Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-02-20

The steady growth in the number of
motor vehicles registered in Maine and
in the receipts from these registrations
as shown by the annual reports Of the
Office Of the secretary of State since
1905 when the initial registration
statute was enacted in the State,
causes one to wonder when, If ever,
the saturation point will be reached,
how far distant is the day when the
tide will turn and the report, for a
year show a decrease from the pre-
vious year in the number of plates
issued and the fees collected
A few years after the enactment by
the Legislature of the first motor We
hicle registration act, there was be-
lief among many people of the State
that the saturation point would be
reached when the registrations showed
motor vehicle for every 10 people
residing in the Pine Tree State. That
status was reached about 1921, but the
predictions were not fulfilled; the in
NiedSe CoHllHueu ullll ldSI year ) re-
port showed motor vehicle for every
SO Maine people.
-- The ratio of motor cars to the
number of people in the United States
last year was one to every five people,
and it is interesting to note that the
ratio in Maine has been about the
same as the ratio for country each
year. California led last year with
a ratio of one motor car to every "a
people in that state, and Florida was
close second with one car to every
2.S residents. At 40 per cent, Florida
showed the greatest increase in regis
trations in 1926, although the increase
was marked in all of the southern
states. While many of the larger states
have a considerably greater number
of cars than Maine, the per capita rate
OF autos in this State is equal and in
many instances larger than that of
some of the more densely popula ted
states.
With the development of theAmotor
truck business and the increasing fleet
OF trucks employed in the delivery of
goods from business houses, it would
appear that any prediction as to the
time when the saturation point in mo-
tor vehicles will be reached is little
more than guess.
Names initial Registration Law
The first statute in Maine providing
for the registration of motor vehicles
and the licensing of opera tors. the act
of 1905. fixed fee of 50 for the regis
ration of each motor vehicle and the
fee for the operators license was the
same. The license was perpetual so
far as the operator was concerned and
was good for the car as long as owned
by the person who registered it. Deal
ers paid registration fee of $40
which was also good indefinitely. Dur
ing 1905, the first full year after the
law became effective, the sum of S2.644
was collected from owners and drivers
Of cars
The amount of fees collected under
the provisions of that statute grew
until 1911 when the revenue produced
for the year was $12.462. 1t was in
that year that a statute was first en-
acted making provision for the annual
registration of motor vehicles and IL
censing of operators. This law went
into effect jan 1, 1912. and for the first
year it was in operation produced a
revenue of $9S,339S4.
The receipts for 1921, the last year
the 1911 law was in operation, reached
the sum of S1.004,913.75. and as many
people had looked upon the million dol
lar mark as indicating the saturation
point in motor vehicles in the State, It
would have been difficult then to have
believed that that sum could have
been doubled in four years time. In
1921, the Legislature enacted the pres
ent law making the basis of fees on
passenger cars the horsepower and
weight of the vehicle. The constantly
changing models and the variations in
Weight and horse power from wear to