Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-10-24
UNDER 10000 CARS REGISTERED
IN MASSACHUSETTS.
BUT FAR MORE ARE.lN USE
Total Much Less Than Was Antici.
pated-Revenue From New Law
Only $4,000 Shrinkage a Great
Surprise to Highway Board.-visi-
tors Find Troubles.

learn that there are fewer than ten
thousand automobiles in use at the
present time in this state. Yet, &C
|cording to the records of the highway
commission, such is the fact, the total,
to be exact, being $3.50. Before the
Operation of the reregistration law,
passed by the Legislature, made it
possible TO tell exactly how many ma
chimes were in use, only the most con-
sentative estimated the number as low
as 10000 and other estimates made by
persons in position to keep in close
touch with the subject were from H.
900 up to 10000. The most generally
accerted number was $4,000, and upon
this the members of the legislature
based their estimates OF the amount of
revenue that would be derived for
road improvements from a SIS annual
registration fee. 1t was figured that
with $4,000 automobiles, paying SIS
each for registration certificate, the
state would receive $4,000, a. sum
amply sufficient to pay the expenses
of the automobile department of the
highway commission, take care of the
repairs on state roads and parkways,
and perhaps leave a little for high
way fund.
Up to the present time, however, the
gross receipts of the highway commits
sion from the reregistration of auto
mobiles, motor cycles and from certifi-
Gates issued to manufacturers and
dealers amount to only $44,7S1, or a
little more than half of the amount
which was expected. This total may
be increased somewhat in the course
lof another month, but Il. ]. O'Hara,
who has charge of the registration, is
quite confident that the total will not
reach anything like the figure that
was anticipated. His department,
after being at work for about five
weeks on the reregistration, this wee K
practically caught up, and twenty of
the extra clerks that have been en-
ployed have been released. From
day to day applications for reregistra-
ton are coming in but the great rush
is over and the figure S,207 represents
practically the number of machines in
use in this state on the first of August.
Since then about 1850 original registra-
ton certificates have been taken out
bringing the grand total to $3.50 and
the total receipts from all sources to
about $4,000.
When it is considered that more
than $4,000 sets CT registration plates
have been issued in the past four
years, each set representing an auto
mobile, the shrinkage to less than TO-
600 is indeed surprising and difficult
to account for. Mr.. O'Hara is of the
opinion that the shrinkage can be ac-
counted for in part at least by the
failure OF persons who have sold their
machines to notify the highway com
mission and have their registration
certificates cancelled. Some machines
may have changed ownership half
plying with that part of the law which
requires that the commission be mott
fed when sale is made. Another
cause for the shrinkage is to be found
in the fact that many machines which
belonged to owners residing out of the
state, but who were in Massachusetts,
temporarily during the summer
months, hare been registered during
the past four years. These machines
are mostly out OF the state at present
and will not be reregistered until next
summer. A third cause is to be
found in the fact that some owners,
rther than pay IS now and another IS
on January l. have decided to store
their cars for the remainder OF the
season and take out new registration
1t is also very probable that there
are some automobilists who think the
new law which requires the payment
of two fees within period OF six
months is unjust, and they are wait
ing to have 1t tried out. Some clubs,
notably that in Worcester and that in
Brockton, have taken this attitude,
about test of the constitutionality of
the law. There may be, likewise,
some automobiles who have decided
to run their chances of being arrested
during the remainder OF the season
when they will use their cars much
and have deliberately neglected to re-
register their cars. Their success in
this undertaking depends to consid-
cradle extent upon the vigilance OF the
local police authorities.
The highway commission originally
sent out more than 1900 application
blanks for reregistration. and each
blank was addressed to a person who,
according TO the records OF the com.
mission. owned an automobile. About
500 Of these blanks have been re-
turned TO the commission, the post
office clerks and carriers having been
unable 20 deliver them In few