The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-07-04

Owners Of Automobiles Who Have Not
Paid Their License Fee, to Settle :
n with the County Attorney 4
IT'S EASY TO EvADE THE LAW
Lists Being Prepared Which Will Be
Forwarded 10 County Attor.
neys for Collections

FOT~dJuCu ~ SOuuty S~SSS'
neys for Collections
Owners of automobiles in Crawford
county, who have not paid to the sec
retary of state their license fees for
this year will have to settle with the
county attorney in the near future.
Automobile license receipts paid
in to the secretary of state for the
period between Jan. 1, 1917, and
June |, 1917, are short total
sum of 1881 ,8l9.25, in comparison to
the corresponding period last year, ac-
cording to figures compiled by Sec
retary OF State w. S. Allen, f.4s
7 The shortage is due not to de-
crease in the number of automobiles
In the state, but because of the on
GRAFTON of the three year automobile
license number plate law, which went
into effect in 1916. f.+.i .i,ntt.s 49,
Under the old law every AUTOMOBILE
ist was, compelled to obtain a new
number annually. and the plates for
each year were different. 1t was
possible for police officers to deter
mine at a glance when car was op-
Grating under an old license.
81. Easy to Evade Law
The Thirty-sixt general assembly
revised the automobile laws in 1915,
and provided that, the number plates
issued should be good for three
years, but that the license fec was to
be paid annually as before.
Automobile owners are taking adj
vantage of this law to neglect to pay
any license fee at all, declares Mr..
Allen, and on June I, 1917. 1865
owners who registered in 1916 had
failed to register in 1871. q. '
The average license fee, for 1916
was $S.45 and using this as stand.
ard the net shortage to June l, was
Y394,319. a. ,.t's~s-.
The number of new cars registered
shows a big increase over 1916. On
June 1, 27,706 new cars had been reg
istered for 1917. compared to $4,000
for. the same period In 1916.
Makes Small Saving 5
The apparent shortage of $394,3l9
is reduced somewhat by the saving in
expense due to. the fact that neW num-
her plates are required this year. This
saving amounts to $62,5O0 on the cars
registered up to June /, reducing the
loss to $331,S19. -. '.S
This shortage was already beCom-
Ing apparent when the last legisla-
turc was in session and bill was in
troduced by the motor vehicles con-
mittee of the house to repeal the law
and return to the old system. The
Economy" faction fought the repeal.
and as a result the law remained un-
changed, save for amendments to OBJ
tain a more complete registration Of
dealers cars. During the arguments
over the bill it became so badly balled
up that Governor Harding was COM
PEELED to veto the whole thing.
Up to County Attorneys
Delinquent lists are now being pre-
pared, and will be forwarded to the
county attorneys of the state in an
effort to collect the sums due.
The shortage in the motor vehicle
fund will be reflected directly in the
condition of the roads of the state.
for 90 per cent of the receipts in this
fund is turned back to the counties to
be expended on the rural roads
Unless it proves possible in some
way to collect the delinquent licenses,
the shortage for the year will be at
least 100000. ''@@iG' 20
" A comparison with last year shows
that under the old law on June L, 1916.
only n ,496 owners were Delinquent
the total net shortage being $1OO,OoO.
Not only Is a shortage inevitable
for the present year, but conditions
cannot be remedied until the legiBla
ture again meets. The present law
will require new number plates for
all cars in 1919, but the present num-
ber plates will be for this year ant
next.
Many Cyclists Delinquent
Motorcycles show similar short.
age. it being estimated that more than
1000 owners of motor bikes had fail
ed to register June 1, of the $1,000
owners in the state.
A special session Of the legislature,
If one is called for war purposes,
would be able to revise the law to
prevent losses in 1918. but could do
nothing for the present year.
Following are some statistics pre-
pared by Mr.. Allen and showing the
situation as to the collection of the
license fees:
Total registration for 1914. .1t2.OOO
Total registration for 1915. $4,000
Total registration for 1916. 19S,OOO
Total registration up to June
/, 1916 4. y. W.! !. ...:. q. 159, ,639
New cars up TO- June IL (es-
"timated) -. .!!!! u. .-J... 19.0GO
Reregistrations up to June l.,
1916 ......!!. >. :. ~. ...l.a. =. 14O, ,OOG
Total registrations for 1915. 152, ,135
Delinquent to June |, 1876. 1l.490
Average fee for 1915 ........
Delinquent for 1916 ........ .$103,46
Total registrations for 1916. 198,5SS
Registrations to June l, 1917 ISL, 1923
Delinquent to June l, 1917 -. 1866
Average fee for 1916 ........ $S.45
Delinquent for 1917 (on June
~ ................ .$S94,319.25
Short June l, 1917 ........ .$394,319.25
Plate credit for 1917 ....... 62,500
Net shortage for 1917 ION
-, June u Recommendations
.T Motorcycles
Total registration for 1916. 6,923
Reregistrations to June l, 1917 2,671