The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-07-02
Enormous is Increase
In Motor Gar Traffic

in that state covering a period Of
three years. In Texas and South
Carolina no annual registration fees
are collected. the only requirements
being a county fee Of fifty cents and
one dollar respectively for what is
called a perennial registration. Many
states make no distinction so far as
the registration records 20 between
Measure and commercial cars. A few
states register all motor vehicles, In
Guiding motor cycles, under a single
class: in some states the registration
of motorcycles is not required.
The registrations and revenues In
several typical states for the last
three years show the steadily in
creasing growth Of the motor car in
the transportation business OF the
country Three years ago there were
2S.2OO motor cars in the state OF
Connecticut; last year there were
41,12l. In 1914, there were $500
cars in Massachusetts; in 1915 there
were $4,000. In 1913 theer were
184.4s5 cars in New York state; in
1915 there were 255,242. In 1913
there were 5000 cars in oklahoma;
in 1915 there were 25,032. In 1913
there were $4,000 cars In Texas; in
1915 there were 10000. In 1913
there we're 34,346 cars in Wisconsin,;
in 1915 there were 1874. The to-
tai gross revenues from motor cars in
these states increased in Connecticut
from $316.667 in 1913 to $536,97O
In 1915; in Massachusetts from 1884,
1874 to $1,235,724, in Nebraska from
$4,000 to S1S3,00O; in New York
from s1,275,727 to S1,991,l81; in
Oklahoma from $4,000 to $154,S92;
in Texas from $4,000 to 100000;
in Wisconsin from S190,77O to
s431,977. One Of the puzzling things
about the matter is that the increas-
ed use of the motor car does not
seem to be regulated by the condi-
tions of the roads. For example, in
the state of Nebraska in the three
year period covered by the figures in
the official report, the number of mo-
tor cars increased more than four
times and the gross revenues eight
times, while only 275 miles OF the
SO,33S miles of roads in that state
are improved. In Massachusetts,
where a little more than one-half OF
the rural roads have been improved
the number of motor cars and the
revenues from this source have not
quite doubled. In 1913 there were
in the United States 1,25S,062 motor
cars, in 1914, 1,7l1,SS9 motor cars
and in 1915, 2,445,G54. In 1913 the
gross revenues from motor car taxes
amounted to $S,199.253; in 1914 to
$12,381,951, and iN"1915 to $751;
245,711. Of the revenues from this
source available for rO4d work SILL
555,459 is under the control Of the
state highway departments and A.
657,929 is under the direction Of the
local authorities.
Autos Give Favorable Effect.
The enormous increase in motor
car traffic is bound to affect favor
ably the condition OF the public roads
of the country as the number of cars
and the revenues increase. In the
good old patient days when the
horse-drawn vehicle was the only
means of transportation in the ruraI
districts and time was no object tt
the people, who took things as they
were, it did not seem to matter very
much how many holes and ruts and
swampy places there were on the
roads TO market; but it is different
now and the motor cars are making
smooth and substantial highways
necessary to their favorable progress
and to the success Of business. 1t is
worth noting that from the time Of