Connecticut western news., 1922-03-23

hicle registered as passenger motor vehicle. In certain instances, persons are mistakenly taking out combina- tion registrations because the law was construed by them to mean that nothing could be carried in a passen- ger motor vehicle except passengers.
 The definition of passenger mo- tor vehicle and the definition of a commercial motor vehicle are both determined by the design and use of such vehicle. Thus a passenger mo- tor vehicle is one designed and used for the transportation of persons with their necessary personal be- longings. The commercial motor vehicle is one designed and used for the transportation of merchandise or freight, etc. The passenger and commercial motor vehicle is one de- signed and used for both passenger and commercial purposes. It will be readily seen that there is nothing in the law which prevents any person from using a motor vehicle regis tered as a passenger motor vehicle from carrying bundles, boxes, etc. and all the ordinary baggage which constitute personal belongings, pro- vided, the original design of the car has not been changed. But if pas senger motor vehicle originally de- signed for the transportation of per sons and their necessary personal belongings should have that design changed so as to make the motor ve- hicle more suitable for the transpor- tation of merchandise or freight, it is obvious that it comes within the commercial class. If such design as changed provides also for the use as a passenger motor vehicle it would then come within the passenger class as we'll as the commercial and a combination registration should be taken.
 When the original design of motor vehicle provides for both passenger and commercial (such as a Ford sqburban) the use of the car must govern it's class.
 When the chassis and the body design are of differetn class, as in the case of buses, the higher rating is taken.
 l For instance, a Ford touring car | used by farmer as a passenger | motor vehicle may also be used to transport milk or merchandise and freight to and from his farm, pro- 1 vided no change has been made in the design, on a passenge motor vehicle registration, without any violation of the law. But the same motor vehicle having part of the car removed and an express or box body substituted and the car used for the same purpose would be in the commercial class, and if the box or express body were interchange able with the touring car body and used both for passenger and for the transportation of merchandise and freight it would be in the passenger ] and commercial class.
 T The converse question which is often asked the Department is to what extent persons may be carried on commercial registrations. The limitations of commercial registra- tion, except those applying to busses, has been so closely construed that in certain instances the Department has been asked by person owning such motor vehicle as to whether his wife could ride with him. While the Department has never ruled on this
 question, yet each commercial motor
 vehicle as registered includes seats for one or more persons and in the
 ordinary use of such motor vehicle the seats may be filled by helper or
 assistant, or any other person di-