The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-22
STATE COLLECTS
II NO MILLIONS IN
FEES FOR AUTOS
Erowth of Connecticut IS Mo
tor Vehicle Department
Most Remarkable.

- ~ W 8A4 "a SOA4&4SSOA - AAAO- 1
tor Vehicle Department
Most Remarkable.
The growth OF the automobile de- |
9rtment connected with the office |
b the secretary of state has been re-
early nine years ago. It was not un- |
n 1907 that the receipts from the |
automobile business were kept sepa-
tate from the receipts OF the secre- |
hry's office from other sources. The |
mount received from registrations |
Ind operators licenses for the year |
hiding September 30, 1908, was $61,- |
4a-6O. For the year ending Septem- |
Ter so, 1915 it was $3.50, $4,000.
The following statement will show |
ths growth of the business of the |
automobile department from the time /
II was established to the present:
Y 1907-1908:
1885 registrations 49, $ 1895 so
e1.747 SO
aoos-1so9.
1900 reglstrati.on9s: =. sa.oos IS
8 1884 65
1sOs-1s1o:
e1,7ss registrations -. $1s1.6o7 10
hAS0OE ORCA 0sSO%S ASOA4SCS oOSOOo w
s1e2.275 10
1852 registrations 49,. s1ss.504 80
R0.808 operators licenses 41,616 90
s2so.12o 80
R1,s71 registrations -. 5000, 642 os
se,241 operators licenses 62.4f2 90
s255.124 os
56.6so registrations -. $255.s5o 81
S2.42s operators licenses s4.s4sN 90
$s2o.7ss 81
1s1s-1s14:
82,790 registrations -. $S29. 1873 "a
Ss.72O operators licenses 77,440 90
s4osJ.s2s 81
1s14-1s15:
1890 registrations 49,. $431,006 0e
B2.9s2 operators licenses 1O5.s64 %
s5s6,970 %
The foregoing figures show that in
eight years the owners of automobiles
and other motor vehicles in the state,
and the operators have contributed
the sum of $2,0S2,192.1 to the trea-
sury of Connecticut. This money has
been spent in repairing the highways
OF the state. Not penny of it has
been expended for other purposes,
the expenses of the administration
of the department not even being TAX
en- out of it
It was for the purpose of reg1lat-
ing the speed of motor vehicles that
the general assembly first took Off
ctaI cognizance of their existence. 1t
was not then thought they could be
made source of revenue to the state.
AT the session of 1901 law was
passed regulating the speed and fix
ing the rate at fifteen miles an hour
outside the limits of a city, and twelve
miles an hour within The legis1a-
tors of that session were particularly
proud of their work in regulating the
speed of vehicles, and it lis recalled
that in the exchange of Fluctuations
at the end of the session reference
was made to the automobile law and
the prediction that the act would
suffice for the adequate regulation of
motor vehicles of every description for
many years, perhaps a generation
Within two years the provisions of
the statute of 1901 were found to
be insufficient for their purpose.
At the session of 1903 the first
law was passed in regard to the use
of markers and the administration of
It entrusted to Secretary of State
tCharles @. r. V1nal. The law allow |
ed owners of automobiles and other
motor vehicles to obtain their mark
ers wherever they pleased SO longbas
they conformed to the standard
which the statute prescribed. This
standard required that the letter C,
Indicating the state, ana the num-
bers, should be raised and three
sinches high The numbers were Civ
en- by the officials at the office of
the secretary. The law did not pre-
wide for an operators license, and
the only fee demanded was that for
the registration of vehicles, 81 per
car.
Judge James P. Woodruff, who
was one of the representatives of the
town OF Iitchfield at the session, Sc
cured the first number issued after
the enactment Of the law requiring
the use of markers. From that time
to the present, Judge woodruff, on
the annual renewal of markers, Sc
cures No. 1.
At the session of 1905 q. law was
passed which made 1t the duty of
the secretary of state to furnish all
markers and to see that they were all
alike. The markers were sold to
the owners OF vehicles at cost price,
provision to prevent the swinging of
the rear marker.
In 1907 the first tax was laid on
automobiles at rate from SO to so
according to horsepower. At the next
session the secretary was first given
the power to hold hearings and to
suspend licenses Colonel Matthew
secretary and he suggested the i'm
p0rtanf legislation that was enacted
relating to motor vehicles at that
session. He was the first adninistra-
tor of the law. At the session of :
1915, the distinction which made 1iv-
cry vehicles a separate class was
abolished.
Many Women Now