Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-06-11
new LICENSE FEE
FOR CAR OWNERS
State Auto Department Prepares
Statement ON Effect of New
Law
NEW FEES TO BE BASED
ON WEIGHT OF CARS
One Per Cent of Valuation Plus 40
Per Cent For Each Hundred
Pounds of Weight

Des Moines,-The motor vehicle
department which was taken away
from Secretary of State w. S. Allen
by the Iowa legislature last March
and transferred to the Office of the
treasurer of state, will go back as a
part Of the secretary of states office
July 1. On that date the new secre-
tary Of state, Walter Ramsey, Of
Belmond, will take his office.
The legislature transferred the de-
partment because it did not want
the present secretary of state to
handle it during the remainder Of
his term in office. 1t provided that
as soon as he was out the depart
ment should go back to the secre-
tary of state.
State Treasurer E. H. Hoyt de-
clares the work of registering motor
vehicles will be up to date and there
will be no back applications not
taken care of when ne turns over the
department the 1st of July.
The new motor vehicle law in the
main does not take effect until Dec.
1 but it provides that this transfer
shall be made July l and all por-
tions of the act necessary TO permit
preparation for carrying out the act
will become effective July I.
New License Basis.
The department is now preparing
a statement, based on facts secured
from the manufacturers, showing the
list price and weights Of cars as far
back as 1913. These facts will be
used in figuring out the amount Of
license fee required by the new law.
The new law states the annual license
on passenger cars shall be 1 per
cent of the valuation plus 40 cents
for each 100 pounds of weight. Hence
it will be necessary for the depart
ment to go back several years in
order to take in some of the older
cars which are still in operation.
This statement prepared by the de-
partment will be the basis used by
the executive council in figuring out
before July 15 each year the license
fee to be charged for each car.
The state highway commission has
figured the annual license Of the
standard models of we'll known cars
based on this years prices for these
cars as follows:
Buick, s26.60; Cadillac, $500;
Dodge, $20.60; Ford, S12; Hudson,
$500; Locomobile, $71; Mercer,
SCI; Overland, 1880; Packard,
$69; Paige, SS6; Peerless, SAL;
Pierce Arrow, $S2.40.
Motorcycles are charged fiat fee
of So. Trucks are charged all the
way from SIS for one ton trucks to-
$165 annual fee for six ton trucks
with pneumatic tires, or sl75 for
six ton trucks with solid rubber
tires. Trailers must pay fee varying
from $3 for those of one-haf ton
capacity to SO for those of six
ton capacity.
Payment Of these fees can start
Nov. of this year and all licenses
must be taken out before Jan. l or
else the penalty will then start.
The penalty will be 81 each month
up to April l at which time deitp-
quent list is made up by the coaDry
treasurer and turned over to the
sheriff. The delinquent list will be
published the first week in May and
fifteen days after publication the list
will be turned over to the sheriff
for collection. II the owner refuses
to pay the sheriff that official can
take the car and hold it, charging
81 per day for each day he holds it.