The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-03-03

Duplication of Or Use of Fake Numbers
Can BE Instantly Deteeted-$300.0 0C
Worth of Autos Stolen Daily In United
States, Says Official
CHICAGO. March 3-DeStrOy. tho
market FOR stolen automobiles and thereby
stop the thefts, is the plan now in process
Of formation by the interstate motor
theft commission here.
Laws. locks and protective devices
have proved themselves inadequate, says
W. X. Van Courtland. commissioner. The
professional motor car thief is unabaShed-
Motor vehicles of an approximate value
of 100000 the commissioner says, are
stolen every day in the United States.
despite all measures taken to check the
thievery. Large numbers of persons thrive
a. a result of the traffic. /
The plan is this:
\ car is stolen in Chicago. If the
numbers are changed one of two things
happens: Either Il duplicate OF SOM,
other number is made OF. a fake number.
one that the manufactures never made.
is placed on q car. When the car Is sold
and re-registePed in any state some mum
her must be given. \ duplicate number
will Immediately be caught and the two or
more cars carrying that number Will DC
thoroughly investigated. fake number
will show. M lust as quickly and be
looked into. Ii the number is not changed,
there will be Il report of the number OF
the commissions records as that OF Il
stolen car and when the same number -
registered again from the same state OF
any other il will Immediately be caught
The lack of any national clearance
system in the past has been one of the
largest contributing factors In making
this lawIessness easy aud profitable, MIR.
Van CORTLAND states. With the COM
missions national clearance system IN
onprarion a car stolen in Maine, the
numbers changed and the car sold and
registered in California, would imme-
diateIy he caught, he asserts
The plan is virtually "fiingerprint
system as applied to automobiles. y mas
ter record Of every car registered IN the
IS states, as we'll as the new cars that
come into existence, is to be kept at the
commissions headquarters. The numcri-
cal arrangement of the records makes
checking of amy vehicle simple and auto
matte 4 Smith eight" for example,
engine number 1,23I. is registered with
the state. The commission receives this
number and goes TO post It. but finds an
other Smith eight" already registered in
that state or some othcr-and they do
not correspond i'm detail 1t is imme-
Clfateiy apparent that one Is incorrect.
No man changes these numbers except
for fraud 1t is a simple process Of elm
iuatidn for the law enforcement bodies
having jurisdiction over these cars to de
tcunine where the trouble lies and then
with the aid of tho commission, the orig
inal identity of the stolen car and to
whom it belongs is determined.
Through this national clearance
test the commission believes that it will
he virtually impossible to dispose perma-
nently Of a stolen machine. Closely iden-
titled with the commission are ShcriffS. po-
lice department heads, chamber Of com
mcrce secretaries, manufacturers, bust
ness and professional men. Names that
appear on the national advisory boards
include Joseph A. Faurot. deputy police
commissioner, New York Dan Beard,
national Boy Scout commissioner; ]. y.
Hall educational' director of the Assoc
cated Advertising Clubs Of the World
and Gutzen BdFgluIn, sculptor and prcsi-
dent of The International Sporting club.