The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-01-10
AUTO FEES INCREASE
S4OO,O3l DURING YEAR
An.ia' Report G.. =. Austin BaEgb-
man Shows Total Receipts OF ST.
51,166.OS. Records 1S9 Fatal
Accidents. Cites Operation Dl
State Police In Suppression Ard De
lection Oh Crime In State.

Showing not only a material +
| crease in receipts for the fiscal yss1i
1921, but q decrease in thH costssoL
maintainance his office. +. AusFh
Baughman. Commissioner OF Motor
! Vehicles has filed his annual report
! with Governor Ritchie. The &c
pOrU covers the II months endec
September 80. 1921, besides me rye
months from May l to September az
| 1890. because in a change III u"
statutes liking the fiscal year.
Under the head of finances Corr
missioner Baughman shows total r2-
| ceipts OF 50 451, ,16S.0S, an tncre;ss''
over the previous year OF S40p.~
03l.01. In the same period this Fl
| fee expenses decreased $3, ,842.9 81.
The receipts OF $2,451.166.Oo 2'e
ontrasted with those OF 1911 t-l
years previous, of $56,2O4.
| Much stress is laid on the TtIe
| law now in effect in the State, ard
/ the benefits it has brought to the
| methods in the office, as we'll as 70
| the motorist in general. The great
est benefit noted at the close OF tn"
year was the fact that the RECORDS
made possible the mailing OF license
| tab applications to all owners
! throughout the State, thus facllltat-
! ing the issuance of tags for 1922.
! The fact that there were Ia'
! de aths from accidents due 10 motor
vehicles is deplored by Commissioners
| Baughman. Nevertheless the re-
port expresses the belief that auto
bile drivers are exercising greater
care. in the operation of their cars.
Doubt is thrown on the theory that
| congested roads have caused many
accidents. The report declares that
the proportion of accidents on lltt.e
roads is greater than for the foacS
where there is heavy traffic.
That many fatalities are due 10
prohibition is emphasized III the le-
port 1T is very clear that in map!
eases the operators had been drink
ing" the report says, and had been
drinking more than they would haze
under other conditions. 1t appears
TO be the habit of some motorists,
who in preprohibition days would not
have used intoxicating liquor or who
would have used it sparrlngly, now
obtain possession of a quantity o.
liquor, and fearing detection, cor
sumo all of it on a drive or before
starting home" Overcrowdlng Oh
cars particularly of the drivers seat
also is blamed for many serious acct
dents.
A total of $3.50 reports OF viola
tions of the traffic laws wer4@ heard
in the Commissioners office, an III.
crease of % 40 per cent, more
than the previous year. Farlors
disposition of the cases was mace,
including the suspension of 1392
licenses, revocation of 277 and Is 20
reprimands,.o Fines alsQ were III :.
nosed to the total of $145,385.g5, an
increase of $44,403,73 more than.
1920.
OF the operation Of the Title law,
the report says Delaware, ONO ana
indiana have adopted laws almost
word for word of the Maryland ACT.
Four other States are mentioned as
having like bills pending in theif
Legislatures. Emphasis is laid on
the decrease in the number or cars
stoeln in Maryland, credit being CIV
en- TO the Baltimore Police Depart
ment for work done in cooperating
along this line Receipts from the
title department since its lnceptloh
have been $1SS,S27.08, with DIS
hursements of $134 ,391.11.
A large part of the report IS devot.