrested and fined for exceeding the limit, and he appealed his case all the way to the state supreme court. The court eventually ruled that Governor Moses had exceeded his authority in changing the speed limit, and thus, the court overturned the Victory Speed limit and the speeding ticket.
And so the Dakota speed limit reverted to 50 in December of 1944. The governor, being slowed by the courts, said he would not try to impose the Victory Speed limit again.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Steve Hoffbeck, History Department, MSU Moorhead.
“Dakota Datebook” is a radio series from Prairie Public in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota and with funding from the North Dakota Humanities Council. See all the Dakota Datebooks at prairiepublic.org.
