Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-12
AUTO REGISTRATION
PROPOSAL OPPOSED
Efficiency Bureau Plan Held
Impractical by Coombs
and A. A. A. Official.

The new plan recommended by the
Bureau Of Efficiency for the annual
registration of automobiles, including
requirement for the filing of certain
certificates in the license Office when
ever a car changes hands. was char
acterized as entirely impractical" by
C.. P. Clark, assistant general manager
Of the American Automobile Associa-
ton. in a report to Commissioner
Dougherty today.
Mr. Clark. who was requested to
study the recommendations, replied
that while the present system in the
license office may not be all that is
desired, the Commissioners should
give serious consideration to the ques-
ton before making any changes that
would apply to the 1928 registrations
In view of the short time available
in which to perfect new system.
1t developed also today that Wade
Fl. Coombs. Superintendent Of licenses.
has made a report to the Commission
ers in which he calls attention to
number of difficulties he believes would
result from adoption Of the method
outlined by the Efficiency Bureau.
Suggested Forms Complicated.
Mr. Coombs reported that the new
registration forms suggested by the
Bureau of Efficiency, to be filled out
by applicants for tags, ARE entirely
too cumbersome and complicated to
he practical" He told the Commission
ers that 1.-The filling in of these COM
plicated forms would tax the patience
of any applicant"
The Efficiency Bureau suggestion
that the signature of the owner be
placed on the application is part of the
procedure which the license office in
tends to adopt for the coming year,
Mr.. Coombs said. The recommendation
that application blanks be distributed
at various points in the city also is to
be carried out, according to the super
intendent.
Mr.. Coombs sees no advantage to be
gained from the recommendation that
applicants be required to surrender
the previous years registration card
upon renewal, nor does he believe the
office could enforce that recruitment.
1.-The proposed procedure for re-
quiring evidence of title. requiring
certificate of transfer and verification
of applications by cross-reference files
before issuance of tags. Is open to the
criticism that it would entail unreas.
enable time on the part of the appli-
cant and thus result in long lines Of
waiting applicants. situation which
we are striving to avoid" Superin-
port. This Office does not have the
clerical force to handle the tremen-
dous additional work which would be
involved in the adoption of this rec
ommendation."
Hold Title Law Required.
The superintendent believes the
suggestion that a file of auto regis
trations be kept by engine number
would be good one provided the
office is furnished with sufficient funds
for the additional equipment, but he
added that in his opinion the check
ing Of stolen cars can be met only by
the passage by Congress of motor
vehicle title law.
In conclusion. Supt. Coombs told
the Commissioners his office is plan.
ming q procedure for the registration
of cars and issuance of licenses TINS
year that will have most of the ad-
vantages Of the Bureau OF Efnclency
plan and none of the difficulties OF
execution and administration.
In his letter to Commissioner
Dougherty Mr. Clark also pointed
out that the District of Columbia di-
vision of the association favors
certificate of title law to be enacted
by Congress. and that since such
law could not be obtained In time for
the next annual registration Of auto
mobiles, he urged that the city heads
hold in abeyance any action tending
to change radically the present sys-
tenn.