Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-08-11
5000 AUTOS IN
WINNESHIEK co.
License Fees Paid in to the County
Treasurer Here amounts to
$53, 3,S42.9O. The State Col
lections for 1920
Around $1,000. 900
OVER $500, 100000 81
IN CARS FOR IIe =
The Collections i'm Fees For 1920
Practically Double the 1919
Collections, Showing Great
Growth in Cities.

Winneshiek county has registered
5000 motor vehicles and the license
fees paid by Winneshiek owners
amount to s53,S42.9O. Only AZ
other counties have more cars than
Winneshiek. Howard county has
2400' and paid auto fees of $31, ,505,-
30; Allamakee 1900, fees $37 363.-
% and Fayette 400 cars and fees
Of $69,9S9.sO.
Iowa has collected $20,073,975.-
25 in license fees from 1911 to
July 15, 1920, a period of ten years,
from owners 6f autos, trucks. and
Rotor vehicles that ply the highway
of the state.
During the period of time, Iowans
have purchased 3S4,717 more gaso-
lcne and electric motor vehicles than
they had in 1911. Up to July 10,
1920, Iowans had registered 414,-
786 motor vehicles while in 1911
they registered and paid license
fees for only 30,069 motor vehicles.
Collections for 1920 by Walter
Ramsay, secretary of state from
owners of motor vehicles, will be
approximately S7,000,000, when de-
linquents are rounded up, and the
$4,000 license plates purchased by
the state issued to owners of motor
vehicles used for business and pleas
IRE purposes. The 1920 collections
to date are 5000. 361.07 and 141,-
cS6 license tags for 1920 have been
appended tomotor vehicles.
The 1920 collections are hitting
tie high mark. They are practically
double the 1919 collections when
S3,077, 1851 was paid into Ram.
sey's Office. The 1920 fees by com.
p:.rison, show to be one third of all
license tag collections for a period
of time between 1911 and 1920 or
ten years.
They are three times as great as
the collections for 1917 and 1918
and four times more than r.
and 1916 collections respectively
For 1911, 1912, 1913 and 1914, the
state collected S2,335 S54> in motor
license fees. The 1920 collections
stand as being three times more than
the amount collected during that
period when autos puffed along the
highways sent frightened horses
scampering into ditch or field.
At the Office of the secretary OF
state, it is estimated that Iowans
have nearly $5,000,O0O invested in
motor vehicles and accessories tc
the trade, this figure based upon
selling valuation, rather than manu-.
facturer's costs. There is not al
hand, any, means whereby one car
accurately judge the selling valu
alton Of all motor vehicles for which
licenses have been issued. While the
state bases it's license collection
Partly on selling cost of the car. the
ngures are not in such shape that
they could be totaled except after
days of figuring.
1t is said at Ramsay's Office that
in 1911 there were approximately 6S
persons in Iowa for every motor We.
hicle registered with the secretary
of state. This year will show about
one motor vehicle to every six per.
sons in the state, it is believed by
attaches of the motor vehicle regis.
tration department. 1t would there
fore seem that Iowans have taken
to riding, both for business purposes
and pleasure, via the motor vehicle
route.