Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1923-01-15
benson TELLS
OF BENEFITS
Of AUTO LAW

Senator Murphy ana some or MS
colleagues were especially anxious to
learn the salary paid former Senator
wallace S. Handy, who is at head Of
not only the Titling Department but
also the entire automobile license de-
partment Of the Secretary OF State 8
off1ce. The reports shows Mr..
I Handy's salary TO be $500 a month.
5000 Of which comes from the titling
funds and the other 800 a month
/ from the Secretary's contingent fund.
The report gives the names and
salaries OF all employees Of the tiltl-
ing department. The report of eX-
pendltures takes up four typewrit-
ten pages. The report shows total
receipts since the department was
asta blished Of $29.125A4, expendi-
lures of s14,O99.4S, leaving a bal
ance on January l. this year in the
hands Of the State Treasurer OF
S15,O25.96.
Secretary Benson sent the follow
ing letter 10 the Senate with his re-
port:
ITO the Senate Of the State Of Del
aware:
resolution Number II I submit here
with a detailed statement of the
expenditures made under the provi-
sions of 254-K, Section 217-K Of the
revised code Of the State Of Della
ware.
ITO render detailed statement
of the receipts under this section OF
thu code would involve over forty
thousand Items. l am advised by
members of your body that It was
not your intention to require such
a statement. I include. however a
general statement of receipts.
MAY ! not take this opportunity
OF presenting to you certain facts in
relation to the operation Of the pro-
visions OF this act?
The General Assembly clearly
contemplated the fund created un-
der this act should be confidential
fund at the disposal Of the Secretary
of State for police work in prevent
ing the theft OF automobiles and the
disposition OF the same and the act
so clearly states. To this end it was
provided that the fund should be
retained by the Secretary OF state
in a separate fund Realizing
however. that this provision Of the
law was susceptible to ignorant mis-
representation on the part OF those
so interested the Secretary of state
after the installation of the new au-
ditIng system. and with the consent
OF the attorney-general of the State.
requested the State auditor and the
state treasurer 10 handle this &C
count. This they consented TO do.
Before taking over the fund an audit
was made by certified accountant
under the direction OF the State au-
ditor. Expenditures out OF this fund
are now made exactly as other State
funds are handled.
we have also worked out and
put into operation a check against
our receipts by charging ourselves
with the blank certificates of title
This system Is, OF course, open to the
inspection OF any member OF the
General Assembly.
The success of work Of this ma
ture depends entirely upon the man
in charge. Wallace S. Handy has
charge Of all the motor vehicle ac-
tivities Of my office. The State is
fortunate in having his services In
this work. I respectfully submit
to the Senate that this IS not work
which can be done by a clerk, nor
will It be done fct a clerks pay
Since the spring of 1922, when this
work reached the point where It
began to show results. we have To-
Gated identified and returned we'll
over twenty-five thousand dollars
worth of stolen cars. We have de-
stroyed the Ratledge gang whose
operations extended into Maryland.
Virginia. North Carolina, Pennsyl-
vania and New Jersey. Rudolph and
Porter. also Of Wilmington. are now
held in bail. The operations Of
these men extended down through
the State. We apprehended Rick
ards and his confederates at the
very beginning OF their activities.
Davis and Saunders, pair Of
nationally known thieves and high
waymen, are now in the penitentiary.
and their alleged confederates inI
this State are now under Indictment,
ut may be OF interest TO you to-
know that these men realized where
a great part OF their troubles lay
and had planned TO burn the State
house at Dover Fortunately they
we're apprehended before they could
attempt TO put their plans into exc
cution). william H. Parker is now
held in ball. In all over twenty ar
rests have been made OF thieves and
for offences.
"The other real work OF this work |
lies not in the recovery OF stolen cars |
nor in the arrest and conviction OF I
the criminals. These have their /
value. of course. but destroy the /
market for stolen cars and they will /
no longer be stolen. This we are at |
tempting TO do. It IS almost impos- /
sible at the present time to market /
a stolen car in this State We are .
working to effect a closer |
relationship with neighboring States 4
in this work.
when we have secured some /
thing approaching complete coop /
Grafton the purposes OF this act will J
have been attained. The tendency |
in other States is TO adopt something .
similar to our system.
since the fund provided by this
act can be used only for certain spe-
Gifted purposes, include herewith a
statement for your claims commit.
tee Of the cost OF compiling this re-
port.
Respectfully yours,
"A. r. BENSON.
Secretary of State"
RETURN RUNAWAY BOYS