Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-06-25
All Records in State Auto Department Are
Shattered Under Secretary Of State Brown
License Funds Are Collected and Distributed
With Speed and Eficiency-Servic to
Public is Motto of Department

Columbus, o. (SpeciaD - Dedi
Gated to the proposition of serving
every automobile owner in the stats
Of Ohio as we'll as the police depart
ments Of every community in the
state the state automobile depart
ment is one of the busiest branches
Of the state government.
Under Obio's automobile license
law the state has set up a plan OF
Identification by which all auto
mobiles. motor trucks, motorcycles
trailers and side-cars are licensed
for the purpose of Identification in
order that the rapidly increasing
number Of accidents and crimes
committed by persons in motor cars
might be better handled by police
authorities in identifying persons
through the automobiles in which
they are riding Colonel Chalmers
R. Wilson, state commissioner of
motor vehicles, has, under the per
sonal direction of Secretary of State
Thad Brown brought the efficiency
OF this department up to such a
standard that "a hour service is
maintained in the department and
identification can be established al
most within the twinkling of an
eye, once one has possession of an
automobile license number.
To do this has required a vast
amount of work with a limited
force Of employees. With identifica-
ton as the primary function of the
state auto license law, everything
else has been swept aside in the de-
sire to get all motor vehicles listed
the state department as quickly
possible.
PROVISIONS OF NEW MOTOR
LAW
The secondary function of the
license law is to provide revenue
for the Improvement of the high
ways both by the state and coun-
ties. Before the new motor vehicle
code was passed by the last gen
eral assembly all of this work was
done through the automobile de-
partment, the collection of the
money and its distribution to the
state highway department and the
local taxing districts being left up
to the secretary of state. Secre-
tary Brown, however, urged the
ldoption of that section of the
motor vehicle code which further
3Xpedites the collection and distri-
5ution by allowing county auditors
20 collect and distribute the
money.
Before the law became effective
very effort Of the state auto
mobile department was bent to-
yard getting all license tags listed
Il proper order in the state DEPART
nent and getting the revenue back
o the taxing districts as quickly
IS possible, and marked increases
the speed with which the money
Jas turned over to the counties
or roads were noted from year to
ear under Secretary Browns sys-
EN-. Listing of the auto tags alpha
Jetically and also serially required
| great amount of work and Still
more work was required of book
,eepers who made the distribution
II the funds as they came in. Yet
without increasing the number of
MS employees Secretary Brown sue.
ceeded in setting a record for both
services which has never been ap-
)roached by any other secretary of
tate since the license law became
effective.
HEAVY INCREASE IN WORK
The work in the department had
increased amazingly since it was
taken over by Secretary of State |
Grown. This has been caused by |
he constant and rapid growth in
he number of motor vehicles in |
lse, which adds to the number of |
cense plates which must be issued |
nd the collection and distribution |
funds. Because he has handled |
his increased work without in |
reased clerical force Secretary
Grown has left larger amount of
money free for road work through |
out the state.
In 1923 there were 1,O91,O6 mo-
tor vehicles ii all kinds operated
IN Ohio. This increased to 1,251,49O
in 1924, and 1,34S,O21 in 1925. The
figures for 1926 are not yet avail
BILE but will show a proportionate
ain. The revenues coming into the
! pa TT M Mt for these years