New Britain herald., 1927-09-10

Three Of th" first 1o Connection
 citizens 10 register automobiles i this state back in 1903. when regis
 tla'ion first began. still hold in
 same registration numh"rs the
 Were given originally hy the seer"
 tary Of states office. The thre.
 whose cars still bear their owner, 1 original marker numbers are Jamc 1 r. Woodruff of Iitchhold. holder o , registration number i: Harold \ 1 Meeks Of M"rilcn, holder of mum 1 ber and Archibald W, Comstock 0 i Ivoryton. holder Of number 2. | These facts are revealed in
 search through the oldest records il
 the possession Of the conn"cticu department Of motor vehicles. Wh'rl
 treasures them along with the thou sands Of other records which hold ; complete history Of every motor vehicle and every motor ychicl. operator eyer registered or licensed in the state.
 State Dept. Ranks High
 Connectlcut's motor vehicle dc partnonf ranks very high in the country today. and one of inc req sons for this is it's attention to sta tisticS and its careful methods of keeping a1minIstratiHe records. since its birth. pajnstakinE efforts
 have been made 10 keep on file 3 complete history Of cars and drivers in the state. Those operators uho are unfortunate enough 10 havc court convictions for motor vehicle violations arc aware of the careful check that is kept upon tEom by this department Accidents, Suspen- Jed licenses for violations. the ap- plCatiou Of tho financial responsi- lllity laN--thesc and other things are all carefully recorded and no ncWspaper "morCue" or Bertllion office is more complete.
 While motor vehicle administra- ton under its present form was es- tahlishod in Connecticut with tho birth Of the present automobile de partmcnt in 1917. inc work Of reg I~tration was handled as q small part of the work Of the office Of the secretary Of state. The dcN"lop- ment of motor vehicle administra- ton 10 its present form in Connoc- iicut is made all the more impress SiN" by q brief scrutiny Of motor vehicle records of 1908. Issuing reg istrations comprised the total re- Sponsibilty of automobile supervi- sion then. Accident prevention. li- ccuse suspensions, licensing of gaso- lin" stations. reciprocal arrange ruonts with other states, co-opera- ton with local police departments and the stat" police, relations with inc federal government on motor problems. compilation of statistics, of owners and drivers records. eyesieht tests, financial re- sponsi 'iy-rhesc things were un- (uown and their future presence in administration never thought Of.
 The First Rcgi>lrant
 Tmonry-four years ago. on May .3rd, 1903. the first Connecticut mo- or vehicle rcgis ration was issued Q James r. Woodruff of I.itchfield. This first registration covered the ownership Of an Oldsmobilo. which, v tho way, is still in possession Of Is original owner. Th" original rex certificate lik" those which i' for several years Was dc il,dly unlike the present day ccr- iflcafc for 1t vas q rrSplond,t~ af- . cal and tho gold seal of the socr"- . .ry Of state. lili" other state pa . CTS, it carried the personally writ n signature Of th" secretary. II ,as an impressive document, this . -gjstra'ion ccrtihcatc' There were ,@5& c"rtifirates issued in 1908 by 1o sr"r"'ary's office.
 Tn. first twelve re@istratjons in . ounrcrIrut in 1908 were, No. of . Name of Owner. Ad- . F ss, Trade Name respectively:
 i. James r. Woodruff, Litchfield, .. bow E. Beeb", Bridgeport oromoDilo.
 2. .. x. Hocbc, Essex, Kno@mo- lo.
 f. I, L. Holt, McriIon, Autocar.
 !. Harold A. Mooks, Merid"n, u'ocar
 {. stephen P, Perkins, New Hav- ], Lorouobilo.
 7--Paul Norwood, Ansonia, Loco obilr
 s. clarence k. Sharp, Mcrid"n, .dsmobiln,
 2. Archibald w. Cornstock, oryton, Winton Touring Car. 1o. Eugene r. Kirkland, New ,nion, I.ocomobil" II. Charles J. Root, Bristol. Lo- mobile. F. rhas. IT, Jocknlus, Ansonia. Ho&mobilc. Style r.
 Many steam Cars
 pf the first one hundred cars reg cred by the secretary of state, ,ly 5t were operated by gasoline 'Wor. Thirty Wer" propelled by am and fifteen by means of cleo l"iiy. One was registered with T ystcrious motive power called "hy- o-carbon." In the 1903 list appears l