Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-07-21
Great Growth
QAutomobiLes
by w. s. MANN.

, of the automobiles in the United
States including pleasure cars and
lmotor trucks, were placed an equal
distance apart on the public roads OF
the country, there would be three in
Q every mile. with a motorcycle thrown
: in every ten miles for good measure.
Figures compiled by Andrew r.
Anderson. highway engineer of the
4 federal bureau of public roads.
show that there were ~7,565,446
motor vehicles of all types registered
in the forty-eight states and the Dis
trict of Columbia during the calendar
year of 1918, an increase of twenty
three per emit over the previous
year. This increase alone amounts to
almost 1,5O0, 900 cars, which is con-
siderably more than the total number
Of cars in the entire United States in
1913. In addition there were 241.03S
motor cycles registered during the
last calendar year
Licenses and registration fees
!. alone amounted to $64.700,OO % last
year, an increase of twenty per cent.
over the receipts during 1918, and
SEQ, 200, 900 of the sum was devoted
to road maintenance and construc-
ton.
Mr.. Anderson estimates that the
total road mileage in the United
States, outside of incorporated towns
and cities, is about 2~,475,000 miles,
and a simple long division problem
shows that there are three cars for
every mile of such highway. The
distribution, however, is by no means
so uniform. New Mexico has but one
car for every two and a half miles
of its public roads, and Nevada has
one a for every mile and q fifth.
Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Mon
Itana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South
Dakota and Wyoming have but one
car or less for every mile and a half
of their roads.
Rhode Island, the smallest state,
naturally has the most cars per mile
of road, the average being more than
twenty cars per mile. Massachusetts
is second with 1872 cars per mile, and
New Jerseys average is only slightly
less. California holds fourth place
with an average of rs cars per mile,
and the next highest averages are
Connecticut with 7.3, New York with
IL, Ohio with SO, Maryland with
Sc, Pennsylvania with 5.3, and IL
linois with an even 5 cars per mile.
States which approximate the general
average of three cars for each mile
of road are Colorado, Florida, In
diana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, Washington and Wiscon-
sin.
As the whole of the District of
Columbia is occupied by the City
of Washington the cars per mile
are not given, but the Washington
motorists help boost the average
for the state of Maryland, for most
of the cars of the national capital
bear a Maryland license in addition
to a District tag.
To drive the 7,565.446 motor cars
and trucks registered in the United
States, owners and chauffeurs'
licenses have been issued to but
2,540,60 persons. On reason for
this hiatus between the number of
licensed cars and licensed drivers is
that seventeen states, mostly in
middle west. do not require drivers
to take out a license. But owing to
differences in traffic laws, many
states show a wide divergence be-
tween the number of cars and the
number of licensed drivers.
New York, with 446, 593 passenger
automobiles, has only a little more
than $4,000 licenses out for owners,
chauffeurs, manufacturers and
dealers combined. Illinois with
47S,43S cars has issued licenses to
fewer than $4,000 persons to operate
tAlCAAAs SdlllOl MAJ IOWGNtIs lSSuGu
licenses to 726, 900 owners and chauf-
feurs last year.. though the total
automobile registration in the state
was but 477,450.
New York continues to lead her
sister states in the total number of
motor vehicles, passenger and COM
mercial, having Issued 566,511 lie
enses, while Nevada brings up the
rear with 9,035. Other totals are
Ohio 511.031; Pennsylvania 4S2,117;
Illinois 47S.43S; California 447,450;
Iowa S64,043; Texas 331.310, and
Michigan 325,S13. States competing
aware with 16.152 machines, New
Mexico with 1902, and Wyoming
with 1851.
In the table showing automobile
registration in the United States from
1914 to 1919 inclusive, Mr.. Anderson
shows the marvellous growth of the
motor industry during thai time.
Omitting the smaller figures, the total
registration for each yea follows:
1914, 1.711,000; 1915, 2~,446,O0O
1916, 3~.513.000; 1917, 4.983,OOO:
1918, ~6,147,000 ; 1919, 7,565,0OO.
Although every state shows a re-
markable increase during that time
the most noticeable growth has been .
in the southern states. Florida had
5000 machines in 1914 and $4,000
in 1917. Georgia's registration in
creased in the same time from $1,000
to $4,000 and Mississippi from $500
to $4,000. Six years ago the total
gross revenue from registrations and
license fees was but $12,382. 900.
while last year it was more than five
times that sum.
In the several states is a wide diff
ference between the way in which
fees are levied and collected and the
requirements affecting owners and
drivers. From the best figures oh
tainable it appears that the average
fee per a In 1919 was 1854. on
this basis West Virginia received
$2O.08 per car; New Hampshire
$685.; Maryland $1S.47, and YER
mont $17.17. In Minnesota where
motor vehicles are registered for a
period of three years the average was
but 81 cents per car.
One reason for the divergence is
that some states charge a COM
paratively low license and registra-
ton fee but put a road tax on gaso.
line, while others accept a registra-
ton fee in lieu of all other taxes
Still others tax motor cars as ner.
sonal property in addition to registra-