The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-07-20
MOTOR VEHICLE
FUND ELARCE
OPPONENTS OF STATE BOND IS
SUE APPEAR TO HAVE MADE
MISTAKES IN THEIR TABULA.
TIONS.
BY J. p. Clarkson.

BY j. p. Clarkson.
Tallahassee, July pecia1.) y
From the office of the state comp
troller, the official having charge OF
the collection and issuing of motor
vehicle licenses, official figures have
been obtained which show the abso.
lutte absurdity of the figures publish
ed in the Times Union of July 10
under the heading "The Proposed
| Bond ISSUE"
The article (editoriaD in. question
stated: FLORIDA collected $256,300 Ii
censes from motor vehicles in 1915
and comparing the number of such
vehicles then with the number esti-
force would yield $4,000 for the u.s.
600 vehicles. the number it is sup
posed we will have in 1922
The facts are that in 1918 Florida
had a total registration of 47,059 mo-
tor vehicles and the net receipts paid
into'-the treasury in 1918 from this
source were $338, ALSO.
For 1919 the net receipts from mo-
tor licenses paid into the treasury
amounted to $399,55S.16.
For the first six months of 1920 the
total amount collected as licenses on
motor vehicles Appropriated $500 000
AS to the percentage of increase in
the number of motor vehicles each
year and the increase in revenues
therefrom, it appears that the Times
Union again did not take the trouble
to obtain any accurate information.
The official tabulation of the num-
Der of cars and trucks registered in
each state, including the District of
Columbia, in each of the past five
years, is published in the July num-
Der of the Florida Motorists, the Off
cial monthly magazine of the Florida
State Automobile Association This
tabulation gives the following figures
for Florida:
1915, number of vehicles registered,
1923.
1916, number of vehicles registered
1920
1917, number of vehicles registered
1926.
1918, number of vehicles registered,
47,O59.~
1919, number of vehicles registered.
$1,000.
In explanation of the very large
increase in 1917 over 1916 it might be
we'll to mention that prior to 1917 all
motor vehicle licenses were collected
by the counties and although there
was law requiring state registration
of motor vehicles with the secretary
of state, the state law was not en-
forced and the majority of car own
ers paid no attention to it.
In letter from the state comp
troller, over the signature of Ernest
Amos, Comptroller State of Florida"
bearing date May 10, 1920, and pub
lished in the Florida Motorist of June
1920. Mr.. Amos said:
This office is proud of the record
it made this year in the promptness
with which it handled the motor We
hicle registrations and is grateful to
your association and the membership
thereof throughout the state for the
whole hearted cooperation it has re-
ceived at their hands. While I am
writing l take pleasure in giving you
the following data that may be of in
terest:
'The net receipts paid into the
Treasury in 1918 were $3,4715O;
for 1919, $399.55S.16,, and for 1920
gross receipts to date s4S7,S17.5O.
Last application up to this writing
MAY 10) was 6S,507, which includes
everything - transfers, duplicates,
chauffeurs, etc, there having been
about 5000 cancellations brought
about by exchanges of tags, errors,
lost in transit, etc. Receipts for this
year are covered as follows:
Series A, 1916; B, 1858; c, 1857;
D, 1924; E, LAY; F. 90; NJ, 6S4; w
1888; X, 1919; z, %; transfers 773:
duplicate tags, 120; chauffeurs, 1855"
From the above, which is official,
and only takes in the registration up
to May 10, 1920, it is easy to see that
the figures quoted and the calcula-
tions made by the Times Union ex-
pert statistician are not to be depend
ed upon. Neither is it it's declaration
that the men elected to the legisla-
ture are not to be trusted.