The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-12-27
PLAN TOCUT COST
OF STATE AUTOS
Central Garage in Trenton Urged
in Report to Governor by Com
mittee to Eliminate Waste.
PECULIAR BILLS FOR REPAIRS
Sid Auto Tags Mean Arrests, DIPS
Warning-Rebukes Motorists tor
Laxity in Obtaining 1924 IL
censes-Asks Police Action.

Trenton. changes in the
| present method of maintaining state
owned automobiles and trucks, at an
annual cost in excess of half a million
| dollars, are advocated In report
made to Governor Silzer by the COM
mittee he appointed some time ago
to make a survey Of conditions.
The committee, comprising New
ton A. K. Bugbee, state comptroller;
| Abraham Jelin of the Highway Com
! mission, and John A. Reddan of the
Budget Commission, recommend that
state-owned passenger cars in the
| Trenton zone be withdrawn from prl-
vate and public garages in various
parts of the county and kept in
! second-story addition it is proposed
/ to add to the state highway garage in
/ the rear of East Front street. All
repairs would be done under state
| supervision instead Of by the present
system Of patronizing any garage to
| which the car operator preferred to
( give the business.
1t is suggested that opportunity be
/ given to a number Of state officials
in localities too far from Trenton to
be included in the central garage
plan to acquire the cars they are
now using or to purchase others in
the open market. One official has
already adopted the latter plan.
The committee does not consider
it practical to abolish entirely the
state-owner car system outside Of
the Trenton zone, but suggests that
In certain cases popular priced ma
shines suitable for local operations
replace the more expensive type.
For the most part the cars housed
in the proposed central garage would
constitute a taxi feet for trip service.
Where two or more officials from
different departments are called on
the same day from Trenton to some
common destination, one car of suit
able capacity would be assigned by
the starter.
Owing to the nature Of the work
of some officials whose duties keep
them almost constantly on the road,
special arrangements would be made
/
Some of the garage bills for work
on state cars are rather vague in
every place excepting the price col
umn. Instances were discovered by
the committee where substantial
charges were made for working on
the front end" or working on the
rear end without any termination Of
just what was done to the car. The
state has been called upon to pay a
garage repairman for "going after
parts" which the establishment didn't
happen to have in stock. Neglect to
properly look after fabrication has
proven l costly item as reflected in
repair bills. This condition will be
remedied if the central garage plan
is adopted.
State Is Defrauded
In a number of cases state en-
ployees who have been unusually con-
scientious in. the operation of the
! cars assigned to them have been the
victims of INSCRIPTIONS garage own
ers.
The accidental stripping of gears,
for instance, in one car formed the
basis of a rather heavy repair charge.
The first day the repaired car was
| placed in service it was put out Of
commission when the broken teeth
Of the original gears, which had
never been removed from the hous-
| ing, wedged into the new cogs.
The bill of one garage shows that
the hour charge for repairs in one
month totals more than the working
hours in the entire month, assuming
that one mechanic worked on the
machine.
The report Of the committee sets
forth that the mounting cost of car
upkeep. which increased about S40.-
900 in one year, may largely be at
tributed to the lack of system in car
ing for the machines. Some of the
more expensive cars are apparently
kept on the go a great deal of the
time. The speedometer readings OF
one machine shows that it covered
1906 miles in a year. Assuming
that the operator of this machine did
not exceed the legal speed limit, it
would take him more than 116 days
Of eight hours each, driving constant
ly at twenty miles an hour, to cover
the ground.
Dill Issues a Warning
Expressing disappointment at the
failure of motorists to secure 1924
licenses early. State Motor Vehicle
Commissioner William L. Dill author
lied the statement that under no cir
cumstances will autoists be allowed
to operate machines January / with
out next years registration plates
and drivers licenses.
Every opportunity has been af-
fordeG to the motoring public to Sc
cure their licenses in due time" said
Mr.. Dill. "and under no circumstances
will the operation of a motor vehicle
be permitted at the beginning of the
new year with ether than 1924 plates.
Agents, inspectors and other en-
uloyees of the department are re-