Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-03
STATE HOUSE.
357 Automobiles Are
Thus Far Licensed.
Portland Leads With IA; Many
in the Country Towns.
Six New Corporations. Notes Of the Depart.
ments at Capitol.

the Legislature, at Its session, laS'
winter, has been productive of more
work at the State House during the
past few months which have followed
adjournment. than has the so-called
automobile law or more strictly
speaking, Chapter 147. which is entitled
An act to amend Chapter twenty-fOul
of the Revised Statutes relating to re-
gistcring, numbering and regulating
the speed of automobiles and motor
vehicles. and for licensing the operator
thereof
According to the provisions of the
law all automobiles and motor vehicles
are required to be registered by the
owner or person in control, who shall
in each case be given a certificate OF
registration, and also n license to Oper.
ate the machine. The law also require:
that to each machine shall be attaches
two iron plates containing the wore
Maine" in letters not less than al
inch in height. and the number of re-
gistration in Arabic numerals not les:
than four inches in height.
This law went into effect, Thursday
in accordance with the provisions o.
section 90 of the act, the text of which
is as follows:
Section 20. Except rs otherwise pro.
vided herein no automobile or motor
vehicle after the first day of June
nineteen hundred five. shall be operat-
ed upon any highway townway, public
street, avenue, driveway, park or park.
way unless registered as heretofore pro
vided. and no person shall on or aftel
: h. dc Of in, 10 nine
teen hundred five. operate an automo-
bile or motor vehicle upon any high
way. townway, public street. avenue
driveway, park or parkway, unless Ii
censed to do so under the provisions OF
this act.
All of the work incident to the COM
pliance with the provisions of the law
on the part of the owners of and deal
ers in automobiles and motor vehicles
is transacted through the office of the
secretary Of State. and a perusal of the
law will show that while the obtaining
of legal right, on the part OF the
owner, to operate his machine on the
various highways of the State. Will cost
him a little cash and some cOrrespon-
dence, by far the greater part OF the
work comes to the office from which
the license is secured. and the work OF
furnishing these licenses is what has
peen keeping some of the clerks in the
secretary'S office very busy for some
time past.
1t is estimated that there are about
500 automobiles in the State, although
the number which have thus far been
registered, is nearly $50 short of that
q which
the law went into effect, 345 licenses
had been issued, all but two of them
being on machines which are owned il,
the State, and of these two. one was
owned in New York. and the other in
Philadelphia.
1t would naturally be expected that
the greater number of machines would
he owned in the larger cities but re-
ference to the register shows that such
is not the case. OF the larger cities
Portland shows the greatest number
registered. thus far. it being "A. Au-
burn is next, with IS machines. while
Lewiston has Il. Bangor II. and Au-
yusta :. The total number of licenses
which had been issued up to Friday
was 357. and in proportion to TIE popu-
lation. with the exception. perhaps, OF
Portland. by far the larger number OF
machines of the state are Owne1 in the
smaller and more remote towns. Hard
~ is there town of Importance in the
state which does not boast of at least
one automobile and in some of the
towns where one would hardly expect
to find this type of vehicle. there can
be mustered ten or more. all of which
would seem to indicate that the auto
had come to stay.
The number of licenses which nave
thus far been issued to dealers is 10
and to owners of motor cycles. 20. The
number issued to operators is 449. Ii
censes and number plates have beer
issued as far as applications for H.
censes haze been received. The num-
Der plates are made in compliance with
the provisions of the law, and those
furnished for motor cycles are distin'
ruished from the others by having thf
letter "a" before the numerals, WINE
the dealers plate is designated by the
letter "R."