Tombstone epitaph. (Tombstone, Ariz.) 1887-current, 1922-02-12
GIVES REASONS WHY
AUTO OWNERS MUST

cered when they appeared in the
county assessors Office to secure
their 1922 license plates. why it was
that the clerks demanded they show
ownership of the car and that they
give the correct motor number Of
the car. According TO Geo. II. Hen
shaw, county assessor. there are two
reasons for the demands. the state
law and desire on his part to have
the license records in his office as
nearly correct as possible.
When an automobile has been
stolen or has been destroyed by fire,
the officers and the insurance ad-
justers invariably first check up the
car through the records obtained
when the license was issued before
any action is taken in the matter
ascertain the motor number OF the
car and the insurance people. to see
if the car burned was the same as
the one on which the insurance was
issued.
Under the state law which became
effective last June, the assessor in
issuing a license for car must be
furnished with the proper credentials
that the person applying for the IL
cense is the rightful owner of the
car. This can only be shown by three
MEANS first, through legal bill of
sale: second. by means of certificate
of registration from another state;
and third. by means of the license
certificate of this state issued last
year for the car.
BY demanding that the person
show ownership by one of the above
three ways. Mr.. Henshaw said. the
situation which was discovered when
more than 100 stolen cars were re-
covered last year in FL Centre, Calf,
can be avoided. Officers in checking
up the cars recovered, he said, found
that a large number of the license
plates on the cars had been issued to
the members of the band of car
thieves in this state. The thief he
said. would appear in the assessors
Office, secure an application for H.
cense for a car he did not own by
merely giving fictitious motor mum
Der as the law then did not require
the person to presen; credentials of
their ownership. Later the thief
would steal car. change the motor
number to conform to the numbers
given when he secured the plates and
then put the license ,on IT,
Under the former method of issu-
ing the licenses, he said, the assessor.
filled out the application and the sec
rotary of states Office issued the
plates. A two way file was kept in
the secretary of states office, he said,
70 rthe registration of the licenses
Since the law places the issuing Of
the plates on the county assessors
Office. he said. four way filing sys-
tenn has been inaugursted.
The first filing method consists OF
keeping typewriter sheet with the
numbers of the cars in consecutive
order. This record shows the name
of the license holder, the kind of car.
the motor number and the name of
the license holder. the kind OF car,
the motor number and the address Of
the owner. 1t is the record which is
furnished the sheriff's Office and the
secretary of states ONCE.
Under the second method of filing
the duplicate assessment sheet on
the car, made out when the owner
applies for a license. is filed accord
ing to the make Of the car. All the
sheets for Fords being filed on one
filing board and all the sheets for
Dodges on a second and son on. Each
Of the sheets for each car make are
arranged alphabetically according to
the names of the owners. So far
under this filing method. the num-
Der Of Ford sheets is far in excess Of
all other makes.
The third method Of filing is the
one required by the state law and
consists Of filing the original appli-
cation sheet for license number in
a Kardex file. Legally this spplica-
ton sheet is an afhdavit Of the OWL